Total sales of domestic furniture reached an estimated ?890m in 2004, compared to ?745m in 2003 and ?560m in 2002.   Total industry sales increased by 3.1% in 2004, with producer prices increasing by around 1% during the year.

Sales of upholstered furniture totalled ?650m in 2004, compared to ?595m in 2003 and ?530m in 2002 and currently account for 34% of the total market, whilst sales of kitchen furniture reached ?65m in 2004, compared to ?30m in 2003 and ?00m in 2002 and accounted for 20% of the total market.

Total sales of self assembly furniture reached an estimated ?150m in 2004, compared to ?120m in 2003 and ?080m in 2002.   Sales of such products accounted for 24% of total domestic furniture sales in 2004.  

Kitchen furniture continues to account for the bulk of sales of self-assembly furniture at the present time. Sales of this product group reached ?55m in 2004, compared to ?35m in 2003 and ?25m in 2002, whilst sales of bedroom furniture totalled ?50m in 2004, compared to ?60m in both 2003 and 2002. Kitchen furniture currently accounts for 48% of the total self-assembly market, compared with bedroom furniture with 22% of the market and dining and living room furniture with 18% of the market in value terms.

Multiple furnishing outlets are the main outlets for the distribution of self-assembly furniture, accounting for 47% of the market in volume terms and 43% of the market in value terms. MFI is the leading company in that sector, with Ikea being another major group in this category. DIY outlets account for a further 12% of the market in volume terms and 13% in value terms.

The South East region of the country accounts for the bulk of sales of self-assembly furniture with 33% of the total market, compared with the
North West and West Midlands, with 12% and 10% of the total market respectively.

Within the self-assembly sector imports totalled ?48.6m in 2003 and ?72.6m in 2004, representing 22.2% and 23.7% of the total market for those years respectively. However, import penetration differs significantly within the various product groups, reaching around 45% for dining and living room furniture, 36% for bedroom furniture, but less than 5% for kitchen furniture.

The leading manufacturers of self-assembly furniture at the present time are MFI UK Ltd (formerly Hygena Ltd and part of the MFI Furniture Group Ltd), the Symphony Group plc, Moores Furniture Group Ltd and Gower Furniture Ltd. (renamed
  Nobia Holdings UK Ltd).
  Many of the products are supplied as own brand furniture for major retail groups.   Other important suppliers include Bernstein Group Holdings Ltd and Regency Group Ltd.

Total sales of self-assembly furniture are expected to reach ?125m in 2005 and ?150m in 2006. Sales of these products are forecast to account for 24.3% of the total domestic furniture market by the end of the period; this compares to 23.5% of the total market in 2004.

As far as sales of individual products are concerned, sales of self-assembly kitchen furniture are forecast to reach ?45m in 2005 and ?60m in 2006, representing 48-49% of the total market. Sales of bedroom furniture are expected to reach ?40m in both 2005 and 2006.