Commercial Interiors UK leads a connected, influential and competitive commercial interiors sector by championing our Accredited Members and enabling them to grow through knowledge, relationships and opportunity.
Through Commercial Interiors UK accreditation, our members are Trusted Suppliers and global leaders in creating purposeful, high-performing and enduring commercial spaces.
Commercial Interiors UK empowers accredited commercial furnishing suppliers to drive growth across the industry. Every initiative we undertake is designed to support our accredited members’ businesses, supporting them to thrive and lead in a globally competitive marketplace.
About the 2026 Accredited Member Survey
The 2026 Accredited Member Survey was undertaken to better understand our membership, how members engage with and value the current membership offer, and the opportunities, challenges and priorities affecting their businesses and the wider commercial interiors sector. The survey also provides a clear evidence base for understanding member views across areas including events, training, communications, export, political representation and future industry opportunities.
As the survey represents 38.7% of the total membership, the findings should be interpreted with some caution. Certain product categories, market sectors or business types may be more strongly represented among respondents than within the membership as a whole, meaning the results may not fully reflect the views or profile of all CIUK members.
1. Membership Profile
The survey reflects a membership made up of businesses of very different sizes, with 67 responses representing 38.7% of the total CIUK membership.
Among respondents, 35.8% reported annual commercial turnover below £3 million, while 37.3% reported turnover of £10 million or more, demonstrating the breadth of commercial scale represented within CIUK. Based on the turnover bands reported by respondents, the survey sample represents approximately £1.09 billion in annual commercial turnover. Extrapolated across the full membership of 173 organisations, this indicates an estimated £2.8 billion+ in combined annual commercial turnover.*
Hospitality is the strongest shared primary market, with 74.6% of respondents identifying it as their main sector. At the same time, members work across a much wider range of secondary markets, led by Leisure at 23.9%, Care at 22.4% and Hospitality at 22.4%, followed by Workplace at 13.4%, Cruise at 11.9% and Education at 6.0%.
The product base is similarly broad. Furniture is the largest primary product category at 25.4%, followed by Fabric at 19.4% and Carpet & Flooring at 13.4%. Wallcoverings & Finishes and Bathroom Fittings each account for 10.4%, with Lighting at 7.5% and a wide range of other product and service categories also represented.
*The £2.8bn+ figure is an indicative extrapolation based on survey turnover-band midpoints, using £50m as the minimum value for the £50m+ category.
2. Membership Experience & Engagement
The results point to a strong overall membership experience. Average satisfaction with accredited membership is 7.73 out of 10, and 83.6% of respondents rated their membership 7 or above.
Member advocacy is also very strong, with 95.5% saying they would recommend CIUK to their peers. A similarly positive result was recorded for member voice, with 91.0% saying they feel their opinions are valued and considered by CIUK.
Communications are viewed positively overall. 58 respondents gave positive feedback on how often and how well CIUK communicates, with newsletters, regular updates, Design Insider and digital communications all featuring in member comments.
Events, networking and industry connections emerged as the strongest positive theme, referenced by 47 respondents when asked what they value about CIUK. At the same time, 32 respondents said their expectations had only partly been met, with recurring requests for more direct commercial introductions, clearer evidence of return on membership, regional engagement and more targeted information and support.
3. Business Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Members are operating in a demanding commercial environment. Supply chain issues were the most significant challenge overall, with 38.8% of respondents ranking them as their number one concern. Energy costs ranked second, followed by being outside the EU and tariffs.
Despite these pressures, members continue to identify opportunities for growth. 28 respondents highlighted additional commercial sectors such as Workplace, Care, BTR, Student Accommodation and Cruise, while 26 identified Hospitality and hotel-related growth as an opportunity.
International growth also features strongly, with 18 respondents identifying export and overseas expansion as an area of opportunity. Product development, technology, innovation and sustainability were also highlighted as potential routes to growth.
When asked how CIUK could help members exploit opportunities and overcome challenges, the strongest response was direct introductions, networking and access to customers or decision-makers, referenced by 30 respondents. Sector-specific events, industry knowledge, training, visibility and export or policy support were also recurring themes.
4. Member Benefits, Services & Support
The survey shows a clear concentration of value around Events, Design Insider and Accredited Membership. Events are the most widely used benefit, selected by 79.1% of respondents, while 71.6% use Design Insider.
These three benefits also dominate member preference rankings, accounting for 64 of the 67 first-place rankings, demonstrating just how strongly member value is concentrated around these areas. Design Insider performs particularly strongly, with an average satisfaction score of 7.91 out of 10.
Supplier Finder receives a more mixed response, with an average satisfaction score of 6.87 out of 10. Members particularly highlighted the need for greater visibility of traffic and enquiries, improved search and filtering, and stronger promotion to designers and specifiers.
There is also clear demand for practical business support. Sector-specific training was selected by 44.8% of respondents, closely followed by Compliance & Regulations at 43.3% and Sustainability/Carbon at 41.8%.
Beyond direct services, 95.5% of respondents said it is important that CIUK represents the industry in political and policy discussions, reinforcing the value members place on CIUK acting as a collective voice for the commercial interiors sector.
5. Events, Exhibitions & International Growth
Members show a clear preference for focused and accessible event formats. One-day exhibitions were the most popular option, selected by 29.9% of respondents, followed by sector-specific and regional events.
Manchester was the most requested location for future CIUK events, selected by 55.2% of respondents, followed by London at 46.3% and Glasgow at 31.3%. Leeds and Birmingham were each selected by 25.4%, demonstrating clear demand for CIUK activity across a broader geographical spread.
There is also strong appetite for a broader industry event, with 82.1% of respondents saying they believe there is scope for a National Conference for the commercial interiors sector. Interest in sponsorship is more evenly divided, with 44.8% saying their organisation would consider sponsoring CIUK events.
Internationally, exporting is already firmly established across the membership. 85.1% of respondents currently export products, with the European Union the most widely served market, followed by North America, Asia and MENA.
When asked how CIUK could best support international activity, 65.7% selected access to export opportunities, making this the strongest form of export support requested. Government lobbying for financial support, trade missions and export training were also identified as useful forms of assistance.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 Accredited Member Survey provides a valuable picture of what our members value, where they see opportunity and the challenges they are navigating.
The results show strong confidence in CIUK, particularly around events, Design Insider, accreditation, communication and industry representation. They also point clearly to the areas where members would like us to continue strengthening our offer: commercial introductions, practical training, market insight, regional engagement, international opportunity and measurable value.
These findings will help ensure that CIUK’s work remains closely aligned with the needs and ambitions of our Accredited Members and the wider commercial interiors sector.
Request the Full Published Results
For a copy of the full published CIUK Accredited Member Survey 2026 results, please email sarah@commercial-interiorsuk.com
The published results are intended for CIUK Accredited Members and internal organisational use. We ask that they are not circulated publicly or shared outside your organisation without prior permission from Commercial Interiors UK.