UK Furniture production fell by 0.9% in November according to the Office for National Statistics.

This follows a 0.7% fall in October and the November figure represents the third consecutive month of falling production. However, total orders and all income contributing to turnover for the month rose on an annual basis by 8.2% which will be a reflection in part of rising product prices. In fact, over the 11 months of last year this income stream rose by 29.1% compared to the same period in 2021, while furniture production was up by 7%.

The retail price of domestic furniture rose by 12.1% in December on an annual basis, down from 13.2% in November. For the whole of 2022, prices increased by an average of 14.9% compared to 2021.

Retail sales values increased in December by 25.5% on the same month last year, up from 21.6% in November.  The comparative figures for sales volumes are 14.9% and 8.4%.  For the year of 2022 as a whole, volume increased by just 1.7% on 2021, while the amount spent increased by 14.3%, again reflecting the large increase in retail prices.