Bedroom Furniture Makers In China to See Strong Growth 2013

The trend toward individualism brightens prospects for this year and next

China's home furniture industry witnessed an annualized growth of 27% in production value during the first 11 months of 2012, to over 500 billion renminbi (RMB), or about US$81.6 billion—and the climate for the industry is expected be even better this year, according to Zhu Changling, director of the China National Furniture Association.

Jiang Dehui, executive president of the Guangdong Furniture Chamber of Commerce, notes that the furniture market in China has been on an obvious uptrend since the beginning of this year due mainly to stable politics, economic recovery, and the warming up of the real estate market, and prospects are bright for the remainder of 2013 and next year.

With individualism now in vogue, particularly among young people, a growing number of consumers in China are opting to buy custom-made products and the output of such furniture is rising. Observers estimate that the value of China's furniture market will reach over one trillion RMB or US$163.2 billion in 2013, with custom-made furniture likely to account for more than 10% of the total.

Bedroom furniture has long played a key role in the furniture industry, since each home usually has two, three, four, or more bedrooms. The manufacturing of bedroom furniture in China has been highly competitive in recent times, and nearly 30% of the manufacturers in the line have reportedly been washed out over the past two years.

One of the foremost suppliers in the line is Shenzhen Guante Demark Style Furniture Co., Ltd., an integrated furniture company that specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of mainly beds, wardrobes, closets, walk-in-cupboards, bedside headboards, bed stands, screens, sliding doors, display shelves, bookshelves, and cocktail cabinets.

Wang Juntai, Guante's chief executive officer, reports that his company was initially a wardrobe maker and that it has gradually developed into the production of a wide variety of bedroom items. “We have committed ourselves to making natural, health-oriented, and eco-friendly furniture products for our customers,” Wang states. “Our products can help them create a comfortable and pleasant living environment.”

“In this world of hustle and bustle, people seem to live busy and strained lives and the torture of sleeplessness is becoming common. So our top priority is to manufacture ergonomic and comfortable beds to help people slip into a good sleep. We not only put increasing efforts into the upgrading of manufacturing technology, but also carefully select materials that are non-toxic, anti-bacterial, and flame-retardant.”

Foreseeing a better operating climate for bedroom furniture, Guante plans to establish five production bases in China within five years to make high-end, top-quality bedroom sets for markets both in China and abroad.

Another leader in the line is Foshan Kingtinto Furniture Co., Ltd., which was established in 2004 and is a dynamic mid-sized furniture maker that focuses on the production of bedroom furniture, mainly bedroom suites and sofa beds.

The company designs bedroom furniture not only for adults, but also for teenagers and children. “The designs and sizes of beds for adults are quite different from those for teenagers and children,” explains a senior official at the company. “For children and teenagers, we will fabricate mainly single beds and bunks with cute and lovely patterns and designs, while for adults we will focus on more sober double beds.”

The company now offers six series of bedroom furniture that is marketed under its own two brands. The “Happy Younger” brand, for children and teenagers, encompasses four series: “Bright Colors,” “Cool Colors,” “Snow White,” and “Prince Wood.” The “Molee Love” brand of adult furniture comes in two series, “Korean Collection” and “Fashion Collection.”

To guarantee the quality of its products, Kingtinto has installed woodworking machines from Germany and production facilities from Italy in its three plants in Foshan, Guangdong Province. The company's workforce of 1,200 turns out about 100,000 pieces of furniture with output value of more than 100 million RMB or about US$16.3 million per year.

Kingtinto's products are marketed in more than 600 cities in China as well as being exported to over 20 countries and regions including the United States, Canada, Australia, Morocco, Libya, Singapore, South Africa, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, and Dubai.

Although headquartered in the Netherlands, Kuka Home was founded about 20 years ago by Yuhua Gu from Hong Kong, who has today developed the firm into a furniture giant with nearly 2,000 sales outlets around the world.

Kuka China is now one of the Kuka Home group's major production bases. “Kuka specializes in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of furniture for living rooms and bedrooms,” says Liu Hong, vice president of the China company, “and today it is a front runner in the global leather furniture industry. We aim to create unique living styles; we have brand stores in the Netherlands, France, China, Bulgaria, and South Korea; and our products are sold in 186 countries and regions.”

Kuka works with 11 design teams from around the world and participates in a wide range of international design exchanges. Among the 11 teams are top French design firms, independent Italian designers, and prominent American design studios. “No fewer than 50 new designs are created for Kuka every day, and more than 300 new home-concept designs are launched every year,” Liu claims. “In China alone, we have a strong R&D team of 30 creative designers who create designs for products manufactured in China.”

Kuka's furniture features multiple functions, safety, comfort, and esthetic appearance. “We have always worked very hard to create ergonomic and comfortable furniture products, particularly bedroom items, for our customers,” Liu adds

Kuka attended 2013 International Famous Furniture Fair held in Dongguan, Guangdong in March, where its furniture products drew the attention of buyers and visitors.