Market opportunities for suppliers of flat-pack furniture
“We use imm cologne as a platform to present our latest products to our customers from around the world,” reports Torben Villadsen, Commercial Manager of Denmark’s Actona Company. “No other event gives us the opportunity to reach so many business associates.” Daniel Amhoff, head of marketing at Arte M, a German flat-pack furniture company, also values the impressive scope of imm cologne. “During the trade fair we reach all the important customers in a very short period of time,” says Amhoff. “This is where decisive trends can be laid down for the coming furniture year.”

And successful flat-pack brands also can set the pace today for the German market for flat-pack furniture. According to the market experts from marketmedia24 (Cologne)/BBE Handelsberatung (Munich), this market also has growth potential. For 2010, the professionals are forecasting a turnover of 8,905 million Euro (in end consumer prices) for the trade in flat-pack furniture – almost 200 million Euro more than in 2009, when turnover in end consumer prices was 8,712 million Euro. And the sector experts are also expecting growth in 2011, predicting turnover of 9,022 million Euro in end consumer prices for the market.

Not only suppliers of cupboards, shelves and cabinets are successful in meeting the young people’s furnishing needs. “Flat-pack furniture accounts for over 40 per cent of the German market for upholstered furniture,” says Sonja Koschel, owner of the website Marketcharts.de. It’s a fact that has registered among well-informed suppliers of furniture for young people. “We will also present our new upholstered furniture portfolio at imm cologne 2011, to open up new markets and sales channels,” says Daniel Amhoff of Arte M.

Warm feel for interiors, sofa islands and feminine styling
When it comes to the hottest trends, colour continues to play an important role in the segment of cupboards, shelves and cabinets for young people – particularly with small pieces of furniture, says Torben Villadsen of Actona. Minimalist interior worlds in white and black are still in fashion, according to Villadsen, but with the addition of furniture surfaces (matte and glossy) in warm tones ranging from crème to latte to a dark mocha. The style vocabulary of modern flat-pack furniture continues to feature straight lines, a low, horizontal format and combinations of wood, painted, glass and/or metal elements. Much like conventional cupboards, shelves and cabinets, the flat-pack furniture is increasingly being offered in stylish individual pieces that allow smooth transitions from the living room to the bedroom to the dining area. Manufacturers are using surfaces with a heartwood look to respond to a further important trend.

And new momentum for flat-pack upholstered furniture can also be expected in the Smart halls. In addition to armchairs and sofas with straight lines, designers are currently using nature-inspired shapes once again. Vintage sofas featuring seat cushions and back rests with buttoning in diamond-shaped designs exemplify the upholstery art of European manufacturers, as does fantasy upholstery, for example blossom shaped. The trends in sofa upholstery fabric are: plush and leather looks with a used appearance, pixel-like high-tech materials, folklore-inspired designs and colour tones from crème to camel as well as striking colour accents in violet and turquoise.

Several exhibitors also have developed products for women target groups, ranging from furniture in feminine nude tones or products that apply yoga principles to ergonomic seats – so there are lots of good reasons to pay a visit to the Smart halls!