The Brazilian furniture and bedding (mattresses) production reached an increase of 14.7% in the first quarter of 2021 in relation to the same period last year. The growth reaffirms the good performance of the sector in the period, more than recovering the volume lost in the first three months of 2020, when there was a 3.8% drop in furniture production – a number driven, especially, by the results of March-2020 (beginning of physical restrictions in the country, due to the first wave of the novel Coronavirus in Brazil).
When we talk about the evolution from February to March 2021, the increase was 2.3% in volume. With the furniture and bedding industry reaching 37 million pieces produced and getting closer to the level of January this year, when 37.7 million pieces were produced (there was a 4.5% drop in volume in February).
In this context, the apparent consumption of furniture and bedding in Brazil was 35.6 million pieces in March. Number that represents stability in relation to the previous month and increase in comparison to the accumulated result for the year (+13.4%). The participation of imported products in the domestic consumption was 3.4% in the third month of the year, showing an evolution in relation to February, when there was a decrease of 3.1% compared to January.
The results were collected by IEMI – Market Intelligence for the study “Conjuntura de Móveis”, May 2021 edition, commissioned by ABIMÓVEL – The Brazilian Furniture Manufacturers Association. In addition to general data on the national furniture industry, including exports and imports, the report also provides detailed information on production, employment, investments, as well as furniture and bedding retail in different regions of the country.
Employment rates in the national furniture industry
The volume of employment in the furniture industry remained stable in the period, with an increase of 0.2% in March compared to the previous month and of 0.7% in the year in relation to 2020. The number of working hours, however, demonstrates an increase in industrial activity, growing 3.1% from February to March and 14% in the quarter. With that, the salary mass also grew 1.2%, reaching R$ 357.7 million in March.
Labor productivity, on the other hand, decreased by 0.8% in March 2021, when compared to February of the same year. However, in the accumulated result for the first three months, the furniture industry registered a growth of 0.6%.
Investments, imports and exports
Other numbers that continue to evolve, demonstrating the optimism of the furniture industry with the current and future scenario, by investing in the improvement of the industrial parks, are from the imports of machinery for furniture manufacturing. In the first quarter of 2021, there was an increase of 58.7% compared to the same period in 2020. In this sense, two segments showed significant progress in the period. They are: arching or gathering machines, with an impressive increase of 691.1%; and sawing machines, with a growth of 81.6% in imports.
Speaking of imports, Brazil imported around US$ 20.8 million in furniture and bedding in March 2021. This represents a drop of 13.3% compared to the previous month. In the following month, in April, imports dropped 25.3% compared to March, reaching the amount of US$ 15.5 million.
Brazilian furniture and bedding exports, on the other hand, continue to grow, reaching US$ 73.7 million in March. This represents an increase of 15.6%, compared to the February result. In April 2021, exports of furniture and bedding increased again, this time by 13.3%, reaching the amount of US$ 83.5 million. According to market estimates, Brazilian exports are expected to grow by more than 40% in 2021.
National retail market
Despite the heated pace in production, the furniture and bedding sales in terms of volume in national retail presented a drop in March compared to the previous month (-3.4%). Which, in general, follows the typical behavior of consumption in the sector at this time of year. With the accumulated in the first quarter, however, showing an increase of 5.3%
Retail sales in values followed the same pattern, registering a decrease compared to the previous month (-3.2%) and an increase in the year to date (+6.7%).
Finally, according to the IPCA – Broad Consumer Price Index, measured by the IBGE – the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, national furniture prices increased by 1.10% in April 2021 compared to March. In the year, the index registered a growth of 4.30% in the first four months.
FURNITURE: OUR BUSINESS!
Brazilian Furniture Manufacturers Association – ABIMÓVEL
Press Office: Thaís Laurindo | press@abimovel.com | +55 14 99857-0108