TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chinese furniture wholesalers and manufacturers
The biggest furniture malls in China
Some Top Interior Design Firms in China and Hong Kong at APIDA 2017
Furniture, Interior Design Industry, Trade Fairs in Asia
China interior design – Interview with Mandy Xu
Introduction
The international design scene is looking East, attracted to its unlimited market potential, vast talent pools and a burgeoning design culture.
Asia Pacific is the largest growing market for furniture. The Furniture and floor coverings market in Asia Pacific is set to forecast revenues of US$266.8 million by 2018. Asia also features heavily on the list of target cities for retail brands looking to enter new markets. As design hubs in Asia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen are perfectly positioned to be the gateway between Asia and the rest of the world.
From architecture and interiors to fashion and retail, these cities are Asia's launchpad to the international design market. Global giants such as Procter & Gamble, Electrolux, Porsche Design Studio and Tupperware Brands have set up design centers in Asian countries to develop products specifically tailored for the Asian market.
Asia's growing presence in the design market is marked by the variety of world-class design meetings and conferences in all these cities. Asian design trade fairs, conventions and exhibitions are now events that international firms, studios and manufacturers cannot afford to miss.
However, in this new so much dynamic, creative and effervescent dimension, a company (including design firms, design consultants, manufacturers and architectural firms) may easily lose its compass. Therefore, it is necessary having a clear idea about what to do in Asia.
Do you want to import in your country a totally Asian design and style or a mix of Asian and Western design and style? Or do you want to try to "impose" the style of your brand in Asia, without adapting it or slightly adapting it to Asian tastes? Do you want to diversify your production for each different specific Asian city-market? Or are you interested only in manufacture in Asia?
In this article, we try to make clear some points and give some useful tips for all those small-medium firms which would like to start their adventure in Asia but are still hesitating.
First of all, we believe that it is important to know where the main companies have settled their manufacturing and production in Asia, as well as it is essential to know which are the most important showcases where manufacturers and buyers, designers and customers meet each others.
Once again, among all the Asian countries, China is the leader in this industry, by offering the world’s largest furniture manufacturing base.
Chinese furniture wholesalers and manufacturers
Before to strictly speaking about design and interior design, it may be useful a brief overview of the differences between Chinese furniture wholesalers and manufacturers.
If the big firms have the resources to settle their own production in China, through an own manufacturing company, or by contracting only one Chinese reliable factory (or joint venture with a Chinese factory), the small businesses, after having designed their furniture line(s), purchase products from wholesalers or manufacturers.
Chinese furniture manufacturers are always specialized in a specific area or product, and unlike wholesalers, cannot supply products from all the categories (e.g., bedrooms furniture and office furniture together), therefore, if a company need to cover more than one type of furniture, may chose if purchasing from different factories or purchasing only some products (usually the most simple) from a wholesaler.
Usually, wholesalers have lower minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements, and sometimes can accept also orders of 1 unit per model. But few Chinese furniture wholesalers are able to ensure compliance with applicable “safety standards” such as fire retardant and substance regulations, especially with reference to the EU laws regulating this matter and the import of these products.
Most of Chinese wholesalers are interested only in the domestic market in Mainland China, where the mentioned standards are much less strict or it is easy to bypass checks, and therefore have no reasons to ensure compliance with foreign regulations.
Regarding the restricted substances, flame retardants and everything which is related to safety, it must be said that the majority of Chinese furniture manufacturers are unable to prove previous compliance with foreign regulations and standards.
Substance control becomes a complicated issue, when the Chinese manufacturer purchases materials and components from subcontractors. These subcontractors may use restricted or prohibited substances without the manufacturer’s approval, or knowledge. But unlike wholesalers, you can ask the manufacturer to produce according to certain standards, or to purchase products only from subcontractors which can provide certain tests or certificates, or simply get a customized product.
It is important to remind that is always importer’s duty to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Importing non-compliant items is illegal, and may result in fines and a forced recall. In case someone is injured, or if property is damaged, the importer may be forced to pay damages.
Compliance with all applicable directives and/or standards must be verified before the cargo is shipped. However, there are many quality inspection firms, and product testing companies, based in Mainland China and Hong Kong, that can help an importer to verify compliance with certain standards and check the quality of the purchased products.
