Freeze Market for Refrigerated Cabinets
The European refrigerated cabinets market remains in decline, with a -2.5% drop in 2024 and a projected -0.8% decrease in 2025, stricter refrigerant gas regulations, economic uncertainty, and fewer incentives for renovations are impacting sales across the continent, according to the latest Interconnection Consulting’s IC Market Tracking Refrigerated Cabinets 2025 study.
Germany stands…
Freeze Market for Refrigerated Cabinets
The European refrigerated cabinets market remains in decline, with a -2.5% drop in 2024 and a projected -0.8% decrease in 2025, stricter refrigerant gas regulations, economic uncertainty, and fewer incentives for renovations are impacting sales across the continent, according to the latest Interconnection Consulting’s IC Market Tracking Refrigerated Cabinets 2025 study.
Germany stands out as an exception, growing 0.6% in 2024 and 1.4% in 2025. This growth is driven by retailers upgrading equipment to meet new legislations and improve energy efficiency. In contrast, France is expected to fall -1.9% this year and another -1.2% in 2025, as economic and political instability make financing harder to obtain. The UK faces the steepest decline, with sales dropping -9.9% in 2024 and -5.0% in 2025, largely due to the economic crisis and Brexit-related import challenges.
Despite fewer units being sold, market value continues to rise, reaching €1.676 million in 2024. This increase is driven by new technologies that improve energy efficiency and compliance, as well as rising raw material costs.
On a global scale, China is experiencing strong growth, up 15.4%, fueled by increased demand for frozen products. Meanwhile, the U.S. follows Europe’s trend, declining -2.0% as economic struggles limit investments in the retail sector.
The market is dominated by leading companies like AHT Cooling Systems, Arneg, Bonnet Névé, Coreco, Epta, Frigoglass, Hauser, Hoshizaki, Imbera, Johnson Controls, LG Electronics, Liebherr, Metalfrio, True Manufacturing, and Viessmann. Together, they control almost 52% of the global market, these companies drive growth through innovation and use their worldwide presence to stay strong despite the ups and downs of the industry.
[^]Window Market in DACH Countries Still Under Pressure
The aggregated window market in the DACH region has been in recession mode since 2022. While the market remained relatively stable in terms of volume that year, 2023 saw a significant decline, with sales dropping by 11.7% to 17.5 million window units. This downward trend continued in 2024, with a further decrease of 6.3% to 16.4 million units. The outlook for 2025 remains…
Window Market in DACH Countries Still Under Pressure
The aggregated window market in the DACH region has been in recession mode since 2022. While the market remained relatively stable in terms of volume that year, 2023 saw a significant decline, with sales dropping by 11.7% to 17.5 million window units. This downward trend continued in 2024, with a further decrease of 6.3% to 16.4 million units. The outlook for 2025 remains weak, with a projected slight decline of 1.2% to 16.2 million window units, according to a new study by Interconnection Consulting.
New Construction Shrinks Significantly
The high construction financing costs have had a considerable impact, particularly on window sales in new construction. Between 2022 and 2024, the aggregated DACH window market in new buildings shrank by 29.4% to 6.6 million window units. In contrast, the renovation segment remained positive in 2024, with a slight increase of 0.5% in volume. In 2025, 61.9% of all windows are expected to be sold in the renovation sector, while the share of new construction continues to decline. A recovery in the new construction segment of the DACH window market is not anticipated before 2026.
Renovation Bonus Drives Growth in Austria’s Renovation Sector
A significant upswing in the renovation segment of the DACH window market was only observed in Austria in 2024 (+7.5%). However, this growth started from a very low level. Unlike in Germany, Austria’s renovation market also shrank during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and continued to decline in 2022 and 2023, as more investments were directed toward photovoltaic systems and heating system replacements rather than building envelopes (window replacements). In 2025, the renovation sector is expected to recover in all three markets, as lower financing and material costs will add some momentum. “Recovery in new construction typically takes longer than in renovation, as building permits will only gain positive momentum starting in 2025,” explains Laszlo Barla, the study’s author.
Decline in Market Share for PVC Windows Due to Weak Residential Construction
As residential construction declined more sharply than non-residential construction in all three markets in 2023 and 2024, the share of pure PVC windows (excluding combinations) fell from 49.0% in 2022 to 48.3% in 2024. Pure wooden windows also declined, holding a market share of 11.0% in 2024, as high maintenance requirements make them less appealing in the current trend toward convenience. Meanwhile, metal windows gained some market share compared to 2022 (18.0%) and now stand at 18.5% in 2024. Window combinations have shown the highest growth dynamics, now accounting for 22.1% of the DACH market, with a particularly strong presence in Austria and Switzerland.
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