Europe Material Handling Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Equipment Type (Storage & Handling Equipment (Racks, Stacking Frames, Shelves, Bins & Drawers, Mezzanines), Industrial Trucks (Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Hand, Platform & Pallet Trucks, Order Pickers, Pallet Jacks, Side Loaders, Walkie Stackers), Bulk Material Handling Equipment (Conveyor Belts, Stackers, Reclaimers, Elevators, Others), Robotics, Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS) (Unit-Load AS/RS, Mini-Load AS/RS)), By Application (Assembly, Storage, Packaging, Transportation, Others), By End-User Industry (Automotive, Electronics, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Aviation, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2025 To 2030

The European material handling market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.25% over the forecast period, increasing from US$48.952 billion in 2025 to US$63.215 billion by 2030.

Material handling is the process through which raw materials or goods are moved to the manufacturing sites. There are three different types of material handling: manual, mechanical, and automated. Europe is one of the largest adopters of industrial automation and one of the key factors boosting investments in the Industry 4.0 revolution. Additionally, the automotive industry in Europe has always been at the forefront of manufacturing activity. As per the ACEA report, the European Union had 567 passengers and 83 commercial vehicles cars per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023. Luxembourg had the highest number of cars, with 689 cars per 1,000 passengers.

On the other hand, the European manufacturing sector’s growth will push the material handling market in the region. The Eurostat, in its report, stated that the industrial production of the region grew about 8.5% in 2021, compared to the previous year and had an increase of about 0.4% in 2022. The report further stated that in 2023, the food, beverage, & tobacco sector recorded a higher market share in the total production with about 18%, followed by about 16% contribution by the motor vehicle & other transport equipment sector. The basic metals & fabricated metal products sector and chemical sector recorded a total production of about 14% and 8% respectively.

What are the drivers of the Europe material handling market?

• Growing Automotive Production

One of the major factors driving the regional material handling market growth is the expansion of automotive production as material handling procedure is required for its efficient production.  Automotive production in the European region has significantly grown in the recent few years. The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), in its production statistics, stated that in 2021, there were a total of about 16.137 million units of automotive products, which reduced to about 16.032 million in 2022, finally reaching about 18.122 million units in 2023.

• Increasing demand for packaging

The packaging industry material handling market in Europe is anticipated to upsurge due to high automation, e-commerce, and environmental concerns. Many organizations are implementing robots, AGVs, and other forms of automation to boost their productivity, lower costs, and ensure enhanced precision and efficiency. The United Kingdom is third on the global list of the largest eCommerce markets, just after China and the USA. Consumer eCommerce presently accounts for 36.3% of the overall retail market in the UK (as of January 2021), with eCommerce sales expected to reach $285.60 billion by 2025. In 2022, UK online sales increased by 36%, marking the fastest yearly growth rate since 2007.

In 2023, e-commerce in the EU was bolstered by demand from the age groups 25 to 34 and 35 to 44. Moreover, 87% and 85% of people in these age categories purchased or ordered products or services online.

Overall, Europe is the world's third-largest retail e-commerce market, with total sales of US$631.9 billion as per the International Trade Administration. By 2027, European retail online sales will be worth US$902.3 billion, based on a 9.31% annual revenue growth rate.

• Investments in R&D

The increased investment in research and development (R&D) in Europe is one of the reasons providing an edge to the material handling market. The German automotive market is one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world. As per the Germany Trade and Investment Agency (GTAI), all the premium automotive brands vehicles that are produced globally are over 70% German OEM manufactured. Also, the country is one of the highest consumers of automated material handling devices. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) estimated that Germany has the highest density of robotic penetration with 294 units per 10,000 workers.

The European material handling market is segmented into five nations:

Geography-wise, the market of Europe material handling is divided into Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Others. Material handling includes the usage of tools that bolster logistics and supply chain activities, owing to them being majorly used throughout manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing processes for storage, protection, and movement of materials. The booming industrial development and bolstering growth in major end-users of material handling, such as automotive and electronics, are majorly driving the overall market growth in Germany.

For instance, according to the German Association of Automotive Industry, in December 2023, Germany’s automotive production reached 2,64,500 units, signifying a 1% increase over the production scale of 2022 for the same month.

