WFR Magazine 12 2011

WorldFurnitureInternational Markets Review

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COP_52 3-11-2011 12:33 Pagina 1

1100 EEDDIITTOORRIIAALLImmaterial society and phisicality of placesby The Editor

1100 PPOOIINNTT OOFF VVIIEEWWMedium term forecasts neededby Sara Colautti

1111 CCOOUUNNTTRRIIEESSOpportunities in the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the Gulfby Alessandra Tracogna

1133 RREETTAAIILLIINNGGThe British retail panorama in 2011by Mauro Spinelli

1155 SSTTRRAATTEEGGIIEESSWorld trade of appliances

by Aurelio Volpe

FFOOCCUUSS

1177 MMAATTEERRIIAALLSSInnovative textiles for upholstered furnitureby Sara Colautti

1188 CCOONNTTRRAACCTTNew acoustic panelling system

1199 MMAATTEERRIIAALLSSOutdoor furniture is bloomingby Paola Govoni

2211 RR && DDLED and OLED: state of the artand expectationsby Aurelio Volpe

2233 TTRREENNDDSSIt’s all about wellnessby Sara Maddaloni

2244 MMAATTEERRIIAALLSSHybrid materials and composite metals in interior designby Maurizio Favetta

2255 RREEVVIIEEWWFurniture China 2011. Mamma Mia!by Aurelio Volpe

2277 MMAARRKKEETTSSExpected end-of-the-year improvement in USby Jerry Epperson

2288 SSTTRRAATTEEGGIIEESSMinha Casa, Minha Vida!Brazil facing the global environmentby Alessandra Tracogna

3300 PPRREEVVIIEEWWUpward trend in Germany waiting for imm cologne and Living Interiorsby Paola Govoni


3333 MMAARRKKEETTSSOffice interiors in China: the Shanghai Roche Office Building

3344 MMAATTEERRIIAALLSSMosaics. Contemporary living taste from the past

3355 DDOOMMOOTTIICCSSHow interiors are changing

3366 SSTTYYLLEESSA demanding restoration in Pragueby Ingrid Bork

3377 PPRREEVVIIEEWWLooking ahead to MIFF 2012

3388 PPRREEMMIIEERREETurkey excellence on showby Giovanna Castellina

4400 FFAAIIRRSS2012 Calendar


PPuubblliisshheerrCSIL Centre for Industrial Studies15, Corso Monforte I-20122 Milanotel. 0039 02 796630fax 0039 02 780703www.csilmilano.comwww.worldfurnitureonline.com

EEddiittoorrPaola Govoni [email protected]

CCoonnttrriibbuuttoorrss ooff tthhiiss iissssuueeIngrid BorkGiovanna CastellinaSara ColauttiJerry EppersonMaurizio FavettaPaola GovoniSara MaddaloniMauro SpinelliAlessandra TracognaAurelio Volpe

GGrraapphhiicc DDeessiiggnnidmservizi

PPrriinntteerrGrafic 2008 srl Località CascinettaI-26812 Borghetto Lodigiano (Lodi)

AAnnnnuuaall ssuubbssccrriippttiioonn 22001122Euro 100

FFrreeqquueennccyy4 issues/year in March - June - September - December

SSuubbssccrriippttiioonn SSeerrvviicceessAlessandra Cavada [email protected]

Registrazione nr. 92 del 03.02.1999presso il Tribunale di MilanoSpedizione in abbonamentopostale 70% - Filiale di Milano

Copyright CSILAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior consent of the publisher.

CCOONNTTEENNTTSS


IINNTTEERRIIOORRSS

009_CONTENTS.qxd 4-11-2011 11:30 Pagina 9

POINT OF VIEW

In 2013 there will be more users of smart-phones in the world (1.8 billion) thanusers of personal computers (1.72 bil-lion), with strong repercussions on theways of accessing information and usingservices, and on the purchasing habitsand mobility of consumers within a giventerritory.

The apparent paradox is that society isbecoming increasingly immaterial, but atthe same time it fills the gap with thephysicality of places, often favouring‘hyperplaces’; the rise in the number ofpeople flocking to shopping malls, largedepartment stores and the famous ‘out-lets’ is proof of this.

The immaterial society continuouslyacquires greater amounts of up to dateand pertinent information over the

Internet – even when buying furniture –and when a consumer arrives at a salesoutlet he or she wants to be served byprofessional operators who are able toprovide personalisation, supply, serviceand knowledge.

This was what emerged from the Veronainaugural meeting of ‘Abitare il Tempo2011’ edition no. 25+1, the first of a newformat that offers a platform for informa-tion exchange and growth for the world offurniture distribution. Three days of train-ing and information to respond to achanging market and investigate thefuture prospects of the sector in a con-crete way and by searching for solutions.In Italy 70% of distribution is in the handsof independent retailers and their 15,000furniture outlets deserve a strong entre-preneurial project and a policy of con-

IMMATERIAL SOCIETY AND PHYSICALITY OF PLACES

Forecasting is about predicting thefuture as accurately as possible, givenall the information available includinghistorical data and knowledge of anyfuture events that might impact the fore-casts.

Forecasting is a common statistical taskin business, where it can help takedecisions about e.g. scheduling of pro-duction, transportation and personnel,and provides a guide to long-termstrategic planning. Short-term forecastsare needed in many areas of a compa-ny. Medium-term forecasts are helpfulto determine future resource require-

ments in order to purchase raw materi-als, hire personnel, or buy machinery.Long-term forecasts are used in strate-gic planning. Such decisions must takeinto account market opportunities, envi-ronmental factors and internalresources.

Medium and long term forecasting forsectors require a large amount of infor-mation as macroeconomic forecasts,assumption for changes in technologiesand household behaviours, for chang-ing in the flow of external trade andprices. Although customer demand isinfluenced by a lot of factors it can be

MEDIUM TERM FORECASTS NEEDED

bbyy SSaarraa CCoollaauuttttiiCSIL, Industry and

Country Studies

predicted, at least with some probabili-ty, in order to get information for plan-ning, particularly in a difficult period likethis. CSIL has a long experience in fore-casts and relies on its own econometri-cal model for sector/country mediumterm forecast.

The longer the forecasting period, theless accurate and robust are theresults. These caveats must be takenseriously, but in these difficult months ascenario for the next three-five yearsshould be very helpful for the compa-nies to imagine their business and theirpositioning in the future.

scious positioning that takes into accountthe so-called ‘Zara-Chanel’ marketing mixmodel, a consumer behaviour based onmixed products from different marketranges.

In this edition of the magazine we talkabout the distribution panorama in theUnited Kingdom, providing also a Focuson innovative products in terms of materi-als, trends, research and development inindoor/outdoor furnishings and lighting,and an Interiors Special Report that dealswith aspects of the changes in our waysof living, organising and furnishingspaces. Contributions from China, Brazil,U.S., Germany and the Gulf countries areincluded as well, with an analysis of theworld trade of appliances. The fair pre-view presents MIFF Malaysia and a newItalian fair for the Contract sector.

EDITORIAL

bbyy PPaaoollaa GGoovvoonniiEditor

10 WF - December 2011

010_EDIT.qxd 7-11-2011 9:33 Pagina 10

COUNTRIES

11December 2011 - WF

hese past years have been chal-lenging for the Gulf CooperationCouncil (GCC) and NorthAfrican countries, with difficul-

ties caused by the world economic cri-sis, affecting almost all sectors of econ-omy, especially in the region’s richestcountries such as the United ArabEmirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. The

current year has been very uneasy sofar, with the political turmoil sweeping inthe Arab world.

Despite these premises, however, itseems that the GCC countries managedto overcome the crisis, reporting by theend of the first quarter of 2011 a growthand the banking and real estate sectorsacross the region are beginning theirslow recovery. The least damaged marketin the region is considered to be SaudiArabia, which is less dependent on theoutside economies, unlike the UAE.

TTHHEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE MMAARRKKEETTAccording to a CSIL recent study whichgathered information on UAE, SaudiArabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain andOman, furniture imports in these areastrongly increased during the lastdecade, reaching a value of US$ 3 bil-lion (and partially recovering from thecrisis).

Import penetration is high in the area,with import representing around two

third of the market (in value) and show-ing an increasing trend (they accountedfor half of the market at the beginning ofthe century).

Given the high per-capita income, thecountry’s openness to international trade(GCC countries have set a commonexternal tariff rate of 5%), its multiculturalenvironment and exposure to globaltrends, the UUAAEE is an important outletmarket for furniture and a trading hub tooperate in the whole GCC region, as wellas in other Asian countries. The UAEholds one of the highest proportion ofmillionaire households by market (8.5%)and belongs to the top 10 countries inthe world in terms of density of ultra-wealthy households (defined as thosewith more than 100 million US$ in assetsunder management), with 5 per100,000 households. Per capita GDP inAbu Dhabi is almost the double of Dubaiwhile, in turn, Dubai’s per-capita GDP isroughly the double of each of the otheremirates. Moreover, income distributionappears to be rather skewed: for exam-ple, a household expenditure surveyconducted in Abu Dhabi reports thatnearly 50% of the total income is con-centrated in 20% of its population.Furniture of the medium-upper range isusually distributed by importers-retailersor by local agents. Importers tend to beat the same time retailers or wholesalers.They usually have their own showroomlocated in shopping centres or in specif-ic streets (e.g. the Italian B&B store orthe Molteni-Dada showroom), and oftenprovide services such as consultancy forinterior design.

Favourable demographic trends repre-sent a main determinant in SSaauuddii AArraabbiiaa,as population is one of the youngest andfastest growing populations in the area.The country recorded over 27 millionpeople in 2010, almost 20% more com-pared to the previous Census (2004),and is expected to reach 30 million in2017. In contrast to other GCC coun-tries, growth is driven by Saudi nation-als (representing 69% of the total popu-

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EMIRATES,SAUDI ARABIA AND THE GULF

bbyy AAlleessssaannddrraa TTrraaccooggnnaaCSIL, Industry andCountry Studies

TT

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Source: CSIL processing

011_012_COUNTRIES_Oppor…es Emirates 3-11-2011 12:35 Pagina 11

lation, i.e. 18,7 million), who haverecorded a 13% increase. Most peoplelive in the urban areas of Riyadh,Makkah, the Eastern Province andMadina, where over 65% of the popula-tion is concentrated. The contract sec-tor is the most important distributionchannel for high- and medium-upperend furniture, both for the commercialand the residential segment, due to thefact that the more affluent Saudis do notbuy furniture from retail.

Furniture demand is growing in mostproduct segments, fuelled in particularby the increasing disposable income ofinhabitants and rising investments in theconstruction and in the services sector,also in Qatar. Prospects for the QQaattaarriihospitality segment are particularlyfavourable, with tourism being one of thecountry’s priorities.

KKuuwwaaiitt is the third largest economy of theGCC in terms of GDP and the 5th oil pro-ducer within OPEC. The furniture marketin Kuwait is small, also because the con-tract sector is relatively limited (for exam-ple in hospitality), especially if comparedto other GCC countries. Nonetheless,driven by the increasing oil and gas rev-enues, furniture consumption grew con-siderably during the past decade,recording an annual increase of 7%between 2000 and 2010.

Furniture consumption has been growingon average by 6% during 2000-2010also in OOmmaann, where internal demand islargely satisfied by imports, which havebeen growing fast in the past decade,averaging, between 2005-2010, anannual increase of 15%.

In terms of consumption, the size of thefurniture market in BBaahhrraaiinn is very limited,due to its small population and geo-graphic size, but could be positively influ-enced in the near future by closer linkswith the neighbouring countries SaudiArabia and Qatar, facilitated by the twocauseways, provided that the political sit-uation stabilize.

TTHHEE LLIIGGHHTTIINNGG FFIIXXTTUURREE MMAARRKKEETTAccording to another CSIL recentresearch, the total imports of lighting fix-tures to the Gulf region (the GCC coun-tries), taking into account also Bahrainand Oman, amounted in 2010 at an esti-mated US$ 890 million.

The GCC lighting fixture market is domi-nated by the imports from Europe, nor-mally positioned in the medium andupper-medium price ranges. The com-panies are numerous, the market is high-ly fragmented, and it is difficult to pointout any specific market leader. In theGulf region, similar to the situation world-wide, the low end market is dominatedby the Chinese companies (also includ-ing the production of the US or EU-owned companies based in China), whilethe upper end is mostly in the hands ofGermans and Italians. For the next fewyears, China will remain the undisputedleader for the exports of lighting fixturesworldwide.

PPRROODDUUCCTT IINNNNOOVVAATTIIOONN PPAASSSSTTHHRROOUUGGHH LLEEDD TTEECCHHNNOOLLOOGGYYWith the rapid economic development incountries such as Saudi Arabia andQatar, the changes are likely to takeplace at a faster pace than in other coun-tries in the Gulf and North Africa. Long-lasting and energy saving lamps, highintensity discharge (HID), portable LEDfixtures and solar-powered LEDs areexpected to generate progressively high-er sales volumes, starting with SaudiArabia, Qatar and the UAE, and then tak-ing over also in other countries of theMiddle East North Africa (MENA) region.Solar-powered LEDs are now becominga focus of the industry in the UAE, wherea number of investments have beenmade in this lighting source and severalprojects have been commissioned


COUNTRIES

IIMMPPOORRTTSS OOFF LLIIGGHHTTIINNGG FFIIXXTTUURREESS IINN TTHHEE GGCCCC CCOOUUNNTTRRIIEESS,, UUSS$$ mmiilllliioonn

Source: CSIL

FFUURRNNIITTUURREE OOUUTTLLOOOOKK FFOORR::SSAAUUDDII AARRAABBIIAA,, UUNNIITTEEDD AARRAABB EEMMIIRRAATTEESS AANNDD 44 OOTTHHEERR GGUULLFFCCOOUUNNTTRRIIEESSPublisher: CSILPublication date: July 2011 Pages: 374Language: EnglishStatus: available for online purcha-se and immediate download at: www.worldfurnitureonline.com

CSIL Market Research GulfCountries Furniture Outlook:Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,Saudi Arabia and United ArabEmirates is part of the CountryFurniture Outlook Series, coveringat present 70 countries.

