Case Studies
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Asia Import Platform: Home & Furniture
Planning to import furniture from manufactures in China? In this article, you will learn how to select the right supplier, how to customize design and materials, manage quality control, shipping, and much more as a furniture buyer.
We often receive inquiries from small businesses in the US, Europe and Australia looking to purchase small volumes from furniture wholesalers in China. The reason many small buyers prefer wholesalers rather than manufacturers is that the former has lower Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) requirements, compared to the latter.
While it’s true that furniture wholesalers in China often have a low MOQ, sometimes starting from 1 unit per model, it’s rarely a viable option for importers in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Few Chinese furniture wholesalers are able to ensure compliance with applicable fire retardant and substance regulations. In fact, most are primarily, sometimes entirely, geared towards the domestic market in Mainland China.
For natural reasons, such supplier has no profit incentive to ensure compliance with foreign regulations. With this said, I have explained why this article concerns furniture manufacturers, rather than wholesalers.
Alibaba.com is the world’s largest B2B supplier directory. Here, you will find thousands of furniture factories, wholesalers, and trading companies.
In my opinion, you should narrow down your supplier selection to those that are proper manufacturers, rather than trading companies or wholesalers. The easiest way to be sure is by flying to China and paying the suppliers a visit. But, you can also use the information provided by Alibaba.com to narrow down your supplier list:
Some manufacturers also provide factory audit reports on their Alibaba.com profile, which are free to download. These are issued by highly reputable third parties, such as Intertek or Bureau Veritas.
In addition, you should also look out for uploaded product test reports, or other compliance documents – especially if you’re importing outdoor furniture to the United States or Europe.
When sourcing Furniture manufacturers online, there’s a variety of factors to use when assessing potential candidate suppliers.
Manufacturers producing all sorts of furniture under one roof doesn’t exist. As in the case of every industry, furniture manufacturers are always specialized in a certain area – with the following being the most common:
While you may find a supplier specializing in more than one category (e.g. Dining sets and living room furniture), you’ll never find a manufacturer offering the whole spectrum. If you need to cover more than one type of furniture, you shall, therefore, consider sourcing different groups of suppliers, rather than trying to find one that offers everything on your list.
A low registered capital may indicate that the supplier is a small trading company. As there are no real benefits of buying from a trader, you want to avoid that.
A Furniture manufacturer should have at least RMB 1,000,000 in registered capital, which is specified on their business license.
Compliance with applicable substance regulations, for example, REACH in the European Union, is mandatory in various markets. Fabrics, and even leather, often contain amounts of restricted substances, such as Glyphosate and Formaldehyde. Phthalates, a highly restricted plasticizer that is potentially cancerogenic, are also found in vinyl, wood varnishes, and lacquers. Even Flame retardants are sources of harmful and often restricted, chemicals (e.g. PBDEs).
Most Chinese furniture manufacturers are unable to show documents proving previous compliance (e.g. a REACH compliance test report). While a substance test report is not indicating that all the supplier’s products are compliant by default, it’s a strong signal that the supplier is at least capable of controlling substances. That can, however, not be said about the vast majority of China’s furniture manufacturers.
Substance control is a complicated issue, as all materials and components are purchased from subcontractors. These subcontractors may, in turn, use restricted substances without the furniture manufacturer’s approval, or knowledge. Thus, it simply takes a bit more than telling a furniture supplier to “only purchase REACH compliant materials”.
A manufacturer that cannot show any proof of previous compliance may therefore not be able to control substances at all.
In the United States, there is no federal furniture flame retardancy regulation that manufacturers and importers must follow. However, California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) has become the de facto standard followed by the majority of furniture manufacturers, and importers, in the US. Further, the CPSC suggested the implementation of a nationwide standard, 16 CFR Part 1634.
In the European Union, there are various compulsory fire safety requirements applicable to upholstered furniture, bedding, and seats. Certain regulations also apply to specific applications (e.g. for use in trains and ships).
