Domestic, new markets saved Export Company's business

CEBU, Philippines - Although major markets for furniture and home furnishing products, the United States and Europe, are still facing difficulties, export firm Nature’s Legacy continues to thrive owing to the domestic and emerging markets in Asia.

In an interview with The Freeman, exporter Pete Delantar, the owner of green furniture company—Nature’s Legacy, he said that although orders from US is a bit improving, while Europe continues to weaken, the company’s strategy in tapping the Asian and domestic markets sustained his business.

For this reason, the company created a dedicated brand for the domestic market, the Naturescast to accommodate the strong demand for home furniture accent, such as decors, garden accessories, and wall art, among others.

Naturescast is now available in major retail outlets like SM’s Kultura, Rustan’s houseware section in Manila, Echo Stores, Tindahang Pinoy outlet in Cebu, and others.

He said despite the continued slack in demand from the traditional markets, some exporters are able to sustain their operations by employing innovative marketing strategies, and penetrating the active domestic market, and emerging countries in Asia like China, and India saved the company from facing market demand difficulties.

In China, for instance, he said the Philippine made furniture, houseware, and gift items are gaining popularity, thus there is a need for furniture exporters to tap the huge Chinese market.

Delantar’s company, which is known as one of the pioneering furniture maker to highlight the green and eco-friendly products which gained attention from Hollywood, is now temporarily focusing its marketing blitz in domestic and Asian countries.

Nature’s Legacy is using 90 percent local raw materials, making world-class home accents, and occasional furniture pieces, using abaca, limestone, recycled paper as its based materials.

The strong tourism sector, he said also help the company get busier amid the export demand plunged, while demand for baskets, and other souvenir items is improving. It’s brand’s presence in the prominent retail outlets, including the Tindahang Pinoy, has made Naturescast products popular to tourists, and domestic consumers alike.

Aside from tapping the local wholesalers for Naturescast products, the company is also getting orders for institutional clients, like shopping malls, hotels, and residential condominium units, Delantar said.

According to Delantar although the US market has shown improvement in terms of demand compared in the last few years, the preference of the consumers however has changed.

He said buyers in the US now, is a bit more careful, ordering only minimal volumes, unlike in the past.

What is sustaining though, is the fast sales turn-over of small home furnishing items, which have small prize values, like baskets, home decors, and other home accessories.

He said China, and India is one of the most promising markets for Philippine furniture exports, however, exporters have to go out of their way in promoting Philippine-made products in this potential markets.

In fact, Delantar will be joining a trade exposition in China next week, to broaden his company’s brand penetration in the Chinese consumer base.

“There is still hope for the furniture exports,” he said adding that while Cebu-made furniture has gained popularity in the world, US and Europe are not the only bread-and-butter for the sector.