Shenzhen looks to broaden focus
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
Shenzhen, China — Domestic and international buyers found a mix of traditional and contemporary case goods and upholstery at the Shenzhen furniture market here last month.
Held March 19–22 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, the 20th Shenzhen International Furniture, Home Decoration Material and Accessory Exhibition featured about 600 furniture and related exhibitors.
Official numbers weren't available at press time, but the March 2006 show drew some 79,000 visitors, including about 8,000 international visitors from 106 countries.
Given the large majority of domestic buyers, much of the product here is designed and scaled for the Chinese market.
Much of that mix was characterized by heavily carved, ornate case goods and sofas with thick frames and cushioning.
Domestic buyers were largely drawn to Old World, European traditional designs, and even some cottage-style pieces with white finishes and hand-painted motifs.
Opening day traffic was heavy, and many visitors walked through the showrooms more like window shoppers than buyers interested in ordering product. Some of them may have been consumers, who sometimes are admitted to Chinese shows, even on opening day.
Some showrooms wrote orders and many exhibitors clearly had their eye on the export market.
That included Shanghai Shaks Furniture Co., a first-time exhibitor whose line features European-inspired bedroom, dining room, occasional and upholstery. Last year, exports sales came to about $40 million, with the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, the Middle East, Russia and the United States important markets.
The United States accounts for about 10% of Shanghai Shaks' total sales, and the company hopes to make more inroads in the U.S. market, said Selina Wu, board chairman and general manager.
SZStory, another first-time exhibitor, had a contemporary line of upholstery and matching occasional tables. It does only about $200,000 in exports a year, and hopes to use the Shenzhen show as a springboard to boost international sales.
"It's a very good platform," said Jian Jun, SZStory managing director, noting he plans to be at the August show here.
Leather upholstery and occasional table manufacturer Kingsong Furniture Co. has shown in Shenzhen for the past three years and likes the show's international traffic.
That's an important draw for the company, which relies on exports for roughly 80% of sales. Half of that comes from North America, said Export Director Michael Chan, who saw Canadian and U.S. buyers at the show.
"Shenzhen is getting more and more overseas buyers," Chan said, noting his company plans to show in Las Vegas in the future.
Kingsong, which sells sofa, loveseat and chair groups at $800 FOB Shenzhen, also plans a 60,000-square-foot expansion of its Shenzhen factory for the production of TV cabinets and consoles. The expansion, planned for sometime next year, would bring the facility to about 270,000 square feet, Chan said.
Shenzhen-based Alexandre International showed a line of largely high-end traditional and transitional case goods and upholstery. Most goods were tailored to the U.S. and other markets, including the Middle East, Korea and Japan.
"Less than 10% of our domestic product is here," said CEO Eddy Hsiao, noting that some of these items are scaled differently.
The market was spread out over 11 halls representing about 1.6 million square feet of show space. Show organizers hope to move the event to a new 3 million-plus square-foot facility near the Shenzhen airport. Such a facility, which could be finished as early as 2009, could help boost the image of the show as a more international, export-oriented event.
The show also hopes to emphasize design, quality and innovation to attract more buyers from the United States and other markets.
