While a quarter of Dutch home furnishing stores have closed their doors over the past 15 years, the number of independent interior designers has doubled. Not a coincidence, but a fundamental shift in the industry: power is moving from the showroom to the designer. This is according to a recent analysis by De Interieur Club. 
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Data from the KVK and CBS show that the interior and spatial design category had more than 11,500 registered companies by the end of 2025. That represents a growth of a whopping 96 per cent compared to 2013. Whereas consumers used to browse furniture malls themselves, product selection is now increasingly being handed over to professionals. For manufacturers and wholesalers, this means the focus must shift from the "passer-by" to the "prescriber."
Purchasing power
The impact of the interior designer on sales is substantial. Research by ThinkLab shows that an average designer is responsible for purchases 40 times higher than what a consumer spends independently. With large design agencies, this figure even rises to a factor of 140. The designer acts as a filter: whoever convinces the professional about a floor, lighting solution or sofa, effectively reaches the end customer with a substantial budget. Those who ignore the designer continue to rely on the shrinking group of consumers who still put together interiors entirely on their own.
Retail disruption
The figures for home furnishing retail mirror this growth. At its peak in 2010, the Netherlands still had almost 11,500 home furnishing stores; by the beginning of 2025, there were only 8,567. Recent bankruptcies of established names such as Carpetright, FonQ and Leen Bakker Belgium underline the vulnerability of the traditional model.
Although physical stores still account for around 85 per cent of furniture sales, the orientation phase has been largely digitised. With 4.2 million Dutch Pinterest users and an online share of Home & Living spending that jumped from 24 to 36 per cent in one year, the "middle-ground" store is becoming less and less relevant. Consumers enter the showroom with an opinion already formed online, often guided by a digital professional.
The showroom as "gallery" and partner
Residential companies that survive are taking a clear strategic direction, according to the analysis. On the one hand, there are brands such as Restoration Hardware that transform stores into experiential worlds ("galleries"), including hospitality. On the other hand, wholesalers and buying centres are focusing entirely on the professional interior designer with "trade-only" events and exclusive access.
The conclusion is clear: the home store is not dead, but the role of the showroom is changing. The successful showroom of tomorrow is not a sales outlet for the masses, but an extension of the interior designer's studio. For manufacturers, the strategic question is no longer how to reach the consumer, but how to engage the professional as the crucial partner he now is.
Source: The Interior Club
