This article analyzes key statistics and facts about the furniture industry that you should learn.
We analyzed statistics about the furniture industry to understand the state of the industry better:
In this report, you’ll learn:
- The State of the Furniture Cleaning Products Industry
- The Shift to Sustainability in the Furniture Industry
- The Big Firms in the Furniture Cleaning Industry, i.e. worldwide
- The Covid-19 Impact on the Furniture Industry
- The Growth of Asia in the Furniture Industry, i.e. China
You can use any of the info-graphics on this write-up; make sure to link back to this article.
Key Findings:
- The U.S. cleaning products industry was worth 34.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 and is estimated to be worth 46.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2026.
- The average expenditure for cleaning products in the U.S. in 2014 was 147.55 dollars per consumer unit and rose to 178.45 dollars per consumer unit in 2021.
- The global furniture market was worth $480.70 billion in 2017 and is projected to develop at a CAGR of 5.1% between 2018 and 2025. The Asia-Pacific region will see the fastest CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate).
- Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Henkel, Colgate-Palmolive, and Reckitt Benckiser are the largest players in the global furniture cleaning market.
- Consumers are shifting to eco-friendly cleaning products. One in seven American consumers prefers labeled environmentally friendly products.
- In March 2020, during the Covid 19 pandemic, the United States saw a significant increase in sales of cleaning products.
- China has the fastest-growing furniture business in the world for the past 20 years and is now the largest furniture maker.
The Furniture Cleaning Products Industry
The furniture cleaning products industry is a subset of the larger household cleaning products sector, including laundry care, home cleansers, dishwashing detergent, and other cleaning products.
In 2020, the worldwide market for household cleaning goods was worth over $96 billion, with laundry detergent accounting for the most significant part.
The global laundry care market was worth almost 18 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, with the United States accounting for most of this total.
The Push for Sustainable Products
Our findings show that consumers are increasingly seeking eco-friendly and sustainable cleaning products. There has been a rise in interest in green manufacturing and environmentally friendly design due to ecological and environmental concerns.
These concerns are grounded on the dangers posed by furniture production, such as wastewater, harmful organic compounds, and solid waste.
The furniture industry’s shift toward green production for sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant, with some furniture manufacturers creating pieces out of recycled materials.
One in seven American customers said they always or almost always seek eco-friendly labeling when purchasing cleaning and laundry goods, indicating a growing awareness among consumers about the chemicals they bring into their homes.
Customers are also looking for sustainable cleaning goods; over 40% of Americans believe purchasing sustainable cleaning products is better than buying conventional options.
A survey conducted in the United States in March 2021 found that out of all consumer goods categories, respondents gave eco-friendly or sustainable food products the highest level of consideration.
Second on the list was eco-friendly cleaning supplies, with nearly 40% of respondents actively looking for such items.
The quickening pace of industrial production growth boosts resource consumption, pollution, and ecological damage. Thus, there has been a worldwide interest in green manufacturing and environmentally friendly design.
Many of the world’s largest economies have created environmentally friendly initiatives to encourage long-term growth. The United States government has proposed the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI) and related sustainable manufacturing measures.
Creating new eco-factory models and green products is a crucial aspect of “The Factories of the Future,” a significant project established under the European Union’s 7th Framework Program.
By 2015, the Japanese government’s “Green Revolution and Social Transformation” draft program called for the country’s environmental industry to become a key pillar sector and primary engine of economic growth.
The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2012) noted that “green manufacturing” has emerged as a central strategy for countries seeking to rejuvenate their manufacturing sectors and foster the growth of promising new ones.
As a result, a movement toward GFM (green furniture manufacturing) is well underway. This practice exemplifies a long-term plan for improving the manufacturing sector that prioritizes sustainability.
It’s a significant shift in production and a hallmark of the advent of the “new manufacturing” era.
By 2018, China’s furniture business was worth approximately 600 billion USD, making up a sizable chunk of the country’s booming manufacturing sector. Pollution, environmental risks, and resource depletion were and are all rising along with the country’s rapid expansion.
To this end, the relevance of the furniture industry’s shift toward green production and sustainability has been growing. Actions have been taken in certain industrialized nations to lessen the environmental impact of the furniture industry.
Italy’s Center for Industrial Studies (CSIL) produced a paper in 2014 titled “Development and Outlook of World Furniture Industry,” which emphasized the importance of paying attention to the world’s massive annual consumption of resources and energy while designing furniture.
Green interior design is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, inspiring some furniture manufacturers to create pieces out of recycled materials.
Restrictions on exhaust emissions, air index standards within facilities, wastewater discharge, and volatile distribution are just some of the environmental rules and regulations the United States has established for furniture makers to preserve the environment.
Countries like Italy have strict regulations on the production of environmentally friendly furniture. Using non-toxic paints and adhesives is viewed as the top priority for producing eco-friendly furniture.
Japan has more stringent regulations for environmentally friendly furniture than the E.U. The F4 Star standard requires a formaldehyde emission level of 0.03 mg/L or less.
In the U.S., the California Department of Public Health released the CDPH Standard Method v1.2, titled “Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers” (CDPH).
