Today, international manufacturers can see availability of free niches in the market, demand on the construction market, gradual recovery of the automotive industry and other wide prospects for their rapid development

The past three years have not been the easiest for the Russian market of fasteners, assembly and installation systems, fittings and tools. First the coronavirus pandemic, then the sanctions - all this, of course, became a serious challenge. However, now it is gradually coming to life. Moreover, the most active players from China, Turkey and India managed to seize the moment and secure the vacant market segments.

Russian market of fasteners and equipment for their production, assembly and installation systems, fittings

At the end of 2021, the share of imports on the domestic market of fasteners, assembly and installation systems approached 70%. At the same time, the bulk (more than two-thirds) of imported products are complex hardware (nuts, washers, self-tapping screws) and non-overlapping assortment (that is, products that have no Russian analogues at all, or the output of domestic analogues is insufficient). At the same time, over the past three years, several large international manufacturers have left the Russian market at once. Part of their supplies was replaced by parallel imports, or by products of Chinese, Turkish or Indian companies.

On the market of metal fittings, the share of imports is not so large - about 30%. The leading position in terms of supplies is occupied by China, which accounts for more than 70% of the total volume of imports of fittings. It is worth mentioning that, in value terms, the share of China in 2020-2021 was significantly less - about 30%, Germany (11%) and Italy (9%) were on the second and third places.

The main problem faced by the Russian manufacturers of fasteners, assembly and installation systems, fittings is the lack of machine tools and other technological equipment: new European and Taiwanese machines cannot be bought, and there are difficulties with updating software. Meanwhile, about 65% of all fasteners are produced on Taiwanese machines. Therefore, in addition to the assortment itself, various equipment is also in demand at the moment.

Russian tool market

At the end of 2021 - beginning of 2022, the share of imported power tools and garden equipment on the Russian market was about 30%. During the year, this indicator remained approximately at the same level, however, the shares of different market players changed significantly. So, if in December 2021 - January 2022 Dewalt, Makita, StanleyBlack & Decker, Metabo, Stihl occupied 4-6% of the market, and Bosch's share was approaching 10%, now these manufacturers account for a significantly smaller volume - about 1%. At the same time, sales of Xiaomi, Realme, Tecno, Infinix, DEKO almost doubled. Demand for tools on the Russian market has changed its vector over the year. According to sources from several large retail chains, if in March-May 2022, due to the departure of Western brands, buyers literally swept their products away from the shelves, now interest has shifted towards Chinese manufacturers, especially those producing models for the mass consumer.

An interesting feature of the current situation is the collaboration between Russian and Chinese brands. Local companies form their products taking into account the needs of Russian consumers, combining the efforts of Russian and Chinese engineers, as well as partner factories located in China.

Of course, the situation with the search for a replacement differs depending on the segment. If in the segment of household tools, Chinese products have generally managed to replace the departed brands (primarily due to the combination of sufficiently high quality and reasonable prices), then in the segment of professional tools there are not so many alternatives to the departed brands.

According to one of the largest online hypermarkets, VseInstrumenty.ru, in 2022 Russian companies increased their purchases of building materials, fasteners and office supplies. The company's turnover in the B2B segment in 2022 amounted to 59.3 billion rubles including VAT. The number of active clients increased by 20%. The growth was due to the expansion of the client base and increase in its activity.

According to the results of the year, the categories of building materials (+200%), electrics and lighting (+106%), fasteners (+102%), as well as office goods (+96%) were in the highest demand among B2B clients at the end of the year.

According to Viktor Govor, Director of Corporate Sales at VseInstrumenty.ru, last year was quite active in terms of demand among manufacturing enterprises, as new opportunities for import substitution appeared for local companies. The highest growth rates today are shown by Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, as well as the territories of the Volga Federal District, the Southern Federal District and the Northwestern Federal District.

Reasons to enter the Russian market

1. Availability of free niches in the market

Despite the fact that about 80 different types of products are represented on the domestic fastener market, there are still niches not covered by Russian manufacturers. It was mentioned above that the share of imported fasteners in 2021 was about 70%. Of course, some of them can be replaced by local products. Therefore, a non-overlapping assortment (that is, products that are either not produced in our country at all, or produced, but in insufficient quantities) will be in demand among Russian buyers of fasteners.

