BEST PORTUGAL BRANDS
Joana Beirão's article
Home & Lifestyle trends 2026: Challenges, Opportunities and the obligation of Multichannel Marketing
This background article, It is written in the first person, for all those who believe that the future of Portuguese design and production lies in understanding trends, recognize challenges and act on opportunities. A personal and strategic look at what is expected from the Home & Lifestyle sector in 2026 and beyond.
The Home and Lifestyle sector in Portugal goes through a deep transformation, driven by new consumer demands in light of resource conservation and purposes, he need for sustainable differentiation, and the constant effort to reposition national brands in the global market. And that's without even mentioning AI.. As a professional attentive to these dynamics, I notice that the pressure to innovate is accelerated, but given the gap in the modernity of business models, our challenge is greater than in more agile economies.
The reentrés are given to action and reflections, and in this I decided to gladly share with, a personal analysis as a way of shedding light on some of the emerging trends that I consider to be structural - and which, partly, also help to explain the new and future directions of the Portugal Faz Bem platform.. I am talking about multifunctionality, circularity, distinctive local identity, and sustainability. These essentialities are well known, as the key pillars or ensuring our viability on planet Earth.
What we are missing then to be better in this? We need to open ourselves up to real connections, genuine encounters, and a true exchange of knowledge.. And it is precisely at this point that multichannel marketing becomes crucial: from analog to digital, including artificial intelligence, respectful strategic communication today is unavoidable to reinforce visibility, credibility, and competitiveness of Portuguese brands around the world.
Topázio – 150 Years of knowing how to do in silver jewelry
In this context, It makes sense to present the relaunch of Easydecor Box, now integrated on the Portugal Faz Bem platform,, as well as GPT PFB® IA, our new smart assistant who acts as a curated tool, commercial activation and sensory discovery of the best of national production. These proposals designed to boost the Home & Lifestyle sector in Portugal, contributing to the value of know-how through meaningful experiences that, beyond your commercial activity, should communicate a more conscious and sustainable future..
New Trends in Habitat and Lifestyle
In my opinion, emerging trends show how habitats and lifestyle are evolving, revealing changes that go far beyond aesthetics: they reflect new cultural, environmental and emotional, on our time, to which business models must necessarily adapt..
1. Multifunctionality of spaces
The home is no longer just a place to sleep and spend the weekend, it has become an office, gym, studio and refuge. In other words, we are fortunate to be spending more time there. Versatility in design, modular furniture and smart solutions are increasingly central, to respond to dynamic lifestyles.
2. Circularity and Reuse
The product life cycle gains new relevance. Brands and designers explore recycled materials, second life pieces and processes that prolong the durability, transforming residues into resources, that require direct impact on management models;
3. Local Identity and Culture
The global no longer overshadows the local: there is growing demand for pieces that tell stories, translate traditions and affirm an aesthetic rooted in contexts, territories and knowledge, in our case, Portuguese.;
4. Sustainability as Essence
No longer a trend, it is imperative. Responsible production, conscious consumption and transparency in processes are today fundamental criteria, for consumers and professionals alike. It is a requirement that has come much faster than production has been able to adapt, continuing to be a major challenge after years of production that followed other paths;
5. Emotion and Well-being in Design
Beyond their function, paces seek to nurture. Happiness must be present in the chromatic palette, in the choice of natural materials and in the creation of sensory environments that must be designed, and conceived, to generate collective comfort, emotional well-being and daily wellbeing.
6. Digital Convergence and Artificial Intelligence
From design to communication, technology is increasingly supporting tool for creation, personalisation and consumer engagement. AI, in particular, opens new ways of thinking and communicating Portuguese living and lifestyle to the world, but it also reinforces and reminds us of the importance of slow processes for their own pleasure, manual, rooted, which call for contemporaneity.
Gencork – Soofalca design pieces and artistic direction by Le Brimet, at the service of the cork industry.
Advantages for Portuguese production
We have all realized that Portuguese production has some natural competitive advantages in this context: it combines tradition and innovation in a balance conducive to meeting the trend referred to, hard to find in other markets, which we must take advantage of.
While many countries seek to reinvent processes that were once geared towards maximised production, Portugal starts from a solid heritage of know-how, where multifunctionality, sustainability and local identity are still rooted, capable of being integrated into new production and business models – doing little but doing it well, perhaps the idea of collectables collectables, opening up the possibility of increasing added value.. This foundation lends authenticity to national brands and puts them in a privileged position to respond to global demands for differentiation, quality, and environmental awareness.
This combination, in my view, gives the & Portuguese Home & Lifestyle sector a rare identity that is difficult to replicate. Our brands are based on deep-rooted know-how, whether in ceramics, furniture, textile or footwear, which, when combined with contemporary design, technological innovation and growing focus on sustainability, can gain real competitive advantages. This perceptible balance between tradition and modernity generates confidence, reinforces authenticity and can position Portugal as a natural response to major global trends: circularity, multifunctionality and search for uniqueness, almost personalized.
