According to the latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics, in January 2022, the UK furniture retail price (RPI) index reached a new high, with an increase of 14.1%, up from 12.5% in December. This is the fifth month in a row that it has exceeded 10%.
Furniture has been the main factor behind rising inflation in the UK for the past two months.
From January 2021 to January 2022, costs such as materials and fuel for UK furniture makers are maintained at high levels. The furniture production index in January 2022 was 20%, and it is now five months in a row that the index has reached at least 20%.
Ex-works prices for furniture manufactured in the UK for the domestic market rose by 5.2% in January 2022, matching the record recorded in December 2021.
Monthly retail sales of furniture and lighting were £1.32bn in January 2022, up 51.3% from the same period in 2021, but down 7.7% from the pre-COVID 2019. Weekly retail sales for the full year of 2021 are up 14% from 2020 and remain the same as in 2019.
