Confidence among British furniture manufacturers has jumped.
The BFM’s Furniture Trade Survey for April found that 84% of respondents are more confident about the general business situation than they were in October last year.
A further 63% said trade was better than the equivalent period one year ago.
The survey found a 40% rise in manufacturers reporting new orders.
‘Despite the traditional modes of selling and contract work being absent in recent months, furniture manufacturers are showing a high degree of confidence, with 42% expecting to recruit new staff in the next six months,’ says Nick Garratt, BFM md.
‘But the increasing cost of raw materials has continued to be an issue and, as we have seen across the whole sector, prices have gone up as a result. However, 69% reported output over the past six months beat expectations and this measure of performance is expected to improve still further over the summer.’
