"Good old furniture" quietly rises

Electric old chair.

Bannink of the Dutch furniture company uses the "easyUP" series of "suitable old seats" designed with torsion Spring structure.

The “Assunta” designed by Italian designers and Singaporean designers, the cushions are made of bright fabrics and fixed with a rope to the chair for easy replacement and removal.

Functional demonstration of the Dutch furniture company "easyUP" series.

China's entry into the "aging" stage, the "silver hair industry" prospects are good

The Chinese population has entered the stage of “aging” and has produced a huge new market – the “good old products” market. Furniture, also because of the use of the elderly, will create a new product category - "old furniture." Although there is no authoritative definition at present, many furniture companies have already sniffed business opportunities and quietly laid out this market segment.

Since ancient times, China has been a country that advocates “filial piety”. Children hope that their parents and grandchildren will enjoy their old age. Most parents choose to stay at home, but the lives of these elderly people are not convenient. One of the most important reasons for this is that there are currently no household products suitable for the elderly. What exactly does “old furniture” look like?

　　 Old age home into the market "blue sea"

According to rough statistics, nearly 50% of the elderly in the country are living in an “empty nest”, and nearly 80% of them choose to live at home. Since the elderly are the longest group at home, the contact with all kinds of household items is also the most. Therefore, the health, environmental protection, safety and function of aged household products need to be suitable for the elderly.

However, the current slow development of the domestic elderly household market has a lot to do with the consumption characteristics of the elderly in China. The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Old Age Industry Association said that the elderly in China often give priority to the consumption needs of their children's offspring, while ignoring their own needs, which makes the old market's own consumption attributes weak. This traditional concept of “re-accumulating light consumption and self-child first” has led to almost a blank market for elderly furniture design.

In contrast, Japan is far ahead of many developed countries in developing the types and functions of household goods. Representatively, various highly automated instruments developed in Japan, such as convenient eating, bathing and convenient special food utensils, showers, urinals, etc., are available. In addition, according to the specific needs of the elderly, Japanese companies have also developed various new products. As for the common old-age glasses, special clothing, wrinkles and even cosmetics, it is a complete range. Research scholars say that Japanese elderly products have covered almost all areas of life, "there is no dead end in caring for the needs of the elderly."

"China in the 21st century will be an irreversible aging society." According to relevant data, from 2030 to 2040, the elderly over 60 years old in China will account for 1/4 of the total population. Many industry insiders believe that more than 200 million elderly people are potential users of aged household products, which are increasing by tens of millions every year. In particular, “old” furniture will become the “blue ocean” of the entire home industry.

"Good old" furniture needs humanistic care

From July 1, 2013, the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly was officially implemented, and “always go home to see” was written into the law. But often go home to see if you are not standing at the door, but to have a deeper understanding of the life needs of your parents. When people are old, their physiology and psychology change. Careful children will find that the existing old furniture in the home is inconvenient for parents, but there are old furniture that can be used comfortably by the father and mother. ?

At present, there is a lack of furniture products suitable for the elderly, but as a new social problem, furniture companies have begun to look at this huge market. In fact, the design of “old” furniture is highly valued in developed countries. For example, in Canada, a bed equipped with an automatic massage device for the elderly is used. When the bedside switch is opened, the massage device will perform regular massage on the back and waist of the person. The American Berkline functional sofa has a support function, which can be lifted, reclined and stretched by itself. When the support is raised, the old man can stand easily and freely; he can also help the old man to sit comfortably from the standing position, and the whole process has electric control, which is smooth and free.

The “old” furniture design should have the functions of medical furniture, as well as the elements of human care and local culture, so that the elderly have the warmth of home and the nostalgia of local culture, and will not feel like a hospital. Liu Xiaohong, a professor at Shunde Vocational and Technical College, believes that the elderly are generally sick and sick, and they need a lot of family treatments, and the movement is not very convenient. Some special designs are needed to assist them in their daily activities such as bathing, going to the bathroom and cooking in the kitchen. In addition, she said that the elderly also need humanistic care, hoping to live in a very warm, intimate and familiar environment, making their psychology more pleasant, more relaxed, mentally smoother and more relaxed, which is extremely important for their health. .

Tips:

Elderly furniture purchase guide

Generally speaking, "old" furniture is generally comfortable, practical and safe. What are the specific requirements for these characteristics? There is a famous saying in the design world: good design must satisfy him, please him, improve him, and inspire him. How to choose furniture suitable for the elderly? In the report “Development Status and Future Trends of “Good Furniture” issued by Guangdong Furniture Association recently, the following five aspects will help you to refer to it.

Solve the problem that the elderly get up, lean over, and feel unstable when standing.

Most of the elderly are "inconvenient to move their legs and feet." "Old furniture" must first consider these characteristics of the elderly. In addition to the design points that help the elderly stand up, they must also consider the support of the furniture for the elderly standing; the height of the seat surface should also be carefully considered because The low seat surface is not conducive to the elderly sitting or standing up, it is easy to cause the imbalance of the center of gravity, and it is easy to sprain the waist. Internationally, there is no shortage of such excellent "old seats" or other product designs.

Address the need for “home care” treatment

Old people living at home will often have daily problems such as infusion, injection, half-sleeping, turning over, going to the toilet, taking a bath, etc. Therefore, the bed often needs to have functions such as lifting, flipping, folding and moving. Therefore, the most demanding "advanced furniture" is the "advanced bed", which should have the function of a medical bed. Matching it should also have a "shifter", which is a facility that allows the elderly to be easily transferred from the bed to the toilet or bathing place. Domestic companies have developed these latest technology products such as “shifters” and “bath chairs” and exported them to developed countries such as the United States and Germany, but they are still in the cultivation of the Chinese market.

Consider the stability and safety of the furniture itself

Taking into account the requirements of the behavior of the elderly on the stability and safety of the furniture, such as the low weight of the furniture may cause the elderly to fall over and support the furniture; in addition, too high or too short will make the elderly difficult to sit up, and The shape of the furniture should be as sharp as possible to prevent the elderly from bumping. Therefore, the design of "advanced furniture" must ensure that the elderly are safe and convenient in terms of material selection, size and function.

Fully consider the cleaning and cleaning of furniture

Hand shake is a common problem in the elderly population. Hand shake can cause coffee, tea, soup, porridge, etc. to spill and pollute the furniture, so the accessories of aged furniture are more waterproof than the other furniture.

Design according to daily life habits

The daily life of the elderly group is inseparable from reading and reading newspapers. The design of the "old study room" should consider how to help the elderly to be comfortable and comfortable when reading, writing calligraphy and painting. Such as the desk's lifting function, the height and low angle of the chair, the appropriate glasses and magnifying glass, etc., to help the elderly to easily complete the possible actions.

Source: Xianghe Furniture City official website

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