New report from TMF during furniture fair: Swedes prepared to pay more for furniture manufactured under fair conditions, while quality and design are the most important factors when we buy furniture

According to a survey performed by Novus on behalf of the Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry (TMF), six out of ten Swedes are prepared to pay more for furniture that is manufactured under fair working conditions. And a large majority put quality and design at the top of the list of important factors when buying furniture. These are also the defining values that Swedes associate with Swedish furniture.

More than eight out of ten Swedes said that quality, and around seven out of ten said that design, are important or very important when buying furniture, while 75 percent of respondents listed quality, durability and design as values they associate with Swedish furniture.

- This shows that the Swedish furniture industry is very good at meeting the demands that Swedish consumers have on their furniture, says Cecilia Ask Engström, Director of Industrial Development at TMF.

Another report about Sweden’s furniture purchasing preferences, recently presented by TMF, shows that in terms of consumption per capita, Swedes buy the most furniture out of all the EU countries except Austria.

One major challenge facing the Swedish furniture industry is the growing low-price pressure from low-salary countries. But the survey also shows that the majority of Swedes are prepared to pay more for furniture that is manufactured under fair working conditions. And a greater proportion of women (66%) than men (56%) are prepared to pay more for it.

- It also underlines the importance of tackling issues such as social sustainability and fair working conditions, which we do via Möbelfakta, a labelling system through which we impose requirements on social responsibility. This means we have to follow the UN Code of Conduct and respect human rights in the manufacturing, says Cecilia Ask Engström.

The survey was performed by the Swedish survey company Novus in the form of 1,001 web interviews of Novus’s Swedish panel. The panel is a representative cross-section of the Swedish population in the 18-79 age group.

Read more at: www.tmf.se and please visit TMF’s stand (EH:08) in the entrance hall of Stockholm Furniture Fair, Stockholmsmässan. You can also visit www.mobelfakta.se

For more information, please contact: Cecilia Ask Engström, Director of Industrial Development, TMF, +46 70 381 72 06, cecilia.ask.engstrom@tmf.se David Johnsson, President, TMF, +46 8 762 72 67, david.johnsson@tmf.se Anne Rådestad, Head of Communications, TMF, +46 70 562 72 04, anne.radestad@tmf.se

The Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry (TMF) is the national trade and employers’ association of the wood processing industry in Sweden. It has approximately 700 member companies who produce windows, doors, flooring, wood houses, joinery, furniture, kitchens, carpentry, stairs and wood components. The industry has a turnover of around SEK 70 billion and employs 30,000 people.
www.tmf.se