From Vespas to Olivetti typewriters and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, Italian design is unforgettable. That is also true when it comes to furniture, as Italian designers and manufacturers have created some of the most iconic furniture pieces in recent times, such as the Carlton shelving unit, designed by Ettore Sottsass for the now-extinct Memphis Milano, or Gio Ponti’s 1953 lounge chair for
Italy is home to a set of important furniture manufacturers and a thriving furniture manufacturing industry. According to the most recent data available, the furniture manufacturers in the country
employed over 108,000 people. Additionally, as of 2020, Italy was one of the
main furniture exporters worldwide, recording an export value of over 10 billion U.S. dollars.
Consumption
According to a report released in early 2022, over 30 percent of Italians polled in December 2021 stated they planned to
purchase furniture in the following three months. Similarly, 23 percent of Italians, who were asked
which types of physical stores they had bought something from in the previous 12 months, answered “furniture store”, while another 16 percent answered “interior design/home decoration store.”
Selected companies
Italian furniture companies are known worldwide, especially in the high-end furniture sector. Felofin, which owns the renowned brand Kartell, recorded
sales to the value of 86 million euros in 2020. The
Lifestyle Design group generated considerably more sales that same year, reaching around 425 million euros. Lifestyle Design is a furniture manufacturing group which was founded in 2000, from the union of industry names such as Poltrona Frau, Cassina, and Cappellini. In 2014, the group joined Haword Inc., the U.S. office furniture manufacturer, after which even more companies joined Lifestyle Design; namely, JANUS et Cie, Luminaire, Ceccoti Collezioni, Karakter, Dzine, Luxury Living, and Interni.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.