Romanians’ appetite for home automation has led to a 29% increase in Somfy Romania’s business

Somfy Romania, the world leader shading automation for homes and buildings, but also a key player in the smart home industry, announces a 29% increase in business in 2021, driven by very accelerated sales and the strong trend of home and building automation, both indoors and outdoors.

The growth rate of Somfy connected products was over 40% in 2021, a substantial increase, but still strongly affected by the lack of electronic components. Our estimates are that this trend will accelerate in the next period, when we will see more and more connected homes, with interoperable services, from different origins, but fully integrated.

Globally, Somfy Group’s sales reached 1.48 billion euros in 2021, an increase of 17.6% compared to the previous financial year. Among the areas with an important contribution to this performance is Eastern Europe, with an increase of 19.7%. For the past 10 years, the Somfy Group has worked to make the smart home ecosystem the most complete and open on the market and has sold 200 million engines in the company’s history.

“The spectacular growth of local sales last year, with an even faster dynamics than that of Eastern Europe or that of the Group, confirms the fact that Romanians increasingly perceive housing as a solid investment. The market for renovations and new constructions has seen a substantial growth since June 2020, which is based on the desire of consumers to invest in comfort, but also to save energy.

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Management change at Somfy Romania and Moldova

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We have made every effort to respond to this extremely dynamic growth, both locally and globally. The sales, production, procurement, logistics teams were mobilised, as well as the research and development department, which rethought the design of the products to a future generation from a technological point of view, that would allow overcoming this crisis of electronic components. Our priority for 2022 will be to maintain a high level of commitment to best serve our customers”, said Vlad Rovo, Country Manager of Somfy Romania and Moldova.

The company’s development plans and the evolution of the industry in 2022

The context of the electronic components crisis, together with the pressure of the price of raw materials and supply problems, continues to limit the predictability for the current year and determines the company to remain reserved.

Despite the ongoing global challenges, the Group is significantly stepping up its investment to strengthen the production capacity in order to sustain growth, continues its innovation efforts, adapts its logistics and accelerate its digitization.

Also locally, in 2022 the company will increase the role of digital interaction with partners and will develop new working methods that will increase the speed, the quality of installation processes and product configuration. In this purpose, Somfy Romania launches a whole suite of revolutionary digital applications, which make the work of its partners easier at every step of their relationship with customers, from sales, commissioning and post-sales repairs.

Regarding the evolution of the industry in 2022, there are already a number of factors that will further stimulate the level of orders, which is already at a significantly higher level than anticipated. Among these factors we mention the extension of up to 140,000 euros of the ceiling for new homes with a 5% VAT rate, the need for key selling points of real estate developers, the increasing demands of buyers in terms of design, quality, comfort and energy efficiency, the new energy performance requirements for buildings or funds available through “PNRR – Component 5 – Renewal Wave”.

“However, the regional geopolitical situation, the economic evolution of our country and the changes related to the monetary and fiscal policy, can raise challenges that we cannot quantify at this moment”, added Vlad Rovo.