28 March 2024, 11:27
By Furniture News Aug 04, 2017

Value of UK manufactured furniture on the rise

The total value of furniture produced by all UK makers is on the up, new research reveals.

According to a review of UK manufacturing performance in 2016 by British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), the amount of UK furniture, by value rose by 9.3% compared to 2015, although imports have grown by 9.6%. The UK market for all types of furniture increased to more than £11.6 billion at manufacturers' prices, up 8.7% on 2015. 

UK exports also grew in the year by an encouraging 13.9%, however manufactured sales as a percentage net supply fell from 44% to 43%. By comparison in 2012, UK market share was 49%.

Jackie Bazeley, BFM MD, says: "Our review revealed some very interesting findings, with a mix of performances between the sub sectors, some dominated by UK producers and other where importers hold sway."

The report by BFM looked at key topics such as how the market has changed over the last full calendar year, value of UK manufactured sales and imports and exports, as well as the size of the UK market. It also analysed the percentage of the UK market attributable to UK products, the unit price of UK produced items, and a comparison of imported and exported product prices by weight.

Of the 27 furniture product groups covered, 10 sub sectors were chosen which represent typical manufacturing areas within the BFM membership. These included; upholstery, sofa beds, bedroom furniture, dining, living room, office and shop furniture, kitchen units, mattress supports for bed frames, as well as mattresses with spring interiors and cellular plastics. Sales for the 10 sub sectors combined grew by 11.8% in 2016 to reach nearly £4.8 billion.

The full report is available to BFM members only. Those wishing to access it should contact [email protected].

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