Valencia, Spain — Because they serve a population that favors compact apartments and condos over single-family homes, upholstery producers at the International Furniture Fair here didn't show off sectionals seating eight people plus all the family pets.
The "big-man" recliners that are a hit in the United States were barely visible — often tucked away in the corner of the showroom if they were available at all.
And home theater seating? Forget it. Only the very wealthiest European consumers can afford it, and they probably would have it custom-built anyway.
It was, by U.S. standards, a much smaller-scaled design world for upholstery producers exhibiting here.
Sectionals, in fact, were rare sightings, although chaises, a common feature on many sectionals sold in the United States, were not. Producers here often included a chaise as the third seat in a three-seat sofa configuration.
Sleek, two-seat sofas shine
But it was the sleek, two-seat sofa that was the staple of most upholstery lines here. Producers said Europeans favor that type of styling; and they like the scale because two-seat models generally occupy a smaller footprint than their three-seat brethren.
"We have to make our seating about five centimeters deeper and the backs much larger for the U.S. market," said Carolina Juanes, a spokesman for Juanes Tapizados, one of a handful of Valencia exhibitors trying to sell product in the United States.
Juanes, whose company specializes in middle to upper-end leather upholstery, said it's too early to gauge the success of its U.S. efforts. However, company officials are hoping a recent marketing agreement with Hurtado, a Spanish wood furniture producer that has had success selling in America, will improve their chances.
Other upholstery producers admittedly are less eager to leap into the U.S. market. Granfort, Spain's largest sofa manufacturer, probably won't test the market for at least another year, and Keyton, a major Spanish recliner producer, has had only limited success in three U.S. states.
"It has been difficult for us to find the right partners to sell our product there," said Juan Benito Ruiz, Keyton's export manager. "We have a very high-end product, and we cannot compete with the labor costs in China."
He said most of Keyton's reclining chairs, which feature massage units, retail for around 4,000 euros, or about $3,400.
Fany Carrion Lopez, export manager at Granfort, said the United States is "probably our next market," but said the company will take its time before committing itself.
"We prefer to do market research first," she said. "It's a step-by-step process."
