The furniture market is not standing still, and that includes Belgian brands Confortluxe and Lievens. Under the leadership of Filip Van de Vyvere, the company set a clear course. A course that resulted not only in a strategic reorientation on the Dutch market, but also in an administrative merger with Europe and a successful expansion of the range. Time to put commercial director Van de Vyvere through his paces and ask him about recent developments, challenges and ambitions for 2025.
© Confortluxe nv
Although the company partially withdrew from the Dutch market, it has not been a farewell. 'We have not completely left the Dutch market, but we have shifted our focus to a different type of customer,' Van de Vyvere says. 'When we do something, we also want to do it well and offer our customers a perfect service. Logistics and delivery play a crucial role in this. Since we cannot guarantee nationwide delivery for individual orders, today we work with customers who can buy large volumes, which we deliver by full truck. This works very successfully. As a result, our current customers in the Netherlands enjoy the most competitive prices and manage to sell large volumes successfully.'
Choice
Another important step in the restructuring was the merger between Confortluxe and Europe. 'The merger was a logical next step in the realignment of our commercial apparatus, which was initiated in 2023. Both companies turned out to be perfectly complementary in their product ranges and were already working with the same sales team. The merger was therefore purely administrative,' Van de Vyvere explains. 'As a result, all our customers now have access to an even wider range of seating. In addition, Lievens offers a full range of furniture, tables and chairs, both for indoors and outdoors.'
© Confortluxe nv
New collections
The company remains committed to product development, with notable new collections. 'We have just finished our important VIP days, which were a great success. Our customers confirmed this with numerous orders, which shows that we are on the right track in terms of product development,' says Van de Vyvere. 'At Confortluxe, some 20 new models were presented, characterised by organic shapes, excellent soft seating comfort thanks to our pocket springs and a number of new fabrics. Lievens enjoyed success with the combination of wood and ceramic in its tables. In addition, many new chairs were also presented, both in wood and metal.'
Ukraine
Despite the geopolitical situation, production in Ukraine remains stable. 'In Ukraine, our production has never stopped. We have always continued to produce and invest. Our production capacity continues to increase, allowing us to continue to deliver quickly despite rising demand,' he stresses.
Finally, the company looks ambitiously ahead. 'Also in 2025, we continue to build towards achieving our long-term goals. The big challenge is to achieve our targeted growth despite the difficult consumer environment. Thanks to our new developments and the continuous expansion of our collection, we are currently succeeding in this, and this trajectory will continue unabated in 2025 and 2026,' Van de Vyvere said.
More information:
Confortluxe
Menensesteenweg 40
BE-8940 Wervik
T +32 56 300 600
info@confortluxe.com
www.confortluxe.com
Filip Van de Vyvere: 'We either do it right or we don't'