Everyone knows that Spain is a country of SMEs, small and midsize businesses that drive the country’s economy and tend to cluster by sector to gain leverage when pushing for change. An overlooked but very interesting association is the one that groups kitchen furniture businesses. The AMC was founded in 1978 with the aim of representing and steering the national kitchen furniture sector and is chaired by Felix Bernad, with whom we spoke.
The association is seeing a positive evolution of the sector in recent years. From MuyPymes we interviewed Bernad to learn the sector’s balance after summer, how it operates, the weight of technology in this space and what trends will shape the coming months.
MuyPymes: What balance does AMC see for the evolution of the kitchen and home equipment sector during the first half of 2026? What factors explain the growth observed?
Felix Bernad: The first half of 2026 confirms that the kitchen equipment sector remains positive and, above all, stable. Kitchen equipment has grown 4.91% compared with the same period in 2025, while kitchen furniture manufacturers have recorded an increase of 5.32%. These figures are especially meaningful because they represent an improvement over the growth achieved in 2025, which was 3.36% and 4.37%, respectively.
From AMC we interpret these data as a sign that the market still has room to run and there is sufficiently solid demand to sustain industry growth. Among the factors driving this evolution are home remodeling and renovation activity, the greater importance of the kitchen within the home, and demand increasingly oriented toward products that combine design, functionality, technology and efficiency.
But more importantly, we believe the key data is not only how much the market grows, but how we leverage that growth to strengthen our companies’ positions. The current context offers an opportunity to advance competitiveness, innovation, digitization and internationalization, while technologies like artificial intelligence are beginning to transform both internal processes and client relationships.
That’s why we are approaching the second half of the year with optimism, but also with some prudence. The economic and business environment remains demanding and forces companies to anticipate changes. Spain has a kitchen industry with a solid production capacity, know-how, design and experience, and we must turn those strengths into more added value, greater efficiency and an increasingly solid international position.
In short, the first-half data are positive and allow us to be optimistic, but they also remind us that growth is an opportunity; consolidating that growth and making it sustainable is the real challenge.
MuyPymes: After summer, what signs is the market giving? Is demand holding up or are consumers showing greater caution?
Felix Bernad: After the summer months, the signals we are receiving are positive and point to a continuation of the first-half trend, though within a scenario where both companies and consumers maintain a more prudent attitude when making decisions.
We’re not seeing a sharp shift in demand, but rather a more rational and demanding consumer who analyzes options more carefully before investing and is placing growing importance on the relationship between price, quality, design, functionality and durability.
This requires companies to deliver more value and to differentiate themselves, not just compete on price.
For the sector, this situation is both a challenge and an opportunity. Demand exists, but growth no longer depends solely on selling more; it’s about offering better solutions and understanding the new needs of consumers. In this context, innovation, digitization, personalization and new technologies will play an increasingly important role.
That’s why we are approaching the second half of the year with optimism, but also with some prudence. The economic and business environment remains demanding and forces companies to anticipate changes. Spain has a kitchen industry with a solid production capacity, know-how, design and experience, and we must turn those strengths into more added value, greater efficiency and an increasingly solid international position.
MuyPymes: SMEs have an important weight in the manufacture, distribution and installation of kitchens. How are these companies facing the current context and where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?
Felix Bernad: SMEs play a fundamental role in our sector and, as we are seeing among our member companies, they are approaching the current context with adaptability and seeking new ways to differentiate themselves. Specialization, customized design and close service are some of their main strengths in the face of a consumer who is increasingly demanding and who analyzes their purchase decisions more carefully.
Digitization and artificial intelligence also offer opportunities to gain efficiency, improve commercial management, understand the customer better and optimize processes. Added to this are areas with growth potential such as home remodeling and renovation, where advisory services and the ability to offer tailored solutions can provide a differentiating value.
Looking ahead to the coming months, we believe SMEs have a good opportunity to combine sector knowledge, service and technology. Their size can also enable greater agility in adopting new tools and responding to market changes. From AMC we believe that this capacity to adapt can be an important lever to keep growing and strengthen their competitiveness.
