Shunde fitting place for fine furnishing

Many small cities in those provinces have decided to develop their furniture industry in line with the national and regional governments' 12th five-year plans (2011-15). Governments in those provinces and cities are drawing up policies that are more favorable for this industry, Qian said, but those in Guangdong have not.

Louvre Furniture Exhibition Center in Lecong town, Shunde, covering 120,000 square meters. As one of the largest furniture sourcing centers in the country, it houses markets for both furniture and materials. Provided to China Daily

With regard to the quality and design of products, Shunde has also had the chair pulled from beneath it by European furniture manufacturers, particularly in Italy and Germany.

"In terms of quantity, China is the world's largest furniture manufacturer, but compared with Italy, our products have much lower added value," said Hu Lingxiao, deputy manager of Shunde Empire Furniture, one of the largest shopping malls in the district, which saw sales growth drop from the double-digit figures in previous years to single-digits in 2012.

"If we want to catch up with Italy, we need to start with design, including the cultivation of our taste and the education of designers, which I think will be a long process."

Now, in the spirit of its famous sons, Bruce Lee and fellow martial arts legends Wong Fei-hung and Yip Man, Shunde's furniture businesses are fighting back. They are working together, improving their craftsmanship, image and reputation.

In August, 30 leading Shunde furniture producers formed the Brand Union of Shunde Furniture to promote its furniture and increase its competitive strength.

"Shunde doesn't lack good products but a united brand that will receive recognition from consumers," said Zhou Zhenyang, deputy director of Shunde Furniture Association.

That move is aimed primarily at the domestic market, with Shunde furniture producers seeking more market share in second- and third-tier cities.

Internationally, for the export market, Riccardo Ribechi, business and regional manager of European furniture designer and manufacturer Poltrona Frau Group from Italy, outlines the challenges Shunde faces.

"Chinese furniture has made a lot of progress over the years, but the gap is still very big," he said, citing his visit to the 2012 Furniture Fair in Cologne, Germany, where he saw many Chinese furniture companies.

"The quality in general is good enough, the difference is in design.

"The design of Chinese furniture is very simple and not really up to date. There is a lack of research in terms of design, new materials and technical solutions. It is difficult for me to mention a good example of Chinese furniture."

Qian, who as well as being general manager of Shunde's giant trading center is executive president of Shunde Furniture Design Institute, accepts the criticism up to a point.

"I think the general design level in Shunde lags 10 years behind that of Italy, but in certain projects, our level is comparable," he said.

 

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