Singapore Mozaic members and local furniture companies who participated at the recent Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010 in Milan reported that the group surpassed their sales achieved in 2009. Furniture spot orders at the event amounted to S$500,000 (354,000 USD), a healthy increase of 100 per cent compared to last year’s S$250,000. Participating companies also performed equally well in follow-on sales, hitting a total of S$3.4 million, almost double the S$1.8 million achieved in 2009. Targets for sales under negotiation also surpassed expectations, increasing by 200 per cent to a staggering S$1.3 million.
With the support of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and DesignSingapore Council, the 14 member delegation, comprising some of Singapore’s leading furniture companies and design-centric firms, contributed to a growing presence of Singapore furniture on the international scene at the Milan show. The excellent showing by Singapore Mozaic members such as Air Division Pte Ltd, Koda Ltd, Getz Bros & Co (S) Pte Ltd, Lorenzo International Ltd, Star Furniture Pte Ltd and Univonna Pte Ltd as well as Singapore companies, Cilicon Faytory, Think Design and BI & L, contributed to the increased sales at this year’s event held from 14-19 April 2010.
Mr Andrew Ng, President of SFIC, said: "We are pleased with the overwhelming positive response towards Singapore furniture at this year’s show. The boost in sales reaffirms our country’s reputation as a strong player in the international market and one that is highly capable of offering a wide portfolio of quality, well-crafted home products and accessories at competitive prices. We are also thrilled to note that our success in this sector of the global arena is clear testament to the fact that the international market is actively seeking out Singapore furniture’s finest. With an enhanced brand image of the Singapore furniture industry as a credible player and business partner on the world stage, we are more confident than ever of reaching our goal of become the furniture hub of Asia."
Added Mr Yew Sung Pei, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of IE Singapore, "The strength of Singapore furniture companies’ designs are coming through superbly, as evidenced by the growing presence of Singapore companies at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile and increased sales figures achieved at the show. As Singapore furniture companies continue to innovate and grow, backed by their forward-looking business practices and outward looking perspective, IE Singapore will continue to help our furniture players expand to new and more diverse markets overseas, and gain greater market share worldwide."
The Singapore exhibitors were eagerly received at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010 as they collectively showcased a diverse range of furniture and furnishing products and accessories ranging from contemporary kitchen furniture and fittings to home furniture and accent pieces. The participants garnered much interest from the top-tier international buyers and manufacturers at the fair, including France, Italy and Russia.
In particular, Cilicon Faytory’s "Fairies" collection met with strong response with several buyers praising the furniture’s quality craftsmanship and intricate designs. The company, together with fellow design companies, Jarrod Lim Design and Nathan Yong Design, were also selected by Designboom, a leading independent international design publication, to showcase their products at the upcoming "Asia Now" exhibition in Los Angeles from 25 to 27 June 2010, a show exploring Asia’s design culture.
Said Lui Hon Fay, co-founder of Cilicon Faytory, "We were extremely busy during the show. The Fairies collection, in particular, received numerous accolades from the international buyers, with many being intrigued by the delightful mix of traditional Asian feel and modern furniture design form. The design concept is reflective of what the Singapore culture is about – a fusion of East and West. It was a breath of fresh air to the European market, which explains why it caught the attention of many high-end furniture distributors."
First-time exhibitor at the Milan show, BI & L, impressed buyers from Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, Australia and Italy with their products, particularly with their kitchen technological innovations and stainless steel works. Said Mr Trevor Siew, Marketing and Business Development Manager for BI & L, "We were impressed by the huge number of visitors to our booth and the interest they had in our products. Along with all the inspiring conversations we’ve had with other international exhibitors and buyers, this trip was definitely a worthwhile one."
Singapore designers, D’Lab, Jarrod Lim Design, Nathan Yong Design, Out of Stock and Studio Juju, also showcased their creative works at SaloneSatellite, an area devoted to young designers at Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
Singapore Mozaic is a unique B2B industry furniture brand led by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and supported by government agencies, IE Singapore and SPRING Singapore. The brand represents the finest in Singapore furniture, bringing together an array of successful Singapore furniture companies that offer a diverse portfolio of quality, well-designed products at reasonable prices. There are currently 35 ambassadors for Singapore Mozaic, each possessing qualities synonymous with the strengths of the Singapore furniture industry. Singapore Mozaic will next be showcasing its arrays of high quality, stylist and functional products at the renowned INDEX Dubai 2010 from 8 to 11 November 2010.
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