This standard method included testing procedures and permissible quantities of 35 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) contributing to hazardous indoor air quality. In this framework, formaldehyde emissions from furniture must be brought down to below 0.05 mg/L.
As of late, furniture products can now be purchased with a redesigned E.U. Ecolabel, according to the European Commission. The new furniture ecolabel sets strict limits on formaldehyde emission: 62 g/m3 for particleboards and 81 g/m3 for Medium Density Fiberboards (MDF).
Recently, green furniture has been getting much attention due to the rising desire for products that improve people’s quality of life. About 90% of respondents interested in using green products revealed they were willing to pay an average premium of 14% above regular cleaning product prices.
We anticipate the promotion and demand for eco-friendly furniture and cleaning products will grow in the long term. This promotion is likely to be accelerated by the increased awareness of consumers in the manufacturing of products they use.
Firms in the Cleaning Products Industry
Here are the top firms in the cleaning products industry:
1. Procter & Gamble
Location: United States, Cincinnati
2021 Revenue for the year: $76.118 billion
Staff count: 99,000
It’s hardly surprising that The Procter & Gamble Corporation ranks as the largest household cleaner distributor in the world, with more than $70 billion in yearly revenue.
The Procter & Gamble Corporation, established in October 1837, has dominated the market for domestic cleaning supplies for more than 180 years.
Over 60 personal care and home cleaning brands are marketed and produced by the multimillion-dollar international firm which has its corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Procter & Gamble Company manufactures a wide range of all-purpose cleaners, dishwashing solutions, multi-surface dusters, and paper towels under their well-known brand names.
2. Unilever
Location: London, England
2021 Revenue for the year: $53.318 billion
Staff Count: 155,000
Unilever is an English corporation specializing in supplying more than 400 home care, beauty, and personal care brands in more than 190 nations worldwide. It is ranked second on this list of the biggest household cleaning companies in the world.
Unilever has expanded tremendously over the past 100 years and is regarded as one of the biggest and most profitable global consumer products corporations. 2.5 billion individuals, or around 33% of the world’s population, are thought to utilize Unilever products daily.
Unilever constantly offers customers the best dishwasher products, laundry detergents, all-purpose cleansers, sanitizers, and other ecologically friendly cleaning products.
3. Henkel
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
2021 Yearly Revenue: $23.74 Billion
Staff Count: 55,950
This German consumer goods company has been in business for 145 years. And is currently the world’s third-largest manufacturer of household cleaning products. Henkel AG Co. was established in 1876 by Friedrich Karl Henkel.
The international firm markets and distributes a variety of beauty care and tech items in addition to laundry and home cleaning supplies.
It has substantial sales in North America and particularly the United States, accounting for more than 27% of the company’s average yearly revenue.
Henkel makes a lot of money selling laundry detergent and fabric softeners. It’s estimated that the business offers products used on at least 25 billion loads of laundry annually, or around 35% of all sales at Henkel AG Co.
4. Colgate-Palmolive
Location: New York, United States
2021 yearly income: $17.421 Billion
Staff Count: 34,500
Colgate-Palmolive Co. is a market leader in household cleaning products, even though you might associate the corporation more with toothpaste and personal care products.
The Colgate-Palmolive Company has the fifth-largest manufacturing position in the world for domestic cleaning products. This success is due to its focus on creating and marketing pet, personal care, and household cleaning products.
The Manhattan-based company was established in 1806 and has expanded significantly throughout its 215-year existence. It owns various household cleaning product brands, such as Suavitel and Murphy Oil Soap.
The Colgate-Palmolive Company offers consumers top-of-the-line fabric conditioners, hard surface solutions, all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, and more through their impressive brand list.
5. Reckitt Benckiser
Location: Slough, England
2021 Yearly Revenue: $15.893 Billion
Staff Count: 43,000
Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, also known as Reckitt, has roots in 1814. It is currently the fourth-largest distributor of household cleaning brands globally.
The $1 billion business produces and sells several well-known nutrition, hygiene, and health brands.
Reckitt goods are sold in nearly 200 nations and territories throughout the world. And are dedicated to assisting millions of people in leading cleaner and healthier lives.
The company is renowned in the household cleaner market for its multi-surface cleaners, air fresheners, disinfectant goods, insect repellents, laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, and other products.
The range of household cleaning brands owned by Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc includes Air Wick, Harpic, Vanish, and Calgon, many of which generate annual sales in the billions of dollars.
The Covid-19 Impact
In March 2020, during the heat of the pandemic, the United States saw a significant increase in sales of cleaning products.
Aerosol disinfectants, in particular, saw a roughly 400% increase in sales compared to the same period a year ago as consumers prepared to deal with the coronavirus.
The abrupt global outbreak of COVID-19 in the first days of 2020 profoundly impacted the furniture business. The countries that relied heavily on imports to meet their furniture demands were hit hard by supply chain interruptions and the temporary prohibitions on global trade.
As a result of the pandemic, almost 58% of the global population adopted a stay-at-home regimen for a more extended period.
This extended stay-at-home period inspired consumers to purchase home furnishings that better accommodate their new routines. The need to bolster automation and digitization in the sector was accelerated by COVID-19.
