MHK UK sales director David Morris reports that the first few months of 2026 have seen “one of the strongest starts” for its members in recent years, with both projects and lead generation on the rise.
Morris explained: “Feedback from our members is that this has been one of the strongest starts to a year since 2022. Last year’s focus for MHK was promoting financial empowerment for retailers and this will continue in force in 2026.
“When talking about financial empowerment we often mean cash flow and this is typically the first conversation we have with all prospective members – how can we improve cash flow to give you breathing space.”
Tom Baldwin, the owner of Signature Projects and Paragon Designs said that January 2026 had been one of his “best months on record”, which he said was “partly due to lead times from suppliers becoming shorter allowing projects to complete sooner”. Baldwin continued: “It’s very easy to get swept up in the doom and gloom, but we have seen an increase in projects”.
Similarly, Paul Wheeler, founder of Kitchen Lifestyle, agreed: “Last year was a challenging year for many, but 2026 is a different story. We have invested more heavily in lead generation across our two showrooms which is hugely important right now to stay competitive. We’ve already noticed a difference and the pipeline is looking strong.”
With its members reporting an increase in market positivity, MHK says this is “welcome news” ahead of its European AGM and Living and Style fair taking place in Berlin next week. The buying group says the exhibition will see more than 100 KBB suppliers exhibiting under one roof, with many brands offering sales incentives exclusively for MHK members.
At last year’s Living and Style fair, MHK promised to open up even more sales and growth prospects for its more than 4,300 members across Europe, as well as committing to grow its supplier roster. In addition, the buying group announced it would be partnering with Bauformat to launch its #kitchenfamily retail programme in the UK, following success in the rest of Europe.