Seth B

Posts Tagged ‘furniture fair’

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Business Card Display and Drop Box

In Sourcing and Trading on May 21, 2009 at 6:03 pm

Cool markeing ideas are hard to come up with, and even harder to execute.  Well, you don’t always need to be original…

We developed a business card display and drop box for furniture manufactures to use at their next furniture fair. While many companies do not have a drop box, often buyers in a hurry will walk by a booth and grab a card or catalog. Why not make it clear that you expect their contact info in return, so you can tell them about new designs and innovations your company has come up with.

I have seen boxes before, from nice vases to marketing boxes. I looked online for business card advertising displays, and found nothing like what I’ve seen at the shows, so we had to start from scratch. The best resource I found on google has some cool ideas, but I figured we could improve on it… Also, these did not fulfill the purpose I was looking for.

Our card box is not only a drop box, but also holds business cards in the front. As well as letting buyers know they can the factory on goodfactories.com and the factory can use us as an independent verification.

This box is not perfect, its a bit hard to set up, and the lip for the business card holder is too small, but this is a good start.

Suppliers had a good reaction to the box, but we did not anticipate the show security shutting us down.  We had to keep our mission quiet, and did not distribute as many holders as we would have liked, but we did manage to get over a hundred into appreciative suppliers booths…

Goodfactories Business Card Display Box

Goodfactories Business Card Display Box

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Take the Order

In Home Furnishings Trends, Sourcing and Trading on May 7, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Last week, looked like the beginning of the end for quite a few furniture manufactures at the furniture fairs. They were just hoping for that order that could save their business. I’m guessing, that as furniture sales are not picking up at any quick rate, this summer will be rough for many manufacturers, and we will see a spike in number closing down.

This leads me to an interesting story, I heard from a friend who buys for a big furniture retail store. He had some orders, which were pretty simple items, and wanted to help out some of his older higher quality suppliers. He brought the project to them, and told them what he needed to pay. They rejected the price and came back about 20% higher. Now, my friend is very reasonable, and the price he offered was no problem for him to get at good quality factories. He was literally trying to help the factory, because he knows they have very few orders.

2 months later, that factory closed its doors. And, he’s wondering why they would not take an order, just so they can keep their employees salaries going. Maybe they do not make money, since high-end manufacturers have a different overhead structure, but right now, it is about survival. Orders are starting to come back slowly, and the companies who survive stand to be in a good position.

What would you do?

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Indonesia Furniture Fair Video

In Sourcing and Trading on March 30, 2009 at 7:02 am

Anybody interested in finding home furnishings in Indonesia should check out this video. There were some great products and sharp prices. You can read more on the Indonesian Furniture Fair (IFFINA) on Goodfactories.com

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Sustainable Furnishings Presentation in Guangzhou

In Eco Friendly Furnshings on March 23, 2009 at 8:36 am

This was from a presentation I gave at the Guangzhou Furniture Fair last week.  Also, I wrote a series of articles on sustainable sourcing.

“Sustainability is not only our future, but also is a growing market.” Find out why consumers want green home furnishings but say they can’t find them.

Sustainable Furnishings Presentation in Guangzhou

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Singapore Furniture Fair

In Uncategorized on March 13, 2009 at 3:47 am

Wow what a cool trade show…  Lets start out this review with the basics, and not how cool I think the city is…

The trade show is pretty small, maybe 200-300 furniture and home decor companies.  At least 80% are furniture, and maybe 20% home decor (although many furniture manufacturers do sell accents, too).

They have a lot of nicer goods suppliers from around Asia.  Especially from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Mylasia.  Whats nice, is that you can get your work done, with a very nice assortment of product in a few days.  There were lots of Austrailians at the show, and it seems like the show is still primarily focused on exporting, and not as much on the actual Singapore market.

This is also the most diverse furniture show I’ve been to.  If you go to Manila FAME, or Ciff Guangzhou, all those shows tend to have a majority of local suppliers, but in Singapore, its pretty diverse, with suppliers from Singapore, Taiwan, China, Malysia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.  They are a bit higher end suppliers, but the value still seems good, and the design content is really good.

The only show I’ve been to that is more diverse, is the HK Housewares show, but that is not a furniture show, but has more home accents.