Each Country Report containsupdated furniture statistics, tables,graphs and illustrated maps andinformation collected throughinterviews with top furniture com-panies and sector experts.

011_012_COUNTRIES_Oppor…es Emirates 3-11-2011 12:35 Pagina 12

RETAILING


ecent retail facts witness how theUnited Kingdom is still sufferinga tough trading environment andthe expected sales growth for

2011 has been unattended. Kingfisherchief executive Mr. Ian Cheshire offereda clear “snapshot” when he said that therun of good weather had given a boost tosales of garden paraphernalia like barbe-cues and decking at its B&Q chain but ifyou squinted through the sunshine, noth-ing had changed: "The sun coming outdoesn't give people more money tospend."

As a matter of fact some of the mostimportant retail brands fell in administra-tion during the first half of 2011. In Junethe UK arm of Habitat announced that itwas going into administration threateningup to 30 stores and around 900 jobs.Habitat posted losses of £100 millionover the past three years and a return toprofitability in the UK appeared unlikely inthe near term as many of the stores wereexpensive and poorly-located for a furni-ture retailer.

At the same time another giant likeHomeform Group has entered adminis-tration. The group put in sale Moben andDolphin brands in a bid to save its Sharpsand Kitchens Direct businesses.A new company Sharps BedroomsLimited has acquired and saved theSharps bedrooms division fromHomeform Group Limited. The new busi-ness will be headquartered at the Sharpsfactory at Bilston and will operate from96 showrooms and concessions.

Furthermore, in May 2011 the brandFocus DIY, which has 178 stores, 3,919employees and Euro 524 millionturnover, represented the largest retailadministration in the country during thecurrent year.

However, the British market has a veryhuge potential and the collapse of impor-tant retail brands may offer some inter-esting retail spaces. This is the reasonwhy some international players are eye-ing this market, like the US furniture giantCrate & Barrel which started its “brandbuilding” and launched a UK website asit prepares to open its first store in theUnited Kingdom. On the domestic front,Marks & Spencer department storeunveiled agreement with the designer SirTerence Conran (the founder of Habitat,probably not a coincidence!) for creatinga new exclusive furniture range. The col-

lection, called Conran Exclusive DesignOnly at M&S, has been launched inSeptember and includes furniture, bed-ding, lighting and kitchenware.

GGRROOWWTTHH OOFF DDIIYY AANNDD EE--CCOOMMMMEERRCCEEThe largest portion of furniture retail inthe United Kingdom is driven by “special-ist retailers”. Among them, furniture retailchains (IKEA, Steinhoff, FurnitureVillage, Mutiyork, etc.) and buyinggroups, followed increasing trend overthe last years and reinforced their marketshare, while independent furniture retail-ers suffered the most and lost ground.

It should be noted that a sizeable marketshare is controlled by kitchen and uphol-stery specialists that are organised“branded” retail networks like Magnet,In-Toto, Harvey Jones and MobenKitchens for kitchens, and DFS, KA

UUNNIITTEEDD KKIINNGGDDOOMM.. HHOOMMEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE IIMMPPOORRTTSS 22000055--22001100.. MMiilllliioonn EEuurroo aanndd ppeerrcceennttaaggee cchhaannggeess

Source: CSIL processing

THE BRITISH RETAIL PANORAMA IN 2011

bbyy MMaauurroo SSppiinneellllii,, CSIL

RR

013_014_RETAILING_Furniture distribution UK 4-11-2011 11:29 Pagina 13

RETAILING

International, Reid furniture, and ThomasLloyd for upholstered furniture.Upholstery specialist format suffered themost during the crisis. On the other hand“non-specialist retailers” maintained theirmarket share in 2010. Departmentstores that heavily dominate the marketare mostly represented by the followingbrands: Home Retail Group, Marks &Spencer and The John LewisPartnership. The DIY channel showed interesting evo-lution over the last year as the mostimportant brands showed increasinginterests in the furniture segment andannounced different strategies toenhance their portfolio. In 2010 B&Qintroduced Blooma own garden furniturebrand and others are ready to belaunched across the group includingVerve garden ranges, Cooke & Lewiskitchens and Form storage products.The impact of furniture products on totalsales increased over the last two yearsfor Wickes, after the launch, in 2009, ofWickes Kitchens & Bathrooms with ded-icated stores ranging from 500 to 1,000square meters.

The DIY segment registered a certainconcentration following the collapse ofFocus (in administration since May 2011

after two years of unsuccessful restruc-turing process) and the closures, during2010, of all Fads stores (Fads has beenconverted in e-commerce trader).

However the fastest growing channel isrepresented by the mail order business.Recently not only the multi-product andmulti-channel distributors (like for exam-ple Argos), but also some specialists,like IKEA, Reid Furniture, Heal’s andFurniture Village have chosen to launchtheir transitional website on the UK mar-ket. At the same time, all the leadingdepartment stores created their “direct”division: M&S Direct, John Lewis Direct,Laura Ashley, House of Fraser. All thiscompanies announced impressivegrowth of their on-line sales division in2010.

BBRRIITTIISSHH HHOOMMEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE.. TTRREENNDDAANNDD FFIIGGUURREESSThe United Kingdom is the thirdEuropean largest market in terms ofhome furniture consumption (behindGermany and Italy). After two years ofconsecutive drop, furniture consumptionincreased by 2% in 2010. The impact ofthe financial crisis reflected dramaticallyon the furniture sector as, over the lastthree years, the market lost one fourth of

its capacity and currently stood at thesame level as mid Nineties.

The United Kingdom claims a 14%share of European furniture imports fora value of Euro 3,496 million. In 2010import flows recorded 12.5% increasecompared to the previous year, howev-er, in the long term (2005-2010) UKimports showed an average decreaseof -2.2% yearly.

The main countries of origin of British fur-niture imports are China, Italy, Germanyand Poland, which together provide over64% of total imports, although with differ-ent performances. China and Polandrecorded double digit growth in2010/2009, while Italy and Germanydecreased again in the last year, follow-ing a long lasting declining trend.

WORLD COVERAGE OF CSIL COUNTRY REPORTS 2012

Analyses of the furniture industry, market potential, business climate,

key players data and useful contacts in 70 countries.

Full list of CSIL country reports at: www.worldfurnitureoline.com

CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL STUDIES

013_014_RETAILING_Furniture distribution UK 4-11-2011 11:29 Pagina 14

STRATEGIES


reighting products that are usual-ly bulky and heavy does notappear to be a great problem forthe international trade of appli-

ances. In 2010 approximately 185 mil-lion pieces crossed at least one border,including roughly 50 million refrigeratorsand freezers, at least 70 million ovens(the most difficult product to monitorinasmuch as the statistics are “dirtied” bymini-ovens and plate warmers, which wewould prefer not include), 32 millionwashing machines, 18 million hoods and13 million dishwashers.

CCOOOOKKIINNGG AANNDD RREEFFRRIIGGEERRAATTOORRSSIn the cooking segment China doubledits exports between 2005 and 2010,from US$ 1.2 billion to US$ 2.4 billion.In second and third position we findGermany and Italy, with Germanyrecording a drop off in exports since2008, and Italy since the year before. Infourth position is Turkey, which record-ed exports of US$ 550 million in 2010.Germany is also the second importer ofcooking appliances, after the UnitedStates and ahead of France and theUnited Kingdom. If we include productswith a very low trade value (US$10-12),China’s share of the cooking appliances

market is around 80% in volume and avery respectable 33% in value.China claims the lion’s share of therefrigerators and freezers segment, too,having increased its volume of exportsby 40% between 2007 and 2010, from22 to 29 million units. Overall, theimports of the top seven importer coun-tries (the United States, France, Japan,Germany, the United Kingdom, Canadaand Italy) are contracting (from 32 to 29million units), while high rates of growthare recorded for imports of refrigeratorsand freezers into Asia, Russia and LatinAmerica.

DDIISSHHWWAASSHHEERRSSFrance, Germany, the United Kingdomand Canada are the largest importers ofdishwashers. At the border the averageunit value of an imported dishwasher ishigher in Canada (US$ 295) and lower inthe United Kingdom (US$ 213).Germany controls roughly 33% in valueof world trade in dishwashers. In 2010China overtook Italy in the ranking, rele-gating it to third position.It is not surprising that Chinese exportsuse price as leverage: the average unitvalue of an exported refrigerator/freezer(indicatively a third of the price to theend-user) is US$ 120, only about half ofthe average price calculated for the "uni-verse” of 50 world exporter countries.The average price for Italian firms is US$300 and that for German firms is evenhigher (nearly US$ 450). For bothGermany and Italy the average unit valuefell by 5%-10% over the two years 2008to 2010.

CCOONNCCEENNTTRRAATTIIOONNWorld trade in appliances is quite con-centrated, especially for exports. In2010 seven countries (China, Mexico,South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Italy andthe United States) exported some 55 mil-lion refrigerators and freezers for a total

WORLD TRADE OF APPLIANCES

bbyy AAuurreelliioo VVoollppeeCSIL, Market Research

and Innovation

FF

EEXXPPOORRTTSS OOFF RREEFFRRIIGGEERRAATTOORRSS AANNDD FFRREEEEZZEERRSS:: TTHHEE TTOOPP 77 PPLLAAYYEERRSS,, UUSS$$ MMIILLLLIIOONN

22000044 22000066 22000088 22001100China 986 1,989 2,838 3,442Germany 728 971 1,190 1,034Hungary 235 434 590 443Italy 1,589 1,370 1,395 847Mexico 672 1,409 1,845 2,670South Korea 1,283 1,559 1,656 1,500Turkey 591 936 1,107 1,172United States 690 851 842 728TTOOTTAALL 66,,777744 99,,552200 1111,,446622 1111,,883355Source: CSIL

IIMMPPOORRTTSS OOFF DDIISSHHWWAASSHHEERRSS 22000044--22001100,, UUSS$$ MMIILLLLIIOONN

22000044 22000066 22000088 22001100France 292 334 436 420Germany 168 226 383 360Canada 128 166 221 231United Kingdom 245 272 295 230United States 96 156 156 186Netherlands 134 158 186 171Sweden 109 123 186 17077 ccoouunnttrriieess 11,,117711 11,,443355 11,,886622 11,,776677

Source: CSIL

015_016_STRATEGIES_Eldo trade-uk 3-11-2011 10:56 Pagina 15

STRATEGIES


combined value of over US$ 11 billion,with China providing about 30% in valueand 50% in volume.Italian exports of refrigerators have fol-lowed a downward trend since 2004(when they fell from US$ 1.6 billion toUS$ 1.4 billion) and they collapsed overthe last two years from just less thanUS$ 1 billion in 2009 to around US$850 million in 2010. In contrast,between 2004 and 2008 Germany wit-nessed a sizeable increase in itsexports, from US$ 730 million to US$1,190 million, with values subsequentlystabilising at just over US$ 1 billion.Between them the United States andCanada import 11 million refrigeratorsand freezers for a value of over US$ 4billion. The great majority of Mexicanexports (worth US$ 2.8 billion) are des-tined for North America. The drop in thevolume of South Korean exports from 7million units to 4 million is the result ofproduction decentralisation for articleswith lower added value, which led to anincrease in the average unit value ofKorean exports from US$ 225 to US$355 in the space of a few years. The top seven importer countriesimported 30 million cooling appliances,amounting to US$ 8 billion. The averageunit value of imports in these countriesis US$ 285, roughly 40% higher thanthe corresponding average unit value ofthe major exporter countries. Japanrecords increased imports (mainly fromChina) as does Canada (mainly from theUSA). In 2010 Italy imported over 2 mil-lion appliances worth about half a billiondollars. Italy’s trade surplus in this sectorshrank from US$ 1.2 billion to US$ 300million between 2004 and 2010, whileover the same period Germany’s bal-

ance of trade went from being even to asurplus in the region of US$ 200 million.Italy and Japan import refrigerators andfreezers costing US$ 250 each, whileFrance, Germany and the UnitedKingdom import slightly more economicproducts (US$ 210-230).

WWAASSHHIINNGG MMAACCHHIINNEESS AANNDD HHOOOODDSSHHOOOODDSS:: AA TTWWOO--WWAAYY GGAAMMEEThe top seven countries control over80% of total exports of washingmachines. Here the ranking is a little dif-ferent: in descending order they areChina, Italy, Germany, Turkey, SouthKorea, Mexico and Slovakia.Italy maintains its leading position in theworld trade of hoods: its exports amountto US$ 500 million (although they wereUS$ 860 million in 2007) compared tothe US$ 350 million of China. As is onlyto be expected, there is quite a differ-ence between the average unit values,which are US$ 123 and US$ 40,respectively. The roles are reversed ifwe look at the import data: Chinaimports relatively expensive hoods (bor-

der price of US$ 166) and Italy importsrelatively cheap ones (US$ 53).The average unit value of exports is par-ticularly high for Germany (US$ 438, butdeclining) and the USA (US$ 452, sta-ble over the past few years). Looking atimports, the average purchasing price isin the region of US$ 380 for the UnitedStates and Canada.

