E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JAN 31 -

Designer furniture is redefining furnishing in urban Nepal. With an ever increasing middle class ready to splurge on quality products, designer furniture from abroad is making an entry into the offices, living rooms and bedrooms of city dwellers.

Kathmandu now boasts more than two dozen exclusive showrooms of designer furniture featuring stylish bedroom sets, new-look sofas, sleek dressing tables, wardrobes and office furniture. These outlets offer a wide range of furniture models from China, Malaysia, Thailand and India.

Proprietor of Bira Furniture Suresh Shrestha said the sophisticated tastes of urban Nepalis for brands and aesthetics was driving sales of designer furniture. “Sales of imported designer furniture have increased significantly in the last five years,” added Shrestha. “Demand for such furniture for both residential and office use is increasing each year.”

With demand remaining robust, Bira which focused on selling domestically manufactured furniture for 48 years is now selling imported branded furniture.

Furniture traders estimate the country’s furniture market to be worth around Rs 1 billion annually. They said the market was growing by 25 percent yearly. “The surge in sales of imported furniture has played a crucial role in the growth of the industry,” added Shrestha. Bira Furniture, which maintains two outlets in Patan and Basundhara, deals in branded products from China.

Pankaj Nepal, branch manager of Ultimate Décor’s Baneshwor branch, said the middle class was driving the market for designer furniture. “When we entered the business, the market was confined to a select group. Now, middle class

families are going for these products due to affordability and reliability,” said Nepal.

Ultimate décor, which has been dealing in imported furniture for the past six years, offers furniture from China with prices ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 150,000. The company maintains two outlets in Kathmandu and one in Pokhara. Nepal said one more outlet in the valley would be coming up in the next two to three months.

“Availability of contemporary designs has also helped imported furniture to expand its penetration in the domestic market,” said Punya Sthapit, managing director of Mac Décor situated at Kupandol. He added that most people bought bedroom sets, dining tables and television cabinets for their homes. Regarding furniture for offices, chairs and tables top the list. More than 90 percent of the imported products available in the domestic market are from China.

Posted on: 2012-01-31 09:01

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