The biggest furniture malls in China
Thus, where to go to understand Chinese tastes, Asian style, and foreign design in China? Definitely Foshan city is the most famous place in China for manufacturing, wholesale and retail of furniture, ceramic, marble, mosaic, tile and granite.
The district of Shunde, also known as “Foshan Shunde International Furniture City” or “Shunde, China Furniture Wholesale Market”, has become the largest furniture wholesale market and distribution center in China and the world.
Shunde district connects Lecong town and Longjiang town along the 10 km highway, and the furniture wholesale market extends more than 5 km and is arranged by 12 rows and 20 streets.
There are over 3,300 domestic and foreign furniture dealers and more than 1,500 furniture manufacturers. Jointly they display over 20,000 types of furniture and products ranging from living room furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, kitchen furniture, hotel furniture, hotel mattress, contract furniture, restaurant furniture, cafe chairs, bar stools, bathroom furniture, sanitary ware, furniture accessories, material & hardware. The market is open year round with furniture trading more than USD1 billion is sales volume each year.
There are over 200 buildings selling furniture in Shunde, but the most famous are:
1) Lecong International Furniture Exhibition Center, also known as Louvre International furniture Exhibition Center (LFC), which belongs to the Louvre Furnishings Group (http://www.louvre-group.cn/en/about/index.aspx).
Founded in 2000 and located in Lecong Town, Louvre Furnishings Group is a diversified, integrated furnishing group specializing in furniture research & development, creative design, outlet management, purchasing, logistics, industrial tourism and five-star hotel operations, and a leader in China’s furnishing circulation sector.
Louvre Furnishings Group has successively invested in and founded several companies with solid strength, including Louvre International Furniture Exhibition Center Co., Ltd., Louvre Furniture Co., Ltd., Louvre Advertising Co., Ltd. and Sofitel Foshan Co., Ltd.Louvre Furnishings Group consists of the world’s tallest and largest furnishing complex at present – Louvre International Furniture Exhibition Center and Louvre International Furnishing Headquarters Building, with a total building area of 380,000 square meters.
With over 2,000 domestic top furnishing brands, over 100 top-class European furnishing brands, and 20 theme exhibition halls that cover major furnishing categories like furniture, sanitary ware, accessories, lamps and beddings, the complex is an integrated commercial, cultural and leisure center for international furnishing shopping, furnishing-based art appreciation, business travel, industry events, five-star hotel, renowned as a global “seven-star furnishing palace”.
In July, 2017, Sofitel Foshan was officially launched, which means a complete furnishing industry chain is being opened up by Louvre Furnishings Group that innovatively integrates furniture design, production and marketing with home decoration design and construction, and with hotel, catering and other tourism elements.
2) Sunlink Furniture City is located next to the Louvre Center. It is divided in two sections, north and south, and it belongs to the Sunlink Group (http://www.sunlink.com.cn).
South Section is managed by Sunlink Industrial Co., Ltd. It takes the initiative to launch the concept of “brand strategy, classified management”, and established the influential furniture purchasing market of “international furniture purchasing center” and “hotel furniture purchasing center”, among which, the former has been developed into China’s biggest sofa purchasing center. Across the years, the Sunlink International sofa, which is part of the South Section, has become a successful procurement trading platform also for international well-known sofa brands.
The North Section is managed by Xinlecong Furniture City Co., Ltd. The main body is composed of 13 buildings, including the five major internationally professional furniture purchasing centers of "European and American furniture series" "modern furniture series", "office furniture series", "mahogany furniture series" and "home accessories series".
Sunlink International Shopping Center is managed by Sunlink International Shopping Center Co., Ltd. It is located in the intersection of 5th Jihua Road and 2nd Pulan Road in Chancheng District, the golden section of the center of Foshan as well as the business and financial center.
Always belonging to the Sunlink Group and located in Shunde district, Mejazz Furniture has opened a large Furniture Exhibition and Sales Centre of different styles. Modern Fashion, Modern Classical, Post-modern Luxury, Post-modernistic, French and European Style furniture are available for your choice. In October 2010, Mejazz launched the brand new e-mall-one-stop shopping platform for home furnishings. It has become the most influential one-stop e-platform for home furnishings in the domestic B2C market.
3) Lecong Red Star Macalline Furnishing Wholesale Expo Center is located at the center of Lecong Furniture City, and it belongs to Red Star Macalline Group (http://www.chinaredstar.com/).
