DESIGN ITALY EDITORIAL by Ranieri: Private individuals' push doesn't neglect sustainability

Private individuals' push doesn't neglect sustainability

Private individuals' demand is currently driving the segment of outdoor design. The reasons are among the most intuitable: more time spent in the house translates into greater attention to spaces. The subsequent opportunities are concrete enough to restart a sector held back even before the pandemic with an overall turnover that had experienced its first setback in 2019 (down 1.4% year-on-year) after a 10-year growth. 

The push in favour of outdoor design has been tangible in our country for some years now, measured on the one hand by the growing volume of resources allocated to the design and production of outdoor products and, on the other hand, by the accounts of the main players that positively closed 2019 in terms of turnover and margins. 

The 2020 problem is currently proving to be perhaps less acute than expected a few months ago. This is because there has been a reversal of the trend in demand drivers with the decline in turnover linked to hospitality, restaurants and hotels offset by private residential. This segment, even in its domestic dimension, will benefit from Brussels' push towards the circular and sustainable economy both at the highest level (on the agenda in the European Commission's Action Plan to combat climate change) and at a more practical level (incentives in the form of a Green Bonus 2021 in Italy). These aspects will align in the upcoming months, together with the concept of eco-design, a key trend for 2021 and beyond.  The latter, with the added value that comes from the label "made in Italy" will continue to be a guarantee of exports: the majority of Italian companies have already recorded at the end of last year a significant recovery in sales abroad, especially on the front of the retail and residential project.