Asia is one of the biggest manufacturers of furniture nowadays, and they sell everywhere in the world.
The big player of this expanding market, as everyone knows, is China – and its growth is amazing.
But “furniture” is a big, big word. It encompasses everything from cheap plastic stools to exquisitely handcrafted massive rosewood beds. So, “furniture shopping” is a very vague definition, and it is not really sufficient to describe a problem of which I can suggest the best solution.
Apart from the type of furniture needed, it lacks the quality/price of the items, and of course, it lacks the quantity. It is much different to order a single item, or a container – and of course the price would be very, very different, as well as the conditions.
Talking in VERY general terms, we have to understand that China is not what it used to be, or at the very least, it is thought to be by the average Western consumers and professionals alike.
We still think mostly that China is a place where you buy average-to-bad quality for very cheap. And I can tell you what – this is not the case anymore. The cheapest manufacturers of Asia nowadays are located in Vietnam and Myanmar – and those are the places where the Chinese businessmen themselves are heading to create companies and manufacture their goods, because they have a price advantage over China.
But this is only half of the equation. The other half is that China nowadays is getting on top of the world for quality and design.
Just look above. What you see is an ambient featuring furniture pieces by a Chinese company called Stellar Works – one of the most chic and trendy stalwart companies which are diffusing Chinese design in the world (their collection is designed by starchitects Neri & Hu – a duo of the most awesome architects in the world, winner of an amazing array of accolades worldwide).
So, just rest assured that those Chinese furniture items will NOT be cheap, and their quality will NOT be average to poor.
So, what we can say about purchasing furniture from China?
That China is not a nation. It is almost a continent. It is very very big, and its manufacturers go from the total extremes – companies like Stellar Works above to the most sleazy and despicable – as it happens everywhere in the world. China does have a few furniture districts – mainly in the area around Foshan and suchalike – but the quality can range from excellent to awful, even between companies located side by side. So it not not where you buy, but from whom you buy.
And what is more, China businessmen have a very peculiar way of working which is ultimately very different for the average Westerner to understand and to cope with. Which means that many, many times, getting there and buying something expecting them to behave like your average Western suppliers would is a recipe for disaster.
If you want to source your products from China, be aware that you have a very long and bumpy road ahead of you. Eventually, you could make it, but possibly, with a few small and big bruises here and there.
My advice if you are a company, and want to do this for business, the best bet (as my company offers this kind of services) is to engage a professional who could help you select the best suppliers and help you to smooth your relations with the sellers.
The best place to locate such companies, and professionals, are the biggest Chinese furniture trade fairs, and there are two.
One is Furniture China. The other is China International Furniture Fair (CIFF).
CIFF happens twice a year, in March and in September, respectively in Guangzhou and in Shanghai.The next edition of the CIFF will happen in September 10-13, 2018 in Shanghai.
You are going to find everything that you would need in furniture there, from the no-nonsense good level OEM manufacturers which are accustomed to work internationally since they are already supplying big international trading groups, to the new design companies which are exhibiting in the The EAST Design Show.
The interesting fact is that lots of these companies (inquire specifically at each one though) already do business internationally, so they are accustomed already with the laws and regulations of the target countries (which include the USA, which is one of their most important markets).More info about the fair, and how to register for a free entry (and maybe win a five-star hotel stay) can be found at this link
Your other alternative would be to work with other suppliers which are located in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam or Myanmar, also for easiness of doing business: English is an official language in several of these countries, and some have a law system based on the Anglo-Saxon “Common Law”, so the contracts and agreements are way easier to stipulate there than in China.
And if you need further professional help, please contact me via PM or on my website – you can find the link in my bio – I have written other answers regarding the supplying of companies in China, like in here: Online interior stores sell furniture, I am sure they buy it in China? Do you know any good manufacturer?