Woman-Centric Office Furniture

According to an article appearing in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune, furniture giant, Ikea North America, estimates that that small business owners, particularly females, could eventually account for 10 percent to 15 percent of Ikea’s U.S. business. Furthermore, Ikea says that women already make up about 70 percent of their business overall. Office Depot and OfficeMax are trying to get a piece of the women’s market too.

The Center for Women’s Business Research states that 10.4 million businesses are owned by women, and the number of privately held firms where women owned at least 51 percent stake grew 42.3 percent from 1997 to 2006. So it’s no wonder the big office supply retailers like OfficeMax and Office Depot are attempting to tailor their offerings to appeal more to the female sensibilities in office décor.

Partnering with decorating guru Christopher Lowell and furniture and décor companies Sharper Image and Broyhill, the large office supply retailers are offering furniture that is flexible, comfortable and stylish. Things like antique finishes, beach house décor, and extra storage are built in to the designs. Chairs are adjustable so smaller female frames can be comfortable. Credenzas easily flip into home office stations.

To read more about the trends in office furniture for women read the article online at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070605-1923-women-officefurniture.html

To learn more about the companies mentioned in the article, go to:
http://www.broyhillfurniture.com http://business.ikea.com Center for Women's Business Research: http://www.cfwbr.org http://www.christopherlowell.com http://www.ikea.com http://www.officedepot.com http://www.officemax.com