Keep in mind that it’s always the importer’s responsibility to ensure compliance with all applicable standards, including those regulating substances. This responsibility cannot be shifted to a foreign manufacturer. Importing non-compliant items is illegal, and may, in a best-case scenario, result in fines and a forced recall. In case someone is injured, or if their property is damaged, the importer may be forced to pay millions of dollars (or Euros) in damages.
Compliance with all applicable directives and safety standards must be verified before the cargo is shipped. Returning items to a manufacturer on the other side of the planet is not an option.
However, there are plenty of quality inspection firms, and product testing companies, based in Mainland China and Hong Kong, that can help you verify compliance before it’s too late.
The MOQ requirement is the minimum number of units a supplier is willing to sell. The MOQ in the furniture industry varies greatly depending on the factory and the product. For example, a bed manufacturer may only set a MOQ of 5 units, while a company making beach chairs may set it at 1000 pcs.
Further, there are two types of MOQs in the furniture industry:
Factories are often willing to offer a lower MOQ if you’re willing to use their standard materials (e.g. wood type).
A Quality Management System, such as ISO 9001, is implemented to track and prevent quality issues. Why does this matter? Because it only applies to manufacturers, not traders.
When buying furniture from Chinese suppliers, why is it important to first filter suppliers? Because the majority of Furniture manufacturers are not geared towards developed markets, offering the quality options and stability you need to compete.
It rarely makes sense to buy furniture samples from factories in China. You’ll save both time and money by flying directly to China and visit factory showrooms.
a. Are they specialized in your product category? If you’re buying rattan furniture, the supplier should primarily manufacture exactly that.
b. Are they manufacturing for other customers? It’s a good sign if they have regular orders from other importers.
c. What kind of customers do they have?
d. How do they manage defective units? Are they willing to show you where they store defective units?
e. How do they pack the products?
f. Is the warehouse full? Do you recognize any brands printed on the export cartons in their warehouse?
a. Ask for a product specification or datasheet, with dimensions, bill of materials, and material specification, for the furniture samples that you find in the showroom.
b Can they offer other materials?
c. Do they have design drawings?
d. Can you customize the design? If yes, what design drawing formats do they prefer?
e. Will design customization results in additional tooling costs?
f. What is the MOQ?
g. What is the unit price?
a. What is their production time?
b. Do they have any product test reports?
c. Do they implement any quality management system? (i.e., ISO 9001:2015)
d. Do they have an export license?
e. Which bank account will you pay to? (ask for complete details)
f. What are their payment terms?
g. Which payment terms do they offer?
h. Do they accept pre-shipment quality inspections?
You can either create a new furniture design from the ground up or base your product on designs available in their online catalog or showroom. That said, you must create a complete product specification regardless of whether the design is an original custom design or a factory design.
Further, furniture manufacturers expect their customers to provide complementary specifications even when selecting designs from their showroom or catalog. This is because the same product can be made using different materials, coatings, and hardware parts – and the manufacturer simply expects that the buyers know what they want.
Use this template to better understand what you must include in your product specification:
a. Dimensions: W60*D70*H86CM
b. Frame: Aluminum
– Tube dimensions: 35 x 35 x 1.3 mm
– Powder coating: Yes (Anti-corrosion)
c. Rattan: PE, 5 mm in diameter
– Color: Black
– Type: S5518
– UV resistance: Yes (Up to 5000 h)
d. Max load: 140 kgs
e. Cushion: Yes
– Thickness: 50 mm
– Material: 200 gsm polyester
Most suppliers in this industry are not that organized. They tend to lack standardized product documentation, and may not even know which materials and components their showroom samples are made of. As such, you need to identify all relevant product specifications and request the supplier to confirm each.
Some types of wooden furniture are regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the United States. Here are some of the APHIS requirements American furniture importers should be aware of:
In many markets, there are mandatory Fire Retardancy Regulations, applicable to various types of furniture. In the United States, there’s no federal framework to which American importers must comply. However, California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) has become ‘de facto’ mandatory, as it is asked for by both retailers and customers.
CPSIA is applicable to all children’s products, including furniture for babies and children up to 12 years of age. Here are some requirements you should be aware of:
REACH restricts chemicals and heavy metals in all products, including furniture, sold in the EU. While lab testing is not mandatory, we strongly recommend that you get your furniture cover (e.g. fabrics, PU or PVC) lab tested before importing from China.