EEXXPPOORRTTSS OOFF HHOOOODDSS,, 22000044--22001100,, UUSS$$ MMIILLLLIIOONN

CCoouunnttrryy 22000044 22000066 22000088 22001100Italy 707 802 783 498China 38 116 266 349Germany 184 238 286 221Turkey 18 39 68 77Mexico 1 2 31 48Spain 57 64 57 36United States 26 37 38 3277 ccoouunnttrriieess 11,,003333 11,,229999 11,,552299 11,,226600

Source: CSIL

EEXXPPOORRTTSS OOFF CCOOOOKKIINNGG AAPPPPLLIIAANNCCEESS,, 22000044--22001100,, UUSS$$ MMIILLLLIIOONN

CCoouunnttrryy 22000044 22000066 22000088 22001100China 891 1,373 1,809 2,363Germany 907 1,089 1,531 1,220Italy 938 1,121 1,206 876Turkey 222 311 564 556United States 195 298 361 364Spain 163 267 318 258Mexico 152 11 34 24177 ccoouunnttrriieess 33,,446677 44,,447700 55,,882211 55,,887788

Source: CSIL

015_016_STRATEGIES_Eldo trade-uk 3-11-2011 10:56 Pagina 16

he market of innovative textilesis growing rapidly and manydevelopments of new productsand applications are underway.

The general trend is towards high techand high performance fabricsdesigned not just to look attractive,but also to offer a significant addedvalue in terms of functionality.

Already there are fabrics capable ofreducing risks (e.g. antibacterial,mite-proof, insect proof, odorless,flame retardant, soil-resistant, anti-UVand anti-electromagnetic radiation,etc.). While the basic functions remainunchanged, increased user and regu-latory requirements for textile interiorshave already made such productsmore complex.

CCLLEEAANN AANNDD GGRREEEENNFabrics for furniture present the char-acteristics of stain or water repel-lence, flame retardance, abrasionresistance, antistatic behavior or anti-bacterial behavior. Nowadays uphol-stered furniture are covered withwaterproof and self-cleaning textiles,outdoor furniture use textile materialsblocking out UV rays, resisting wear-and-tear, treated with fungicides andÖko-Tex certified.

On their side, manufacturers of textilesmachinery created machinery able togive specific carachteristic to the pro-duced textiles. The progress in the nan-otechnology sector allows to obtain anti-wear and antibacterical surface coatingand thanks to biotechnology, new naturalrecyclable materials with a low environ-mental impact (natural polymers) havebeen created. Clean and green hasquickly become rooted in the textileindustry.

RREECCYYCCLLEEDD LLEEAATTHHEERR BBEECCOOMMEESSPPOOPPUULLAARRDuring the last five years in the uphol-stered furniture sector a relative newcovering material is gaining ground asan alternative to leather. Recycledleather or bounded leather is manufac-tured with leather fragments/scrapsand fibers glued or bonded with natu-ral latex or with a polyurethane face. Itis a composite materials sold in rolls asfabrics, thus allowing to produce lesswaste than natural leather. It is easierto handle than irregular hides and itcosts less.

Bonded leather has become popularin the United States and manufactur-ers are doing significant improvementin the quality for the finishes and the

effects that make recycled leatherlook almost better than the naturalone. Someone says this material hasbeen successful due to the increaseof leather prices, but in fact this typeof covering is going to gain share onthe market at the expenses of bothleather and fabrics and not only at theopening price points.

Also the “green side” has to be con-sidered to explain the success of theproduct. Leather recycling companiesare becoming very conscious of theimpact that their recycling processeshave on the environment.They utilize procedures that minimizeharmful emissions and save energy,using natural rubber to bond theleather scrap. They also use naturaltanning oils and vegetable tannins tocolor recycled leather products andare able to achieve the appearance offull grain leather avoiding the use ofany toxic metals. This process resultsin a highly flexible recycled leatherthat can be widely used in the manu-facturing of upholstered furniture.

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INNOVATIVE TEXTILESFOR UPHOLSTEREDFURNITURE

bbyy SSaarraa CCoollaauuttttii,, CSIL

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antoni Group addressed thebuilding and architecturalworld with new products fromits three main divisions:

Acoustic Panelling, Coverings andBoards division, presenting its rangeof products at MADEexpo 2011 (5-8October) in Milan.

AACCOOUUSSTTIICC PPAANNEELLLLIINNGG DDIIVVIISSIIOONNAt MADEexpo Fantoni organised aseries of evening meetings, withexperts in the panelling sector.

‘4akustik’ is the new perforated andmilled sound absorbent system

presented during the first ofthese four meetings at

the fair.

44AAKKUUSSTTIIKKThe new prod-uct has been cre-ated basing on the tried and testedpanel with high sound-deadening per-formance to improve the acoustic quali-ty of environments, but introducing anew formula that enables top health andsafety performance to be achieved.‘4akustik’ conforms to the “F4 star” rat-ing of the JIS standard, certified by theJapanese Ministry and considered tobe the most stringent in the world, relat-ing to ultra-low formaldehyde contentand therefore safeguarding of the envi-ronment. Therefore, it is a highly eco-compatible product, suitable for use inpublic environments in which the cus-tomer seeks technical performance

combined with sustainable solutionsand a smart look.

Since the panelling sysyem complieswith the stringent parameters of the “F4star” certification it will be in a goodposition to enter the market in Japan,the United States and Australia, wherethe requirements about low formalde-hyde content are particularly high.

Different acoustic capacity can beobtained by varying rear performationand face milling. Panelling is installedby assembling wood fibre based panelsusing a dry click-lock system (withoutadhesives or resins) resulting in a paral-lel slatted surface with a sleek seamlessappearance.

Beyond FSC certification (the mark ofresponsible forestry), ‘4akustik’ alsohas a class B-s2,d0 fire rating (EC clas-sification) and this represents a relevantstep forward, since both outstandingperformances of sound deadening andfire resistance are reunited in one pan-elling system.Like the other products in the AcousticPanelling range, ‘4akustik’ has anattractive appearance, due also to thenumerous decorative finishes availablewhich add an extra visual dimension toacoustic comfort. Vibrant colour or neu-tral tones, rich veined wood, visual tac-tile effects can be obtained by the PattFantoni Group division.

WF - December 2011

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CONTRACT

FF

NEW ACOUSTIC PANELLING SYSTEM

The Fantoni Group (companyfounded by Achille Fantoni in1882) is a leading manufacturerof office furniture, partition andstorage wall systems, MDF(medium density fibreboard)and chipboard panels, melami-ne flooring and sound-deade-ning panels. All phases of theproduction process are perfor-med by the network of compa-nies which make up the Groupand work in synergy to developthe product: from the produc-tion of materials and semi-fini-shed products to the design ofinnovative office furnishingsystems, inspired by the mostup-to-date principles of well-being and design.Made up of seven companies –Fantoni Spa, La Con Spa,Lesonit (Slovenia), NovolegnoSpa, Patt Spa, Spik Iverica(Serbia), Xilopack Srl – theFantoni Group produces its ownresins, impregnates papers forfacing its own panel productsand, with its hydro-electricpower and cogeneration plants,produces a large part of its ownenergy needs.Since 1882, architecture, rese-arch and total design have beenthe guiding principles for com-pany growth and the develop-ment of ever more innovativeproducts dedicated to the well-being of people.

018_FOCUS_CONTRACT_Acoustic 3-11-2011 12:38 Pagina 18

AANNIILLAA.. AA FFUURRTTHHEERR SSTTEEPP IINNTTHHEE WWOOVVEENN SSTTOORRYYBased in West Sussex (UK), theAlexander Rose company has

been designing and manufacturing out-door furniture since 1994. Over the lastdecade the garden furniture industry hasseen a revival of woven furniture due tothe growing consumer demand for main-tenance free furniture. In fact, the com-pany turnover for woven products hasincreased substantially over the years,passing from a quota of 2% in 2006 to30% in 2011. It is estimated that theshare of turnover of woven products willbe 45% in 2012.

The development of HDPE (High DensityPolyethylene) fibres allowed AlexanderRose to design attractive pieces of out-door furniture suitable for all weatheruse. This versatile synthetic rattan iswoven onto a lightweight aluminiumstructural frame and is available in a mul-titude of colours and weaving patterns(basket, V-pattern, X-pattern, singleopen, splitex, simplex, herringbone,crazy weave).

At SPOGA in Cologne (4-6 September2011) Alexander Rose launched its new‘Manila’ range featuring sets of tables,chairs and sun beds in a 7 mm flat “viro”open wave, available in dual tone mocha.Viro fibre is made from 100% HDPE,which means it is non-toxic and recyclableand has a Grey Scale rating of 5 (no

colour loss of the fibre) after 2,000 hoursof UV and accelerated weather testingfeaturing a 5 minute cycle of man-maderain followed by 25 minutes of drying time.

All of company’s woven furniture is hand-crafted in the Philippines by a partnercompany called Woven FurnitureDesigns in a factory located in the islandof Cebu, which is renowned for its tradi-tion of producing top quality pieces ofweave and is home to highly skilled andexperienced weavers.

HHUUSSKK GGOOEESS OOUUTTDDOOOORRThe Husk armchair designed by PatriciaUrquiola is now available in a new versionfor outdoors, showcased in the B&BItalia

exhibition area during the décor&designlab “AbitaMi” held in FieraMilano Rho (8-11 September 2011). Like the indoorversion, ‘Husk Outdoor’ is made of recy-cled and recyclable materials and theproduction process is designed toensure that all components can be fullydisassembled, thus simplifying the recy-cling process and reducing the environ-mental impact.

Husk Outdoor features a hard shell madeof Hirek® (aluminium alloy) and a set ofsoft cushions. The body is white, whilethe fixed seat support is available inblack, white, orange, acid green and skyblue. Cushions come in two versions,with larger sizes on the seat or on the

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MM

Husk Outdoor, B&B Italia

Manila Collection, Alexander Rose

OUTDOOR FURNITUREIS BLOOMINGbbyy PPaaoollaa GGoovvoonnii CSIL

019_020_FOCUS_Materials_sb 3-11-2011 12:39 Pagina 19

backrest, and are covered with technicalfabric available in five shades (white,beige, orange, acid green and sky blue).The transpirational padding enableswater to seep through the cushions with-out stagnation. The small round Husktable is light and flexible, boldly paintedand available in the same five shades asthe armchair support.

DDOOLLCCEEFFAARRNNIIEENNTTEE OOUUTTDDOOOORRFFUURRNNIITTUURREE:: AA SSIIDDEERREEAALLCCOOLLLLEECCTTIIOONNThe new ‘Samuele Mazza OutdoorCollection’ was also previewed at“AbitaMi” in an original “sidereal” noctur-nal setting in which the outdoor furnish-ings shone with their own light thanks tothe new reflecting fabrics used for thecushions.

The collection is produced and distrib-uted exclusively by the firmDolcefarniente based in Fano in theMarche region. We spoke to StefanoValentini, Sales Manager ofDolcefarniente, which has been produc-ing furnishings in hand-woven fabrics for30 years and for this new collectionoffers furnishings in polyethylene-basedwoven resin treated with additives towithstand atmospheric conditions from -60°C to +70°C. The woven resin doesnot fade or discolour over time. At themoment the product is available in ninecolours (white, beige, teak, grey, brown,blue, green, black and ivory) and it isguaranteed for five years.

The structures are in aluminium or hard-wood and the fillings are in polyurethanefoam, rendered waterproof by a techni-cal fabric that can resist up to two atmos-pheres of pressure, while also allowingfor transpiration so that mould andmildew do not form. The outer coveringis in water-repellent reflecting fabricavailable in four colours. The tables andchairs that complete the collection are inforged steel and treated with elec-trophoresis or hot-dip galvanized and fin-ished with outdoor epoxy paint.

EECC--IINNOOKKSS BBYY SSIIFFAASSThe new EC-INOKS Collection by EricCarrère for the French brand Sifas onshow at “Maison&Objet” in Paris (9-13September) is the result of an eco-design process carried out by Sifas aspart of a Sustainable Development initia-tive assuring clients a clean and ecologi-cally responsible purchase based on theeconomic use of recyclable resources,the traceability features of manufacturingsystems, and enhanced logistics (com-pact packaging, minimal handling andfully recyclable packing materials).

EC-INOKS stands for ‘Ecologique &INO(X)ydable’ (ecological and stainless)and includes dining and coffee tables,stackable dining chairs, armchairs andlounge chairs. Thestructure is 90%recyclable 304 stain-less steel tubing.Electrolytic polish fin-ishing removes allsurface ferrous parti-cles and ensuresincreased resistanceto atmospheric cor-rosion, chemicalagents and saltspray.Skids and arms aremineral filled polyamide,80% recycled.

