CSIL expert, Sara Banfi, discusses the increasing relevance that smart applications are playing among residential lighting manufacturers, as well as the low penetration level registered for these type of technologies in the demand side. More articles, press releases, and presentations are available at https://www.lighting.csilmilano.com/showPage.php?template=news_articles&masterPage=news_articles.html&search=&id_field=&id=63&sar-at-qo-tutte_news=0

1. www.worldfurnitureonline.com44 March 2019 • WF
mart applications have gained
a consolidated presence in the
professional lighting market.
On the other hand, their incidence in
the residential segment is still low
and differs across different areas.
CSIL estimates of the average
growth rate for the first half of 2018
stood at around 40% in Europe. In
term of sales, their share of the resi-
dential lighting is between 2% and
6% in most European countries.
Benelux and the German speaking
countries (DACH) seem to show
higher incidence of smart lighting.
The Scandinavian countries seems
to have increased faster than others
in the period considered. Lower pen-
etration has been registered in the
United Kingdom and Southern
Europe. The Italian design manufac-
turer Flos stressed that the main
requests are related to the commer-
cial business while residential appli-
cations still represent a niche.
Another Italian lighting manufactur-
er, Masiero, said: “Private customers
often underline that a complete
renewal of the home wiring and elec-
tric system is often needed in order
to make the smart technology work-
ing properly. This implies a huge
investment and represents a restrain
for the customer. Customers in
Germany and France have already
been asking for smart lighting
whereas in Italy demand is still low”.
S
In fact, right now, the majority of the
European market for smart residen-
tial applications is represented by
single remote controls (far from ‘real’
smart lighting systems). In addition,
for many manufacturers, this kind of
products is still in the developing or
launching phase; for the others, val-
ues are contained. Therefore, it is
difficult to identify exact and specific
sales figures. Forma e Funzione,
Italian furniture integrated lighting
specialist, said that they have devel-
oped a new smart system to be
launched in 2019. They decided to
invest in this kind of technology fol-
lowing the request of their major fur-
niture customers like Molteni and
Poliform.
The Swedish Belid said: “The com-
pany steps in the smart technologies
are still at the very start. But this type
of applications are expected to
expand very rapidly in the next
future”.
Smart products represent about 4%
of IKEA lighting sales and they are
increasing at 200% rate.
Excluding this case, other lifestyle
operators stressed that “Customers
are relatively price-sensitive and the
continuous increase of LED-based
product request is still not accompa-
nied by smart applications demand.
The need of remote control is not
really perceived especially in certain
markets and customers are not pre-
pared to increase their purchase
budget to buy remote control
devices”.
Distributors and wholesalers have
underlined a certain lack of market-
ing and communication material to
foster awareness among cus-
tomers.
According to Ineo Design (FR):
“French market seems to be divided
between customers more oriented
to Design and customers more ori-
ented to Functions. At the moment
specialist lighting stores and con-
cept stores are more focused on
design but in the next future also
smart technology will represent a
significant part of the offer”.
Wholesalers (especially in Spain
and Italy) said that currently the res-
idential private customers seem not
to be ready for a real demand of
smart applications.
Demand started but the real poten-
tial is far from being expressed.
FOCUS
STUDIES
CSIL MARKET RESEARCH
SMART LIGHTING
FOR RESIDENTIAL
APPLICATIONS
by Sara Banfi
CSIL International Market Research
Philips Lighting. Hue Candle