How are the worlds of decor, design, and lifestyle doing? As usual with the half-yearly Barometer, over 1,400 professionals from the Maison&Objet community took part in the overview of the last six months and our look ahead to the six months to come. Here's where things stand, along with a useful infographic.
The year 2025 began in a difficult global economic environment. In France, rising inflation at the end of 2024 weakened purchasing power and slowed new housing construction. Internationally, new U.S. customs duties reshaped export dynamics, while only the Middle East and Southeast Asia showed strong momentum thanks to booming real estate and tourism. Against this backdrop, the decor, design, and lifestyle industry entered the year with one priority: foresight. By October 2025, the sector offers a clearer picture of how businesses have navigated the instability.
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Stability returns across the industry
Seven in ten respondents reported stable or growing business between April and September 2025. The share maintaining sales compared to the previous year rose by four points to 40%. Retailers showed the strongest stabilization, while specifiers (architects, developers, landscape designers) had the highest share reporting steady levels of activity (45%).
Confident retail landscape
Independent boutiques, major retailers, and chains each added an average of five new brands to their assortments over six months. Consumers favored fragrances, wellness items, gifts, and decorative objects—affordable ways to refresh interiors during economic uncertainty.
Inventory levels were generally healthy: 56% of retailers reported normal stocks, though 35% of French independents struggled to clear excess inventory. Despite these challenges, retailers remain optimistic: 90% expect to place orders by March 2026, and 78% hold neutral or positive expectations for upcoming sales.
Brands show agility and optimism
Most brands also reported normal inventory levels (62%, up seven points from 2024), reflecting effective stock management. A highly dynamic period lies ahead, with 87% planning new product launches, and 78% expressing neutral or positive sales expectations for the months ahead.
Specifiers benefit from steady project pipelines
Specifiers handled an average of five new projects between April and September. Residential activity showed a modest rebound: 40% had the same number of contracts as in 2024, with increases reported by both French (+5 points) and international (+4 points) respondents. Thirty-one percent even saw growth in residential projects.
Commercial and retail design remained stable, with 51% reporting equal or higher project numbers. Strong investment—€1.3 billion in France in Q1 2025 (+239% year-on-year)—signals upcoming opportunities. Globally, commercial interior design is expected to grow over 10% annually through 2030, especially in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Office design also stabilized, with 52% reporting steady or rising project numbers, driven particularly by large office spaces over 1,000 m².
Hospitality sector strengthens
In restaurants, 43% of specifiers saw stable or higher activity, though challenges persist for independent French establishments. Globally, the food service market continues to expand.
Hotels show strong momentum: 54% of specifiers reported stable or rising project numbers, supported by aggressive global expansion of major chains like Accor, Marriott, and Hilton. Larger design firms benefit most from these opportunities.