Another promising niche is fasteners for small consumers. The fact is that many Russian manufacturers are focused on large-scale orders from housing developers, companies managing infrastructure projects and other large businesses. This can be marked from the procurement statistics: about half of the contracts are concluded with such clients. At the same time, the demand for small volumes of fasteners (including those for subsidiary farms, country houses, repairmen) remains unsatisfied: large manufacturers are ready to sell only large batches of their products.

A separate serious niche is machine tools and technological equipment for the production of fasteners and other hardware. It was mentioned above that almost two-thirds of the world's fasteners are made on Taiwanese machines. However, due to current geopolitical events, the supply of such equipment has become almost impossible. But, on the other hand, Chinese manufacturers of such machines can take advantage of this.

If we consider the tool market, then there are certain points of growth on it. One of them is a professional tool. The departure of a number of European, American and Japanese manufacturers opened up good prospects for new market players, especially taking into account the construction boom and the gradual recovery of the auto industry. The release of new models of simpler tools that combine functionality, quality and reasonable price will definitely be positively received by customers.

Moreover, the expansion of the range of tools stimulates the development of the market due to competition. Another point of growth is related to the tightening of control over the supply of a number of products (including power tools) to Kazakhstan, which will lead to an increase in the cost of models imported through parallel imports from European and Japanese brands. At the same time, tool manufacturers from countries that have not joined the sanctions, which are ready to offer products of comparable quality at a more attractive price, will benefit.

2. Demand on the construction market

According to experts of the Stroitelstvo.ru magazine, the demand for fasteners has doubled in Russia over the past 10 years. The demand for tools has grown in a comparable way. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the growing pace of construction, both housing and infrastructure. So, in 2022, according to Rosstat, the commissioning of housing in the Russian Federation overcame the mark of 100 million square meters, reaching 102.7 million sq. m. In addition, 137 large enterprises, a section of the M-12 Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod-Kazan highway, bridges in Arkhangelsk, Blagoveshchensk and Surgut were put into operation last year. Moreover, the President of the Russian Federation set an ambitious task for the Russian construction complex - by 2030, annually put into operation 120 million square meters of housing. The prospective construction of the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline should not be discounted either; its design is currently underway. Such results are difficult to achieve without high-quality fasteners, fittings, installation and assembling systems, various tools, without which civil and infrastructure construction is impossible.

3. Gradual recovery of the automotive industry

Approximately one fifth of all fasteners on the market were consumed by automakers, so the suspension of a number of large factories (Renault in Moscow and Tolyatti, Volkswagen - Skoda in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod, PSA and Volvo in Kaluga, Avtotor in Kaliningrad, Hyundai / KIA in St. Petersburg, Mercedes-Benz in Solnechnogorsk) and the subsequent withdrawal of parent companies from Russia, of course, affected the production plans of fastener manufacturers. However, the auto industry is gradually recovering: the former Renault plant in Moscow began producing Chinese JAC crossovers under the Moskvich brand, the Mercedes-Benz plant was bought by Avilon and is preparing to produce premium Chinese cars, the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad has also reorganized to produce Chinese sedans and crossovers. As new models are launched, the demand for both fasteners and tools will grow.

Fastenex will be the first step to enter the Russian market

Last year, more than 1,500 Weldex visitors (specialists from various industries, including construction, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, furniture industry, etc.) showed interest in fasteners, hardware, fittings and tools. Therefore, this year the Organiser decided to expand the theme of the exhibition, giving potential participants the opportunity to present a wide range of their products. Participation in the event will allow international manufacturers and suppliers of products to form and secure the status of a reliable partner and a proven market participant. In addition, exhibitors will be able to speak live about their new products and innovative solutions, hold negotiations, establish contacts with decision makers, expand the sales horizon, conclude new contracts with Russian and international companies. In addition, participation in the Fastenex exhibition is a powerful informational occasion that will increase brand awareness on the Russian market.

Russian Markets Of Fasteners, Tools, Assembly And Installation Systems, Fittings: New Growth Points And Development Prospects