France’s refrigeration, professional kitchen equipment and air conditioning sector recorded revenue of €6.87 billion (approximately $8 billion) in 2025, down 1.5% from €6.98 billion in 2023. According to the 2026 industry survey commissioned by SNEFCCA and conducted by Xerfi, the number of companies declined from 2,700 to 2,600, while employment fell by 1.5% to 33,900 workers. Despite the decline, employment remained 25.5% above its 2015 level.
Small businesses continued to dominate the sector, with 91.5% of companies employing fewer than 20 people. The number of businesses without employees decreased from 760 in 2023 to 670 in 2025. Companies with 20 or more employees accounted for 51.5% of total industry revenue.
Refrigeration remained the largest activity segment, generating 53.5% of revenue, followed by air conditioning at 32.5% and professional kitchen equipment at 12%. Over the two-year period, revenue declined by 1.5% in refrigeration, 1% in air conditioning and 2.5% in professional kitchen equipment.
Installation activities accounted for 62% of industry revenue, increasing by 2% over two years. Contract maintenance represented 14.5% of revenue but declined by 4%, while repair and after-sales services, accounting for 22.5%, fell by 8%. The survey also reported a gross payroll of €1.39 billion (approximately $1.6 billion) in 2025 and 5,550 hires during the year.
Looking ahead to 2026, 47.5% of surveyed companies expected business activity to remain stable, while 35.5% anticipated revenue growth. The survey was conducted between April and July 2026 using 2025 data, with results published in September 2026.
