Furniture manufacturers have to tighten their belts because of the increased costs. At the same time, new doors are opening – whether it concerns the development of products or the use of materials. Those responsible for Team 7 and Joka revealed what is happening at the furniture fair in Cologne.
“Turbulences are to be expected during the landing approach,” says the pilot of the Austrian Airlines plane from Vienna to Cologne, where the imm cologne furniture fair is currently celebrating its comeback after the forced break from Corona.
It’s not a brilliant return. In some halls the roll bar has been lowered and the number of exhibitors has dropped to below 800. Not only can things get rough in the air, but not everything goes smoothly in the furniture industry either. The curbed consumption drive and rising costs are leaving their mark – also in Upper Austria.
Natural wood furniture manufacturer Team 7, based in Ried im Innkreis, temporarily resorted to internal short-time working last year, but then still had to say goodbye to employees. “We have adjusted the capacities,” says boss Georg Emprechtinger.
Working hours reduced by one year
The pace also slowed at upholstered furniture manufacturer Joka: the working hours of each employee were reduced by 6.5% through individual agreements. For full-time employees, this means that they now work 36 hours instead of 38.5 hours per week. “The agreement applies for the entire year,” says Gerhard Ausserhuber, head of sales at Schwanenstädter.
Out for two showrooms
The cost pressure in combination with the lower turnover of the previous year has sharpened the focus: Joka has closed the showroom in St. Pölten and the one in Villach will close at the end of March. The one in Linz should also have ended – it is now run by the Schärdinger interior specialist Gupfinger. But the family business is also open to new things. With an outdoor sun lounger, developed in collaboration with sun protection specialist Soliday, Joka launched a multifunctional piece of furniture that received a lot of positive feedback.
More alders in the program
Emprechtinger is also looking ahead: “We have set ourselves a clear goal to grow this year.” Furniture made of white oiled alder is now available across the entire range. “Bright, Scandinavian, silent luxury,” says the boss of Team 7 enthusiastically. Plus point: Alder is cheaper than all other types of wood processed by the people at Innviertel. This makes them even more attractive.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