Red Star Macalline is the largest national home improvement and furniture retail platform in China, with stores in most major cities in China. Founded in 1986, Red Star Macalline targets the rapidly growing middle class in China through the operation of malls that offer home improvement and furniture materials, including flooring, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, under approximately 18,000 well-known brands. As of the end of 2015, Red Star Macalline operates 177 stores across 28 provinces and 126 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Nanjing, Changsha, Chongqing and Chengdu.
Some Top Interior Design Firms in China and Hong Kong at APIDA 2017
Backing to speak more strictly about interior design, it is useful to mention some of the best top interior design firms in China and Hong Kong, in order to have a clearer idea about Asian modern style or mixed designed by Asian designers and foreign firms which are already successfully in Asia.
Foreign designers and firms should keep an eye on the Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards (APIDA) (http://apida.hk).
APIDA is a renowned international interior design competition that draws more than 700 entries every year. It is now open for enrollment and the deadline will be on 31st July 2018.
The APIDA is awarded to the interior design companies in Asia Pacific in different areas which are inclusive of Food Space, Hotel Space, Installation and Exhibition Space, Leisure and Entertainment Space, Living Space, Public Space, Sample Space, Shopping Space and Work Space.
The following top Asian interior designers are selected from different areas of APIDA competitions in 2017:
1. Shanghai Hip-pop Architectural Decoration Design Co., Ltd.
Chief architect Sun Tianwen of Shanghai Hip-pop Architectural Decoration Design Co. has created a new restaurant project called Waka Haiku Setsugekka that focuses heavily on Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is individually covered in ultra-clear glass engraved with sakura, blue LED light bands emitting over black walls and ceilings. This aesthetic of space, color, and layout mix into a symphonic sense of zen that Tianwen utilizes in order to influence customers’ thoughts and behavioral pattern. Conveying the customer’s core values and aspirations, the restaurant itself reflects the “setsugekka”, a vital aspect of Japanese culture that refers to the seasons of the year: blue-white (winter), yellow-white (autumn) and pink-white (spring). Each hue dictates the essence of the restaurant by using the colors in vivid LED lights around the interior space.
2. ZW建築設計工作室 (ZW Architectural Design Studio
The ZW studio has created its Kitchen Home – Amblem Cabinets Headquarters Exhibition Hall.The idea of this business is a “cook of a life”, where the designers had to break the impression of the kitchen space as a single form of space to create an interesting (maze) and eight separate small houses representing eight different lifestyles. The small houses’ high and low scattered openings can see the shapes of the opposite homes, while a channel developed as the small houses are connected to each other emerges as a self-luminous pattern and metaphor for the next style of arrival.
3. 緯圖建築設計裝飾工程有限公司 (V2 Design Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.).
The company presented its project for the Residence Guan, which is located in Haitang Bay, Sanya, China. It is a holiday residence and small private club hotel. There are 12 rooms, including dining area, public area, and entertainment area. The huge roofing platform on the activity area can host large events such as cocktail parties or weddings, and greatly enhances the site, but also can forms a strong aesthetic connection with the indoor courtyard. The internal structure is exposed as much as possible to help show the height of the space and create a beautiful sense of rhythm.
4. KC Design Studio
House W. This 50-year-old house is located in a high density residence area, with the typical design of three-story townhouse that you see often in Taiwan. Main problems for this rectangular shaped house include poor daylighting, which is common for houses of this specific shape, and the close proximity to neighboring houses, which poses a privacy and security threat. Also, noises from nearby tourism attractions and night markets are a nuisance.Considering the lack of privacy and good view, they decided to design the house inward and upward. The front of each floor is set back to form a buffering semi-outdoor space between streets and residence areas, and with uses of semitransparent expanded mesh hand openings on the façade, it is possible to set up boundaries but still introducing natural lighting, ventilation and rain to the inside. By removing partial ceilings and the use of atrium, these semi-outdoor spaces on three floors are linked, so the first-floor balcony will be used as doorstep with improved daylighting, while second-floor balcony plays as an extension to kids’ corner with trees and plants and the main suite on third floor can enjoy green garden view. Also, the balcony at the back of the house is forfeited and set back so the distance to neighboring houses is expanded from 40 centimeters to 90 centimeters. The toilet located at the back uses glass for partitioning to allow as much ambient lighting as possible.Each floor is handled as an open plane. All cabinets are located against walls to maximize indoor floor area as the width of the house is only 370 centimeters. White wood floors are used and walls are with cement finish. Other materials used include stainless steel, wood and glass. The white/gray tone have created an original feeling, while this also helps the reflection of sunlight in the house, as well as refraction of lights created by the use of glass. The reinforcement of beams and columns is kept without intentional concealing, allowing existence of both the old structure and new elements, to exhibit the unique quality and atmosphere of this renovated old building.
