BRG Releases New European Bathroom & Kitchen Market Reports
- brg_news_room
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
BRG’s latest European bathroom & kitchen reports have now been released, covering the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK, as part of our European bathroom & kitchen programme.
Across these markets, demand in bathrooms and kitchens is increasingly shaped by renovation activity, layout optimisation and product substitution, rather than by expansion in housing stock or headline volume growth. As a result, performance is becoming more differentiated by product category, with clearer structural winners and losers emerging across the European landscape.
Product developments: how demand is evolving
Bathroom furniture continues to stand out as one of the most resilient product groupings across Europe. Base units, mirrors and mirror cabinets, and separate cabinets are benefiting from renovation spending, particularly in mature markets. Consumers are placing greater emphasis on storage, organisation and overall design consistency, reinforcing demand for coordinated furniture solutions rather than isolated product replacement. This pattern is clearly visible across Western and Northern Europe, and increasingly in Central and Eastern European markets as modern bathroom formats become more widespread.
Shower related categories remain a core engine of growth across the region. Shower enclosures, taps and mixers, and key shower accessories continue to outperform the wider bathroom market in most countries. This reflects sustained movement away from bathing, alongside the growing popularity of space efficient and walk in shower layouts. Within this area, standard functional products continue to gain ground, while premium hydrotherapy solutions remain under pressure or in continued decline.
In sanitary ware, performance is increasingly shaped by installation format rather than growth in ceramic volumes. WCs and ceramic washbasins remain broadly stable across most markets, reflecting their mature and replacement driven nature. In contrast, non-ceramic sanitary ware continues to gain momentum, particularly concealed plastic cisterns. This is closely linked to the wider adoption of wall hung installations and cleaner bathroom aesthetics, while exposed plastic cisterns continue to decline across most countries.
Bath categories continue to weaken structurally, although trends vary by material. Steel and cast iron baths remain in gradual decline across much of Europe, especially in Western markets. Synthetic baths, while still affected by the overall reduction in bathing, show greater relative resilience. Their performance is supported by lower weight, easier installation and improved design flexibility. Overall, however, bathing continues to lose share to showering in the majority of markets.
In kitchens, material substitution remains a defining influence within kitchen sinks. Stainless steel sinks continue to account for a large share of demand, but synthetic kitchen sinks are gaining ground steadily across many markets. This trend is particularly evident in Western and Northern Europe and reflects closer alignment with contemporary kitchen furniture, broader design options and increased acceptance of non-traditional materials. Ceramic sinks, by contrast, are stable to declining in several countries.
Emerging categories such as shower toilets and bidet seats continue to develop from a low base. Volumes remain small relative to core sanitary ware, but growth is increasingly consistent, particularly in Western and Northern Europe. Adoption remains gradual rather than transformative, but the direction of travel is now well established.
Regional dynamics: different markets, similar structural shifts
In Western Europe, including France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, markets are largely mature and driven by renovation. Volume growth is limited, but value is supported by specification upgrades, improved product mix and growing demand for coordinated bathroom and kitchen solutions.
Southern European markets, notably Italy and Spain, show a more mixed performance profile. While demand remains sensitive to wider economic conditions, momentum continues in shower related categories, synthetic materials and value focused refurbishment activity. Traditional bath segments continue to weaken across these markets.
Central and Eastern European markets, particularly Poland and the Czech Republic, continue to benefit from stronger underlying unit growth. Rising adoption of modern bathroom formats is supporting demand across bathroom furniture, sanitary ware and shower accessories. Material substitution trends seen in Western Europe are also becoming more evident.
Northern Europe, including Sweden, remains characterised by relatively stable volumes and a continued preference for functional and design conscious products. This supports steady growth across taps and mixers, shower systems and furniture categories.
Turkey and Russia follow more distinct trajectories. Turkey continues to show longer term growth potential across a range of bathroom categories, supported by domestic demand and manufacturing capacity, although performance varies by product type. Russia remains comparatively stable in volume terms, with limited upside and a continued focus on essential product segments.
Outlook and next steps
Overall, the European bathroom and kitchen market is moving into a phase of incremental but durable change. Growth is increasingly shaped by renovation activity, product mix and evolving installation preferences rather than headline market expansion. Understanding how these developments vary by product category and region is becoming more important for suppliers, manufacturers and retailers operating across Europe.
The full European bathroom & kitchen reports, covering individual country markets in detail, are now available to purchase as part of the European bathroom & kitchen programme.
To purchase the reports go to our online shop :
Or for more information about our reports and/or offerings please contact us at europe@brgbuildingsolutions.com or +44 20 8832 7860