Most EU member states still have their own national fire safety standards, rather than harmonized EU standards. However, there are corresponding EN standards:
Note that the fire safety requirements depend on whether the furniture will be used commercially (e.g. hotels or restaurants) or in a domestic residential environment.
Third-party lab testing is the only available method to verify if a certain material is compliant with substance and fire safety standards. Here are some accredited testing companies offering furniture testing services in Mainland China:
Testing costs depend on the number of materials and colors (e.g. PU cover or PVC), but normally starts at around USD 300.
Given that you can’t return a container filled with defective or damaged furniture, it’s absolutely essential to book a quality inspection before your furniture departs the factory.
Here are some crucial checkpoints to include in your furniture inspection checklist:
Here’s a list of companies offering furniture inspections in Mainland China:
Most companies charge around USD 300 per inspection.
Ocean freight is the only cost-effective transportation option when importing furniture from China. You can either opt for a full container (e.g. FCL 20”) or LCL, meaning that you’ll share container spaces with one or more importers.
High-quality packaging materials are essential when shipping furniture. Stacked units can easily crush those at the bottom, and sharp edges and cut through cover fabrics on the long journey on the sea.
Further, furniture must always be loaded on ISPM pallets.
It’s crucial that you provide clear visual and written instructions to your supplier, detailing how they should pack your furniture, and which materials they should use.
Freight insurance is equally essential, as you cannot return damaged pieces to your supplier, or request a refund.
HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair is among the most well-recognized and well-received furniture fairs in Hong Kong. In 2017, the fair was attended by more than 29,000 visitors, and around 2,200 brands and businesses displayed their products.
The exhibition will take place in the third week of April in Hong Kong. Admission to the fair is allowed for only 18 years old and above. You also have to pay HK$ 100 which is equivalent to USD 15 to attend the show.
Visiting Hong Kong for short-term business visits does not require a visa so you can attend this event without applying for a visa. Hong Kong allows visa-free entry to 170 countries, which also include North America, Europe, and Australia.
You can explore a wide range of houseware categories in this event that include:
You can also find hundreds of exhibitors from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other countries in the region. The event is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, and other partners.
The event takes place once a year, mostly in April.
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
International Design and Furniture Fair Hong Kong, also known as IDFFHK, takes place in Hong Kong after every two years.
The fair focuses more on interior design and hosts many top interior designers, in addition to exhibiting their designed products. The event is mostly attended by architects, property developers, interior designers, hoteliers, and other professionals working in the design industry.
In 2017, more than 10,000 professionals visited the fair.
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai, Hong Kong
The Gifts & Home Exhibition is another major fair in Hong Kong. In 2017, more than 18,000 buyers visited the event from 121 countries. The event also organized more than 1,000 booths for different product categories and exhibitors.
The exhibition also focuses on small order sourcing, as you can find more than 300 exhibitors who accept small orders, making the event a good option for small-scale online retailers and Amazon sellers. The exhibition also has a separate Online and Amazon Sellers center with hundreds of booths. Most of the exhibitors are from Hong Kong and Mainland China, but some are also from other countries.
As there are many different product categories and exhibitors, the event targets both, large and small-scale buyers.
You can also explore different product categories that include:
The exhibition takes place twice every year, mostly in April and October.
The event also takes place in partnership with the Global Sources Mobile Electronics exhibition at the same place and at the same time. So you have an option to visit both at the same time.
Venue: Asia World-Expo, next to Hong Kong International Airport
The annual China International Furniture Expo will take place in Shanghai in September. The exhibition takes place once every year, mostly in the month of September.
It is also one of the largest furniture expos in the world. More than 150,000 people attended the event in 2017 from 155 different countries.
The event is organized by the China National Furniture Association and attended by hundreds of brands and furniture exporters from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other countries. In total, more than 3,500 exhibitors are expected to participate in the event.