The self-supporting canvas of the seatingand back is made of natural hemp fibreBatyline® Canatex, a material thatabsorbs atmospheric CO2, helping toreduce the greenhouse effect. The fibresurface has been specially treatedagainst UV radiation and is fire-retardant.The hemp fibre is factory-recyclable. Thetable tops are made of tempered 10mmrecyclable glass with anti-UV enamel. Tempering increases the shock resist-ance of the glass by a factor of five. Ifbroken, the glass crumbles harmlesslyinto one cubic centimetre pieces.

WF - December 2011

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MATERIALS

Dolcefarniente was established in 1977. Its core business is theproduction and distribution of furniture in hand-woven rushes andrattan. In 1984 it began producing collections of indoor and outdoorfurniture in rattan and in 2004 also in woven resin. 2006 saw thepresentation of the ‘outside&in’ line of outdoor furniture as a naturalextension of the collection. Its main outlet markets are EU countries,the USA, ex-USSR countries, South America, China and India.All Dolcefarniente products are certified according to the IT01 100%Original Italian Quality System “Made in Italy Certificate”,safeguarding the tradition of Made in Italy, meant as the origin of theworkmanship and the valorisation of the production methods.In 2010Dolcefarniente became part of the Polo Holding SpA, a real estatedeveloper based in Fano.

Samuele MazzaOutdoor Collection,

Dolcefarniente

EC-INOKS, Sifas

019_020_FOCUS_Materials_sb 3-11-2011 12:39 Pagina 20

IIZZEE OOFF TTHHEE WWOORRLLDD MMAARRKKEETTThe world market for LED lumi-naires is estimated by CSIL tobe worth USD 4.1 billion for

2010, including over 1 billion of architec-tural luminaires (colour and colour-changing applications), 0.8 billion ofcommercial lighting (office, etc), a smallbut fast increasing share ofresidential/consumer lighting (0.5 bil-lion), 1.2 billion of outdoor lighting, and0.5 of industrial lighting (mostly exitsigns/emergency).

CSIL estimates the world market for light-ing fixtures in 2010 to be worth USD 65billion. Driven by semiconductor-basedtechnologies such as LEDs and OLEDs(organic light-emitting diodes), energysaving issues, and “solutions” for all kindof demand, the total market is likely togrow to around USD 94 billion by 2015.LED based lighting fixtures accountedfor just 1.3% of the global lighting fixturesmarket in 2005. Consumption of LEDbased lighting fixtures reached around6.3% of the worldwide consumption oflighting fixtures during 2010 (4.1 billionUSD, on a total market of 64.9 billionUSD). LED based lighting fixtures weight2% on residential lighting, 9% on com-mercial indoor, 8% on industrial and out-door lighting.

EEXXPPEECCTTEEDD 3300%% MMAARRKKEETT SSHHAARREESS BBYY 22002200The impact of LED based outdoor light-ing fixtures is higher in the UnitedStates, in China and India. If the “prom-ise” to reach energy efficiency andcosts will be equal to at least the fluo-rescence standard, it is likely that LEDmarket share will reach 18%-20% of theworld market for lighting fixtures by2015 and 30% within 2020. By thesame year OLEDs will reach someacceptable standard of energy efficien-cy and costs. Forecasts range from anoptimistic scenario of a 6 billion USDmarket for 2015 (including displays,etc) to some 2 billion. It is probably tooearly to disclose more solid-based fore-casts.

SSMMAALLLL BBAARRRRIIEERR EENNTTRRIIEESS:: MMOORREECCOOMMPPEETTIITTOORRSSThe technological transformationprocess from conventional lighting toLED could lead to the entry of new com-petitors and also accelerated the con-solidation of the luminaire market. Thistransformation process requires higherR & D expenditure from the individualluminaire producers and leads toincreasing product and system com-plexity as well as shorter product lifecy-cles. Larger companies with direct cus-tomers contact and electronic knowhow have an advantage in this changingenvironment.

PPhhiilliippss LLuummiilleeddss LLiigghhttiinngg CCoommppaannyy isthe world's leading manufacturer ofhigh-power LEDs and a pioneer in theuse of solid-state lighting solutions foreveryday purposes including automo-tive lighting, computer displays, LCDtelevisions, signage and signaling andgeneral lighting. The company's patent-ed LUXEON® Power Light Sources arethe first to combine the brightness ofconventional lighting with the small foot-print, long life and other advantages ofLEDs. The company also supplies coreLED material and LED packaging, man-ufacturing billions of LEDs annually, and

ranks as the producer of the world'sbrightest red, amber, blue, green andwhite LEDs.

Main suppliers for the American market,in descending ranking of turnover, areCCrreeee (true white technology), NNiicchhiiaa(mostly low current white LEDs),LLuummiilleeddss (Philips), OOssrraamm (leader forautomotive LEDs), BBrriiddggeelluuxx, XXiiccaattooand some other 30 players.

CCRREEEE BBUUYYSS RRUUUUDDCCrreeee, a market leader in LED lighting,announced this August the acquisitionof RRuuuudd LLiigghhttiinngg, a leader in LED out-door lighting, at an estimated net costof approximately USD 525 million.Combining two highly complementaryLED innovators, the acquisition allowsCree to extend its leadership positionand increase the adoption of energy-efficient LED lighting. This acquisitioncreates a market leader for indoor andoutdoor LED lighting, acceleratingadoption and expanding the market forboth Cree’s LED systems and compo-nents. Ruud Lighting will continue to bebased in Racine, Wisconsin, USA, andoperate as a subsidiary as part ofCree’s lighting business. Ruud Lighting,through its BetaLED® product line, wasone of the first traditional lighting com-panies to transform the majority of itsbusiness to LED-based systems. Forthe fiscal year ended June 2011, Creereported a total turnover of 988 millionUSD, which represented a 14%increase in comparison with 2010. 90%of Cree products are LED based andout of this 90%, some 10% are relatedwith lighting fixtures. Ruud turnover is inthe region of 200 million USD.

OOLLEEDDSS IINN TTHHEE SSHHOORRTT--MMIIDD TTEERRMMOLEDs form 2mm thin luminous sur-faces. They belong to the family ofsemi-conductor lighting sources justlike LEDs. However, OLEDs rely onorganic substances such as carbonand hydrogen to emit light. OLEDslighting solutions give rise to a new use

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SS

bbyy AAuurreelliioo VVoollppeeCSIL

LED AND OLED: STATE OF THE ARTAND EXPECTATIONS

021_022_FOCUS_R&D_LED OLED 3-11-2011 11:01 Pagina 21

for light: long-lasting (14,000 hur life),ultra flat, glare-free, heat-free. Lightbecomes a fully functional material,enabling architects as well designers toexplore innovative and personalizedapproaches.What about OLED technology on ashort-mid run (from now to 2015)?According to “optimistic” scenarios, itcould achieve a 2% share in the lightingfixtures market in 2015 (some 1.8 bil-lion USD). Industry analysts projectthat OLEDs will reach the performanceand cost targets required for the gener-al lighting market within the next tenyears.Still to be understood the capacity foran effective substitution for today'sincandescent and fluorescent bulbs,vehicular lighting, today's electrolumi-nescent lighting and effective back-lighting technology for LCD displays. Areliable luminous efficacy of around 60lm/w probably will not be achievedbefore 2014-2015.In the future the new OLEDs (organiclight emitting diodes which are flat andemit uniform light over the surface) willcombine the energy-saving aspects

with other features like being easy-to-integrate, highly aesthetic and with anattractive light quality. Companies likePPhhiilliippss,, GGEE,, OOssrraamm,, KKaanneekkaa,, FFiiaammmmare working on the OLED issue, up tonow with low lumenwatt outputs.OLED manufacturers include AAvvaaggooTTeecchhnnoollooggiieess,, PPeerrkkiinnEEllmmeerr,, AAlllliieeddEElleeccttrroonniiccss,, CCrryyssttaall SSyysstteemmss,, FFoonnggKKaaii,, MMiittssuubbiisshhii (Velve Oled lighting,lumen watt now 28, target 60 in twoyears).

OOLLEEDD:: FFIIRRSSTT DDEELLIIVVEERRIIEESS……....SSaammssuunngg VVeennttuurree IInnvveessttmmeennttCCoorrppoorraattiioonn ((SSVVIICC)), the venture capitalarm of the Samsung Group, has invest-ed in Novaled AG, a technology andmaterials provider specializing in high-efficiency, long-lifetime organic LEDs(OLEDs) based in Dresden, Germany.Novaled’s white PIN OLED devicestructures have demonstrated 60 lm/Wefficacy.PPaannaassoonniicc IIddeemmiittssuu OOLLEEDD LLiigghhttiinnggCCoo..,, LLttdd.. ((PPIIOOLL)), a joint venture estab-lished this year between PanasonicElectric Works Co., Ltd. (PEW, Osaka,Japan) and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan), began shipping high-color-rendering organic LED (OLED)lighting panels to the international mar-kets on September 1, 2011. OLED products have been showed atLightfair International in Philadelphiathis year by AAccuuiittyy, that anyway won’tship the OLED products until 2012 andthey are likely to be below the 100-lm/W efficacy threshold that mostexperts believe OLEDs must reach toserve in mainstream lighting.

60 lm/W is the entry point for beingable to mainstream OLED lighting.Youcan easily make decorative OLED fix-tures today, but that won’t save energy.OLEDs will have to replace ambientand task lighting to be a compellingenergy-efficiency story.

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Csil REPORTS on THE EUROPEAN MARKET part ITHE EUROPEAN MARKET part II

TURKEYRUSSIA

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAJAPAN

UNITED STATESCHINAINDIA

LATIN AMERICAAUSTRALIA

ITALYWORLD TRADE OF LIGHTING FIXTURES

WORLD MARKET FOR OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURESLEDS AND THE LIGHTING FIXTURES WORLDWIDE MARKET

Online purchase and immediate download at:www.worldfurnitureonline.com

LIGHTING FIXTURES MARKET

available in 2012

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ealth and wellness are among thebiggest issues all across the furni-ture segments. The fact thatwhirlpool systems have a particu-

larly beneficial and healthy effect on indi-viduals has long been common knowl-edge; therefore the market for emotionaland physical well-being continues togrow as human needs are constantlychanging. Anyway, wellness is not onlycomfort and the issue of sustainablematerials seems to be evermore associat-ed to well being. That’s why at ISH tradefair held last March in Frankfurt, the lead-ing operators in the bathroom and well-ness segment have proposed innovativeproducts aimed to offer the best solutionsto assure wellness, both in terms of relaxand respect of the environment.

AA NNEEWW FFLLOOTTAATTIIOONN TTUUBB WWIITTHHAANNCCIIEENNTT RROOOOTTSSExhibitors at ISH included the Hornbergbased bathroom manufacturer Duravitwith a fleet of new, design-oriented bath-room concepts and technical innova-tions. With “Nahho”, an outmost interest-ing innovation on show, Duravit has intro-duced a new form of bathing culture:“the floating”.Nahho is the name of an African canoefamous for its floating that gives a feelingof weightlessness and complete relax-ation in water. The most important prereq-uisite of this product is to allow the bodyto stretch out in full and the optional,height-adjustable neck rest, designedaccording to a classic Ethiopian neck restmodel, further enhances the feeling ofrelaxation. The visual effect is alsodesigned for relaxation: all technical ele-ments such as tap fittings, waterfall tap orthe optional indirect lighting are con-cealed under a furniture flap in a white ormatt graphite finish and it is included alsoa sound module to create the best relax-ing atmosphere. Those yearning for theevocative play of sunset light on the waterwill revel in the gentle, indirect lighting.

QQUUAARRYYLL®® HHIIGGHH PPEERRFFOORRMMAANNCCEEVilleroy & Boch also presented a relevantinnovation. The new shower trays“Futurion Flat” communicate a feeling ofabsolute freedom, not just in terms oftheir visual appeal but also the momentpeople step inside. The exclusive char-acter and high functional value of theseshower trays are obtained thanks toQuaryl®, the innovative material fromVilleroy & Boch that boasts the qualityand maximum easy-care properties.Quaryl® 's properties are giving rise to atransformation in bath design: newforms become possible which are diffi-cult to attain with other materials.Shower trays made of Quaryl® are pro-duced by means of a casting process,which offers broad design scope, andproduced with acrylic filled with naturalhard quartz. These shower trays areextremely robust, scratch-resistant and,overall, recyclable, in line with the aim ofall sustainable activities of Villeroy &Boch: “to combine ecology and econo-my successfully”.

NNEEWW CCEERRAAMMIICC MMAATTEERRIIAALL LLAAUUNNCCHHEEDDBBYY LLAAUUFFEENNLaufen also invested in developing anew, more resource-saving material.According to Dr. Werner Fischer, thedirector of research and development atthe Swiss bathroom ceramics specialistLaufen, ceramic is better than any otherat fulfilling the material requirementsdemanded by bathrooms.At a press conference during ISH, heannounced the first path-breaking devel-opment in bathroom ceramics sinceLaufen introduced high pressure ceram-ic casting in 1985. Laufen has devel-oped a new kind of ceramic whichimproves the material in many ways.

The new Laufen ceramic is not artificialbut continues to be an authentic silicateceramic material – a sophisticated alter-native to fine fire clay akin to vitreous

china that enables the formation of newshapes. More precise edges and largesmooth surfaces can be obtained. Thetechnology enables edges with a radiusof below 4 mm, whereas 6 mm andabove was the best that could beachieved before. The new material isaround 20-30% lighter than classicceramics, being at the same time signifi-cantly stronger and resistant to flexuraltension. Laufen has achieved savings inweight of up to 40%, thanks to a thinnerbody and simplified design attaining a bigenergy conservation. More will be heardof it soon.

