A
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
According to a recent study, overall consumption of alcohol this year would have increased by 14%. Be sure in the natural stone industry it would have increased by at least 28 %.
B
BROWN
The colour back in fashion in a big way.
C
COVID-19
Or should we call it Coronavirus? Does it make any difference? Did we talk of anything else?
D
DIGITALISATION
One positive thing this year has been many company owners have had made progress in digitalisation of their businesses: in stocking, processes, production, etc.
E
EUROPEAN UNION
The pandemic has been devastating in the EU, but most of the natural stone industry has been active and busy for almost the entire year, except for a couple of months in the second quarter of the year.
F
FAIRS
We used to complain there were too many of them. By now many people are missing them.
G
GREY / WHITE
These colours continue to be the most popular everywhere.
H
HOME RENOVATION
The most important development in EU and US which saved this year for the natural stone industry.
I
INSPECTIONS
One of the fundamental elements of the natural stone business is inspection by the buyers- and this was largely substituted by self-inspections
J
JOBS
The several government support measures in many developed countries was the key reason why relatively few jobs have been lost in the stone industry this year.
K
KONYA
So many new quarries have opened this year, and in the province of Konya in Turkey, more than anywhere else.
L
LANDSCAPING
One of the applications of natural stone where there was the biggest increase this year.
M
MASKS
If anyone thought that by wearing masks one good aspect was being unrecognisable, well, not true. You still get recognised
N
NETFLIX
One of the important ways in which people tried to forget the reality.
O
OPTIMISM
In December, at last, optimism. One can now see the end of the nightmare is near.
P
PORCELAIN
Continues to take away market share from natural stone, virus or no virus.
Q
QUARANTINE
Another new word that has part of our daily vocabulary.
R
REPUTATION
One of the most important criteria during this year for stone buyers everywhere for placing orders was the reputation of the stone supplying company. A reputation for reliability, quality, seriousness, trust, was what mattered. Price, for once, mattered less.
S
SHORTAGES
Shortage of all kinds of supplies was a serious problem for companies, especially in the first half of the year.
T
TRUST
With business travel having ground to a complete halt, mutual trust became the most important basis of closing deals.
U
USA
In spite of the pandemic, USA continued to remain a dynamic market.
V
VACCINE
At last!
W
WEBINARS
At the start of the year no one knew what these were. By the end of the year everyone was fed up of them.
X
XIAMEN FAIR
Will it be the first major trade show in 2021?
Y
YACHT
Some of the wealthier businessmen in the stone industry used to think of owning yachts as a luxury. Now the excuse for owning one is it is an essential business expense, and being on it as much as possible, a safety measure.
Z
ZOOM
No one had even heard of the word in the month of January. By December it has become a fundamental tool in business negotiations and long distance conversations.
