How USP helped an international industry association identify opportunities
Defining Growth Opportunities in the Global Wallpaper Market
client name
PRIVATE
year
2024
service: Market sizing I sector: Home Improvement
The challenge
The global wallpaper industry is undergoing a period of structural change. This is thanks to technological innovation, which has led to new opportunities for the products. But the market is also under pressure due to the geopolitical situation. After years of modest growth, overall market volumes have stagnated. Traditional channels such as DIY retail are under pressure, and geopolitical and economic uncertainty are shaping purchasing behaviour.
Against this backdrop, an international industry association needed a clear, data-driven understanding of the global wallpaper market. Its members were seeking answers to critical questions:
- Where is demand truly holding up, and where is it structurally eroding?
- Which product categories and technologies still offer growth potential?
- How are digital printing and online sales reshaping value creation?
- What does a realistic outlook for 2025 look like across key markets?
The challenge was not simply to size the market, but to separate short-term noise from long-term structural shifts, providing members with actionable strategic guidance.
USP’s approach
USP designed and executed a multi-layered global market sizing study, combining quantitative robustness with qualitative depth.
Our approach integrated three core components:
- Quantitative input from industry insiders
A structured survey among association members captured sales volumes, values, channel mix and expectations across major markets. - Qualitative expert interviews
In-depth interviews with members provided context around innovation, sustainability, digitalisation and competitive dynamics. - Independent market validation
Publicly available data and international trade statistics were used to validate trends, identify inconsistencies and strengthen confidence in the findings.
This triangulated methodology ensured the results were credible, comparable across countries, and strategically relevant.
The impact
The study equipped the association and its members with a shared, fact-based view of the market, enabling more informed strategic discussions.
Key outcomes included:
- A realistic outlook on market developments, helping members align expectations
- Clear identification of where value creation is shifting towards digital technologies and online channels
- A stronger evidence base for strategic prioritisation across regions, product categories and distribution models
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