FOCUSTRENDS


HH

IT’S ALL ABOUT WELLNESSbbyy SSaarraa MMaaddddaalloonnii CSIL

Duravit, Nahho

Laufen wellness solution

023_FOCUS_It's wellness 3-11-2011 12:41 Pagina 23

hysical spaces and architectonicscenarios are the main testimo-nials to the consolidated senso-ry revolution.

Previously it was the products thatshowed us the rate of emerging senses.Now it is the space that leads us to situ-ations that are increasingly immersiveand sometimes meditative.And the hyper-connectivity of the infor-mation makes the phenomenon of freeinteraction and of the fusion of trendsand of interdisciplinary languages evenmore fascinating.

When given these incredible opportuni-ties to appropriate technologies and tocreate surreal worlds, the design sys-tem’s main aim is to come up with solu-tions.Technical solutions that are passed offas emotions; futile emotions of minimalartistic value.Research into materials in order toachieve a more or less environmentallysustainable performance or exasperatedexperimentation to exceed the limits ofwhat we’re not quite sure.I’d like to launch the rise of a sort of“romantic intelligence” that intervenes inthe process of conception and manipula-tion of the material to create new andmore stimulating sensations.I’d like to promote the systematic applica-tion of a casual and instinctive method inthe creation of materials that are fresh,inspirational, humanistic and narrational.I call them hybrid materials, meaning thatthey were born of fate, outside a techno-logical laboratory, but inside our every-day experience.Hybrid materials spring from strangeassociations and almost always contain

elements from our memory; somethingyou have seen somewhere but you don’tremember, something that suggestsabsolute mystery, something you fall inlove with at first sight.I’ve done a lot of experiments of this kindusing plaster, stone, mosaic, metals andglass.I like to immerse myself in the material inorder to understand how to make itsomething else through simple superim-position. In all of these experiences the imagecrystallises slowly in a three-dimensionalidea that is bold, precise, with its ownstrong personality, and yet totally indeci-pherable.The materials are hybrid because youcan’t really perceive their nature or ori-gin.- Three-dimensional plaster sublimatedwith lunar patterns. - Printed digital mosaics with photo-graphs of Byzantine images.- Metallic liquids on three-dimensionalsculptured effects.Composite metals are a huge challengeto conventions and are one of the mostinteresting examples of hybrid materials. Liquid metal is applied to any type of sur-face, which is then manipulated with oxi-dation, burnishing, streaking, bombard-ing and grafting.The results of these manipulations areworks of art produced by the industry.Hybrid materials are also those that aremost typical of the artistic experience ofrecent years. To put a material on stagethe artist of the twenty-first century can-not disregard its technical characteristicsand, on the contrary, he unconsciouslybecomes the main author of completelycasual new interpretations.

WF - December 2011

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MATERIALS

PPbbyy MMaauurriizziioo FFaavveettttaa

HYBRID MATERIALS ANDCOMPOSITE METALS ININTERIOR DESIGN

024_FOCUS_MATERIALS_Hybrid 3-11-2011 12:42 Pagina 24

REVIEW

espite the international crisis,China’s production and con-sumption of furniture will recorda further leap forward over the

course of 2011: if the second semesterof the year maintains the same growthtrend as the first six months (as it proba-bly will), production should reach US$160 billion (+24%) and consumptionshould exceed US$ 120 billion (+27%).Imports are nearing the US$ 2 billionmark (+30% in the first seven months)and exports are not having a bad timeeither (+13%). The large firms accountfor roughly a third of national productionand two thirds of exports. The assess-ment of the overall performance of themarket is based largely on the perform-ance of exports.

According to Zhu Changling, Chairmanof the China National FurnitureAssociation (CNFA), Chinese furnitureproduction will double over the period2010-2015. Exports should increaseconsiderably, but domestic consumptionwill be the principal driver of develop-ment.

440000,,000000 SSQQ.. MM.. OOFF NNEEWW EEXXHHIIBBIITTIIOONN SSPPAACCEEOrganised jointly by UBM Sinoexpo andCNFA, the Furniture China fair inShanghai is the major annual appoint-ment for the furniture industry, with atten-

tion paid mainly (but certainly not exclu-sively) to export activities. In just 17 yearsFurniture China Shanghai has grown tosome 2,000 exhibitors and 600,000square metres of exhibition space(60,000 more than the previous edition).

The 2011 edition attracted around74,500 visitors and it was spread overthree locations: in addition to the exhibi-tion areas of Pudong (the main venue,with greater attention to exports) andFMC (components for the furniture sec-tor) a third exhibition pole was set up inthe JSWB mall (Global HomeFurnishings Center) located in the Puxiarea and basically targeting the local

market. Over the next five years a further400,000 sq.m. of exhibition area will beavailable (presumably the first 200,000will be ready in 2013) with the priority aimof hosting a larger number of firms dedi-cated to the local market and makingmore space available for the office furni-ture sector (target 500 exhibitors, dou-ble the current number).

The increased availability of exhibitionspace will presumably lead to a greaternumber of large international exhibitorsin Shanghai: it’s time for a new Italian“Collective” and the office sector isexpecting the big multinationals(Steelcase, Herman Miller, Haworth….all of them already with some kind ofpresence in China). Some of the largerforeign firms at Shanghai 2011 wereNatuzzi, Gautier, Tempur and Kokuyo.The fair showcases “the best” ofChinese production, excluding kitchenfurniture. The upholstered furnituresegment is having some difficulty sinceit is more closely linked to exports,while the production of office furniture,hotel and contract furniture, and mat-tresses is “flying”. The next edition ofFurniture China Shanghai will be heldfrom 11 to 15 September 2012 and willalso be hosting other happenings suchas “The Sleep Event” in the section ofthe fair dedicated to hotel furnishings(Hotelex).


FURNITURE CHINA 2011: MAMMA MIA!

DD

Rong RuiWorkstation

Gabriele Maiola,KUKA, and

Aurelio VolpeCSIL

025_026_REVIEW_Furniture China-uk 4-11-2011 11:28 Pagina 25

SSTTRREENNGGTTHHSS AANNDD WWEEAAKKNNEESSSSEESS OOFFTTHHEE CCHHIINNEESSEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE IINNDDUUSSTTRRYYHaving dominated the world market inthe low price segment, the future growthof the Chinese furniture industry is tied toits penetration of the middle range and italready has all the makings: many of theleading firms (Kuka for upholstered furni-ture, Matsu for office furniture, Oppeinfor kitchens) today use a combination ofChinese, Asian and European designersfor their own production. Although prom-ising modern styles have emerged inrecent years, contemporary Chinesedesign has yet to re-emerge as the glob-al force it once was.

Today first class technologies are avail-able for furniture production in all themajor districts, as can be seen by therapid growth in local turnover for key sup-pliers such as Homag or Biesse. Thestructural lack of wood-based raw materi-als should be compensated by the directinvestments of Chinese producersabroad, for example in Russia in theforestry and sawmill sector. The revalua-tion of the Remimbi (from a rate of 10 tothe Euro, to the current 8) makes exportsmore difficult and imports more accessi-ble. Also the availability of space for newplants, especially around Sichuan (furni-ture in wood) and Fujian (kitchens) shouldnot be underestimated. In fact, the rise inthe cost of labour in the “hot” areas(Shenzhen, Foshan, Anji, Shanghai,Beijing etc.) prompts newcomers to locatein less exploited areas of the country.

AA BBOOLLDD RREETTAAIILLIINNGG NNEETTWWOORRKK NNEEEEDDEEDDNational distribution risks becoming abottle-neck: Red Star, Kinhom andJSWB are national chains of furnituremalls that manage to keep a large part of

the sales margins for themselves. By wayof an example, each of the three RedStar malls in Shanghai hosts at least ahundred permanent display areas on atotal of six floors. You can find all themajor international brands from the bathand bedding segment, but 90% of thedisplay area is occupied by local brandsin the middle and upper ranges. What ismissing is a solid network of independ-ent, multi-brand distributors for the smalland medium-sized firms. Thus, the smallfirms have only two choices: continue torely on more or less direct distribution(with agents in 20-30 cities) or to opt(paying a high price) for the large “furni-ture cities”. Nevertheless, there havebeen some experiments with franchis-ing, for example HTL in the upholsteredsegment (Domicil brand).

EEXXPPOORRTTSS OORR DDIIRREECCTT IINNVVEESSTTMMEENNTTSS??European firms are faced with thedemanding choice between exporting toChina and producing locally. Some firmshave failed in their attempt to producelocally (e.g. Decoro) or have chosen tosell to third parties (Faram). Undoubtedly, there have also been suc-cess stories, like Natuzzi (one of thebest-selling brands in China, with Kuka,Lehoo and Cheers) and Colombini (chil-dren’s rooms, almost 100 sales outletsalready opened, out of an ambitiousobjective of being present in 200 cities).At the upper-end dozens of firms haveopened at least one outlet, including theItalians Boffi, Poliform, Flou, B&B,Minotti, Artemide and Scavolini. Singlebrand stores are usually between 200(Artemide, on two floors) and 500 sq.m.(Scavolini). One successful example of amulti-brand outlet is undoubtedly Vita inBeijing (with 3,000 sq.m.).

BBEESSTT SSEELLLLIINNGG:: BBEEDDRROOOOMMSS AANNDDUUPPHHOOLLSSTTEERRYYThe composition of purchases is some-what different from that of typicalEuropean markets: kitchens are still rel-atively underrepresented and are show-ing strong growth (more closely linkedto the construction sector than othersegments) as are living rooms.Relatively more is spent on bedrooms,bathrooms, mattresses and upholsteredgoods. Looking at mattresses, we findthe first price at IKEA of RMB 1,500(about Euro 180), a middle range ofaround RMB 4,000-5,000, but also agrowing range of imported productsstarting at RMB 20,000. The averageprice of a kitchen (excluding appli-ances) is in the region of RMB 10,000(Euro 1,250), but Guangdong, Zhejangand Beijing have become importantmarkets for German and Italian kitchensin the upper and middle ranges. At thetop end of the market especially, thereis frequent “bargaining” at the sales out-let, which usually leads to a reductionon the list price of somewhere in theregion of 20%.

MMAAMMMMAA MMIIAA!! ((AA NNEEWW CCHHIINNEESSEE CCRREEAA--TTIIVVIITTYY))This is a typical Italian expression of won-der, astonishment, enthusiasm, and alsothe most popular musical of all time (45million tickets sold). While FurnitureChina was taking place in Shanghai,Beijing was enjoying the Mandarin ver-sion of the musical Mamma Mia! We canexpress that same wonder for FurnitureChina. In the furniture business, as inmusicals, shanzhai (the art of innovatingstarting with existing objects, "if you cando it….then I can as well”) is a step for-ward in new Chinese creativity. (A.V.)


REVIEW

Kokuyo chair

025_026_REVIEW_Furniture China-uk 4-11-2011 11:28 Pagina 26

MARKETS


he extremely disappointing andunproductive political mudwrestling of mid-summer in USeconomy is beginning to fade in

consumers’ minds. After all the exaggera-tion, none of the most dire predictionshave come true. Consumer spending rosenicely in September 2011. All retail salesand furniture sales grew 1.1%. Departmentstores grew 1.1%, general merchandise+0.7%, gas stations +1.2%, clothingstores +1.3% and hardware +0.1%.

After a dismal August, private sector jobsgrew 137,000 in September. The mostpositive sign for employment is major newconstruction in the private sector frompower plants, schools and colleges, shop-ping centers and medical care facilities.

Housing sales are not much better but aslight pick-up in sales and mortgage refi-nancing made 30-year mortgage rates tickup to 4.12%, still a great rate. Mortgagerefinancing has historically been a largesource of spending money for home fur-

nishings. Look for 2012 to be a better yearfor home building, and home furnishingsshould get the benefit from that in 2013.

Consumer confidence may recover in

November and December thanks to somemodestly encouraging economic news,lower fuel prices and the coming holidays.The summer scared all the economistsand made them rush to lower their expec-tations for 2012. As the end of the yearshows slight improvement, forecasts fornext year will rise.

A key problem for home furnishingssince 2006 in the US has been a dra-matic decline in the formation of newhouseholds. After averaging 1.2 millionnew households per year from 2001-2006, they have dropped to only460,000, on average, per year since2007. Demographers expect the rate toexceed 1.0 million as early as 2012 andcontinue at that level for most of the nextdecade.

UUSS FFUURRNNIITTUURREE AANNDD TTOOTTAALL RREETTAAIILLSSAALLEESSFurniture is a credit sensitive, housingdependant, consumer confidence drivenpurchase. Add to that it is a large ticket andeasily deferrable in terms of replacing it. Asa result, US furniture retail sales declinesince 2006 has been much more severethan total retail sales.

UUSS FFUURRNNIITTUURREE && TTOOTTAALL RREETTAAIILL SSAALLEESS

Source: Mann, Armistead & Epperson, Ltd

MMAAJJOORR SSHHIIFFTTSS IINN RREETTAAIILLIINNGG

EXPECTED END-OF-THE-YEARIMPROVEMENT IN US

bbyy JJeerrrryy EEppppeerrssoonn

TT

027_MARKETS_Usa 3-11-2011 11:07 Pagina 27

STRATEGIES

razil is an emerging market with aproven growth potential. Thecountry ranks 10th in CSIL data-base of world furniture market

and it also ranks 10th as a furniture pro-ducer, with a productive system com-posed by a large majority of micro andsmall enterprises and some big localplayers, for a total of around 15,000companies and about 200.000 workersin production.

