The office furniture market - Belgium

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Office furniture manufacturers manufacture a wide variety of items for different working environments . This furniture is marketed to professionals (businesses, shops and communities), e.g. for individual workstations, meeting rooms or open-space. The main products include desks, chairs and cupboards. We can differentiate between new furniture and used furniture, or even rental furniture

On a global level, the market is in sharp rise The growth of the tertiary economy in many developing countries is driving this trend. Among the leading companies in the sector are the American Steelcase or Nowy Styl

In Belgium, the market is rather mature but experienced a slight growth between 2017 and 2019 . The manufacturers' market remains fairly fragmented with a significant number of small companies. The external market is important for Belgian producers since exports were worth nearly US$89 million in 2019 . However, Belgian foreign trade in office furniture remains in deficit

The Covid crisis is nevertheless expected to have a negative impact on business in 2020, and office furniture manufacturers will have to adapt in the face of the changes in workplaces and workspaces in the post-covid world-19 The trend is towards a mix between traditional offices, home teleworking and third party locations.