Throughout all professional sectors, there has been a growing awareness around the cost and productivity benefits to be gained from businesses adapting their workplace environments to feature more modern working practices
Whether that be the introduction of a hybrid working lifestyle, developing sustainable surroundings to enhance employee wellbeing or incorporating new technological trends into the day-to-day operations within the office.
By investing in such areas, businesses are continuing to realise the potential this has to more effectively attract and retain staff, whilst getting the best out of each individual employee.
Thus, many organisations are now going through the process of updating their premises to become more in tune with the demands of today. Subsequently, this has led to growth across the UK office furniture market, which is now the second largest in Europe with a value of £948 million. This is anticipated to grow further with an expected CAGR rate of 6.5% between 2023-2028. Furthermore, it’s currently estimated that 30% of the UK‘s furniture production turnover is attributable to the office and contract sub-sectors.
With this in mind, an increasing number of dealers are now focusing on offering a wider choice of office furniture items and design services to their customers.
However, with the possibility to then further increase their revenue by 20-30% through cross-selling other complementary products and accessories, the prospect for extra sales growth is an enticing concept that many dealers are seeking to capitalise on.
As part of their refurbishment services resellers will usually be offering a tailored layout plan that helps maximise space, but several are also already expanding their portfolios to include bespoke bundles for clients. These may include a combination of desks, chairs, pedestals, cabinets and shelving to install across an office location, but there are additional opportunities to extend these bundles further as dealers become a one-stop shop to fulfil their customers’ requirements.
The introduction of biophilic office surroundings, which encourages the integration of natural textures and vegetation that tap into the instinctive elements of our human nature, has gained prominence in recent times.
In fact, a UK-based study highlighted that workers exposed to a high contact level with nature were 15% more productive, compared to colleagues with minimal exposure.
Similarly, including wall art or graphics artwork that communicates key brand messaging to staff and visitors has been recognized to be more than just decoration, It can help reinforce company culture, whilst inspiring creativity and productivity. Studies also show that it can also have a calming effect, reducing stress levels.
For dealers, it’s therefore important to ensure that they are providing options to integrate all of these elements into the overall refurb packages that they are offering to their clients.
As we seemingly progress through 2023 at pace, innovations in workplace technology have also been continuing to evolve rapidly. Artificial Intelligence can be such a contentious talking point at times, but advances in AI-powered smart buildings, space management and new innovations for health and safety equipment are making a real impact on how businesses function and individual employees interact with their environment. The Microsoft Work Trend Index report underlined how 31% of businesses are increasingly likely to utilise AI to improve employee productivity rather than use it to streamline their workforce, and with one in six UK organisations now embracing AI technology according to recent governmental studies, investment in Smart building tools and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies within furniture design, security, lighting, reservation booking and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) is on the up. These developments are enabling organisations to build fully bespoke surroundings that not only help to address the financial, ecological and productivity concerns of a business but also cater to the specific personal development and general well-being needs of the individual employee.
For instance, by dealers offering furniture that is smart enabled will allow their clients to create more efficient, collaborative and flexible workspaces, with furnishings that allow for greater connectivity of devices and provide enhanced ergonomic support to staff.
In addition to manufacturing sustainable office products that can form part of a circular economy, Exacompta’s innovative stationery ranges provide a comprehensive selection of robust and stylish solutions to maximise workspaces, whilst catering for a variety of unique needs for individuals within the workplace.
The unique FLEX BOX is ideal for hybrid workers and modular office layouts. Simple, yet effective, it has 3 compartments for storing essentials, such as laptops, filing products and even lever arch files. There are notches for securing small objects like pen pots and water bottles. Lightweight and durable, it features integrated handles that enable the user to easily carry it with one hand. The sleek design means it’s able to sit on a desk and be used as a vertical sorter during working hours, then fit in most standard lockers when not in use.
It is available as part of the Bee Blue collection, which has been designed in conjunction with the latest trends in office colour design. These heavily feature a mix of blues and yellow shades, which can combine to help boost performance and enthusiasm in a stimulating and enjoyable environment.
Featuring Blue Angel-certified items made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastics, Bee Blue not only meets the environmental expectations of buyers but the ergonomically designed, modular desktop accessories and filing are perfect complementary products to include alongside any refurbishment package.
This is a sponsored article brought to you by Exaclair.
To learn more about the Bee Blue collection and how it can help provide a comprehensive selection of robust and stylish solutions to maximise workspaces, visit https://exaclairlimited.com/bee-blue/
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