Statistical Digest for the Furniture Industry 2018

At a glance:

The 45 page Digest comprises in-depth analysis of the latest available data sourced from Government bodies including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Communities and Local Government, and the Bank of England. It covers furniture manufacturing, furniture and furnishings retail and international trade, alongside statistics on consumer behaviour including spend, lending and house buying.

Highlights:

• Continued growth in demand for furniture and furnishings with consumer expenditure in this group being almost £17.5 billion in 2017 - exceeding all other spend in the household goods sector
• Expenditure for the wider furnishings, household goods and routine maintenance sector rose by 25.5% from 2014 to 2017, with year on year growth of 7% over 2016 - 2017
• Manufacturing growth over the period from 2015 to 2017 for the furniture sector as a whole, equating to 1.6% for manufacturer sales and other income or 7.9% for all income associated with the sector
• 6,254 UK furniture manufacturers employed an average of 89,000 individuals
• Exports have gradually increased since 2012, peaking at £1.136 billion in 2017 and representing a 12% increase on 2016 figures.