The Salone del Mobile in Milan returns to Milan, after two years of absence due to Covid (except for the special event last September, the Supersalone), an international showcase of Made in Italy that this year celebrates its number edition 60. From 7 to 12 June in the spaces of Fiera Milano in Rho, with the Biennials dedicated to cooking and bathroom furnishings, the event is preparing to welcome over 2 thousand exhibitors, of which 25% from abroad.
«We have worked for an edition that is as international as possible – explains Maria Porro, president of the Salone -. We know that fewer operators will arrive from Russia and that the Chinese will be missing, but for this very reason we have tried to encourage the presence of buyers from other strategic markets for our companies, such as India and the Middle East “.
The report Design of the Sole 24 Ore, available from 7 June, together with the newspaper, is dedicated to international markets and new export routes in this complex historical phase of great changes. The 42 pages of the Report will analyze the potential of the various markets, the expectations of companies and experts, but also issues relating to product trends and novelties, the history and the creative aspect of this sector in which our country is a recognized global leader. There will be a large iconographic apparatus for the presentation of product previews that we will see in these days at the Salone.
The market and prospects
After having traveled with the wind in their sails for almost two years, furniture and lighting companies begin to fear a slowdown starting in the second half of the year, mainly due to the possible effects of inflation on consumption. To date, however, the numbers describe an industry still in excellent health, explains the president of FederlegnoArredo, Claudio Feltrin: “According to the latest Monitor carried out by our Study Center on a representative sample of associated companies, the first quarter of the year it closed for the entire supply chain with an increase in sales of 24.5% compared to the same period of 2021, with a domestic market growing by 27.2 and foreign markets increasing by 21% ».
A similar trend concerns the furniture and lighting sector, which grew by around 20% both in Italy and across the border. These numbers consolidate the results achieved in the record year 2021, which recorded a production turnover of 49 billion (18 of which for exports) for the supply chain as a whole, while the furniture-lighting sector reached a turnover of 26 billion. with 13.5 billion in exports and an active trade balance of over 9 billion euros.