Italian Furniture in the International Market

At the end of the Salone del Mobile, Italian furniture confirms its central role in the international market and a positive growth trend with an important focus on foreign markets.

Also for this year, the major importing countries are: United States, Germany, United Kingdom and France. China stands as the leading exporter followed by Germany and, in third place, by Italy.

 Currently, national export represents the 75% of the total turnover of the furniture and design supply chain, for a value of 9.5 billion euro.

 The World Furniture Outlook 2018 provides for a general growth for Italian products, which should therefore lead to a further increase in exports, especially to key markets such as the United Kingdom and China.

 The main reference market remains the European one, followed by Asia and the United States, of which Italy is the fifth supplier. As for the Russian market, which recorded a negative growth in 2017, forecasts suggest an improvement over the year. The situation is more critical for the United Arab Emirates.

 If the growth of 3.5% in real terms is expected for international furniture trade, Italy should close the year with a 1.3% increase in furniture consumption. Looking at the next two years, the development could reach 1.6% considering both import and consumption.

 Also the success of the last edition of the Salone del Mobile, which recorded a turnout of 434,509 visitors from 188 countries and 27% of foreign exhibitors from 33 countries, confirms the fascination that Made in Italy exerts also in the international market. With an offer able to combine quality and creativity and projects that combine aesthetics, technology and sustainability, the Italian furnishing sector confirms itself as a solid and expanding sector.

Despite these positive trends and the growth of production and investment, the great challenge for the Italian furniture market to maintain and increase the competitiveness remains that of digitization, since the omnichannel activity, strategic to dialogue with the rest of the world, still has to be developed in many companies of this sector.