The 57th China International Furniture Fair (Guangzhou) has successfully concluded on March 31. Covering 850,000 sqm, the show gathered over 5,100 exhibitors, attracting 353,106 visitors from 185 countries and regions including 64,291 overseas buyers. Beyond impressive statistics, these figures signal a widespread industry consensus: amid structural market shifts, manufacturers must navigate market uncertainties to secure sustainable growth. Leveraging its long-established industrial ecosystem, CIFF Guangzhou facilitates high-intensity business matching for global purchasers and highlights cutting-edge trends to help brands anchor long-term development strategies aligned with future market values.

As global home furnishing attention turns increasingly toward Asia, integrating R&D, precision manufacturing and international operation has become essential for brands targeting overseas development. Launched as CIFF Guangzhou’s innovative initiative for upholstered furniture, SOFA PLUS was designed to upgrade exhibition layout for improved matchmaking efficiency. Supported by all-round professional services, the platform creates a pragmatic global cooperation hub that enables Chinese sofa brands to steadily open up international markets.

SOFA PLUS made its debut in 2025 with an S-shaped route linking more than 50 creative display windows. The layout weaved individual brand showcases into a cohesive narrative, fully demonstrating China’s premium sofa design and production strengths under one roof. The platform underwent comprehensive upgrades in 2026, occupying Halls 9.3 to 11.3 on Level 3 of Area B at Canton Fair Complex, Pazhou. It upgraded in floor space, exhibitor roster and supporting services via refined signage and streamlined visitor routes, immersive installations to boost on-site engagement, and tailored services for international buyers that form a full-cycle system covering exhibition touring and business connection.

SOFA PLUS has evolved into a permanent gateway for Chinese sofa brands to explore global trade, documenting the industry’s shift toward high-quality development. Its empowering value is well reflected in tangible improvements across three core dimensions: people, products and venue.

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Changes Among Visitors – Why Buyers Spend More Time at SOFA PLUS?

Changes in visitor behaviour are often the most overlooked shift at trade shows.

CIFF Guangzhou welcomed over 350,000 attendees including 64,291 overseas attendees and solid trading results. More noteworthy, however, are shifts in visitor demographics and onsite habits. Along SOFA PLUS’s S-shaped pathway, visitors linger far longer than before. Quick booth-hopping has given way to extended stops, repeat visits and in-depth conversations at creative windows around design aesthetics, material application and brand storytelling.

Such behavioural shifts stem from intentional brand presentation. Eye-catching, well-conceptualised displays become natural gathering spots. Asiama’s bold scarlet sofa instantly stand out as a striking visual focal point in its showcase. KUKA’s RuYi collection merges oriental inspirations with contemporary construction; refined lines and proportional tuning translate traditional aesthetics into globally appealing products. Other brands extend visitor stay via life-scenario setups that help buyers visualise real-life usage and link product functions to daily experience. All these formats simplify information comprehension and support faster, more informed purchasing decisions.

These shifts root from structural transformation in end-market demand.

Market segmentation splits consumer needs: cost-sensitive entry-level demand sits opposite mid-to-high-end buyers prioritising design, user experience and lifestyle value. Consequently, distributors and purchasers have evolved from simple product pickers into value evaluators. While pricing and functionality remain relevant, they no longer dominate purchase choices. Buyers now prioritise consistent marketability, clear brand positioning and design adaptability across diverse overseas markets.

Instead of merely sourcing items, buyers now seek viable business logic, a trend addressed by SOFA PLUS’s 50 curated window displays along the S-shaped route.

Leading brands exemplify this shift: KUKA showcases a full technical story spanning CloudFloat material, functional frames and smart control systems to demonstrate engineered comfort. Evergo builds a closed-loop R&D system based on show feedback, channel data and end-user performance to prove sustainable product upgrading for buyers.

In this sense, the fair serves as a benchmarking platform aligning evaluation standards across all industry participants.

