In a recent survey that involved around one hundred European office furniture distributors, a category which is shifting today from being simple suppliers of furniture items, to become providers of service, consultancy, and complete solutions, CSIL tried to understand and describe the main sector’s trends in the coming years.

CO-WORKING TO BECOME THE NORM

According to this survey’s main results, co-working facilities are indicated by the largest part of respondents to be the fastest growing segment in 2018 and 2019. Co-working will continue to grow to become the norm among companies of all sizes and types, to improve organization, workflow and employees satisfaction.

Under-utilized meeting rooms can be transformed into break out areas, communal domains and relax rooms, making a more productive use of space and visual communication and promoting interaction.

FAST GROWING USE OF WEB CHANNEL

Almost 20% of the respondents declared that they are using e-commerce in some ways (owned or third parties’ web platforms). Around one-half of distributors currently not using e-commerce are planning investments to enter this arena by 2019.

The average weight of the e-commerce resulting from the survey (7%) is higher than the current estimated average incidence in the office furniture sector in Europe (less than 4%).

This indicates a fast-growing trend in the use of the web channel by office furniture distributors, especially the ones dealing with small commissions and professionals/individuals.

OTHER RELEVANT TOPICS ANALYSED IN THE SURVEY

Office furniture market forecasts, factors influencing the client’s purchasing decision, average customer budget by product category, product trends, use of sit-stand desks and evolution of office environments, the location of suppliers and delivery terms.

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Source: “Trends in the European office furniture market: the dealer’s point of view” (December 2017), available for online purchase and immediate download.

Also available in the office furniture market segment: “The European market for office furniture” (June 2018) analysing the office furniture sector in Europe (30 countries) through up-to-date statistics, forecasts, insights on products, distribution and major manufacturers.