Historical districts hold back The paths to recovery: other outlets and resilience

In the slalom between tariffs on imports (to the USA), maritime routes that are closing and reopening, and energy costs on a rollercoaster ride, the wood-furnishing districts are trying to resist the wind and the shocks, but exports paint a complex picture, from which it emerges that the greatest difficulties are concentrated among the 'standard bearers' of the districts, those that drive turnover - above all Brianza and Veneto (especially Trevigiano), while the upholstered furniture of Murgia and the wood-furnishing of Alto Adige and Bovolone resist (and sometimes grow up to double figures). This is the picture provided by the Report on Wood-Furnishing Districts, drawn up by the Intesa Sanpaolo Research Centre.

The market framework

It is a polarised picture that of the industrial districts," the Report points out, "where the overall resilience of exports in 2025 (-0.3% compared to 2024, for a countervalue of 9 billion euro) is better than the export of the entire sector (-1.3%), but still slowing down. Those operating in the districts, in any case, are improving or at least mitigating their declines. The following have filed a good 2025: Furniture from Pordenone +7.7%, Upholstered Furniture from Murgia +8.9%, Wood Furniture from Alto Adige +10.1%, Style Furniture from Bovolone +20.6%. While a backward trend - albeit small - was recorded in the two largest furniture districts: Brianza (-1.8%) and Legno-Arredo di Treviso (-3.3%).

"Stefania Trenti, head of industry research at Intesa Sanpaolo, emphasises, "Our 'standard bearer' districts in the sector are those with the most significant turnovers, but also those with the strongest presence in the markets where tariffs have weighed most heavily, such as the US. Many companies from these districts have invested in that country, even in the face of a dollar that has depreciated and lower turnover flows, favouring a long-term vision, since the United States remains our second outlet market, with solid fundamentals and a strong capacity to spend on high-end design".

The overall resilience of district exports reflects the ability of Italian companies to diversify. District manufacturers of Italian-made furniture managed to increase sales in Germany (+1.9%, especially for the Pordenone and Alto Adige Furniture Districts), the United Kingdom (+7.9%, for Pordenone and Murgia) and Spain (+1.7%), despite the drop recorded in France (-5.6%). Among the emerging countries, the growth in exports to the United Arab Emirates (+5%, for the Pordenone Furniture and Upholstered Furniture Districts of Forlì) and the leap in sales to Turkey (+50.7%, especially for Bovolone Style Furniture) are worth mentioning.