Cologne, Germany, from January 20th to 23rd, 2026, the 70-year-old Cologne International Furniture Fair (imm cologne) once again became the focus of the global home furnishings industry. This exhibition, with "World of Interiors" as its core theme, brought together 330+ enterprises from 25 countries. As the first important international industry platform in 2026, imm cologne redefined its role: a business platform highly focused on B2B, aiming to provide market-oriented products and supply chain solutions to global buyers.
The exhibition showcased a complete range from entry-level, fast-moving consumer products to mid-to-high-end lifestyle products, clearly reflecting the structural changes in global consumer demand. Bernd Sanden, the director of the Cologne International Furniture Fair, said that the theme "World of Interiors" precisely summarizes the dual attributes of the new imm cologne as an industry trend observation window and international trading platform.
On this stage with an international perspective and the Cologne-style enthusiasm, tradition and the future converge. For professional buyers present - whether traditional retailers with a long history or fast-growing e-commerce enterprises - this is a professional platform to observe industry trends, have direct conversations with high-quality suppliers, and efficiently make annual procurement decisions.
Chinese Solution: Achieving Value Leap on the World Home Stage
On this global business stage, exhibitors from Asia, especially China, showcased integrated solutions that extend from traditional manufacturing to include technological innovation, original design, and ESG (environment, society, and corporate governance) compliance, aligning with the expectations of the European market for efficiency and quality.
Technology Empowerment: Reshaping Traditional Experiences
Chinese enterprises are leveraging their advantages in AI and communication to infuse traditional furniture with intelligent elements. Henglin Home Co., Ltd. presented the "AI-sensing Human Ergonomic Chair" at this exhibition, demonstrating an intelligent upgrade path through voice interaction and active adaptation technology, becoming one of the most talked-about products at the exhibition. The company's brand representative, Quan Ying, elaborated on the company's advanced strategic path: from early OEM manufacturing to design and technology exports, and then to the acquisition of a Swiss high-end brand in 2019 for "capital export". This path enabled Henglin to absorb advanced manufacturing standards and demonstrated the strength of Chinese enterprises in transitioning from product output to brand and capital output.
Original Design: Defining Industry New Standards
Xiamen New Technology Integration Co., Ltd. presented the "MAZZU" brand mattress, which has undergone ten years of refinement. With its unique independent adjustable elastic unit structure, it won the 2025 Red Dot Design Award Best of the Best. The first to introduce a modular elastic unit system with height and angle independently adjustable, its modular design not only achieved a fit for users' body shapes but also improved production and delivery efficiency, reconstructing the supply chain model from the product design source, and showcasing Chinese original strength to global buyers. Company General Manager Leng Xufeng stated that this achievement stems from systematic research on users' long-term real needs.
Global Capacity and Pain Point Solutions: Stable Supply Chain Partners
In response to European buyers' emphasis on supply chain stability, Guangdong Sweet Secret Bed Co., Ltd., with a 15-year history, showcased its mature and stable global delivery capabilities. Relying on the expansion of the new factory in Foshan and setting up overseas bases in Indonesia, the Middle East, and the United States, the company has built a stable guarantee for customers.
At the product level, the SweetNight brand under the SweetSecrets group focuses on technology-driven sleep solutions, highlighting the patented "CoolNest® System" specially developed for "hot sleepers" in Europe and the United States, precisely addressing the pain points of night-time heat and other experiences; Novilla, on the other hand, centers on comfort, providing sleep products that balance quality and cost-effectiveness, and received positive feedback from several European professional buyers on the spot. The senior manager of SweetSecrets' European expansion, Ouyang Wantong, stated that the international market is shifting from "parameter-oriented" to "functional authenticity and long-term experience", which is continuously driving enterprises to deepen their global layout and technological innovation.
Green compliance: Integrating European values
As sustainability has become a global consensus, Chinese enterprises' investment in the environmental protection sector has become an important factor for entering the European market. Anji County Shengxin Office Furniture Co., Ltd., relying on an annual production capacity of 500 cabinets, showcased a fully upgraded green packaging solution to buyers - through process innovation, the company has replaced the traditional packaging materials such as plastic bags and EPE pearl cotton commonly used in the past with degradable paper boxes and paper sheets that comply with EU standards. This measure not only reduces the environmental footprint at the source but also meets the compliance requirements of large European buyers for carbon emissions and packaging material environmental attributes, laying the foundation for the company to secure its international market share and win customer trust.
Online and offline dual-track drive: A new path for global layout
As a furniture company with over 30 years of history, Baishenuo Furniture in Langfang, Hebei Province, has explored a "dual-track drive" strategy in the overseas market. Facing the characteristics of different regional markets, the company has formulated differentiated channel strategies: In the US market, through e-commerce platforms, it has achieved a transformation from OEM manufacturing to B2B2C direct sales model; while in the European market, it still mainly adopts the traditional foreign trade B2B cooperation model. Mr. Zhu, in the interview, said that this "stabilizing the basic American e-commerce market and gradually advancing the European market" strategy not only avoids single-channel risks but also lays the foundation for serving European local e-commerce well.
As the first industry trend indicator of the year, Imm Cologne 2026 is not only a place to showcase products, but also a platform to build trust, facilitate transactions and plan the future. Industry leaders such as Man Wah (Minhua), Kuka Home (Guji), and UE Furniture (Yongyi), along with many Chinese exhibitors in specialized fields, are together with global partners in Cologne depicting the outline of the next generation of living spaces.
