Milan Furniture Fair

The Contract Fair comes to Shanghai: a 20-billion market in China

First edition of the Salone Contract Tour to present the new plans for the April event to Chinese trade professionals

22 October 2026

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Shanghai Westbund Central, Xuhui district ©HongKong Land

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

An industrial and commercial competitor that is not always fair, yet at the same time an indispensable market for Italian furniture and design, despite the slowdown in recent years. China remains the leading country in terms of visitor numbers at the Salone del Mobile in Milan and a destination with great potential, particularly in the field of large-scale projects (hotels, residential properties, offices and public spaces).

This is why Shanghai has been chosen as the first stop on the Salone Contract Tour, the roadshow designed to present the Salone del Mobile’s new project – entrusted to the Dutch firm OMA – to the international community, which is set to debut in Milan next April.

Focus on ‘mixed-use’

China accounts for around 72 per cent of the potential contract market in the Asia-Pacific region, with an estimated value of between 20 and 25 billion euros, according to the organisers of the Salone del Mobile.

But the choice of Shanghai is not solely due to the size of the Chinese market: it is China’s transformation that makes it particularly attractive to Italian businesses: large-scale ‘mixed-use’ developments, the regeneration of existing buildings, the hospitality sector and new models of living are changing the way in which briefs, standards, specifications and supplies are defined.

“Mixed-use development highlights a broader shift: design is increasingly becoming a key factor in creating property value,” explains Maria Porro, president of the Salone del Mobile in Milan. “ ‘A hotel must attract guests and forge an identity; a workplace must offer people a reason to spend time there; retail must encourage longer stays and a desire to return; and residential developments are incorporating services and amenities that are increasingly akin to those found in the hospitality sector.’

This is particularly evident today in China, where a more selective market is shifting the focus from quantitative growth to the quality of assets, and to their ability to adapt and respond to new uses and behaviours.

“For the Contract sector, this means something very concrete: the project becomes part of the strategy through which a property competes,” adds Porro. “The Tour was created to observe this evolution first-hand in the markets, involving developers, architects, interior designers, operators and other stakeholders who generate and shape demand.”

The most dynamic sectors

The living sector accounts for 48 per cent of the estimated contract potential, encompassing traditional residential, rental housing, student housing, co-living and senior living. This is followed by offices at 24 per cent, retail at 18 per cent and hospitality at 10 per cent. Mixed-use developments link these segments and drive demand for solutions capable of spanning multiple asset classes.

Opportunities do not arise solely from new-build projects. Between 2026 and 2030, China plans to begin the regeneration of around 115,000 urban residential complexes, creating demand for housing, communal spaces, services, amenities and the overall quality of the living experience.

The pipeline remains significant in the hospitality sector too: at the end of June 2026, Shanghai had 109 hotel projects; across China as a whole, there were 3,588 projects at various stages of development, of which 2,547 were already under construction.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the number of branded residential projects has risen by 55 per cent over the last five years, indicating a demand that requires companies to strike a balance between the standards of an international brand and the creation of a unique identity for each project.

The Chinese market today

For Italian companies, this issue builds on an already significant commercial presence, as explained by the Salone: according to figures from FederlegnoArredo, exports of furniture to China reached 364 million euros in 2025 and 144 million euros in the first half of 2026.