How is the kitchen market performing today? Are you seeing any significant changes in volumes and demand in a still-challenging real estate environment?

As an edgebanding supplier, we are closely monitoring developments in this market, and it's clear that kitchen specialists have been hit harder than other segments of the furniture industry, recording a significant decline for over two years now. Showroom traffic remains low, consumers' purchasing power is constrained, and spending is shifting to other priorities. However, the kitchen remains a central space in the hearts of the French, and specialist players have been able to create very broad ranges to suit any budget. Regarding the real estate environment, new-build sales are significantly down compared to previous years, and there are too few construction starts... but there may be a glimmer of hope with the first signs of a gradual market recovery observed since the beginning of the year!

Have cost pressures, budgetary decisions, or economic uncertainties changed the customer-supplier relationship? How does this translate into your business?

Of course, when business is slow, results are slow, and financial pressures are a factor, we could wait for commercial relations to become strained. However, for the vast majority of players in the sector, we are a long-standing partner and have already had the opportunity to overcome crises more impactful than the one we are currently experiencing. Mutual trust in the quality of the products and services provided, the proximity and responsiveness of our exchanges allow us to maintain strong ties during times of adversity and to anticipate the actions and projects to be implemented when the recovery comes.

What levers can we use to differentiate ourselves in a competitive and demanding market?

Rehau is distinguished by its values of reliability, flexibility, and innovation. We pay particular attention to the quality of our matching; the repeatability of our edgebanding production is essential; the diversity of services provided to meet the needs of both a large manufacturer and a local designer is a central concern; and we do this while always keeping in mind the desire to evolve our technical solutions by investing heavily in R&D.

What are the major trends you're currently seeing in decors, colors, textures, and finishes?

We're currently seeing a craze for warm, soothing, mineral shades, such as sage green or sandy beige, which speak to the world we live in: a world marked by new technologies, yet also by a need for stability and connection with nature. Dark colors are also still in the spotlight, most often in extra-matte finishes (though be careful to choose the right anti-fingerprint decor!), and these surfaces are often combined with woody touches for a balanced elegance. For our Rauvisio surface panels, we offer warmer colors like terracotta or peach, which are very trendy right now. Natural materials are popular for creating authentic tactile and visual effects: raw concrete is making a comeback, thanks in particular to lighter materials. At the last Interzum, we presented a range of concrete-look MDF panels available in six different colors.

With the rise of open spaces and the disappearance of clear separations between kitchen and living room, how do aesthetic requirements influence your product developments?

Central islands, new hardware systems to conceal the kitchen, and partitions for semi-enclosed partitions—these are all solutions that demonstrate the evolution of our lifestyles. We have skilled professionals who perfectly meet the technical constraints imposed by these changes in use. Our task is to support them so that the kitchen, while remaining functional, is warm and welcoming. When the kitchen acts as a link between the rooms in the home, quality furniture design is essential. The quality of the matching of the edgebanding and its application method (so that the joint is as invisible as possible) then take on a whole new dimension.

"Natural materials are popular for their tactile and authentic visual appeal."

The environmental issue is now unavoidable. Are eco-design expectations becoming a fully-fledged specification criterion in the kitchen industry?

And how is your company integrating sustainability criteria into its products? Eco-design or eco-responsibility are beginning to play a major role in the sourcing decisions of market players. Some have made it an intrinsic value of their company and are engaging their employees in a comprehensive approach. Solutions exist with many equipment manufacturers, and thinking about the circular economy is emerging, but ecology comes at a cost, and specifications are slow to emerge. We have been making this shift for many years, and some of our edgebanding ranges are made from recycled polymers; we are Ecovadis Gold and are one of the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders, a group of multinationals committed to the fight against climate change. More recently, we launched the Rehau Return program, a free return service for ABS and PP edging rolls weighing 300 kg or more [see Editor's note: Agenceur no. 79].

What are your most promising innovations?

There are many... we've covered our various eco-friendly ranges, but we're also working extensively on customizing edgebanding with infinite structure possibilities (Raukantex Canvas). With the Raukantex Pigmento collection, we're riding the wave of the return to raw materials: the edgebanding reproduces the look, texture, and feel of stone, concrete, and ceramic, right down to the chamfer for a perfect finish between the panel and the edgebanding. And since the launch of Pigmento Wood at Interzum this year, we can create this same authenticity for wood, with its grain and veins, without ever disrupting the overall visual harmony. We're also expanding our range of decorative panels with disruptive surfaces like Rauvisio Crystal Deep—a glass-look with metallic highlights—or Rauvisio Cube—a concrete-look. Finally, we're continuing to improve the moisture resistance of our edges with OMR laser functional coatings.

What are the challenges facing the kitchen industry in the next two to three years? And what opportunities can be seized?

Digitization and the integration of artificial intelligence into the purchasing decision-making process, both in terms of design and project visualization, will represent a major shift for the kitchen and furniture industries in general; it will be a major growth driver for those who know how to leverage it. We believe that customization is a key focus, and we are ready to support our clients in this area.

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