INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW 

AMA Research has published the third edition of the 'UK Home Office Furniture Market Report '. This 110+ page report presents a comprehensive review of the market for home office furniture by product sector, and also includes a section about the efffects on the home office market by changes in technology and working practices. The report should be of interest to existing and potential manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of home office furniture, as well as others with an interest in the furniture industry in general.

Areas covered in the report include:-

• THE MARKET - market size, market growth, key trends & influencing factors

• PRODUCT MIX - analysis by product sector (desking, seating and storage), product trends and developments.

• SUPPLIERS - review of the supply structure, market shares and company profiles.

• DISTRIBUTION - review of key distribution channels, shares and company profiles.

• TECHNOLOGY & WORKING PRACTICES - Assessment of the driving factors behind the increasing incidence of home working, review of technological developments.

With an estimated value of around £190 million in 2002, the home office furniture market is forecast to maintain healthy growth rates in the short-medium term, depending on external economic and political factors.

Specific points of interest:

• Continued growth in household penetration of home office furniture

• Increasing levels of PC ownership

• Growth in the flat pack sector of the market

• Flexible working practices, particularly home working, becoming more common

• Price pressures, leading to higher levels of imported furniture.

• Greater choice of designs and increased availability of products in the high street

This analysis is based on research into the suppliers and distributors of home office furniture products from published data, industry sources, government statistics and trade interviews, coupled with our experience and understanding of the furniture industry.

Key areas covered in the report include:

MARKET

• Overall Furniture Market - definition, historical market development, analysis of market size by value 1995-2004

• Overall Office Furniture Market - product & market definitions, historical market development, analysis of market size by value 1996-2006, future prospects.

• Home Office Furniture Market - product & market definitions, historical market development, analysis of market size by value 1996-2006, current situation and future prospects.

• Key External Market Influences - housing market, population profile, employment, interest rates, consumer disposable income & savings and exchange rate fluctuations.

PRODUCT MIX

• Total Office Furniture Product Mix - % split desking, seating storage and others

• Home Office Furniture Product Mix - by product type and product sector, current trends in design, materials, colours and added value

• Home Office Desking - Historical and current trends

• Home Office Seating - Historical and current trends

• Home Office Storage - Historical and current trends

SUPPLIERS

• Analysis of Supply Structure - background, import levels, supplier category split

• Profiles of Leading Home Office Furniture Suppliers - market position, analysis of activities, financial information etc.

• Profiles of Leading Office Furniture Suppliers - overall market shares, market position, analysis of activities, financial information etc.

DISTRIBUTION

• Analysis of Market Structure - office furniture supply structure and home office furniture market infrastructure

• Distribution Channel Shares - analysis of office furniture and home office furniture shares by value and trends/developments in shares.

• Role of Distributors - review of major national distributors, company profiles.

TECHNOLOGY & WORKING PRACTICES

• Technological Developments - current and future developments within hardware, communications, software and the Internet, and how they could impact the market.

• New Working Practices - covers organisational environmental change and flexible working practices
  
  This 110+ page report provides a comprehensive review of developments in home office furniture products, with comment on key driving factors and future prospects .