Malaysian show features range of looks
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, March 15, 2004
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia— Buyers from some 120 nations viewed a wide range of product from 13 countries at this month's Malaysian International Furniture Fair here.
The show, at the Putra World Trade Center, featured looks ranging from heavily carved traditional bedrooms to rustic casual dining to contemporary leather sofas.
MIFF, in its 10th year, is known primarily for its promotional to middle prices, with furniture made from glass and metal, veneers, local hardwoods, particleboard and indigenous materials like rattan and wicker.
Malaysia-based Tomisho Group featured eight new bedrooms and 15 new, mostly casual dining sets geared to the U.S., European and Australian markets. Its bedroom collections had simple, clean lines and natural wood finishes aimed at buyers and importers seeking quality designs at promotional prices.
A typical five-piece bedroom, for instance, would cost the dealer $350 to $450 FOB.
Ascent Furniture, also based in Malaysia, promoted its Elegant Collection, a new group of bedroom, dining room, living room and occasional furniture. Made from tropical rubber hardwoods and red oak veneers, it has a dark finish and is in transitional style, with microfiber-covered headboard and slightly curved head and footboard components.
A five-piece set would cost the dealer about $509 FOB.
Singapore-based Koda Ltd. introduced several casual dining sets, its specialty. One of its introductions was the Benji Collection, which also includes bedroom and occasional furniture. Made from a mix of acacia and recycled pine, the table and six chairs has a polyurethane satin finish and retails at about $999, said Ernie Koh, senior vice president.
He said MIFF is important to Koda because it attracts many international buyers seeking promotional to midpriced goods. About 60% of its volume is sold in Europe and about 10% in the United States, Koh said, with accounts including Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.
Indonesia-based Xolo Collection came to the show with a group of solid teak and mahogany case goods, mostly in colonial styles with clean lines and dark finishes.
Other products, such as a new kitchen console, were made from similar woods but had an offwhite finish that is popular in the United States and other markets. The company uses wicker accents in headboards and tabletops, and also produces some wicker upholstery.
Like many other products here, Xolo's collections were mainly promotional, with five-piece bedrooms starting at about $310 FOB.
By early in the market's second day, it had placed orders for five containers, a good start for a show the company sees as important to its business, which primarily attracts buyers from Spain and the United States. The company is looking to expand that base.
"This is a fair that is quite well organized and advertised," said Xolo representative Iwan Angga. "There were a lot of people from other countries."
One of those buyers was Adel Ali Al-Hadha, general manager of Al-Hadha Furniture & Carpets Co., a family run, four-store chain based in Yemen.
He said his store has come to MIFF for four years in search of competitively priced goods from the show's mostly Malaysian exhibitor base. Competition from Chinese manufacturers, some of whom showed at MIFF this year, is increasing. "The consumers push us to follow the Chinese market," Al-Hadha said.
But he was satisfied with the show, and plans to return next year to see if Malaysian manufacturers are producing the quality and price points he needs in his market.
