imm cologne 2026 concluded its four-day run as a focused B2B sourcing platform, attracting more than ten thousand trade visitors from one hundred four countries and demonstrating the market’s strong demand for efficient purchasing opportunities at the start of the furniture year. Across a gross exhibition area of fifty-three thousand square metres, three hundred thirty-nine exhibitors from twenty-eight countries presented home furniture ranging from entry-level price points to the mid-range segment, with ninety-seven per cent of exhibitors traveling from outside Germany.
Market-focused format delivers tangible business results
The B2B-only format proved effective for both buyers and suppliers seeking concrete commercial outcomes. Under the banner of World of Interiors, the trade fair provided a central forum for comparing collections, sourcing and designing ranges at the start of the new year. Decision-makers from purchasing associations, retail chains, the wholesale and specialist retail trade, e-commerce companies and mail order businesses attended the event to view suppliers’ collections and establish partnerships.
Feedback from participants highlighted the quality of conversations and the ability to place orders efficiently. Major European retailers including ALDI, Amazon, IKEA, POCO, Westwing and XXXLutz were among the attendees, with significant visitor groups arriving from Belgium, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands.
“In a challenging market environment, efficiency is what counts above all. This is exactly why we’ve created a focused B2B sourcing platform with imm cologne 2026: an event where visitors can quickly gain an overview, make strategic purchasing decisions and establish new contacts,” says Matthias Pollmann, vice president trade fair management at Koelnmesse.
Strong international participation reflects sourcing trends
imm cologne 2026 reflected current market realities, with companies from twenty-eight countries presenting market-ready solutions. Suppliers from Asia were particularly well represented, with China emerging as the clear leader with two hundred fifty-two exhibitors. The event also featured country pavilions presenting joint appearances by national brands from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Japan, Romania, Taiwan and Turkey.
The international focus directly responds to shifts in supplier relationships and sourcing strategies shaping the industry. According to official German foreign trade statistics, imports now account for approximately sixty per cent of the German furniture market, with particularly rapid growth recorded in imports from China, which rose to two point four billion euros between January and September twenty twenty-five.
Exhibitors reported positive outcomes from their participation. Fritz Bleilinger, sales manager for the German-speaking region at Man Wah, stated: “Cologne is the ideal location for a trade fair for us: excellent transport connections and an attractive venue for our global customers. Deciding to participate in imm cologne in twenty twenty-six was definitely the right move for us: We’ve established valuable new international business contacts.”
Community building and future direction
Beyond its core B2B focus, imm cologne fostered networking through an interior after-work event on the first day, where exhibitors, trade visitors and media representatives mingled in a laid-back atmosphere. Free coffee was also provided to participants each morning of the event.
The next edition of imm cologne will be hosted in Cologne from nineteen to twenty-two January twenty twenty-seven. Interested companies are already able to register and benefit from early-bird rates available until thirty April twenty twenty-six. According to Bernd Sanden, imm cologne’s director: “imm cologne twenty twenty-six has shown how important it is to adapt event formats to market conditions. We’re grateful to exhibitors and visitors for the trust they have placed in us. It has given us the encouragement we need to continue developing the trade fair’s profile for twenty twenty-seven.”
