InPrint - interprint

Interview | InPrint 23 | 13
Dirk-Uwe Klaas,
chief executive of the Verband
der deutschen Möbelindustrie
“No longer so Middle-Class and Corny”
The furniture manufacturer is increasingly opening up its range to the younger generations.
Nevertheless, there is still a lot to do when it comes to communication, thinks Dirk-
Uwe Klaas, chief executive of the Verband der deutschen Möbelindustrie.
Mr. Klaas, do you think the furniture industry gives the target
group of young people enough attention?
Yes and no. Yes, when I think about the versatile range of our manufacturers.
No, if I consider the address. There are hardly any business
enterprises that focus on young
people when it comes to marketing
and advertising. In addition,
there is the phenomenon of habit
or moulding, which is why some
products simply do not reach certain
target groups. Anyone who
went along to IKEA as a child
will continue to go as a young
adult. Other furniture houses can
make much better products but
are overlooked.
Above all, you should not forget:
in the first instance, parents give
the target group of “young people”
the necessary attention. Parents
tend to furnish the children’s
bedrooms and much furniture is
taken with them into the young
person’s bedroom. In a second
wave of purchasing, young people
are then allowed to help decide which items of furniture they like best.
When young people rent their first apartments or a room in shared
accommodation, they are already moulded.
Can you see a range expansion among manufacturers and suppliers
– in the direction of “youth living”?
Yes. Many renowned branded manufacturers have created new ranges
for young living. All in all, the range is no longer as middle-class and
corny as it was before and therefore it is really well suited for young
people. So-called cross cooperations are also successful, for example,
when the upholstered furniture manufacturer Steinhoff coop-
erates with Esprit or the cabinet maker Nolte with Joop!. As a result,
lifestyles, which the consumer already recognises from fashion, are
taken over into furniture. This clearly appeals to first-time buyers as it
provides an aid to decision making and safety.
Do you think that the expectations of the young generation
towards interior design have changed in the past few years?
In all age classes of society, design has become more important. The
many design programmes show the huge interest in a beautiful apartment
and beautiful furniture. In addition, there is a new social trend:
the subject of sustainability is becoming more and more important
to people. What is already present in the food industry with organic
products will come to all industries. Today, people ask about the responsibility.
Tomorrow, it will be in the conscience of the generations.
Consumers will ask about the energy efficiency in the manufacturing
of furniture, about the lifespan, the recyclability of materials,
Photo: Hülsta