Furniture, Interior Design Industry, Trade Fairs in Asia
Build Eco Xpo Asia (BEXasia) is an annual gathering of the green building professionals, where over 12,000 Architects, Building Owners, Developers, Engineers, Facility Managers and Solution Providers meet, exchange ideas, source for the latest products and solutions. BEXasia takes place in Singapore from 05.09 to 07.09.18 at Sands Expo and Convention Center (www.bex-asia.com).
The China International Furniture Expo, better known as Furniture China, takes the lead in the industry for over two decades. As one of the world's leading B2B trade fairs, over 100,000 participants are involved in the show every year. An extensive range of furniture products. Over 2,300 furniture exhibitors will showcase their new products in front of professional trade buyers from the globe in 300,000 sqm exhibition area, inclusive of 19 entire halls and 15 outdoor pavilions. The 24th China International Furniture Expo will take place in Shanghai at the Shanghai New Int'l Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 11.09.18 to 14.09.18 (www.furniture-china.cn/en-us/).
Kitchen and Bathroom Indonesia exhibition in 2018 presents a wide spectrum of the latest technologies, equipment, building materials and accessories for home architecture, construction, interior finish and design projects. It will takes place in Jakarta from 26.09 to 29.09.18 at Jakarta International Expo (www.kitchenbathroomindonesia.com/index.php).
Manila FAME is a bi-annual showcase of craftsmanship, design innovation, and artisanship in Philippine products. It features finely selected furniture and home furnishings, holiday gifts and décor, and fashion accessories designed and crafted in the Philippines for the global market. Manila FAME is organized by the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). It is the second longest-running trade show in the Asia-Pacific, and is the only trade event in the country that is approved by Union des Foires Internationales (UFI), or the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, a Paris-based association of trade fair organizers founded 90 years ago in Milan, Italy in April 1925. The next Manila Fame exhibition will take place in Manila, Philippines from 19.10 to 21.10.18 (www.manilafame.com).
Design Shanghai is one of the world's most prestigious international design events and Asia's premier design event. Design Shanghai provides a unique and exciting platform to network and establish long-term business relations with Asia's top architects, interior designers, property developers, retailers and private buyers. The next Design Shanghai event will take place in Shanghai, at the Shanghai Exhibition Center 06.03 to 09.03.19 (www.designshanghai.com).
Vietnam International Furniture & Home Accessories Fair (VIFA) will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, from 06.03 to 09.03.19 at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) (www.vifafair.com/home/).
The annual International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS), held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture Show (AFS) and NOOK Asia at the Singapore EXPO, is Asia’s premier design-led sourcing platform. With almost four decades of fair experience since 1981, IFFS remains the most distinctive channel in Asia dedicated to regional and international companies looking to penetrate the global market. IFFS will take place in Singapore from 09.03 to 12.03.19 at Sands Expo and Convention Center (www.iffs.com.sg).
Founded in 1998, China International Furniture Fair, famous as CIFF, takes place semi-annually in Guangzhou, March and Shanghai, September. With the successful experience of past 40 sessions, CIFF has been well accepted as the Weatherglass of China’s Furniture Industry, Asia’s Furniture Sourcing Center and the No.1 Platform for the World Class. In 2018, the annual exhibition scale will reach 1,150,000SQM with the participation of over 6,000 quality exhibitors and 250,000 professional buyers from about 200 countries and regions. The next CIFF fair will take place in Guangzhou from 18.03 to 21.03.19 at China Import And Export Fair Pazhou Complex (www.ciff-gz.com).