As there are thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of product booths, you can explore many different product categories that include:
Unlike Hong Kong (which is a special administrative region in China), you need a visa to visit Mainland China to attend business events in the country. Even though China allows visa-free entry to the citizens of 13 countries, including Singapore and Japan, but for Europe, North America, and Australia, there are visa requirements.
Admission is limited to 18 years old or older only.
The event takes place at the same time and the same location as FMC (Furniture Manufacturing & Supply) China exhibition. You can attend both events at the same time as both events are co-located.
Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), No. 2345 Longyang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
In terms of visitors and exhibitor numbers, China International Furniture Fair is among the largest furniture fairs in the world. More than 170,000 visitors from all around the world visit the event every year, while more than 3,900 exhibitors take part in the exhibition.
The event takes place twice a year, every March and October. The event also takes place in two phases at two different venues within the same city, each phase displays different product categories.
The presence of a large number of furniture manufacturers, exporters, and international brands allows you to explore an unattached range of products at this event. Some of the popular categories at the event include:
The exhibition is organized by the China National Furniture Association and the China Foreign Trade Center.
Most of the exhibitors are from China and Hong Kong, but you can also find furniture brands from other Asian countries along with North American, European, and Australian companies.
Venue:
Canton Fair is also called China Import and Export Fair. It is a regular event that takes place twice a year in three phases.
Each phase consists of several major industries. The second phase also exhibits many different industries that include furniture.
It is also one of the largest furniture trade exhibitions in the world based on the number of attendees every year. Around 7,000 exhibitors are expected to join the event along with more than 180,000 visitors from all over the world.
The exhibition will take place in China Import and Export Complex, also known as the largest modernized exhibition center in Asia. It is located in Pazhou Island, Guangzhou, China.
You can also explore a wide range of product categories here that include:
You can find exhibitors in the fair from all over the world, but most are Mainland China and Hong Kong-based furniture manufacturers.
Venue: China Import & Export Fair Complex, No. 380, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou, China
Listed Companies
Disclaimer
We are not affiliated with any of the companies listed in this guide. We have selected these companies based on their claimed product scope, history, certification, and capabilities.
Foshan Rongbin Furniture Factory was founded in 2011, engaging in the business of manufacturing furniture items and furniture sets for living rooms and dining rooms. Rongbin offers ODM products and OEM manufacturing for their customers, including pre-sale consultation, structural and style design, color and pattern design, material procurement, production, logistics, and after-sale services.
Rongbin focuses on designing and developing furniture for living rooms, such as leather sofa, fabric sofas, recliner sofas, leisure chairs, ottoman chairs, oval shape furniture, cabinets, credenzas, TV stands, and other living room and dining rooms furniture sets.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Foshan, Guangdong
Guangdong Hongye Furniture Manufacturing was established in 2010 in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province. Hongye is a professional manufacturer specializing in making office furniture items and sets including desks, chairs, tables, cabinets, and sofas.
The company also designs and takes customization orders in making conference room tables of different shapes and materials, including rectangle, round, oval, and half-open shapes. Other products include conference room chairs, storage, and filing cabinets, workstations, partition, and rostrums.
The factory of Hongye covers an area of over 500,000 square meters, employing more than 1,000 craftsmen and workers.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Jiangmen, Guangdong
Anji Hefeng Furniture was founded in 2010 specializes in manufacturing high-quality wooden and leather recliner chairs and sofas of various designs.
Anji Hefeng Furniture focuses on making recliners chairs with extra cushions, which are suitable for leisure and relaxing. Customers can choose the original design of the company or have their products specially made with custom designs.
The products of Anji Hefeng include leather recliners with ottoman, leather lounge chair with ottoman, leather tv chairs, accent chairs, glider chairs, rocking chairs, armchairs, power swivel lift recliners, and heat massage recliners. The company also offers recliners with multi seats suitable for couples, family, and friends.
Currently, the factory of Anji Hefeng is located in Anji County in Zhejiang, covering an area of 25,000 square meters, where there is more than 130 staff, which includes 15 professional technicians and craftsmen.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Anji, Zhejiang
Established in 2011, Foshan COOC Furniture is an ODM and OEM designer and manufacturer of home furniture. The products offered by Foshan COOC cover all sections of the apartment, including sofas, cushion stools, cushion chairs, marble TV stands, and storage cabinets for living rooms; dining table sets, coffee tables, teapoys for dining rooms; bed frames, king-sized mattress, and nightstands for rooms. All the products are available in leather, fabric, and velvet.