MuyPymes: How are Spain’s exports of kitchen equipment evolving in 2026 and which international markets are presently offering the greatest opportunities for Spanish companies?
Felix Bernad: Spain’s exports of kitchen equipment continue to show a positive trajectory in 2026, reaffirming the international character of an industry that has managed to consolidate its presence in very diverse markets. Among the main destinations for Spanish kitchen furniture are France, Portugal, the United States, the United Kingdom and Morocco.
Nevertheless, from AMC we believe the international strength of the sector should not be measured solely by its main destinations. Member companies pursue very diverse internationalization strategies and have a presence in numerous markets, adapting to the particularities and opportunities of each of them.
In this context, our priority as an association is to continue contributing to strengthening the competitiveness and international positioning of the Spanish kitchen furniture and equipment industry. We count on companies with a strong capacity for innovation, design, quality, specialization and adaptation, factors that form a solid base for continued growth beyond our borders.
Internationalization will, therefore, continue to be a strategic lever for the sector’s development. The objective is not merely to increase exports, but to consolidate a Spanish industry that is increasingly competitive, recognized and capable of generating value in international markets.
MuyPymes: What competitive advantages does the Spanish industry have today to grow outside our borders and what obstacles continue to be encountered especially by smaller companies when internationalizing?
Felix Bernad: The Spanish kitchen furniture and equipment industry competes today in a global market from its own value proposition. Our strength is not based solely on price, but on the combination of quality, design, customization, service, proximity and responsiveness. These attributes allow our companies to differentiate themselves and compete credibly in international markets.
For SMEs, the internationalization process presents greater difficulties. Their commercial and financial resources are more limited and they must face logistics costs, administrative and regulatory complexity, the need for specialized staff, and substantial investments to open and consolidate new markets. Added to this are the structural rise in costs and pressure on raw materials, which particularly constrain their growth potential.
In this scenario, companies are betting on technology, efficiency and innovation to gain capacity and adapt to an increasingly demanding international environment. For SMEs, collaboration, seeking local partners and access to support programs can be important tools to reduce barriers and facilitate outward expansion.
From AMC we believe the challenge is to keep strengthening the Spanish industry’s ability to compete on value. It’s about consolidating our strengths and ensuring that the specialization, flexibility and closeness that characterize many of our SMEs also become a sustainable competitive advantage in international markets.
MuyPymes: Digitalization, artificial intelligence, personalization or new sales channels are arriving in the sector too. Which technologies do you think will have the most significant impact on manufacturers, distributors and kitchen stores in the coming years?
Felix Bernad: Technology will have an increasingly large impact across the entire value chain of the sector. However, the most meaningful change will not come from the appearance of new tools but from integrating the technologies that already exist: artificial intelligence, automation, design and visualization, together with a greater connection between sales, design and manufacturing systems.
In manufacturers, AI already allows analyzing demand, production and inventory data to improve planning, optimize resources and reduce costs and waste. Integrated with ERP systems, manufacturing solutions, machinery, robotics or automated warehouses, it enables moving toward increasingly coordinated and efficient processes. It is also delivering new possibilities in areas such as quality control through computer vision and optimizing the use of raw materials and energy.
In distribution and at the point of sale, the impact will be especially visible in how a kitchen is designed and marketed. AI-powered tools allow starting from the real space dimensions and client needs, generating different proposals, visualizing the outcome and comparing alternatives before making a decision. They are complemented by virtual assistants, automated budgets, personalized recommendations or augmented reality, which can streamline the sales process and improve the consumer experience.
But above all, the big opportunity lies in connecting these technologies. Getting sales, design, manufacturing and logistics to share information along the entire project can reduce errors and lead times, gain efficiency and offer the customer a faster, more coherent and personalized experience.
And there is a fundamental question: technology does not replace the specialized professional. AI can generate alternatives, analyze information or speed up processes, but it remains necessary to interpret the client’s needs, the space’s characteristics, and the functionality of the solution. At AMC we view AI as a tool to empower the knowledge and capabilities of professionals, improve company efficiency, and contribute to a more competitive industry.
