(News Bulletin 247) – After mass distribution, the furniture brand is launching its anti-inflation system and announcing price reductions for 140 of its products. Maisons du Monde hopes to boost its sales, while its 2022 results have deteriorated sharply.

Inflation weighs heavily on household purchasing power. In this context, companies have offered their devices in turn to reduce the amount of their customers’ receipts. Large retailers, for example, have unsheathed their anti-inflation baskets, as part of the “anti-inflation quarter” operation launched by the government.

Maisons du Monde is also responding to the concerns of the French about the erosion of their purchasing power. The furniture and interior decoration specialist announces new reductions of 8% on average on 140 additional references.

The company explains in its press release that it has targeted its rebates on “the most expensive objects for the layout of the house”. “Thus, among the 140 references selected, the customer will be able to find sofas, seats such as chairs, armchairs or heaters, but also dining tables as well as buffets and dressers”. The brand had launched a similar operation last fall with a first price drop on 60 products. In all, these are “more than 200 references” which have been the subject of price reductions, recalls the sign.

“We voluntarily made the choice to reposition prices on furniture, because furniture requires substantial investments for consumers compared to other decorative or furnishing pieces” adds François-Melchior de Polignac, Managing Director of Maisons du World.

Degraded results in 2022

In addition, Maisons du Monde has set up a split payment solution free of charge in France. With these numerous devices, the company intends to bring its customers back to its stores. Penalized by sluggish household purchasing power, the results of Maisons du Monde suffered badly in 2022. The French furniture and interior decoration brand saw its sales fall by 5% and saw its net profit be more than halved for 2022.

And for the first three months of 2023, the trend is not set to reverse. By way of outlook, Maisons du Monde indicated that the first quarter will be “the low point of the year, with a double-digit drop in sales”. “The basis of comparison will become more favorable from May”, date on which Maisons du Monde will specify its objectives.

The furniture sector is not entirely devastated, however. You can evolve in the same sector but the positioning can make all the difference. This is the case of Roche Bobois, which achieved a quality end to the year 2022, saved by a much less price-sensitive clientele. In France, it spent an average of 3,427 euros excluding tax in the first half of 2022. This average basket peaks at more than 8,000 euros still excluding tax in the United States / Canada as of June 30. The furniture specialist is confident in its future business and anticipates further growth in its turnover in the first half of 2023.

On the Paris Stock Exchange, Maisons du Monde rose 2.67% to 9.79 euros. Since the start of the year, the stock has lost more than 16% of its value, a delay that widens to almost 73% if we go back to its all-time highs in the spring of 2018.