After more than a decade of rapid development, China's furniture industry has consistently ranked as the world's largest producer and consumer of furniture. The country's rapid economic growth has also driven double-digit growth in demand for office furniture. In 2013, the total value of China's office furniture industry reached 186.275 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.30%. For instance, in 2012, the cumulative construction area of office buildings in China reached 194.34 million square metres, up 21.8% year-on-year, with new construction area reaching 598.68 million square metres, up 11.7% year-on-year, and completed construction area reaching 23.15 million square metres, up 6.2% year-on-year.

With the rapid growth of office buildings in China, the number of enterprises, public institutions, government agencies, and business hotels has also been increasing. If the sales area of office buildings in China grew from 12.3104 million square metres in 2006 to 22.5365 million square metres in 2012, the annual growth rate was approximately 10.6%. Based on the growth in floor area across various categories, the demand growth rate for office furniture is estimated to reach 20%, with the market demand for office furniture projected to be around 233.2 billion yuan in 2015. Under China's advocacy of the ‘mass innovation and entrepreneurship’ trend, a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises will emerge, leading to increased demand for office furniture.

What are the future trends for office furniture? The styles of office furniture will become more diverse, featuring vibrant colours and a strong sense of individuality and artistic flair. Intelligence will become a trend, enabling modern office life to be more efficient, convenient, and human-centric. Modularisation is likely to become the mainstream, as SMEs often have limited office space, and modular designs can better utilise space and achieve diverse functional combinations. In today's society, where people increasingly prioritise health, low-carbon, and environmental protection, low-carbon and eco-friendly designs will also take centre stage, with plastic and metal furniture gaining broader adoption and utilisation. In recent years, demand for high-end office furniture in China has been declining annually. Sales of office furniture in first- and second-tier cities have dropped by as much as 50%, while mid-to-low-end office furniture has achieved remarkable results, with sales growth reaching 120%. It can be anticipated that, under the trend of steady and slow economic growth in China, mid-to-low-end office furniture will remain the mainstay. Export volumes may continue to decline, but export values are expected to grow slowly.