As Asia’s leading event in the woodworking machinery, furniture production and interior design industry, CIFM/interzum guangzhou was first introduced into the China market in 2004. The event originated from interzum (Since 1959) by Koelnmesse GmbH, one of the largest trade fair companies in the world with 90 years of professional experience. The next interzum Guangzhou fair for furniture production will take place in Guangzhou from 28.03 to 31.03.19 at China Import And Export Fair Pazhou Complex (www.interzum-guangzhou.com/index.html).
China Interior Design – Interview with Mandy Xu
Hoping that we have provided some useful information that can help designers and firms somehow to think better for Asian markets or to export their style to Asian countries, we focus now on China.
We have interviewed Ms. Mandy Xu, a successful interior designer based on Shanghai with over 12 years of experience in architecture and interior design. Ms. Xu works with the best Asian and western designers, brands and firms. She travels almost weekly across China, Asia and abroad, and her marvelous projects and works include luxury shops, villas, houses and model houses for high-class clients.
1) L&P: Ms. Xu, thank you very much for join these insights about Asian and Chinese interior design. Asian interior design or simply Asian style (including architecture, furnishing, art, accessories, lighting etc.) is the expression of the culture of the most notable Asian countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and other prominent Eastern cultures. Strictly speaking about Asian style in China, what are the style(s) most sought-after by Chinese?
Ms. Xu: Currently, Neo-Chinese style is without doubt the most popular style in China. The Neo-Chinese style, better than the other Chinese or Asian styles, combines the modern elements with tradition. The neo-style was born in the new period of Chinese traditional culture “Renaissance”, and it is characterized by an extreme grace and harmony.
Its features allows to easily combine any architectural and furnishing element taken from other Asian styles, or even western styles. With the neo-style, we architects and interior designers can work without limits to our creativity, confident to meet our customer’s expectations, even those of the most attached to our traditions. Just some elements to recall our culture and then, hundreds of different combinations are possible, creating always something unique and original. If you travel to China, you can see this style everywhere, in luxury hotels, houses, shopping malls and famous coffeehouse chains.
2) L&P: Japanese and Chinese cultures are certainly the two major influencers of the Asian style. Is the Japanese style a really sought-after style in China? What do Chinese like of the Japanese style?
Ms. Xu: Japanese style is very popular in China, we like it very much. Like Chinese, Japanese have revised and refreshed many of their traditional symbols and elements in architecture and interior design. Think for example to Chinese bold colors along with ornate furniture and accessories, or accessories with animal motifs and mythological beasts, such as monkeys and dragons. Or Japanese colors such as brown, gray and green, and soft floral patterns and colors incorporated with decorative pottery and embellished textile. All these symbols and signs are nowadays drastically reduced and adapted to modern design.
However, Japanese styles that are popular in China are all those inspired by certain oriental philosophies common to both countries-cultures. The ZEN style, for example, is the spirit of Buddhism, and it is used in interior design to create the perfect atmosphere to balance body and mind. It was originated in China during the Tang dynasty, and then developed in Japan becoming the famous “Japanese ZEN”.
Another very popular Japanese style is the Wabi-sabi, which is strongly influenced by Zen and Mahayana philosophy. We really like the basic concept of the acceptance and contemplation of the imperfection.
“Karesansui”, also known as "dry landscape" garden or “ZEN garden” is also very common in China. A miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and raked gravel or sand to represent ripples in water.
3) L&P: Always speaking about styles strongly influenced by culture, the Feng shui, which is a set of ancient Chinese guidelines for properly placing objects and buildings in order to balance energy, is still important for Chinese? Should foreign design and projects be guided by the Feng shui’ rules? Can you make an example of how these principles affect a space, room, building or furnishing?
Ms. Xu: Yes, it is still important in China. But it doesn’t have to be considered as guideline for every project, it depends how much client cares about Feng shui in his house.
Usually Chinese designers or architects don’t consider Feng shui, unless the client ask for it. In this case we hire a Feng shui master who tell us, or gives us suggestions regarding the bed directions in the bedroom, or how to put a fish tank at the entrance of the house, or how to display some special items like stones which can change the energy in the house, etc.
Feng shui cannot be improvised. It is a pseudoscience closely linked to Taoism. You need know it before to implement it in your house, and actually your house, space or building must be already designed according to its principles. You can consider Feng shui like an additional value to Chinese house design, and it is more popular in south China, Guangdong province and Hong Kong.
