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Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
Since 2020, turnover in the wholesale of sanitary installation supplies and building elements has fallen by an average of 2.8% per year. The development of the sector is primarily influenced by the construction sector, the sanitary installation industry and the net income of households. At the beginning of the last five-year period, construction activity in Germany was at a high level, which was primarily due to favourable interest rates for property loans. In addition, increasing urbanisation could be observed in Germany, which led to an intensification of the housing shortage, particularly in metropolitan areas. Gas supply concerns due to the war in Ukraine and the German government's subsidy programmes for the sustainable replacement of heating systems led to a significant shift in demand within the sector towards heat pumps in the years 2021 to 2023. This also led to a significant increase in industry sales. The amendment to the Building Energy Act in 2024 triggered uncertainty among building owners and investors, which caused the market to slump by 46% and also significantly slowed down industry sales.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released September 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code G46.74DE. Companies in this sector trade in installation supplies for sanitary facilities and heating systems. The sector also sells hand tools and small hardware items as well as metal and plastic construction elements. The wholesale trade in sanitary ceramics is not part of this sector. Related terms covered in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany include b2b, construction and urbanisation.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany include Gas, water and heating installation requirements, Building supplies and Tools and hardware.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany include GC Großhandels Contor GmbH, Richter+Frenzel GmbH & Co. KG and Schüco International KG.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany is €61.9bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany in 2025?
There are 4,906 businesses in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 7.8 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 2.8 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany are GC Großhandels Contor GmbH, Richter+Frenzel GmbH & Co. KG and Schüco International KG
What does the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany include?
Gas, water and heating installation requirements and Building supplies are part of the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany is GC Großhandels Contor GmbH.
How competitive is the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Hardware, Plumbing & Heating Equipment Wholesaling industry in Germany.
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