So, onto Singapore.  First off, there is a Hard Rock Cafe in the Airport!  Getting into the city is super easy, and only costs $1.20 (US) via the MRT (subway).  It goes strait to the Expo, too.  So, getting around is simple, and clean.  I’ve never been in such a clean city.  The tunnels underground are spotless and polished.

If you can find a good deal near the Raffels or anywhere downtown, its fantastic.  Really good curries can be had in the Indian Quarter (? not sure about that name).  And little pockets of nice restaurants and outdoor food stalls are scattered around the Central Business District.  Overall, I had a great time and saw some really cool products.  If the furniture indstry is really slow, the vendors here seem less worried and were quite busy.

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FOB Asia

In Sourcing and Trading on February 21, 2009 at 7:29 pm

The Feb 9th Furniture Today really highlights a trend that has long been available, but not marked so directory.  That trend is really low furniture prices FOB Asia.  Slow economic times calls for drastic marketing strategies, and it seems, lower margins.

There were 4 companies advertising furniture sets for $299.  Bella Esprit is selling a 6 piece bedroom set for $299, Acme Furniture is selling a better looking 5 piece set for $299, U.S. Furniture is selling bonded leather sofa and loveseat sets for $299, and Williams Imports is selling 3 piece sofa sets for $339.

These prices are probably not ground breaking in the industry, but each of these companies has placed large advertisements to attract buyers at this winter’s Las Vegas Market Furniture Fair.  Actually, there have not been many adds in Furniture Today or other home furnishing trade magazines, that spell out how cheap companies can buy, direct from Asia.

Direct marketing by furniture manufacturers will probably keep increasing, as sales keep declining, and companies need to stand out among the competition.

Bella Esprit

Bella Esprit

Acme Furniture

Acme Furniture

U.S. Furniture Inc.

U.S. Furniture Inc.

William's Imports

William's Imports

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Furniture Fairs in Asia (Spring 09)

In Sourcing and Trading on February 9, 2009 at 11:52 pm

A comprehensive list of Asian home furnishing fairs this spring, with insider details.
To view the article with links, please go to the Furniture Fair Guide

Asian Furniture Fairs

Asian Furniture Fairs

February

India Carpet Expo (Feb 12 – 15)
Almost 200 carpet manufacturers and exporters will attend this fair in New Delhi.

Ambiente Frankfurt (Feb 13-17)
The passage sections of Ambiente feature suppliers and manufacturers from around the world. A great show for home décor and housewares.

Indian handicrafts and Gifts Fair (Feb 25 – Mar 28 )
The biggest furniture and home accent fair in India. Fantastic products and great values for people looking to source in India with over 1000 suppliers.

March

India Houseware & Gift Fair (Mar 1 – 3)
-Smaller than IHGF, there are still more than 500 suppliers in handicrafts, housewares, and textiles.

MIFF Malaysia (Mar 3 – 7)
-More than 500 Malaysian furniture manufacturers and exporters.

Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition (Mar 5 – 8 )
-A smaller show with all the top local Cebu manufacturers and designers.

Manila Now (Mar 5 – 8 )
-More than 100 furniture and home décor suppliers.

IFFS Singapore (Mar 9 – 12)
-One of the leading furniture fairs in Asia for good design.

IFFINA Indonesia (Mar 11 – 15)
-The largest furniture fair in Indonesia

VIFA Vietnam (Mar 11 – 14)
-A smaller furniture fair with around 100 suppliers. This fair has more furniture companies, and not as many accessory suppliers as the fall HCMC Expo.

TIFF Thailand (Mar 11 – 15)
-200 Thai home furnishings suppliers

Dongguan Famous Furniture Fair (Mar 16-20)
-A huge furniture fair near the heart of furniture city in Houjie. Also, there is a home accent and lighting section.

CIFF Guangzhou, China (Mar 18 – 21)
The biggest and best furniture fair in China in the Spring. Also running concurrently are sections for home accents and housewares.

SIFE Shenzhen (Mar 19 – 22)
Another huge furniture fair, not as large as the other two shows running at the same time, but still very big and lots of manufacturers at this show.

SFIFC Metal Furniture Fair – Bazhou City, Hebei, China (Mar 23 – 25)
-Primarily dealing with glass and metal furniture, it seems focused on office furniture and has over 1000 manufacturers at the exhibition.

