Poltrona Frau, contamination and optimism between home and hotel

From the cockpit of a luxury car to residential, to airports and large real estate operations. On the "cross-fertilisation" between automotive and living a decisive part of Poltrona Frau's strategy is played out, increasingly oriented towards an integration between craftsmanship and industrial innovation. A model that finds its balance in investment in research and development and in the continuous exchange between divisions.

"The contamination is bidirectional: from automotive we bring industrial processes and efficiency, from residential we transfer craftsmanship, leather work and customisation skills," says Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau. 'This is what fuels our ability to innovate'. Thirteen direct shops, 100 single-brand shops operated by third parties, 400 retailers in total, just under 1,000 employees, 80% of whom are based in the Marche region, in the Tolentino headquarters. As well as branches in France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Singapore and Mumbai. This is the current picture of the company.

Poltrona Frau has also updated its positioning with the "Design for Hospitality" project, the first example of which will be the Hotel Astoria Moderno by Poltrona Frau in Rapallo: not a direct entry into the hotel business, but a concept capable of translating the brand's language into an immersive space. At the same time, there is a radical change for retail: "The shop," says the CEO, "is no longer just the place where sales take place, but the node of a wider network involving architects, intermediaries and developers who bring projects and opportunities," it takes on a hybrid dimension between exhibition space and relational hub. Emblematic, in this sense, is the strategy linked to the new wardrobe collection: a choice aimed at entering real estate projects through the front door.

The company's recent trajectory is an emblematic reflection of the industry's transformation: '2023 was our best-performing year, thanks to a boost from contract projects that compensated for the post-pandemic market slowdown, among other things. 2024 was affected by both the market and the introduction of the new enterprise resource planning (Erp). In 2025 we regained ground, thanks in part to slipped orders and a more positive trend in the first part of the year. For 2026 we are aiming for a return to the record levels of 2023, "without hiding the fact that the first months of the year show more complex signals, linked above all to the international scenario, starting with the situation in the Middle East, a key area for Poltrona Frau's business".

Added to this are the uncertainties linked to the USA, between the inflationary effects of tariffs (which were not recorded last year) and internal dynamics. On the other hand, the map of international markets tells of an increasingly multi-level strategy: in the Middle East, for example, there is a strong presence in both retail and contract, thanks also to the partnership signed in 2022 with Majid Al Futtaim and important projects in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar.