U.S. furniture execs solicit buyers at Shanghai show
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, October 5, 2008
SHANGHAI, China — Several U.S. furniture executives were among the international exhibitors vying for Chinese buyers at the 14th China International Furniture Expo.
The American contingent included officials from Ashley, Emerald Home Furnishings, Fine Furniture Shanghai and Lifestyle Holdings Pte. The latter two showed lines marketed in the U.S. by Fine Furniture Design & Marketing and Lifestyle Enterprise.
In addition to seeking to sell to the China market, these exhibitors were pitching their mostly western-style lines to buyers from Europe, the Middle East and other parts of Asia.
Lifestyle showed a line of leather and fabric upholstery and drew buyers from Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom. The U.K. remains its strongest export market, followed by Australia, said Managing Director James Riddle.
Ashley, showing in Shanghai for the fifth time, saw a number of buyers from Australia, New Zealand and Europe. This was the first time the company showed upholstery and case goods groups designed and scaled for international markets, rather than its typical U.S. line.
Emerald has a Shanghai area office and warehouse, so it made sense to have a presence at the show, said David Beckmann, president.
“It's more strategic than anything else,” he said, noting that by the third day of the show, the company had seen customers from countries including England, Ireland, Sweden, Australia and Dubai.
Emerald's lineup included mostly small-scale urban contemporary upholstery, plus some casual dining and occasional.
“We feel (the show) has a little broader appeal since there are people from all markets here,” Beckmann said.
Fine Furniture showed several case goods collections that had already been introduced in the United States, including Kildare, which has traditional Irish, Scottish and French design influences.
As one of the higher priced lines in China, Fine Furniture sells to just a small segment of the nation's population. Still, that's a lot of people, said Michael Moh, company chairman.
“The China market will continue to grow in importance,” he said, noting that the company also has 15 stores in the country, including three that are company-owned.
Moh said the Shanghai show is important partly because it introduces the proprietors of those and other Chinese retail venues to the product line.
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