But Brazil ranking goes down when welook at international trade statistics. Itbecomes 30th as a furniture exporterand 39th as a furniture importer. Thisshows the high potential for foreign oper-

ators which are targeting the Brazilianmarket - which however is still veryclosed and protected - and the exportopportunities of Brazilian productsabroad if the country succeed in differ-entiating both the markets and the prod-ucts, taking into account that Brazil wastraditionally an exporter of solid wood fur-niture to the US.

MMAARRKKEETT DDRRIIVVEERRSS IINN TTHHEE RREESSIIDDEENNTTIIAALLAANNDD CCOONNTTRRAACCTT SSEEGGMMEENNTTSSBrazil’s housing plan, Minha Casa,Minha Vida (My Home, My Life) the mas-sive public housing campaign launchedby the Brazilian Federal Government inMarch 2009 is entering its second

phase and aims to build 2 million homesbefore 2014 for low income families, witha total government investment of over 80billion US$ (double than the previousphase), and with two innovations: allhouses will be endowed by solar panelsfor energy production and women will nolonger need the signature of their hus-band to benefit from the housing plan.Low-income families with salaries up toUS$1,000 (that is three times the mini-mum wage), will only have to pay a maxi-mum percentage of 10 percent on theirmortgage, for a fixed period of ten years.

All this will surely translate in hugeincreases in furniture demand for resi-dential purposes. Adding to this, Braziloffers interesting opportunities in thecontract/hospitality sector with the forth-coming sporting events: the 2014Soccer World Cup and the OlympicGames in 2016. In order to prepare forthe two forthcoming events, Brazil isplanning to invest US$11 billion in thehotel sector, thus generating further furn-tiure demand.

All these factors, together with a growingeconomy, increasing disposableincomes and a stable political back-ground, are probably the reasons forwhich, according to a recent surveymade by Cetelem in Brazil, over 40% ofthe population is looking at the futurewith optimism and another 17% withenthusiasm. Percentage that has beenconstantly increasing during the last fiveyears.

As a consequence of this “entusiastic”feeling, buying intentions for all maindurable goods have increased over thelast five years, with a strong preferencefor furniture items.

BBRRAAZZIILL.. TTOOTTAALL HHOOUUSSEESS BBYY RREEGGIIOONN

Source: IBGE, last available year

MINHA CASA, MINHA VIDA!

BRAZIL FACING THEGLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

BB


bbyy AAlleessssaannddrraa TTrraaccooggnnaa,, CSIL

028_029_STRATEGIES_Minha Casa, Minha Vid 3-11-2011 12:45 Pagina 28

Design de Regis Padilha. UniversidadeFeevale Gramado – RS

manufacturing lower and smaller furni-ture. Many companies can count onimportant agreement with the nationaldistribution chains (Casas Bahia,Magazin Luiza). They often sell also tomultibrand stores, whereas the modularfurniture lines produced by the samecompanies but addressing the higheendare distributed in monobrand stores).Brasil Móveis is organized by theFurniture Industry Association of RioGrande do Sul - MOVERGS.

CCaassaa BBrraassiill:: aa ffooccuuss oonn ddeessiiggnnAnother important sector fair took placefrom 2 to 6 August in Bento Goncalves,known as one of the most important localfurniture poles. CCaassaa BBrraassiill is the leadingBrazilian show focussed on design andinnovation, with emphasis on the highend furniture market. The fair is promot-ed by the Furniture Industry Associationof Bento Goncalves (Sindmoveis).Beyond furniture, the most importantbrands in the segment of lighting, deco-ration and complements for home andcorporative environments were on show,including some Italian brands. The show

is expected to generate US$ 130 millionin business in a horizon of one year.

The winner products of Salão Design, themost important design award for LatinAmerica products, gathering in 2011over 1000 projects entered by students,professionals and companies from 18countries, were exposed at the fair.

Many interviewed companies attendingthe fair declared two digit growth ratesfor 2010 turnover and confirm the resultsfor 2011. Investment in design, mono-brand store openings and increasingattention to pre and post sales serviceare a “must” for many companies that aretargeting the A and B Brazilian classes.The design niche is quite closed, as it isthe whole market, with prices of import-ed Italian furniture becoming 5 timeshigher to the final consumer (in a store inSão Paolo) with respect to FOB prices.

All in all, it seems that Brazilian compa-nies are experiencing quite a good time,facing one of the most lively market in theword. Does someone want to enter?

STRATEGIES

WWHHOO AARREE TTHHEE MMOORREE EENNTTHHUUSSIIAASSTT??According to CSIL estimates, the overallBrazilian furniture market, with its 195million inhabitant, was worth US$8335million in 2010. The value is at produc-tion prices (the Brazilian StatitisticalOffice estimates the average tradingmargin in the range of 53%).With the increase in the income availableto Brazilian households, a huge part ofthe money was spend in housingimprovement. Furniture and other house-hold products (lighting, textiles, mat-tresses...) purchases account for 1.8%of total private consumption of Brazilianconsumers in the year 2011. Householdappliances items, the main competingsegment, accounts for 2.2%. However,together with this ongoing growth, thereis also another tendency (mainly in theupper classes) to be considered: themoney surplus is spent for travels andentertainment.

The tabel shows the weight of furniturepurchases on total spending in Brazilianmiddle-low classes. In class C, D and E,the percentage of furniture spending ontotal spending surpasses 2%.

In particular, class C represents around50% of total Brazilian population, ismainly urban and accounts for around30% of total country consumption. Thisis the fast growing segment in Braziland it is the target segment of manyleading Brazilian furniture manufactur-ers who see it as a real opportunity tobe exploited.

In fact, many companies of modular fur-niture - moveis planejados inPortuguese – with well positionedbrands on the local market in Brazillaunched specific furniture lines forthese consumers (with brand, quality,possibility to buy on credit and hugeinvestments in marketing).Todeschini/Carraro, Dellano, Italinea aresome examples.

BBrraassiill MMoovveeiiss, the furniture fair that tookplace in Sao Paolo from 9 to 12 August2011, gathered many of the above men-tioned manufacturers, targeting the Cclass (and D class in some cases).Among them, Carraro, Kappersberg,Multimoveis. Many of the exhibiting com-panies were oriented to the local market,investing in mass marketing, brand cre-ation and advertisement. Some compa-nies even specialized in a specific line forthe “Minha casa, minha vida” project,


BBRRAAZZIILL.. WWeeiigghhtt ooff ffuurrnniittuurree ppuurrcchhaasseess oonn ttoottaall ssppeennddiinngg iinn BBrraazziilliiaann mmiiddddllee--llooww ccllaasssseess..

CCllaassss AAvveerraaggee AAvveerraaggeemmoonntthhyy hhoouusseehhoolldd iinnccoommee ((RR$$)) mmoonntthhyy hhoouusseehhoolldd iinnccoommee ((UUSS$$)) NNuummbbeerr ooff hhoouusseehhoollddss

A1 13,100 7,443 252,703

A2 9,100 5,170 1,772,924

B1 4,900 2,784 4,767,471

B2 2,750 1,562 10,263,513

C1 1,650 937 12,892,317

C2 1,100 625 11,295,004

D 710 403 7,405,082

E 490 278 404,950

Source: CSIL processing of published data

028_029_STRATEGIES_Minha Casa, Minha Vid 3-11-2011 12:45 Pagina 29

PREVIEW


resenting the perspectives forimm cologne 2012 at theEuropean Trade PressConference in Amsterdam last

14 September, Frank Haubold, Directorimm cologne, said that after the fair gotthe furniture year 2011 off to a dynamicstart, the event is forging ahead with astrong wind at its back. The improvedeconomic situation in Germany hasmade that possible. After the global eco-nomic and financial crisis in late 2008and 2009, worldwide furniture consump-tion rose again both in 2010 and 2011and currently amounts to approximatelyEuro 280 billion. EU-27 is the biggesteconomic zone in the world. Last year,its 500 million inhabitants generated aGDP of Euro 12.3 trillion, representing agrowth of 1.8% as compared to the pre-vious year. Germany continues to be themost important furniture market withinEurope.

The number of registrations receivedfrom more than 50 countries for the nextedition of imm cologne, scheduled totake place from 16 to 22 January 2012on a space of approx. 250,000 sq.m.,shows a double-digit growth even ascompared to the strong figures for 2011(imm+LivingKitchen). The biggest contin-gents of foreign exhibitors will be comingfrom Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark andSwitzerland. All in all, Kölnmesse antici-pated that between 1,000 and 1,100exhibitors will take part in imm cologne2012.

In 2012, Italy will be well represented byleading lifestyle brands. With B&B Italia,Cierre, Desalto, Driade, Living Divaniand Kartell, some of the country’s lead-ing market players will be presentingtheir product ranges and new develop-

ments in the “Pure” design segment. Butthere are some positive signals fromGermany too. The new and returningexhibitors include Form Exclusiv,Wackenhut, Trüggelmann, Disselkamp,Easy Chair, Staud, Meise, Wima andNolte Delbrück.

FFRROOMM HHIIGGHH--EENNDD DDEESSIIGGNN TTOO YYOOUUNNGGLLIIFFEESSTTYYLLEESSHall 11 (PPuurree) will show its top interna-tional brands of high-end design interi-ors. The PPuurree VViillllaaggee exhibition format inHall 3.2 provides a lively setting forunconventional brand and productscenographies to showcase designitems and interior concepts. In 2012,Pure Village will also serve as the venuefor the imm cologne’s new design project“Das Haus – Interiors on Stage”. The PPrriimmee segment is dedicated to livingroom and bedroom furniture – primarilyfrom the high-end segment – and willoccupy Halls 4.1, 5.1, 5.2 and 10.1. Inthe CCoommffoorrtt segment in Halls 4.1, 5.2, 6and 10.2, international manufacturerswill be presenting a unique and near

complete overview of the world market.When it comes to Young Lifestyles, visi-tors can find out what’s in vogue andpromises to be big business in Halls 7and 8 of the SSmmaarrtt segment. A full rangeof SSlleeeepp-relevant goods will be on showin Hall 9, from mattresses and sleepingsystems to bed linen and other textiles,everything that turns a bedroom into awellness oasis for a daytime relaxation.

WWOORRLLDDWWIIDDEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE MMAARRKKEETT IINNCCRREEAASSIINNGG

UPWARD TREND INGERMANY WAITINGFOR IMM COLOGNEAND LIVING INTERIORS

PP

bbyy PPaaoollaa GGoovvoonnii,, CSIL

Source: VDM

030_031_PREVIEW_imm cologne 2012 4-11-2011 11:27 Pagina 30

TTHHEE FFUURRNNIITTUURREE IINNDDUUSSTTRRYY IINN GGEERRMMAANNYYIn 2010, the German furniture industry generated sales for Euro 18.5 billion(+2.2%) and in the first half of 2011 sales of manufacturers with aworkforce of at least 50 employees grew by 7.3% to 8.2 billion Euro on2010. At this stage, one can expect a growth of 5% for this year as a whole.This is largely due to the office furniture producers (+22.8%) and shopfitting manufacturers (14.9%). The positive trend virtually applies to allfurniture sectors: the developments in domestic furniture (+4.6%), storagefurniture (+6.1%), kitchens (+5.3%) and the mattress industry (+4.4%) givereason for confidence. Only upholstered furniture slightly causes concern.Statistically, this segment experienced a drop of 2.5% due to a negativestatistical effect. From 2011 the official statistics include 16.7% fewerupholstered furniture enterprises than in 2010, which of course results inlower total sales and explains the negative trend. In real terms, sales ofupholstered furniture are estimated to have increased by around 2%.Import and export flows are also positive. After a 6.3% rise last year,exports increased by 12.2% to 4.3 billion Euro from January to June 2011.Most important markets of destination for German furniture like France andSwitzerland are showing marked growth again, with increases of 25.9%and 16.9% respectively up until June.High growth in Russia and China aswell, whereby China’s growthpotential is by no means exhausted:by the end of 2011, China isexpected to overtake the US asGermany’s most important non-European market for furnitureexports.At the same time, German furnitureimports grew by 8.3% to 4.9 billionEuro between January and June2011 – at a slower rate than furnitureexports. Imports from Europeancountries outside EU are rising at arate of +14.6%. This particularlyapplies to imports from Turkey(+32.1%). Furniture imports from EUalso increased, with marked growthfrom Slovenia (+55.2%) and Romania(+31.9%). Poland neverthelessremains Germany’s most importantsource of imports.In global terms, China has becomethe world’s most important furnitureexporter with a value of over 21billion Euro. But there are huge salesopportunities on the Chinesedomestic market as well. Thanks torising incomes and new consumerbehaviour, China is becomingincreasingly interesting for foreignfurniture players. Along with domesticfurniture manufacturers, German andItalian producers of high-qualitybrand-name furniture are increasinglybenefiting from this development.Source: Association of the GermanFurniture Industries (VDM-Verbandder Deutschen Möbelindustrie, BadHonnef)

LLIIVVIINNGGIINNTTEERRIIOORRSS.. TTHHEE NNEEWWHHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTT IINN JJAANNUUAARRYYTogether with the imm exhibition, LivingInteriors will open its doors in Colognefor the first time next year. The newLiving Interiors event stands for holisticliving and interior design concepts andwill feature national and internationalexhibitors from the BBaatthhrroooomm,, FFlloooorriinngg,,WWaallll aanndd LLiigghhttiinngg sseeccttoorrss. It occupiesthe same spaces used by Living Kitchenin January 2011 and will alternate withthe kitchen event, taking place in evenyears. The new concept will attract tradevisitors and the general public alike.Therefore, just like for imm cologne,Living Interiors will have three PublicDays (20 – 22 January) addressing thefinal consumer.