However, this is where the real challenge begins: transforming these qualities into a joint dynamic, supported by clear, strategic and multi-channel communication, for renewed business models. Producing well is no longer enough - it is necessary rase awareness, explain processes, open doors and share stories that reveal the real commitment to the future. Only then will trends cease to be signs of change and become concrete opportunities, affirming Portugal as a global benchmark in responsible innovation, with unique conditions to strengthen the sector's competitiveness, both at home and abroad.
Lobo Apparel: Production and intrinsic value in local production
What the structural challenges we face and cannot be ignored?
After 8 years of interacting with the manufacturing market, ie with industry and manuality, my humble analysis as a designer and enthusiast for the world of know-how, would suggest that competition based on low prices is constantly putting pressure on the market, making it essential to differentiate through quality, distinctive design and storytelling that values this national savoir- fair. At the same time, production costs, from energy to logistics and raw materials, which continue to rise, demand efficiency and innovation in processes. Added to these pressures are increasingly demanding environmental and technical standards, which force companies to invest in certification and sustainable practices, which, if not grasped immediately, take time to implement, that we do not have.
Another critical axis is the availability of talent and the ability to adapt to new consumption formats. The lack of attractiveness and consequent lack of specialized labor threatens the continuity of know-how, making it a priority to act continuously on this point, in order to increase retention and professional development.. At the same time, digitalisation accelerates and redefines behaviours, requiring quick and effective responses that ensure competitiveness.. In this scenario, the international visibility of Portuguese brands depends not only on the quality of what they produce, but also the firm commitment to multi-channel marketing, and distribution networks that open the way not always and only to the same ones, but above all to new opportunities..
Dipløria Boardshorts: Entrepreneurship and Portuguese Lifestyle
Opportunities for 2026 and Beyond
The future holds potential for sustained growth. The export of added value must be strategic, and supported by storytelling storytelling. I always advocate exporting through those who visit us: Where are the Portuguese brands at this point? Partnerships with hospitality, construction, architecture and design, and tourism are fundamental. Special editions and artistic collaborations elevate the product. Direct sales and presence in marketplaces increase scale and visibility. And innovation in materials and processes (from circularity to bio-matter), opens doors to new markets.
Marketing is a Portuguese critical point!
If we know how to make and produce, what should we do next, in the value chain? Have the ability to communicate and project this value. The Portuguese sector no longer needs to prove technical competence or quality, as this is recognised in many areas. What is missing is the ability to transform this knowledge-do into consistent narratives, capable to reaching markets, creating differentiation and generate desire. This is where multichannel communication, strategic design and storytelling storytelling become as crucial as, the act of production itself..
It is also necessary to build solid bridges: between tradition and innovation, between industry and consumer, between local and global and between projects. The future of & Portuguese Home & Lifestyle does not depending solely on what we do inside factories or workshops, but on how we managed to open their doors, share stories and create connections, close and genuine associations.
Producing well is the foundation; promoting with vision is what guarantees recognition of relevance, competitiveness, and a prominent place in the world. We have to be marketing engineers and designers, we need to communicate on all fronts, integrate traditional tools, digital and artificial. From analogical marketing, with catalogs, trade fairs, showrooms and public relations, to marketing digital, where storytelling, SEO, Geo and social networks gain increasing weight, each channel contributes to reinforce the presence of the brand. The commercial dimension, whether in physical points of sale, unique-brand stores or e-commerce, remains vital, while artificial intelligence opens new possibilities for personalization, Intelligent recommendations, stock management and data analysis, enhancing global competitiveness.
Although we produce with quality and have unique stories to tell, the truth is that Portuguese representation in this global communication and visibility process is still limited, both nationally and, International, given what we produce..
In this context, makes sense to present the relaunch of EasyDecor Box now integrated on the Portugal Faz Bem platform,, as well as the GPT PFB® IT, our new smart assistant who acts as a curated tool, commercial activation and sensory discovery of the best of national production. These proposals designed to boost the Home & Lifestyle sector in Portugal, that contribute on its part to the value of know-how through meaningful experiences which, beyond your commercial activity, hould enable a more conscious and sustainable future..
At tha same time, the GPT PFB® IT, an intelligent assistant integrated into the Portugal Faz Bem Portugal Faz Bem, developed during August and still in the testing phase in partnership with OpenAi, with the aim of supporting the credible discovery,, organisation and active promotion of Portuguese brands in the Home & Lifestyle trends , and Industrial Tourism. To be integrated in this API brands and factories must register on the platform, subscribe a plan, and to this end we have adapted the Professional plan.
Two complementary tools, one analog and the another generative, which we now propose to promote and put at the service of enhancing national design and production, to build bridges between those who create, those who produces and who seek the best that Portugal has to offer, always with our curatorship and credibility.
Learn more about the relaunch of EasyDecor Box No separator EasyDecor menu, and about the new GPT PFB® IT by trying, it out now that we are in the first phase of testing.