Premier Vision China (Mar 30 – 31)
-One of the best fabric shows in China

April

Hong Kong International Lighting -Spring (Apr 13 – 16)
-The premier fall Asian lighting fair is now twice a year. Manufacturers and suppliers are from around the world, but a majority are Chinese and HK companies. It seems there are not nearly as many companies at the spring event and only occupies one tenth of the floor space.

Manila F.A.M.E (Apr 15 – 18 )
-The largest home furnishings fair in the Phillipines

The Canton Fair (Apr 15 -19, Apr 24 – 28, May 3 – 7)
-One of the oldest, and by far the biggest home furnishing fair in the world (if you include the surrounding fairs). Phase 2 (Apr 24 – 28 ) of the canton fair is when most of home furnishings suppliers show there. Phase 1 includes lighting, and Phase 3 has home textiles, carpets and rugs. Overall, there are over a million square meters of exhibition space and over 50,000 suppliers. Please note, that while there are more furniture manufacturers now attending the canton fair, it is still not as good as the CIFF for furniture, but it is much better for Home Accents. Four fairs are within walking distance. To read more about these fairs Click Here.

Hong Kong Housewares (Apr 20 – 23)
-One of the best houseware fairs in the world, there are thousands of manufacturers from China, India, Asia, and other parts of the world. Products are housewares, textiles, handicrafts, and a level of Pet Supplies.

China Sourcing Fair: Home Products + India Sourcing Fair: Home Products (Apr 20 – 23)
-Both fairs are at one location in Hong Kong (the Expo Center, near the airport). This is an unassociated extension of the Hong Kong Houseware fair. Expect to find thousands more suppliers. But, since the HK Housewares is the premium event, suppliers at this event typically are waiting to get a space at the HK Convention Center. Shuttles and the train make it easy to travel back and forth between events.

Hong Kong Gifts and Premiums (Apr 27 – 30)
-A huge event, not nearly as much for home furnishings buyers as these are less expensive products, but some similar categories, include promotional picture frames, ceramic gifts, and clocks. Also running at the same time, is the China Sourcing Fair: Gifts & Premiums (Apr 28 – May 1), at the Asia World Expo in Hong Kong.

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Sofa Styles and New Features from Sofa Manufacturers

In Home Furnishings Trends on January 18, 2009 at 6:16 pm

Slow markets do not mean that designers and furniture manufacturers have not been hard at work.  Recent additions to product lines are now entering retail, and looking good.  Some recent press has been out in a few categories.

Two-over-two sofas have long been popular in contemporary designs, but have had an up and down relationship with traditional styles.  It seems they may becoming more popular now, but an important point to note, is the width of the Sofa.  A two-over-two sofa should not be more than 85” wide and in traditional designs, probably not over 76” wide, according to experts.  The reason being, that the consumer often perceives the three-over-three sofa as being slightly more seating, and a better value.  But, this said, the featured sofa images in this article are over 76” wide…

Two by Two sofa by Craft Master

Two by Two sofa by Craft Master

Fabric two by two, by Broyhill

Fabric two by two, by Broyhill

Urban Style has been gaining popularity, slow but steady, especially in the younger generations.  This style, is modern, but not contemporary.  People buying furniture for their homes in America, still need to work with the house they live in (the majority of homes still being of a traditional design) the furniture needs to work.  Urban style crosses these lines, by keeping comfortable features like wood, but adds clean lines.

Urban sectional by Barcalounger Home

Urban sectional by Barcalounger Home

Urban Style sofa by Taylor King

Urban Style sofa by Taylor King

New Functions are being added to recliners at a rapid rate.  Taking from the success of reclining chairs, new features are finding their way into the sofa market.  Some really interesting concepts:

Ventilated cushions, which can be adjusted to produce heat or a cool breeze.

Motion activated foot rests, the user can just pass their hand outside the arm panel while seated, to get the footrest to deploy.

Audio Hook Up, the latest in  High End Home Entertainment turns your recliner and  entertainment sofas into full surround sound, bass booming throughout your body, in your face excitement.  These come highly recommended by audio enthusiasts!

Adjustable Firmness, adjustable air cushions inside allow a user to adjust the firmness of the cushions and seat backs.

Look at all the options! By Berkline

Look at all the options! By Berkline

So, be on the watch at the next furniture fair for these trends and more.

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