Acrylicore expanding reach with China stores
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, January 7, 2007
Gardena, Calif. — On its Web site, high-end acrylic furniture manufacturer Acrylicore touts its ability to export quality products to the world.
The company is putting that claim to the test in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.
In late October, it opened its first store in an 800,000-square-foot furniture mall in Guangzhou, China, called The Expo Center. The 9,000-square-foot store showcases about 80% of the company's line of acrylic dining room, bedroom and occasional furniture, as well as sculptures and accessories.
Called Shahrooz Home Fashions, the store is named after company CEO Shahrooz Nia. However, Nia said the store is a franchise location, owned and operated by a third party.
Two more Shahrooz Home Fashions stores were set to open in China in late December, in the Pudong section of Shanghai. One is a 2,000-square-foot company-owned store, and the other is a 4,000-square-foot franchise location.
As Acrylicore's first retail locations anywhere, the stores represent a milestone in the 14-year-old company's international development.
The company, which manufactures in Gardena, Calif., introduced its modern line to the Chinese market at a show in Shanghai about eight years ago. It left that show, but pursued the market more vigorously at the International Famous Furniture Fair in Houjie in 2004 and has received positive reaction, according to Nia.
As its line gained exposure, the company made the necessary contacts to begin opening the stores. Shahrooz said the timing for such a move wasn't quite right, until recently.
"The Chinese people have more money to spend now," he said.
He added that the Acrylicore product also is unique enough from a design and materials standpoint to be successful with Chinese consumers.
In the United States, the company's average cocktail table will retail for $1,500, while an average dining table sells for about $3,000. Pricing has been adjusted downward China, but it remains very much a high-end product.
Nia said he believes the product's unique nature and quality materials will help distinguish it in the Chinese marketplace.
"It is a fast-growing country," he said. "I see them wanting American furniture badly, especially unique designs. There is more demand for modern styles around the world."