PREVIEW


DDOOMMEESSTTIICC AANNDD FFOORREEIIGGNN SSAALLEESS OOFF TTHHEE GGEERRMMAANN FFUURRNNIITTUURREE IINNDDUUSSTTRRYY 22000055--22001100 IINN BBIILLLLIIOONN €€

GGLLOOBBAALL DDEEMMAANNDD FFOORR FFUURRNNIITTUURREE OONN TTHHEE IINNCCRREEAASSEE ((IINN TTOOTTAALL 88,,22 BBIILLLLIIOONN €€,, ++77,,33%% CCOOMMPPAARREEDD TTOO TTHHEE PPRREEVVIIOOUUSS YYEEAARR))

030_031_PREVIEW_imm cologne 2012 4-11-2011 11:27 Pagina 31

SPECIAL REPORTMARKETS

he China Office Furniture Fair inShanghai has seen some trend-setter players as Kokuyo, RongRui, and Matsu exhibiting in the

14-17 September 2011 edition. In thisissue we report of a recent project fromMatsu.

TTHHEE SSHHAANNGGHHAAII RROOCCHHEE OOFFFFIICCEE BBUUIILLDDIINNGGEstablished in 1896, Roche is one ofthe world’s leading medical care com-panies in the field of pharmaceuticalsand diagnostic. For a large globalcompany, office space planning isparticularly complicated. Planning forsuch spaces requires considerationof global visual identity (VI), consis-tency, compatibility with local culturalnorms and issues such as mobility ofpeople inside the company. Ofcourse, a very high priority is given to

the company’s globalimage, making simple,high-quality design anecessity that arises fromthorough communicationbetween the customerand the designers. Chinese architect studioEXH Design based inShanghai and founded byErich Diserens and ZhangXi in 2006, designed acontemporary office envi-ronment of ShanghaiRoche Pharmaceuticalsbuilding with more linkswith light, air and outdoorspace. Project Team: ErichDiserens, Xi Zhang, SybilWang, David Yin. GeneralContractor: M+W Zander.Furniture for this project is

delivered by Matsu, includingPlanmoebel (DE) M-Pur workstations.

For the first stage of site expansion, theexisting office building is extended withtwo new, four level, parallel wings.

The building is made using reinforcedconcrete and has achieved the highestenergy efficiency standards by usingtriple glazing with thermally-isolated win-dow frames, external sun shades, agreen roof, and geothermal technology.The two storey linking blocks tie thebuildings together and house multi-func-tional traffic and communication areassuch as reception spaces, cafes, postand exhibition spaces, and all meetingrooms, boardrooms and conferencerooms.

OFFICE INTERIORS INCHINA: THE SHANGHAI

ROCHE OFFICE BUILDING

TT


Matsu Furniture (China) Co. was established in 1996 and dates 2001 thestate-of-the-art production facility in Guangzhou. Since 2001, the MatsuOffice Furniture Business Unit has become the exclusive partner of theGerman office furniture companies: Kusch+Co, Planmöbel, Holzmedia andRenz.

Matsu has established a complete nationwide sales and service network,with branch offices and showrooms in various first-tier cities such asShanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Xi’an, and representativeoffices in more than 20 cities. In Guangzhou’s Baiyun District, Matsu ownsa large-scale manufacturing base covering an area of 26,000 sq. m. and anarchitectural area of 17,200 sq. m., with 350 staff.

In 2010, the studio EXH Design projected the Matsu Flagship Store inShanghai. Located on the noisy Zhaojiabang Road, in order to isolate thehuge 1800 sq. m. store from its buzzing environment, Erich Diserens andZhang Xi aimed to make it “a store under the trees”. The façade is made ofaluminum panels with Gingko leaf patterns. As the sun is gently filteredthrough the perforated façade and the leaf shadows are cast upon thefloor, one feels as if he is wandering amongst the gingko trees. The leafshapes cut from the aluminum panels were then embedded in the interiorconcrete floor, allowing people to revel in the romance of fallen leaves.

033_SPECIAL_INTERIO…ffice Roche.qxd 4-11-2011 11:26 Pagina 33

ICIS, art mosaic factory, is locatedin the very heart of the mosaicworld in the city of Ravenna.The Italian company continues this

ancient tradition by preserving high arti-sanal standards and outstanding produc-tion skills, seeking out cutting edge tech-nology and complying with the stricteststandards in terms of health and safety atwork and protecting the environment.Corporate social responsibility and envi-ronmental sustainability are deeply rootedin SICIS’ philosophy. The company doesnot believe in outsourcing and uses localresources and masters, thus creating atrue Made in Italy product, which is widelyexported to leading international markets.

SSHHOOWWRROOOOMM TTHHAATT MMAATTTTEERRSS!!Great attention is deserved to retail anddistribution worldwide though attractiveSICIS showrooms in Dubai, Milan, NewYork, Paris. In Autumn 2011 a second SICIS mono-brand store opened in Istanbul, in thefashion district of Nisantasi and a newpartnership has been signed with Aveny-Tal & Noni’s Gallery in Tel Aviv for theexclusive distribution of the brand SICISon the Israeli market.The Queen’s Cube Building in the districtof Wan Chai, Hong Kong, will host theSICIS showroom scheduled to open inFebruary 2012.

Keeping a successful fusion betweenancient traditional art and contemporaryliving taste is a permanent challenge. Abold contribution in this direction camefrom a recent collaboration with Mr.Chistian Lacroix, word famous haute cou-turist, who designed for SICIS a furniture

collection consisting of a “mosaic” ofinterchangeable and adapted furniture toindividual linking. It includes 12 refer-ences of seats with velvel cushions andbrocade coverings, 4 lamps and 5 mod-els of tables and poufs. Every product isavailable in a combination of fabrics andleathers, embellished by lace, passe-menterie, studs and embroidery. Themosaic panels inspired by Lacroix’sdrawning could be made upon request

and bespoke for baroque and sumptuoussettings.

According to Mr. Christian Lacroix: “It isvital not to consider Ravenna’s ancestraltechnique as being museum-like or pos-sessing conservatory-like, untouchable,fixed elements. But to view the masteryas a contemporary skill, capable of com-peting with other innovative methods that

we use today. SICIS has lightened a tech-nique – reputed for being heavy-handedand difficult to manage – making it versa-tile, capable of working on all surfacesand enlarging the possibilities”.

Among recent SICIS’s fair attendances wemention CERSAIE in Bologna andMADEexpo in Milan. Latest collectionsdesigned by SICIS Next Art where onshow, focusing on bathroom and wellnessambiences as well as the versatile worldof living areas for both residential and con-tract. Like the wall mosaics of the‘Orientale collection’, which brings backIkebana, the ancient Japanese art offlower arrangement, and creates a layout,in which every part of the flower comple-ments another, achieving perfect harmonyof rhythm and colour in the reproductionof Oriental floral patterns.

SPECIAL REPORT


INTERIORS

MOSAICS. CONTEMPORARY LIVINGTASTE FROM THE PAST

Showrooms SICIS in Dubai, Milan,New Yok, ParisSS

034_SPECIAL_INTERIORS_Mosaic 3-11-2011 12:48 Pagina 34

omfort, quality, beauty, design,but also sustainability, low envi-ronmental impact and reducedconsumption. All these aspects

are typical of the demand from thosewho want to enjoy their living spaceaccording to the latest trends.

If we think of how the ways of interpretingthe home have changed over recentyears, we realise that the general orien-tation favours the functionality of thespaces and is associated with the questfor aesthetics. Recent surveys show thatfor a large number of people the ideal ofwellbeing in the home is to have a com-fortable and liveable house, which is alsobeautiful to look at and to show off. Thismeans not only having enough space forone’s needs, but also having space thatis equipped with a series of devicesdesigned to make thetime spent at homemore enjoyable.

LLIIGGHHTTIINNGG,, HHEEAATTIINNGGAANNDD DDOOMMOOTTIICCSSTwo factors are of fun-damental importance ifan ambience is to bewelcoming: the lightingand the heating. Ahouse that is light – andwhere the use of lightshas been well thoughtout - and “warm” – alsoas regards the furnish-ings in the true sense ofthe word – already hastwo very important req-

uisites in terms of comfort and wellbeing. In addition to these aspects, technologyis playing an increasingly important rolewithin the home. If a house is to be mod-ern, then technology must be involved.

Technology is the element that ensuresthe optimum coexistence of aspectssuch as comfort, beauty, energy savingsand security, to name but a few. Howdoes it do this? The answer is domotics.This is an extremely innovative and usefultechnology with so many advantages thatit is increasingly demanded by real estatedevelopers and home buyers alike.

Having different levels of air-conditioningin each room, as well as multiple combi-nations of lights to suit day-to-day living,special occasions or unexpected needs,and simultaneously managing the pro-

gramme for all the devices and appli-ances that make up the electrical system- all of this is possible thanks to a singledevice equipped with a user-friendlyinterface. These are just a few simpleexamples of the enormous advantagesto be gained from installing this technol-ogy in the home.

To ensure that houses can be welcom-ing and at the same time intelligent,VViimmaarr, an Italian leader in the sector,has developed the By-me system ofdomotics. This is a simple and intuitivetechnology contained in a number ofdevices such as the new EEiikkoonn EEvvooseries touch screen, which makes thesystem even more intelligent. TheMultimedia video touch, Full Flat videotouch and FFuullll FFllaatt touch screen allowfor even easier management of the sys-

tem and, together withthe ultra-slim controlpanel, were devel-oped to be in keepingwith the latest trendsin interior design. Therefined lines and finematerials are inspiredby the latest trends inhome living and theyenhance them in aunique way, combin-ing functionality andbeauty in each andevery device, makingthe home beautifuland comfortable. Thehouse of the future willbe increasingly intelli-gent and equippedwith technology thatwill help us live better,like the system devel-oped by Vimar, whichis already available tomake our homesplaces where allthings can be mould-ed according to ourevery whim.

SPECIAL REPORTDOMOTICS


HOW INTERIORSARE CHANGING

CC

Video touch Full Flat by VIMAR

035_SPECIAL_INTERIO…Domotica 3-11-2011 12:49 Pagina 35

SPECIAL REPORT


STYLES

ASSELSBERGER s.r.o. is thelargest manufacturer of ceramicfloor and wall tiles in the CzechRepublic and one of the leading

European manufacturers of facing mate-rials. The company maintains and devel-ops the tradition of the Czech trade markRAKO, which started ceramics produc-tion in Rakovník in 1883 and is currentlycelebrating its 125th anniversary.

The restoration works in one of Prague'smost famous sight, the parish hall orMunicipal House („Obecní dÛm“),turned out to be highly demanding forRako. The company had already beeninvolved in the development of this archi-tectural treasure with several hundredsquare meters of unique tile work and itwas providing for the necessary replace-ment at the needed repair work.Defective tiles for the floor and wall areasof the American bar, the Pilsen restau-

rants and the vestibule were replaced byreplicas.

A real challange for the Czech manufac-turer and its employees, since replicasfor historic tile lining and elaboraterestorations require creative skills and alot of technical experience.

Straight and curved corner tiles for therooms of the Pilsen restaurant had to behandmade. Strenght, proportions andglazing of several elements comply withthe present patterns. Shiny glazes for thedarkblue, lightblue and greenblue tiledsurfaces were newly developed for thispurpose. Rako produced shiny black

glazes for the quite noble rooms of theAmerican bar, where single elements ofthe ceramic wall design also had to berenewed.

The walls of the spacious vestibule infront of the Pilsen restaurant and theAmerican bar got replica of straight andcurved black tiles and here, again, singleceramics had to be produced andreplaced manually. Because of the smallnumber of the required pieces Rako hadthose tiles produced in plaster moulds.The different shades of the surface weremade with the helping technique of sup-plementary injections. Only this way thecopies could be as precise as possible.

Floor plaster moulds had to be madealso for the covering of the walls alongthe staircase on the ground. AltogetherRako produced 180 tile replicas for wallsand floors within the renovation meas-

ures of Prague's parish hall, which wereall made of sensitive handicraft and high-est quality. Because after all, this histori-cal sight is supposed to keep its gloryand uniqueness for another 100 years.