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Product Evolution – Sofas Turn Into Carriers of Comprehensive Capabilities

If visitor trends mirror shifting market demand, evolving products reflect suppliers’ strategic responses.

First, smart sofa development has moved far beyond basic electric recline functions. Equipped with built-in sensors and IoT connectivity, new-generation sofas collect and analyse users’ daily activity data. CHEERS leads mass-produced functional upholstery via mature technology and stable supply chains, while KUKA upgrades its products into data-enabled smart terminals capable of sensing and recording user habits.

As daily-use core household furniture, sofas are gradually integrated into personal health management systems. Competition criteria have expanded beyond comfort and price to include algorithm performance, data services and cross-device ecosystem compatibility.

Second, modular design delivers superior space adaptability. Superb’s modular sofa system breaks fixed configurations, allowing flexible rearrangement into lounge zones, social corners or standalone units to maximise space efficiency. Amid restrained consumer spending, multi-scenario modular design effectively lowers buyers’ investment risks.

Third, innovative materials and refined craftsmanship are translated into immersive lifestyle displays. Divano Lounge demonstrates stain-resistant fabric via kid-and-pet-friendly living setups to visualise practical benefits; Asiama blends natural inspirations with Italian design across its FUZZ, KNOX and LULY collections to create emotionally resonant furniture. Meanwhile, ergonomic specialists Henglin and UE expand their expertise from office chairs into integrated living-room seating solutions.

Collectively, product upgrades are not isolated tweaks but systematic transformation, combining advanced technology and creative design to build solid long-term product value.

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Venue Restructuring – Building a Global Platform for Value Communication

Revamped exhibition space carries more structural significance than shifts in visitors and products.

Traditional trade show design prioritises fast transaction turnover within limited visiting hours, yet SOFA PLUS redefines this model. Its S-shaped route, curated window displays, interactive installations and bespoke overseas-buyer services combine to form an experience-centred exhibition ecosystem.

Previously, Chinese sofa manufacturers’ strengths were buried in technical specifications including fabric grades, structural durability, craftsmanship and lead-time reliability, which prove difficult to interpret across cultural borders. At SOFA PLUS, unified spatial design and scene-based presentation turn abstract technical advantages into visible, intuitive features.

Each curated window serves as a condensed brand showcase. Instead of single-item display, every booth centres on a defined theme that integrates design logic, material selection and target-market preferences, enabling buyers to quickly turn visual impressions into commercial judgements.

Brands deliver distinctive positioning within the unified layout: VIOLINO uses lighting to craft atmospheric spaces, ARIS supplements detailed technical copy to highlight professionalism, Divano Lounge relies on real-life scenes for immersive experience, and Asiama leaves lasting impressions via signature styling. Diverse presentations along the shared pathway help buyers rapidly sort and compare brands.

Service models have also been upgraded with customised guided tours, accommodation support and exclusive events for international attendees, cutting information barriers in cross-border trade. Against volatile global trade conditions, such thoughtful supporting services have become a major draw for overseas purchasers.

Most crucially, the venue has evolved from a pure trading spot into a multi-layered value linkage platform. Beyond efficient matchmaking, it facilitates deep exchanges of design concepts, material innovations and global resources. Chinese brands showcase cutting-edge items while collecting real-time overseas feedback to develop a two-way circular trading ecosystem.

The transformation aligns with sweeping global supply chain restructuring. As more furniture firms expand internationally, a premium integrated showcase becomes vital to present core R&D and brand assets. SOFA PLUS fulfils this role, helping China’s upholstery sector retain high-value positioning and global visibility amid diversified worldwide supply chains.

Conclusion

As a long-standing industrial service platform, CIFF Guangzhou consistently optimises floor planning and service quality based on industry demands to connect supply and demand and drive collaborative industrial growth. Moving forward, SOFA PLUS will keep focusing on upholstered furniture development, building an industry benchmark balancing commercial profitability and aesthetic value. We look forward to partnering with outstanding brands to explore new global markets hand in hand.