Furniture makers eye Asean market

LOCAL furniture manufacturers are looking to expand their businesses to new markets overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia, while tapping strong local demand.

“The forecast globally is that in the next 10 to 15 years, Asia would be the fastest-growing region. so we really shouldn’t look too far,” Nicolaas de Lange, chairman of the board of the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), said in an interview on the sidelines of the Philippines International Furniture Show.

As the Philippines chairs the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Furniture Industries Council (AFIC) for 2019 to 2020, de Lange said the country can take advantage of its position to enable local furniture makers to explore markets within the region.

“Traditionally, we want to sell to the US (United States). We want to sell to Europe. But if the fastest-growing region is our own region, then we really should be studying our region a little better and try to focus on it a little more,” he said.

De Lange, also secretary general of the AFIC, noted that the Philippines aims to increase intra-trade in Asean within the next two years.

“I think it makes the most sense for us either to sell or to collaborate. A lot of them are wanting to come to the Philippines... Everybody wants a piece of our pie.”

Apart from Southeast Asian countries, de Lange said industry players are targeting specific markets, citing Qatar.

“We are looking at identifying markets and then hopefully, working with the trade attaches that we have there to identify which companies would be potentials for us to deal with. And then hopefully, find the way to meet those companies, introduce our companies to them, and then tell them that the Philippines has a lot of talented designers and we can actually design and develop products specifically for them,” he stressed.

To meet buyers’ needs, de Lange noted it is imperative to improve the product development process.

“Our product development process is very general, a little scattered. We just design what we think looks nice, what we think is in trend, but we don’t really design with the specific market in mind,” he said.

De Lange also underscored the need to promote the business at trade shows and exhibitions as they also tap the robust local market.

“I guess the growth (this year) would come if at all from the local market. I think the local market is what is keeping a lot of companies alive. Some companies have really focused more on the domestic market already rather than exports,” he said. (Philexport News And Features)

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