German kitchen furniture manufacturers are counting on a revival in kitchen sales in the second half of the current year.
'We are cautiously optimistic that the order slump has now passed and that furniture demand will pick up again after the summer months,' says Stefan Waldenmaier, Chairman of the Association of the German Kitchen Furniture Industry (VdDK), at the board meeting in Dresden. The kitchen furniture industry's order intake has at least stabilised in recent weeks, reported VdDK Managing Director Jan Kurth, based on the association's internal statistics.
After their meeting, the board members of the Association of the German Kitchen Furniture Industry visited the production facility of Sachsenküchen H.-J. Ebert GmbH in Dippoldiswalde near Dresden. Photo: VdDK.
Meanwhile, the use of short-time work in the kitchen segment has declined, according to association surveys. While more than 60 percent of the kitchen furniture manufacturers surveyed had registered short-time work in February 2024, only 35 percent of companies were using this instrument in April 2024. The slowly improving consumer climate, but also the reduction in key interest rates by the European Central Bank, are reasons for slight optimism, said Kurth. However, additional stimulus to stimulate new housing construction is urgently needed.
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