LATER this year, Leading Edge will publish the latest editions of two of our multi–client research reports – the GB Contract Market for Flooring Adhesives and the GB Contract Market for Smoothing Compounds.

At the time of writing, fieldwork is underway and more than 100 phone interviews with flooring contractors across the UK will form the backbone of this year’s findings.

These reports have been produced periodically since 2007, providing a unique view of long–term shifts in brand usage, specification, product performance, and market behaviour.

The 2025 editions will build on that foundation, retaining historical comparisons while refreshing and expanding key sections.

What’s covered in the 2025 reports?
Each report is based on detailed conversations with contractors who work primarily in commercial sectors such as offices, healthcare, education, and retail.

The questionnaires for 2025 include updates on several established themes, including:

• Brand usage and market share: for adhesives, smoothing compounds, dampproof membranes, and primers.
• System installs: how often contractors use a full system from one manufacturer;
• Specification and switching: how many projects are influenced by specifiers, and how often those specs are changed;
• Adhesive types by application including usage of pressure–sensitive adhesives for LVT and gun–and–hose systems;
• Trends in subfloors: such as the continued use (or decline) of anhydrite screeds.
  
  In addition to usage data, the reports also include contractor opinions – what they value in a supplier, what they’d like to see improved, and brand ratings by key performance areas.
  
  What’s new or different this year?
  While the structure will remain familiar to past readers – tables, charts, trend comparisons, and contractor quotes – the 2025 editions will feature a refreshed design and a few expanded insight areas.
  
  New this year are dedicated insights into the use of fine finishing smoothing compounds, as well as questions exploring product innovation priorities and the key challenges contractors are facing in today’s market.
  
  We’ve also taken a first look at the underfloor heating (UFH) market, with a ‘toe–in–the–water’ question exploring how often they’re laying floorcoverings over UFH in commercial installations.
  
  In addition, we’ve made several small refinements based on buyer feedback to ensure the reports remain highly practical and easy to navigate – whether you’re benchmarking brand performance or planning product development.
  
  How the reports are used
  Clients use these reports to:
• Benchmark their performance and brand strength
• Understand how and why contractors choose particular products
• Identify opportunities for product development or training
• Inform sales and marketing strategy with real–world contractor feedback
  
  The reports remain one of the few independent sources of structured insight into this niche but essential part of the commercial flooring sector.
  
  Market insight that goes beyond brand preferences
  In addition to contractor feedback, both reports include market size estimates and forecasts, helping manufacturers and suppliers understand not just what is happening on the ground, but also how big the opportunity is, and how that might change in the coming years.
  
  The 2025 Flooring Adhesives and Smoothing Compounds reports will be published in November. Copies are available to pre–order now.
  
  To register interest or request a list of section headings, contact Leading Edge on the details below.
  
  01252 279990
  leadingedge@lead–edge.co.uk
  www.lead–edge.co.uk
  Elly Cousin is director at Leading Edge