Maxeda DIY Plans Divestment of 10 Benelux Stores Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg: Maxeda DIY, owner of Brico and Praxis chains, is preparing to divest 10 company-operated stores across the Benelux region to strengthen its balance sheet. The portfolio would include 4 stores in the Netherlands, 4 in Belgium, and 2 in Luxembourg, while Maxeda would retain about 180 Dutch locations. The group plans to transfer the stores to franchise operators to reduce its debt, with expected pro

Daikin Applied Invests USD 163 Million in New R&D Test Lab in Minnesota U.S.: Daikin Applied has announced a USD 163 million investment to build a 71,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art R&D test lab at its Plymouth, Minnesota headquarters, reinforcing its commitment to advancing HVAC innovation across chillers, air handlers, heat pumps, and hyperscale data-center cooling technologies. The facility has begun phased commissioning of nine test cells, with full completion expected

International Valves and Taps Alliance Launched to Boost Global Collaboration United States/Europe/Japan: The International Valves and Taps Alliance was officially launched on December 10th, bringing together leading associations of valve and tap manufacturers from the United States, Europe, and Japan. The new global alliance aims to enhance international knowledge sharing and provide common tools to tackle technological, regulatory, and environmental challenges across the va

Housing Prices Fall in China Amid Real Estate Slowdown China: Housing prices in China are falling, with new and previously owned homes dropping across major cities. In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, prices fell 0.8%, while 31 large second-tier cities saw a 2% decline, and 35 medium-sized cities dropped 3.4%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Previously owned housing prices fell 4.4% in first-tier, 5.2% in second-tier, and 5.7% in third-tier cities,

Construction cost pressures delay projects in Western Australia Australia: Perth developments are facing delays as construction cost pressures continue to rise, according to Western Australia’s peak property industry body. Expectations that cost increases might stabilise have eased following new data indicating that pressures may intensify, contributing to a growing number of major projects being placed on hold. Industry representatives note that elevated input prices and lab

New Zealand residential construction rises in third quarter New Zealand: New Zealand’s residential building activity increased in the third quarter, indicating early signs of economic recovery following monetary stimulus by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Statistics New Zealand reported that the volume of residential building work rose 2.8 percent from the previous quarter, reversing a 3.3 percent decline. Activity has begun to edge higher from the four-year low recorded at

Australian building permits decline in October amid sector uncertainty Australia: The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a fall in building permits in October, with year-on-year growth shifting from 15.3 percent to minus 1.8 percent. The data points to a potential slowdown in the construction sector, raising concerns for developers and builders. Analysts note that the decline may reflect rising costs, supply chain constraints or shifts in consumer demand, and they are e

Indonesia to expand housing renovation and subsidy programmes in 2026 Indonesia: Indonesia plans to extend its self-help housing renovation programme to all districts and cities for the first time in 2026, according to the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas, Maruarar Sirait. He noted that 224 districts and cities will not receive allocations in 2025, including 22 areas that have not received assistance through the Self-Help Housing Stimulus (BSPS) programme for five yea

Vietnam real estate body calls for monitoring measures amid rising housing prices Vietnam: The Vietnam Association of Realtors has reported increasing concern over the country’s housing market, noting that home prices continue to rise beyond the financial capacity of most households. In its latest assessment, the association stated that the market is showing signs of instability, with growth driven mainly by high-end developments and speculative activity, while affordable hou

NIBE enters Scottish distribution agreement with William Wilson Scotland: NIBE Energy Systems Limited has announced a distribution partnership with William Wilson, a plumbing, heating and bathroom merchant in Scotland. Beginning in January 2026, William Wilson is expected to stock and distribute NIBE’s air source and ground source heat pumps together with a range of related accessories. The agreement is intended to broaden access to NIBE products for installers and customers

Thermostat FRANCE: A decree issued on 7 June 2023 required all homes and buildings to be fitted with programmable thermostats by 2027. However, Finance Minister Roland Lescure announced via Bluesky that this deadline has been postponed to 2030 to provide “greater flexibility for households and professionals to equip themselves.” From 13 November until this Thursday, the government opened a public consultation on pushing the compliance date to 1 January 2030 for both residenti

After a few challenging years, the European ventilation market is finally seeing light at the end of the ductwork Ventilation manufacturers have faced better times. Following more than a decade of steady growth, demand for ventilation products in Europe peaked in 2022. Since then, sales have declined across most countries and product categories. Among the 23 European markets covered by the BRG Ventilation Programme 2025, only the UK, Ireland, Spain, Greece, France, and Belgiu