Apart from this, the rising e-commerce sector in Germany is anticipated to positively impact the German material handling market in the forecasted period. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), in 2022, the total sales from e-commerce in Germany was US$141.2 billion, an 11% growth over the previous year. Moreover, the number of online shoppers in the country is expected to grow from 62.4 million in 2020 to 68.4 million by 2025. Hence, the growing end-use industries where material handling is used are expected to fuel the market in the projected period.   

Moreover, the establishment of material handling facilities coupled with favorable investments are further driving the market growth in Germany. For instance, in March 2023, Bedeschi S.p.a. announced the establishment of its material handling excellence center in Germany, focusing on stockyard equipment, wagon unloading, and port handling applications.  In November 2022, intralogistics solution provider KION Group announced investments to expand its production of vertical order pickers and narrow aisle trucks by 60% in Germany’s Reutlingen by 2025.

Europe material handling Market Key Developments:

• In August 2024, As part of its role as the Official Partner for Material Handling Equipment at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Toyota Material Handling Europe launched a new communication program to raise awareness of the role played by the logistics industry.

The Europe material handling market is segmented and analyzed as follows:

• By Equipment Type
  • Storage & handling equipment
    • Racks
    • Stacking Frames
    • Shelves, Bins & Drawers
    • Mezzanines
  • Industrial trucks
    • Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
    • Hand, platform & pallet trucks
    • Order pickers
    • Pallet jacks
    • Side loaders
    • Walkie stackers
  • Bulk material handling equipment
    • Conveyor belts
    • Stackers
    • Reclaimers
    • Elevators
    • Others
  • Robotics
  • Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS)
    • Unit-Load AS/RS
    • Mini-Load AS/RS
• By Application
  • Assembly
  • Storage
  • Packaging
  • Transportation
  • Others
• By End-User Industry
  • Automotive
  • Electronics
  • Chemical
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Aviation
  • Others
• By Geography
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Others

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Market Overview

1.2. Market Definition

1.3. Scope of the Study

1.4. Market Segmentation

1.5. Currency

1.6. Assumptions

1.7. Base and Forecast Years Timeline

1.8. Key benefits for the stakeholders

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  

2.1. Research Design

2.2. Research Process

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3.1. Key Findings

3.2. Analyst View

4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. The Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis

5. EUROPE MATERIAL HANDLING MARKET BY EQUIPMENT TYPE

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Storage & handling equipment

5.2.1. Racks

5.2.2. Stacking Frames

5.2.3. Shelves, Bins & Drawers

5.2.4. Mezzanines

5.3. Industrial trucks

5.3.1. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)

5.3.2. Hand, platform & pallet trucks

5.3.3. Order pickers

5.3.4. Pallet jacks

5.3.5. Side loaders

5.3.6. Walkie stackers

5.4. Bulk material handling equipment

5.4.1. Conveyor belts

5.4.2. Stackers

5.4.3. Reclaimers

5.4.4. Elevators

5.4.5. Others

5.5. Robotics

5.6. Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS)

5.6.1. Unit-Load AS/RS

5.6.2. Mini-Load AS/RS

6. EUROPE MATERIAL HANDLING MARKET BY APPLICATION

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Assembly

6.3. Storage

6.4. Packaging

6.5. Transportation

6.6. Others

7. EUROPE MATERIAL HANDLING MARKET BY END-USER INDUSTRY

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Automotive

7.3. Electronics

7.4. Chemical

7.5. Pharmaceutical

7.6. Aviation

7.7. Others

8. EUROPE MATERIAL HANDLING MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Germany

8.3. France

8.4. United Kingdom

8.5. Italy

8.6. Others

9. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

9.2. Market Share Analysis

9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

9.4. Competitive Dashboard

10. COMPANY PROFILES

10.1. Kardex Group

10.2. Coesia S.p.A

10.3. Dematic 

10.4. Fives Group

10.5. Grenzebach Group

10.6. KUKA AG

10.7. Siemens

10.8. TGW Logistics Group GMBH

10.9. Vanderlande Industries

10.10. Witron

10.11. Toyota Material Handling

10.12. MBL Europe

Kardex Group

Coesia S.p.A

Dematic 

Fives Group

Grenzebach Group

KUKA AG

Siemens

TGW Logistics Group GMBH

Vanderlande Industries

Witron

Toyota Material Handling

MBL Europe