17
RENTAL SURVEYS
IRN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
T
here was a notable improvement in business
sentiment among European rental companies
at the end of the third quarter of the year, as
revealed by the latest ERA/
IRN
RentalTracker survey
undertaken at the end of September and beginning
of October.
The improvements were driven by the UK, the
Nordic region and Germany, with Southern Europe,
France and the Benelux countries remaining more
subdued.
Overall, there were positive trends on fleet
utilisation, current business conditions and activity
levels for the third quarter.
Almost a third of the 238 companies who
responded to the European survey reported
improving conditions at the end of the third quarter,
a significant improvement on the second quarter.
The positive balance of opinion – the difference
between the proportions reporting improving or
deteriorating conditions – improved to +13.4%,
which is the first positive balance since the first
quarter of 2012.
'Rest of the World' survey
The ERA/
IRN
RentalTracker survey is conducted
every quarter by
International Rental News
(IRN)
and is a joint venture with the European
Rental Association (ERA). It is sponsored by the
International Rental Exhibition (IRE). A further 120
Signs of life
360 responses
In total approximately 238 companies in Europe
responded to the ERA/
IRN
RentalTracker survey
for the third quarter of 2013. A further 120
companies responded to our World Confidence
Survey for companies outside Europe, bringing
the total number of worldwide respondents to
almost 360.
The survey was carried out at the end of
September, beginning of October.
Our thanks to all the companies who
participated and to the following organisations
who helped distribute the European survey to
their members and contacts:
■
Assodimi (Italy)
■
ConfalQ (Spain)
■
Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) (UK)
■
DLR (France)
■
Hire Association Europe (HAE)
■
RusRental (Russia)
■
Norwegian Rental Association
■
Danish Rental Association
■
The Association of Finnish Technical Traders
We also thank Caterpillar for distributing the
‘Rest of the World’ survey links to their dealers
and the Hire & Rental Industry in Australia for
promoting the survey in Australia.
The RentalTracker for Europe is a joint venture
between
IRN
magazine and the European Rental
Association (ERA). If you have suggestions about
how the survey could be improved, then please
contact the ERA on
or Murray
Pollok,
IRN
Editor, at
Optimism
BALANCE OF OPINION ON BUSINESS
CONDITIONS (END Q3, 2013)
(previous quarter in brackets)
EUROPE
UK
(+33%)
+62%
Germany
(+6%)
+36%
Nordic
(+50%)
+26%
Multinationals
(+16%)
+25%
All Europe
(0%)
+13.5%
Benelux
(-6%)
+13%
Italy
(-43%)
-17%
Russia
-18.2%
France
(-6%)
-21%
Spain
(-31%)
-39%
REST OF THE WORLD
South America
+50%
North America
+48%
Rest of world (all)
+33%
MiddleEast/Africa
+20%
Asia
+10%
Note: Balance of opinion = proportion seeing improvement –
proportion seeing worsening conditions.
¬
Optimism chart
PERCENTAGE FORECASTING BUSINESS TO BE ‘MUCH BETTER’ IN 12 MONTHS
(last quarter results in brackets)
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Russia
15%
South
America
42%
RoW
ALL
18%
Asia
17%
North
America
12%
Mid. East/
Africa
7%
UK/
Ireland
14%
(14%)
Multi-
nationals
11%
(4%)
Nordic
9%
(33%)
All
Europe
9%
(8%)
Benelux
9%
(6%)
Spain
7%
(0%)
Italy
0%
(11%)
France
0%
(0%)
Germany
0%
(0%)
The third quarter ERA/
IRN
RentalTracker survey shows
a distinct improvement in European rental industry
confidence, with the UK leading the way. Elsewhere in
the world rental businesses are seeing a more favourable
environment. Murray Pollok reports.
