Furniture imports find niche in Furniture City
Demand for furniture and home furnishing products in Cebu and its neighboring islands has enjoyed a steady growth alongside the development of more hotels, condominiums and restaurants, and the maturity of the consumer market as increased purchasing power of the middle class adds to the vibrancy of the industry.
This heightened demand has made room for greater competition among both locally made products and foreign imports. This friendly competitive environment can clearly be seen in The Furniture City, touted to be the biggest showroom in Cebu.
Showcasing its items alongside local yet export-oriented companies within Furniture City are imported furniture from USA Sofa Beds, which imports sofa beds straight from the U.S., and Maverick Penaranda, that features Indonesian furniture. Yet amid this increased demand, the challenge for these imported furniture sellers remains in reaching its target market.
“We have been doing business with the high-end market. We have been finding the people that can afford it, and they love our products,” said Dominic Saracino, chief executive officer of USA Sofa Beds Inc.
The niche market for quality products that USA Sofa Beds has attracted has also appreciated the added option of customization.
“We have a selection of sofa beds here in The Furniture City. The good thing is that you can choose the model of the sofa that is on the floor, choose the fabric, choose the mattress, choose the size, and we custom make these for you. We send the order to the U.S. Within 60 days, it arrives, and that is when we have it delivered to you,” Saracino said.
Likewise, Milagros Notarte of Maverick Penaranda claims there is a market here in the region for their imported furniture.
“A lot of customers appreciate our furniture that is imported from Indonesia because it is mostly made of solid wood that is more durable in comparison to other furniture now available locally. Indonesian furniture also has a particular look, with intri- cate carvings.”
Maverick Penaranda also imports furniture from India and Thailand to add to the selection of intricately carved and durable wood pieces, some of which are on display at The Furniture City.
The Furniture City has branches along Hernan Cortes St. across Mandaue Foam, and in Barangay Jagobiao beside Savemore Supermarket.