Outdoor furniture: time to rethink the traditional sourcing model
For decades, outdoor furniture has primarily been developed and manufactured in Asia. There have been good reasons for this: access to durable wood types has been stable, expertise has been high, and price levels attractive. From a classic sourcing perspective, it has been a sensible strategy.
But the market has changed. Today, the demands for flexibility, sustainability, capital efficiency, and brand identity are not the same as when this structure was established. This raises the question: is it time to rethink how we source outdoor furniture?
When strengths become limitations
Transport time and capital commitment
Shipping from Asia to Europe can take months. To ensure product availability during the season, large early orders are required. This increases inventory needs and ties up capital for months before products reach the market.
Limited seasonal flexibility
If the season exceeds expectations, it is difficult to restock quickly, and long lead times can result in lost sales. Conversely, a weak season can leave excess inventory, creating risks of write-downs or disposal.
Documentation and certification
A design divide
Traditionally, outdoor collections have had a different look than indoor lines, often for functional reasons. But in a time when brand identity is a strategic resource, it raises an important question: why should a brand’s DNA stop at the patio door?
An alternative approach: Nearer sourcing – new opportunities
Benefits of nearer sourcing:
- Shorter lead times → faster response to trends and demand
- Lower inventory commitment → freed-up capital and reduced risk of overproduction
- Greater seasonal flexibility → adapt quickly to unexpected demand changes
- Reduced transport distance → lower CO₂ footprint
- Better documentation → stronger brand and compliance with sustainability requirements
This shift moves the focus from volume-based planning to demand-driven agility.
When indoor design moves outdoors
Impact on the brand:
- Stronger overall customer experience
- Consistency between indoor and outdoor
- Clearer market positioning
When the same design language can exist both indoors and outdoors, outdoor furniture becomes not just a functional category, but a strategic resource for the brand.
- Reduces capital commitment and CO₂ footprint
- Increases responsiveness during the season
- Minimizes overproduction risk
- Strengthens documentation in a time when responsibility is a competitive advantage
At the same time, it creates a structure where outdoor and indoor are no longer parallel tracks, but parts of one unified strategy.
Conclusion: From tradition to transformation
Outdoor furniture does not have to be defined by long horizons, large volume commitments, and separate design lines. It can be a natural extension of the brand—produced according to the same principles, with the same ambitions and accountability.
The question is therefore not only where we produce our outdoor furniture, but how we want to shape the business of the future.
