The Association of the German Kitchen Furniture Industry (VdDK) intends to continue its intensive efforts to promote political measures to promote housing construction. The recent board meeting, which took place in the kitchen furniture manufacturer JAKA-BKL in Stemwede, also focused on the industry's economic situation.
The board of the Association of the German Kitchen Furniture Industry met at the JAKA-BKL company in Stemwede.
In 2024, the kitchen furniture industry recorded a decline in sales of 6.5 percent to 5.6 billion euros. 2025 also began with a setback: In January, sales were 11.9 percent below the previous year's figure. Nevertheless, companies are cautiously optimistic about the future – the reason for this is an improved order situation in the first quarter of 2025, which many board members reported. 'We expect a moderate sales recovery in the second half of the year, and by 2026 at the latest,' said VdDK Managing Director Jan Kurth, summarising the mood in the industry.
Guest speaker Klaus Wohlrabe from the Ifo Institute also sees an opportunity for an improvement in the economic situation from 2026 onwards. However, many uncertainties remain, such as the hesitant consumer behaviour of German citizens or the impact of the 20 percent increase in US tariffs on exports. Wohlrabe emphasised that the German economy needs stability above all: 'The new government must bring more clarity to its communications and reduce bureaucratic hurdles,' he said. The construction industry could also benefit from this.
The successful upturn in the construction sector is a decisive factor in improving the situation in the furniture industry. 'With our industry campaign 'Germany's Domestic Economic Power,' we have continuously drawn attention to the issue together with the value chain,' Kurth said. In the ongoing coalition negotiations, the Building and Housing Working Group has outlined initial support measures. Now it is important to stay on the ball and continue to raise awareness among politicians, even beyond the formation of a government.
To limit the bureaucratic burden on the industry, the VdDK, together with the European Furniture Federation (EFIC), is advocating for a simplified implementation of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). As the associations' technical director, Heiner Strack, demanded, a separate due diligence declaration should not have to be prepared for each relevant product. Instead, it would be sufficient to collect the relevant documents from upstream suppliers and then – ideally once a year – create a new due diligence declaration on this basis. 'After all,' says Strack, 'every market participant who initially places EUDR-relevant raw materials and products on the EU market has already fulfilled all due diligence obligations.' This significantly reduces the effort without jeopardising the objectives of the regulation.
More information:
Associations of the German furniture industry (VDM/VHK)
[email protected]
www.moebelindustrie.de