A DEMANDING RESTORATION IN PRAGUELL

AA GGLLAANNCCEE AATT HHIISSTTOORRYYBetween 1906 and 1912 Prague's parish hall („Obecní dum“) was builton the ground of the former royal court. Designed according to the con-cept of Antonin Balsanek and Osvald Polivka it is still considered to beone of the architecturally most important examples for art nouveau andparticularly secession. Several rooms and halls of the spacious building are magnificently furni-shed in a variety of ways. Concert halls (the famous Smetana-hall is the„living room“ of the Prague Symphony Orchestra), restaurants, bars andcafes invite for cultural and culinary delights.In the parish hall or Municipal House the sovereignty of theCzechoslovak Republic was proclaimed on October 28th, 1918. Then, in1989, history was made again at the same place when in the course ofthe so-called Velvet Revolution first encouters between commoners(represented by Vaclav Havel) and the up to that point ruling CommunistParty took place.

bbyy IInnggrriidd BBoorrkk

037_SPECIAL_STYLES_Prague 3-11-2011 12:12 Pagina 36

PREVIEW


fter setting another record salesperformance in early March thisyear, the organiser of theMalaysian International Furniture

Fair (MIFF) is looking ahead to make nextyear’s edition more refreshing and attrac-tive for buyers. MIFF 2012 has beenfixed from March 6 to 10. It will spreadover 75,000 sq. m. of exhibition spaceat the downtown Putra World TradeCentre and nearby Matrade Exhibition &Convention Centre in the Malaysian cap-ital, Kuala Lumpur.

Dato’ Tan Chin Huat, Managing Directorof MIFF Sdn Bhd, the fair organiser, isoptimistic that Malaysian furniture-mak-

ers will respond strongly also in 2012 byunveiling more new products andexpanded selections following feedbackfrom buyers. “Buyers at this year’s showtold me that they see some new designsbut it is not enough. The process hasbeen slow but surely, Malaysian manu-facturers are coming around to acceptthat next to quality, they need to invest indesign,” he said.

Local manufacturers will also be driven tostep up because for many of them, MIFFis the main source for their business. Thetrade show began in 1995 and has sincegrown into a world-recognised andimportant gateway for Malaysian furni-

ture, accounting for nearly a third ofexports annually. Buyers would havenoticed that in recent years, Malaysianfurniture makers have begun using alter-natives such as imported American hard-wood, composites and eco-friendlymaterials to add variety to the dominantarray of local wood-derived furniture.

The United States economic turmoil anduncertainties over Europe are notexpected to hugely impact visitor trafficor sales at MIFF 2012. “Since we beganin 1995, we have steadily built up a coregroup of buyers from 140 countries.There are concerns over U.S andEurope, but MIFF has proven itsresilience over the years because ourconstant is quality, pricing and selec-tion,” says Tan.

At MIFF 2012, no less than 500exhibitors will display contemporarystyles and perennial favourites for a widerange of indoor and exterior home furni-ture, and commercial use. Office anddining furniture segments were bigdraws at this year’s show, driving salesto yet another record of USD778 million,up from USD775 million in 2010.

Buyers should also keep an eye on theIdeation Award 2012, a showcase foryoung designers who will be challengedby the theme “My Favourite Chair” andcome up with a market appealing prod-uct. A special gallery will feature the pro-totypes of the finalists. Several industryseminars will be hosted to keep trade vis-itors up to date with the latest trends.

LOOKING AHEAD TO MIFF 2012

AA

ABOUT MIFF SDN BHD MIFF Sdn Bhd isan award-winning MICE event organiser inMalaysia. In 1995, it conceived the annualMalaysian International Furniture Fair(MIFF) which is the country’s top tradeshow today and a leading global industryshow recognized by UFI.

MIFF has won several awards includingBest MICE Exhibition of the Year2004/2005/2006 from the Malaysia’sMinistry of Tourism; Best Brands inFurniture Trade Exhibition 2007 from TheBrand Laureate; The 8th Asia PacificInternational Honesty Enterprise fromKeris Award 2009; The 9th Asia PacificInternational Entrepreneur ExcellenceBrand Award 2010; Corporate PartnerAward 2010 from Furniture LeadershipAward; Industry Excellence Award 2011from MACEOS.

For more information, visitwww.miff.com.my

040_Looking ahead to MIFF 2012 3-11-2011 12:50 Pagina 37

PREMIERE


appy Business To You, the firstItalian fair wholly dedicated tothe Made in Italy Contract sec-tor, will be held in Pordenone

from 15 to 18 February 2012. This dis-trict, which comprises 4,000 firms fromthe wood-furnishings chain with 40,700employees, had the idea of an eventfocussing on the turnkey provision ofspecific projects and large orders inthese areas: (i) Residential, (ii) LargeCommunities, (iii) Reception and (iv)Marine.

Presenting the event on 21 October at apress conference with an in-depth work-shop on the value of and the prospectsfor Made in Italy on the internationalContract market during SICAM inPordenone, Alessandro Zanetti,Managing Director of Pordenone Fieresaid: “We are well aware that this is agreat challenge and there is no escapefrom it. Nowadays the contract sector is,more than ever before, an extremelytopical one: large orders have a goodmarket in all those countries where theeconomy is in turmoil and there are toomany building sites to count, in Londonand in Moscow, in the metropolitanareas of China and India and Brazil. AndItaly can and must play the role of pro-tagonist for the upper-end of the marketoffering turnkey excellence”.

IINN AANNDD OOUUTTRigorously B2B, the aim of the fair isto create contacts, and offer thechance to build relationships andagreements between the leadingItalian sector brands and internationalbuyers. Some firms that have alreadyconfirmed their presence are:Moroso, Calligaris, Gruppo ATMA,Tecnogym, Snaidero, Gruppo Fratiand Santarossa Contract.The objective is to provide a bridgebetween demand and supply, creatingnew commercial opportunities andoffering visitors to the fair the uniqueopportunity to visit the factories of theexhibitors, in a sort of Open Housethroughout the territory. The guestsinvited include architecture studios,interior designers and top internation-al contractors, especially from areaslike China, the Middle East, Russiaand South America, which record thefastest growth rates in residential con-struction and hospitality.

TTHHEE SSIIZZEE OOFF TTHHEE MMAARRKKEETTNot hiding the fact that there are themethodological difficulties linked to thecomplexity of the contract sector and ofthe various productive segments thatmake it up, Sara Colautti of CSIL esti-mated that the value of the contract fur-nishings market in Italy was Euro 2,600

million, of which Euro 1,100 million wasjust for furniture. CSIL estimates that the contract marketis worth Euro 10 billion at a Europeanlevel.At a world level the contract and hospi-tality sectors are worth US$ 28 billion,of which furniture claims US$ 9.6 bil-lion. In a scenario that is weak overall,the contract market continues to expandand shows potential for interestingdevelopment.

NNEEWW CCOONNTTRRAACCTT MMOODDEELLSS The workshop presented a panoramaof strategies and new contract modelsto conquer international markets with atailoring skills and the industrial com-plex of Italian firms, alongside extreme-ly custom-oriented projects with“unique pieces” proposed by archi-tects and design and planning studiosworldwide, from Moscow to MonteCarlo, from New York to Dubai, andfrom China to Brazil. Design strategiesand creations of excellence wereexplained by Paolo Nava, architect anddesigner, Mauro Tabaro, owner of UNOSpa, Federico Delrosso, architect andHenry Timi, owner of the EXTRA brandwith the coordination of LoredanaVillani, editor-in-chief of CODEMagazine.More at: wwwwww..hhaappppyybbuussnneessssttooyyoouu..iitt

IITTAALLYY.. CCOONNTTRRAACCTT FFUURRNNIISSHHIINNGGSS BBYY SSEEGGMMEENNTT.. PPEERRCCEENNTTAAGGEE VVAALLUUEESS

Source: CSIL

IITTAALLYY.. TTHHEE CCOONNTTRRAACCTT FFUURRNNIITTUURREE MMAARRKKEETT.. BBRREEAAKKDDOOWWNN BBYY SSEEGGMMEENNTT.. PPEERRCCEENNTTAAGGEE VVAALLUUEESS

Source: CSIL

TURNKEY EXCELLENCE ON SHOW bbyy GGiioovvaannnnaa CCaasstteelllliinnaa,, CSIL

HH

038_HBTY_Contract-uk 3-11-2011 14:24 Pagina 38

14-17 Jan Domotex Hannover Germany16-22 Jan imm cologne+LivingInteriors Cologne Germany19-22 Jan Furniture Fair+IberCocina Zaragoza Spain20-24 Jan Mueble Paris France20-24 Jan Maison & Objet Paris France31 Jan-4 Feb IMOB Furniture Fair Istanbul Turkey06-09 Feb ZOW Bad Salzuflen Germany07-11 Feb Stockholm Furniture Fair Stockholm Sweden07-11 Feb Northern Light Fair Stockholm Sweden10-14 Feb IndiaWood Bangalore India15-18 Feb Happy Business to You Pordenone Italia16-19 Feb Pragointerier New Design Prague Czech Republic20-23 Feb LED CHINA Guangzhou China29 Feb-1 Mar ELA Expo Lighting America Mexico City Mexico06-10 Mar MIFF Internat Furniture Fair Kuala Lumpur Malaysia07-10 Mar M & M Fair Bogotà Colombia08-11 Mar LightTech Istanbul Turkey09-12 Mar IFFS Internat. Furniture Fair Singapore Singapore11-14 Mar VIFA Vietnam Int Furniture Fair Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam12-15 Mar WMF WoodworkingMachinery Beijing China12-15 Mar FAM FurnitureAcces&MaterialsBeijing China14-17 Mar Cebunext Cebu City Philippines14-17 Mar Taiwan Lighting Show Taipei Taiwan14-17 Mar KIFF Kiev Int. Furniture Forum Kiev Ukraine14-17 Mar ISPA EXPO 2012 Indianapolis, IN USA14-18 Mar TIFF Thailand Int.Furniture Fair Bangkok Thailand18-21 Mar CIFF Home+HomeTextiles Guangzhou China21-24 Mar Holz-Handwerk Nurnberg Germany26-30 Mar Movelsul Bento Goncalves Brazil27-30 Mar CIFF Office+interzum Guangzhou China27-30 Mar Drema Furnica Poznan Poland

28-30 Mar LIGHT Warsaw Poland29 Mar-01Apr Medwood Athens Greece09-12 Apr ExpoLight - Hotelex Shanghai China15-20 Apr Light + Building Frankfurt amMain Germany17-22 Apr Salone del Mobile Milano Italy17-22 Apr Salone del Complemento Milano Italy17-22 Apr Eurocucina + FKT Milano Italy17-22 Apr Salone del Bagno Milano Italy20-24 Apr Technodomus + Technoframe Rimini Italy21-26 Apr High Point Market - Spring High Point USA24-26 Apr Componexpo Zaragoza Spain24-27 Apr interzum + Interkomplekt Moscow Russia24-28 Apr TechnoMebel Sofia Bulgaria08-10 Mag Proposte Cernobbio Italy08-12 Mag Xylexpo Milano Italy29-31 Mag INDEX Jeddah SaudiArabia05-07 Jun ILW Internat. Light Week Lyon France09-12 Jun GILEGuangzhou Int Light Exhib Guangzhou China24-27 Jul ForMobile Sao Paulo Brazil22-25 Aug IWF Atlanta USA11-15 Sep Furniture China Shanghai China11-15 Sep FMC Furniture Manufacturing Shanghai China15-17 Sep Perfect Home & Interior Warsaw Poland18-21 Sep XIV Office Solution Sao Paulo Brazil13-18 Oct High Point Market - Fall High Point USA17- 20 Oct SICAM Pordenone Italy17- 20 Oct MADEexpo Milan Italy23-26 Oct MATELEC Madrid Spain23-27 Oct Orgatec Cologne Germany06-09 Nov Interlight Moscow Russia

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CCOONNCCEEPPTT && CCOONNTTEENNTTSS World Furniture is a quarterly review of eco-nomic information and market analysis published by CSIL, Centre forIndustrial Studies, based in Milan. The magazine is issued in Englishand offers contributions on international furniture and furnishing mar-kets, case studies, R & D, business trade, country profiles, competiti-ve systems, interviews, international events, fairs and exhibitions.

SSPPEECCIIAALL RREEPPOORRTTSS Each issue of the review contains a specialreport dedicated to in-depth analysis of productive and trade seg-ments, their markets of reference and the global competitive scenario.

FFRREEQQUUEENNCCYY && SSUUBBSSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN FFEEEE 4 issues/year in: MARCH • JUNE • SEPTEMBER • DECEMBER. Euro 100/year

CCIIRRCCUULLAATTIIOONN Each issue is circulated to a qualified target of opera-tors selected from CSIL’s database containing sectors’ manufacturersand suppliers in 60 world leading producing, exporting and consu-ming countries. The magazine is also distributed at major internationalsector fairs. Online issue at: wwwwww..wwoorrllddffuurrnniittuurreeoonnlliinnee..ccoomm

EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL PPRROOGGRRAAMMMMEE 220011225533//MMaarrcchh • SPECIAL REPORT: KITCHEN & APPLIANCESMAIN FOCUS: WORLD'S GROWING MARKETS 5544//JJuunnee • SPECIAL REPORT: LIGHTING, LED & OLEDMAIN FOCUS: BED & MATTRESSES5555//SSeepptteemmbbeerr • SPECIAL REPORT: OFFICE & CONTRACTMAIN FOCUS: MAIN EXPORTING COUNTRIES5566//DDeecceemmbbeerr • SPECIAL REPORT: NEW PRODUCTS & MATERIALSMAIN FOCUS: THE WORLD LUXURY MARKET

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041_FAIRS_CALendary 3-11-2011 12:51 Pagina 42

WFR Magazine 12 2011

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Transcript of WFR Magazine 12 2011