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Research Outline

Prepared for Mike W. | Delivered December 15, 2019

Contract Furniture Market Trends

Goals

To find 2-3 trends in the contract furniture market (i.e. commercial furniture) that are related to sales/revenue growth, consumer habits, emerging brands, popular/preferred designs, and innovations. Describe each trend and provide factors driving it. Focus on furniture for hotel lobbies, coffee shops, and/or restaurants. Do not include any information pertaining specifically to office furniture. Regional focus is the US.

Early Findings

This hour of research found two trends in the commercial furniture space: 1) designing furniture that doubles as a charging station and 2) using sustainable materials in innovative ways. These trends apply to the commercial furniture industry in general, but were specifically mentioned in connection with hotel lobbies.

Trend #1: Furniture as a Power Source

  • Tech features in general are trending in the commercial furniture space, but creating pieces that double as a power source where people can charge smartphones and tablets is one notable example.
  • Millennial consumers and their dependency on technology is likely the driving force behind this trend. 93% of millennials own a smartphone and check it an average of 63 times per day.
  •  NeoCon 2019 displayed several examples of commercial furniture pieces that also serve as charging stations including armchairs, couches, tables, and banquettes.

Trend #2: Innovative Use of Sustainable Materials

  • Sustainability efforts have been on the rise across several industries, but finding unique ways to incorporate green materials into commercial furniture designs specifically is expected to be a significant trend moving into 2020.
  • Using "recycled wood, organic materials... and repurposed furniture" are a few examples of unique applications of sustainability in the commercial furniture market.
  •  NeoCon 2019 showcased the use of olive oil leaves to tan leather, which wastes "less water and energy than conventional tanning processes."

Proprietary Research

In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address your goals.