Over the pandemic period, the market was supported by rising revenues. This increase was due to increased spending on furniture goods among millennials and rising brand consciousness within this demographic.
The proliferation of e-commerce platforms selling furniture in a wide range of styles and prices was also a critical factor in the furniture market expansion in emerging economies. In addition to bringing in more money, omnichannel distribution is crucial to the success of the market’s biggest companies.
Key firms responded to the increased demand from the younger population by offering various deals. In particular, sales in the home and office furniture categories were bolstered by the rising popularity of DIY furniture products and ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture.
The proliferation of strategic alliances and partnerships, as well as rising demand for housing and commercial space in cities around the world, are factors that we anticipated fueled the market’s expansion.
The cleaning industry experienced a significant shift in demand during the pandemic. There was increased demand for cleaning and disinfecting products, particularly in commercial settings such as hospitals, schools, and offices.
This led to a surge in sales for companies that produce cleaning products, and some companies pivoted their operations to focus solely on creating disinfectants and sanitizers.
We noted that at the onset of the pandemic, furniture market sales were reduced due to global market disruptions. But, as the pandemic period extended, the market increased as more people were at home, and we were willing to buy more furniture to furnish their home offices.
The furniture cleaning products industry also increased with more people conscious about their hygiene and the cleanliness of their furniture.
The Growth of China’s Furniture Industry
China has been the fastest-growing furniture business in the world for the past 20 years and is now the largest furniture maker in the world.
Statistics from China show that in 2017, the country was home to 6,002 furniture firms (those with an annual output value of 5 million or more) with a combined profit of 56.52 billion yuan, an increase of 9.3 percent from 2016.
The Global Furniture Outlook 2018 by CSIL, a research firm based in Milan, Italy, reports that in 2017, worldwide furniture manufacturing surpassed USD 420 billion, with China accounting for over 40% of that total.
China is the most significant furniture exporter in the world. The increased openness of the market and the removal of trade tariff barriers have allowed China’s furniture exports to rise by double digits every year since the country’s WTO membership in 2000.
China’s furniture exports in 2015 totaled 199.36 billion yuan, up 1.69 percent over the previous year. The General Administration of Customs reported that in 2018, China exported USD 53.69 billion worth of furniture and furniture parts, up 7.6 percent from the previous year.
Also, findings show that people in China are more prepared to spend money on home design as the country’s housing market develops. The disposable income per person increased by 8.1% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
The rising middle class contributes significantly to the furniture industry’s growth by increasing demand. The National Bureau of Statistics reports that the total sales income of the world’s furniture producers grew by 13.5% year-over-year in 2021, reaching RMB800.46 billion.
Profits increased by 0.9% to RMB43.37 billion, although higher raw materials and transportation costs accounted for most of that increase.
According to the Huajing Industrial Research Institute, China’s manufactured furniture is either metal (44.6%) or wood (33.6%), with only 7.6% being soft furnishings.
In 2021, retail sales of furniture in China increased by 4.3%, despite the Covid-19 outbreak and the slowing housing market. China Light Industry Online reported a 14.1% growth in hardwood furniture production, a 17.7% increase in metal furniture production, and a 6.2% increase in the production of upholstered furniture in 2021.
From what we can gather from the China National Furniture Association (CNFA) and the China National Information Center of Light Industries, 2021 saw a 14.0% increase in overall furniture output, with 1.12 billion individual items manufactured.
With urbanization being China’s primary goal for generating domestic demand, the furniture market is expected to expand. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the urbanization rate of China’s permanent population increased to 64.7% in 2021 from 63.87% in 2020.
Those working in cities and people who have moved from rural to urban areas often buy furniture. The Government Work Report 2021 stated that 55,600 aging neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas were undergoing revitalization.
With an estimated 9.65 million households, China can potentially increase furniture demand as homeowners undertake renovation projects.
There are three main types of mainland furniture buyers: buyers of expensive name brands, and middle-class families. The following features define them:
Affluent buyers: These don’t care about prices. Often, they like high-priced pieces of furniture in the Western, Classical Chinese, or Contemporary styles.
Buyers of high-end and name-brand products want their furnishings to mirror their refined aesthetic. They place value on aesthetics and cultural aspects. They set the standard in terms of style, lifestyle, and cost.
Middle-class families: Consumers with middle-class incomes value affordability and reliability when purchasing. While making a purchase, they frequently look at multiple options.
The categories of the Chinese furniture sector are as follows: the production of wooden, bamboo or rattan, metal, plastic, and other furniture.
Products include:
- Household furnishings.
- Furniture for hotels and motels.
- Workplace furnishings.
- Pieces suitable for use in government buildings.
Overall, we noted that the Chinese furniture industry is set to grow exponentially in the next decade. This growth is primarily from the growing demand in the country.
Our Final Thoughts
The furniture industry is set to grow exponentially worldwide in the next decade. And, furniture firms and cleaning products firms have to pivot into producing eco-friendly products as the demand for these products will increase over time.
Glossary:
RMB: Renminbi- Official name for China’s currency
CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate
Omni-Channel Distribution: Sales distribution both online through e-commerce and physical stores
Sources:
