Design Under Pressure: Dezeen Announces Its Nominees, While Polish Furniture Makers Count the Costs

02 · Furniture Market

Furniture Congress in Poznań: Imports from China and Rising Labour Costs Put the Polish Industry to the Test

A much more down-to-earth, and more urgent, view of the industry comes from the 11th National Furniture Congress, held on 9 September 2026 in Poznań. The OIGPM article summarising the event paints a picture of a sector under double pressure [2]. On one hand, furniture imports from China to Europe grew by nearly 50 percent between 2024 and 2025, reaching a value of €12.5 billion - a pace that is hard to ignore when competing on price. On the other hand, labour costs are rising: the average wage in the Polish furniture industry jumped in four years from under 4,000 to 7,000 złoty per month.

Experts present at the Congress have no doubts about the remedies that could save the competitiveness of Polish manufacturers: investment in production automation, cutting energy and timber costs, and - particularly interesting from the perspective of contract trade fairs - developing the premium segment [2]. In other words, where it's hard to compete on scale and price, you have to compete on design, craftsmanship and brand. This, in fact, naturally ties back to the topic that opened our roundup - just as global architecture is reaching ever more boldly for unconventional materials and local craftsmanship, Polish furniture manufacturers hold a similar card in their hand: design and manufacturing precision as an answer to price pressure from Asia.