GERMANY – The German kitchen furniture industry continues to benefit from the upgrading of the home in times of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to official statistics, German kitchen furniture manufacturers increased their sales by 13 percent to 2.1 billion euros in the first four months of this year. Exports increased by 13.4 percent, and the domestic market increased by 12.6 percent.

“Despite the difficult general conditions, the demand for individually planned kitchens is still good,” reported Frank Jüttner, spokesman for the board of AMK (trade and service association for the German kitchen Furniture industry).

In his outlook for the second half of the year, AMK CEO Markus Sander drew attention to opportunities, but also to significant risks. The importance of kitchens will remain high, and residential construction is currently stabilizing at a high level. However, the Ukraine war and inflation led to uncertainty among consumers.

In addition, the massive increase in raw material and transport costs posed a major challenge for industry and trade. Added to this was the container jam in front of the Chinese ports. The resulting disruptions in the supply chains developed into a major burden – also beyond the current year. “The worldwide networking in the production of chip modules will lead to a persistently tight supply of chips,” said Sander.