Furniture retail underperforms in first six months

According to figures by the Dutch trade association for furniture and furnishings retailers (CBW), the sector underperformed in the first six months of 2007 compared to total Dutch retail. In the first half year of 2006 the sector achieved 6% growth in turnover. In the first two quarters of 2007 growth was only 1.7% according to the latest CBW data.

The performances vary between several sectors within the furniture and furnishings market though. independent retailers that operate in the higher segments of the markets are doing very well. The same goes for retailers that are located at so called furniture boulevards.

Other sub-sectors such as hard wood flooring specialists and kitchen specialists are not doing so well. They suffer because of the relatively low number of newly build houses that were realised in 2007.