4) L&P: Asian style interiors instantly evoke an image of serenity and tranquil calm. But moving now on western modern style, how to incorporate in a modern and western design all the Asian and exotic elements to have the same effect and feeling of Asian style but in a contemporary vibe?
Ms. Xu: Just free your creativity. There are many ways to incorporate Chinese or Asian elements in western contemporary and modern design. A common way is to use colors from Chinese tradition art works to define the modern furniture, or mix with just few Chinese traditional furniture, accessories or paintings, to create the mood of Chinese culture.
5) L&P: Sculptural lighting, paper lanterns, paintings, some elements of Asian design are simply irresistible. What foreign designers should know more about this aspect of interiors design in China?
Ms. Xu: These elements are very important for Chinese. But as I already said, some of them, like the paper lanterns, belongs to old styles. What is still present in almost all Chinese houses is the “tea ceremony” space. Even a very small corner should be considered to put a Chinese traditional tea table with all the related stuff for tea.
I suggest to foreign architects and interior designers also to consider the typical Chinese arch door for their projects in China. It is also known as “moon gate” and it is usually used in gardens by functioning as pedestrian passageway, but it may be also used for interiors. Moon gates have strong spiritual meanings for Chinese.
Have a look also at Ming style furniture. They are still very popular in China because their simple and comfortable design. To foreigners that do not want to change or adapt their design, I highly recommend to have a look at “Chinese ink wash painting and calligraphy”. They suite well with almost every furnishing or interior style.
6) L&P: Many Chinese cities are full of new modern small apartments and flats, which, however, are home to a large dynamic section of Chinese modern society, such as young qualified workers, young business people and professionals. What are the interior design trends for these small places? What are your personal tips to designers to design these small spaces in China?
Ms. Xu: Serviced apartments, small loft apartments and small apartments often used as offices, in these cases functionality comes first of everything. Flexibility of the space use, smart storage systems to be able to keep things tidy and organized, as well as using bright colors and materials with reflection which can make the space looking bigger.
7) L&P: Speaking now about western styles in China, we see thousands of Chinese factories and companies, especially for furniture, faking western style. We see some sumptuous furniture or interiors in typical Italian neoclassical style or Baroque Imperial style. What are the western authentic styles sought-after by Chinese?
Ms. Xu: As western styles, the American Federal interior design style and the European Neoclassical style are the most sought-after by high-class clients. They are very popular in China among those rich people with taste for European or Western luxury and traditional styles. But another reason of their popularity is that, as the Neo-Chinese style, they can be well mixed with Chinese styles or some Chinese furniture.
We also like Scandinavian-Nordic style, and ikea furniture represent this style very well. They suit small apartments, they are very functional especially in small spaces, with that sense of simplicity and natural materials. But of course, there are also expensive and better quality brands selling this style in China.
Another foreign style which is explosively getting known in China, is the Italian contemporary design and Italian design concepts. The Italian quality is very high.
8) L&P: We know that foreign brands, designers, architects and firms meet many problems which affect their business in China. Customs limits and tariffs, and a wild unfair competition by Chinese domestic factories and companies are some of them. However, can you give some tips to foreign designers and brands to improve in China and overcome the just mentioned obstacles?
Ms. Xu: They are not real problems or insuperable obstacles. For example, although there are lots of unfair competitors, Chinese design industry is still very far from foreign design industry.
Only few Chinese firms have developed some original design concepts. It is true that hundreds of Chinese factories, brands and firms copy or fake foreign products and design, or simply they are “learning” from foreigners, but it is impossible for them to copy the “spirit” of the design. And then there is the quality control. There is no competition, in our industry, between fake products and original ones.
However, I suggest to foreigners to work hard to teach to Chinese-consumers-customers how to recognize original design and products.
Foreign architects, designers, brands and manufacturers should implement an aggressive advertising, branding and marketing strategy, which covers all the spaces of our industry, from social media and e-commerce platforms to fairy trade and exhibitions.
Regarding the customs limits and tariffs, the only real effective strategy is to set up factories or distributions companies in China. In this way, the price of their high-quality products would be much more competitive in the Chinese market, the delivery time would be shorten, and it would be possible provide better customer and maintenance services after sales.
L&P: Ms. Xu, 非常感谢您的帮助!
Mandy Xu: 不用谢!
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