United Kingdom Office Furniture Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

United Kingdom Office Furniture Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

COVID-19 has had a serious impact on the office furniture market in 2020, despite a move to homeworking the demand for office furniture is expected to have declined. The permanent shift in working habits has changed the office furnitue Market as the sales of seating products have shown most growth in recent years due to setup of home offices.

United Kingdom is the second-largest furniture market in Europe and the British furniture distribution system is dominated by non-specialist retailers. Due to an improving economy, with business confidence levels returning to growth, and expansion of businesses increasing their expenditure on additional office space and furniture, the demand for office furniture is increasing steadily in the country.

The office furniture market in the country is divided into two major categories, the corporate sector which is serviced by the United Kingdom and overseas branded suppliers, either directly to end-users or via fit-out specialists and furniture dealers, and the small office sector is supplied mainly from countries like China and other low cost producing countries through mail orders, Internet and retail outlets. It is estimated that 30% of the United Kingdom’s furniture manufacturing turnover is attributable to the office and contract sub-sectors. This industry produces a wide range of office furniture, including office desks, workstations, seating, tables, cabinets, and other items for the office environment.

The number of flex office spaces in United Kingdom is witnessing constant growth. The United Kingdom has seen a steady increase in flexible supply, with growth levels well above that seen in the traditional sector. The growth in flexible workspaces is primarily driven by the larger multi-location providers increasing their coverage across the United Kingdom and into new markets.

These offices are promoting collaborative work and adaptability and are increasingly ordering more adjustable furniture and office products more suitable for these areas are developing such as moveable, high-backed chairs, height-adjustable desks, and sit-and-stand workstations.

United Kingdom's office furniture market relies heavily on imports and they account for nearly 35% of the share. Some of the major importing countries include China, Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries. United Kingdom's imports of office furniture were worth almost 215 million British pounds in 2019, of which around 109.3 million came from European Union member states. The imports have decreased in 2020 to 102.8 due to COVID-19 and the transformation of work culture as various companies have opted to work from home.

The office furniture market in United Kingdom remains highly competitive and fragmented with a large number of suppliers operating in the market. Some of the major companies in the market include Urban Office, Herman Miller, Steelcase, and Knoll. The players are constantly innovating in terms of designs and other features of products to remain competitive in the market.

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