BATHROOMS, SHOWERS & KITCHENS


NEW INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS F


Kitchens present one of the strongest home improvement opportunities over the next two years, but the drivers behind demand are shifting, BMJ finds out.


or many builders’ merchants, kitchens have not always been a primary focus. Yet kitchens can be a significant revenue generator, offer strong margin potential, and provide a closer link to the homeowner’s broader improvement plans. In a market where every income stream matters, that opportunity is becoming harder to overlook. Gemma McRae, chief sales officer, key accounts, Häfele UK says: “To support our retailer partners in winning more kitchen and fitted home interiors work, earlier this year, we conducted an independent study with 2,000 UK homeowners to better understand the current and future needs of the market. The findings will form the third instalment of our Homes for Living research.”


Improve, not move era One of the standout themes in the report, McRae says, is that the current market is very firmly an improve, not move one. “While the vast majority (87%) of homeowners expect to stay in their current home over the next two years, 42% are planning improvements, and a further 8% are choosing to reinvest moving budgets into their existing property instead. Combined, this means around half of homeowners are in the market for home improvements,” she explains. Kitchens rank second only to interior decorating, which, when scaled to the UK owner-occupied market, indicates a potential expenditure of several billion pounds before the end of 2027.


The research also explores these findings at a regional and city level, ranking areas by volume of planned kitchen works.


1. South East


2. East Midlands 3. North West


4. West Midlands 5. South West 6. Wales


7. Greater London 8. Scotland


9. East of England


10. Yorkshire & Humber 11. North East


12. Northern Ireland


At city level, Nottingham is the strongest hotspot for planned kitchen investment, followed by Manchester and Southampton. Glasgow and Bristol also perform well, while Belfast, Newcastle and Sheffield sit at the lower end of the ranking.


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McRae adds: “Storage has topped the list of kitchen frustrations since we began our Homes for Living research, and that hasn’t changed in 2026. Almost 3 in 10 homeowners say storage limitations or difficulty accessing storage are key issues, while the same proportion highlight cluttered worktops or a lack of usable surface space. A further 27% say their kitchen layout is not flexible enough or does not make the best use of space.


“Clearly, storage and flexibility are not new problems, but they are becoming more significant as the role of the kitchen expands. Today, the kitchen is no longer just a place to cook and eat, but is expected to support cleaning, laundry, work, charging devices and wider family life. As a result, pressure on space is increasing, and expectations of how it should perform are rising with it.” She says this means homeowners are looking for smarter solutions that help them organise their space more effectively. Demand for pantries, appliance storage and tall units is, in turn, on the up, but so too is interest in internal wirework fittings that improve access and visibility.


Smart convenience


“Alongside storage, convenience is becoming a more important driver of spend. When a kitchen is expected to serve multiple purposes, features that save time and effort are easier to justify, which is why categories such as speciality water taps, built in charging points, smart lighting and connected appliances are gaining traction.”


This creates an upsell opportunity whilst helping merchants build a stronger story around everyday usability. Rather than selling these features as premium extras, a stronger approach would be to show how they can reduce effort, improve convenience and make the room more adaptable.


Feature Pantry or larder


Speciality water tap Appliance storage Smart lighting


Built in charging points Smart or connected appliances


% wanting the features 32% 31% 31% 30% 30% 28%


Above: Convenience features gaining traction Lighting


In Haefele’s research, one in seven homeowners say better functional lighting would be a priority in a future kitchen, while 11% say the same about mood lighting. This points to a market that is thinking more carefully about how lighting affects the overall experience of the space.


For merchants, McRae says, that means lighting should be treated more as part of the core kitchen offer. “Homeowners are increasingly looking at durability, usability and whether a kitchen will continue to meet their needs over time. As a result, merchants that lead with solutions rather than products will be best placed to convert demand into sales.” BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2026


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