Everyone is affected by the current difficult times, but don’t get carried away with the so called bargains which are being offered.  Even now, you really do get what you pay for.
The Far East has seen the effect of the world slowdown, and are selling off lots of old stock at  ridiculous prices; UK dealers are then selling this stuff on at absolute minimum margins, just to keep the cash flowing. So you may pay a lot less than you expected, but in the longer term the hidden costs will catch up with you. A limited guarantee and the lack of spare parts will mean that your great office furniture deal will reach its end of useful life much sooner than you expected.

We expect that by the end of 2009, the price of imported office desks will have risen to such a degree, that UK manufactured furniture will be able to compete on price. It already beats the competition on quality, style, construction, service life, and after sales service, and will therefore offer consumers even better value for money than it does now.

The weakening of the pound is the main reason that imported products are becoming more expensive, although the world-wide fall in demand in general, means that the large companies producing cheap goods, do not have the same benefit from economies of scales, and have had to increase prices to cover their increased unit costs.  In addition, countries such as China has seen substantial wage increases, as workers start to desire the same things that we have taken for granted for many years.

So the effects of the so called recession, although pretty dire in the short term, should leave the UK in a much stronger position in the medium to longer term, to compete on a global market and at home. Some of the advantages of cheap labour and an expensive pound have started to reduce, making the playing field more level for British Companies to compete. We still have ( and will always will ) the additional business burden of excessive red tape, and overcomplicated tax system, and a Health and Safety Directive that borders on Insanity, but UK Businesses have been dealing with this for years.

So by ignoring the flashy cheap deals and sticking with the traditional UK office furniture suppliers you will be buying a better made product with a proper design and after-sales service. The products will have been originally designed and rigorously tested, according to UK standards and regulations.  The quality of construction will be immediately apparent (from our experience it seems that most  Chinese welders buy their equipment from B and Q) as they are more experienced in their field of manufacture.  Equally important is the fact that your chosen  range  will still be available in years to come. This is very important when you consider that your furniture investment is designed to last for at least 10 to 15 years, so you will need to add to the range in future years.

We have stressed many times that you need to be looking for value for money rather than cheapest cost, as there is more to purchasing office furniture than just the price.
Failing to consider all of the requirements of your investment can lead to a much higher cost than you originally anticipated.