Sales expectations for the German sanitary industry are slowly brightening looking at the second half of 2024. This is the result of a survey by the VDMA Sanitary Technology and Design Industry Association, which regularly collects figures from its members together with the VDMA Valves Association. The VDMA forecast for the building fittings sector shows a decline of 1.4% in Germany. However, in international business companies are expecting slight growth of 0.3%. This means that the estimates for the second half of 2024 are significantly better than for the first half of the year.
For the area of sanitary fittings in front of the wall (sanitary fittings and other sanitary industry products), the member companies expect a drop of 1.8% in Germany and a decline of 0.5% abroad. For installation technology behind the wall (technical building fittings and other installation components for the bathroom), they are forecasting a decline of 1.4% in Germany, but a slight increase of 0.4% abroad. “It is still too early to speak about a return to the growth path, but a possible turnaround is clearly recognizable,” explains Dirk Gellisch, Deputy Chairman of the VDMA Sanitary Technology and Design Industry Association and Managing Director of Viega Holding GmbH & Co. KG. “What matters now is that politicians and the sanitary sector work together to set the course for new growth.”
The background: for the construction industry there is still no end to the recession in sight. Building permits are still on a downward trajectory. Euroconstruct is forecasting a real decline of 6.0% for European residential construction in 2024. However, the long-awaited economic recovery is slowly becoming a reality in Germany. The economy is expected to have grown slightly in the first half of the year. The recovery is being driven primarily by the one in exports and consumption. At the same time, inflation has returned to an acceptable level. “However, there are still no signs of strong economic momentum,” comments Dr Laura Dorfer, Managing Director of the VDMA Sanitary Technology and Design Industry Association. “We need to dispel the uncertainty among consumers and investors and encourage them to make new investments.”
To achieve this, currently 25 brand manufacturers from the German and European sanitary industry have joined forces in the VDMA Sanitary Technology and Design Association. Members include manufacturers of fittings and showers, sanitaryware such as bathtubs, shower surfaces and shower enclosures, as well as bathroom furniture and installation components for the bathroom. VDMA Sanitary Technology and Design represents a sector of industry that counts almost 150 companies in Germany with around 43,000 employees and a turnover of around 9 billion EUR.
The photo shows Dr. Laura Dorfer and Dirk Gellisch (source: VDMA Sanitärtechnik und -design).