The online catalog for Foshan COOC provides more than 200 items for option. Customers are welcomed to provide the original design with special requirements for the products.
Foshan COOC’s factory covers an area of more than 60,000 square meters, with an in-house R&D center, design department, and production base, and a 5000 square meters exhibition hall, employing more than 700 workers. The factory’s production capacity has reached more than 25,000 sets of sofas, 35,000 set beds, and 30,000 pieces of mattresses annually.
Finally, Foshan COOC also offers free LOGO customization, free promotional and advertising images retouching, marketing training, and store design service to customers.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Foshan, Guangdong
Guangzhou Everpretty Furniture was founded in 1994 as a professional designer, contractor, and manufacturer of school, laboratory, dormitory, and cafeteria furniture supplies. Everpretty welcomes ODM and OEM orders from domestic and overseas customers. Up until now, the company keeps the pace of launching 50-100 models of products annually, catering to the requirements of different customers.
Classroom series: products include height-adjustable single desks and chairs, movable and folding sketching chairs with wheels, auditorium chairs with cushions, desks with storage compartments, sketching chairs with a rack beneath the chair.
Laboratory series: products include acid-resistant rectangle shape tables, foldable stackable plastic tables, and other products.
Student’s dormitory series: Products include bunk bed with mattress, dormitory bunk bed with wardrobe set, and bunk bed with studying desk for students.
Library series: products include individual reading tables with personal space and learning desks with a storage shelf.
Cafeteria series: products include banquet chairs, food court conjoined table and chair for 4 people, long benches, foldable stackable plastic tables, stainless steel canteen sinks with 2 faucets, foldable and movable dining desk with wheels.
Summary
Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong
Artech Furniture Group was established in 2001, initially as a custom-made high-end furniture designer and exporter for hotels, commercial office buildings, villa resorts, show houses, and clubs.
The factories of Artech Furniture were set up in 2005 and 2007 respectively, primarily making ODM and OEM products of styles like Western and Eastern traditional, retro, classic and contemporary modern, American country, Nordic, Chinese and Yamato styles.
The custom-made products include upholstered loveseats, leather, fabric, and solid wood armchairs, leather accent chairs, stainless steel bar stools, velvet leisure chairs, upholstered storage benches, wooden nightstands, leather and velvet ottomans, plastic bookshelf, paper foldable screens, wooden room dividers, stainless steel coffee tables, wooden console tables, vanity mirrors, and more.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Foshan, Guangdong
Foshan Mingjia Furniture was founded in 2012. The company is an OEM manufacturer that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and exporting solid wood furniture for hotels and office rooms.
Currently, Foshan Mingjia Furniture has set up two factories, three subsidiary companies, and six offices. The total area of the two factories is over 50,000 square meters, with more than 100 employees.
The primary products provided by Foshan Mingjia Furniture include furniture for hotel executive bedroom set, walnut wood queen furniture set for single or twin room, formica laminate fireproof panel furniture set for 5-star hotel bedrooms, ash veneer hotel bedroom furniture sets, ebony furniture set for hotel executive suite, mahogany furniture sets, and more.
Foshan Mingjia Furniture also designs and manufactures hotel furniture used in outdoor areas, such as dining furniture sets, sofas, swimming pool lounge chairs, swing chairs, rattan garden recliners, and benches. Other products include karaoke room lounge sofa and table set, club furniture, and beauty parlor massage chairs.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Foshan, Guangdong
Teng Nuo Home Furniture is an Hangzhou-based company that specializes in designing and producing wooden furniture, especially cabinets, credenzas, nightstands, shelves, cupboards, accent side cabinets, and racks.
The company welcomes ODM and OEM orders from domestic and overseas customers. Teng Nuo has divided its products into several collections according to the styles and materials, which include the Peking collection, Oslo collection, Hague collection, Seattle collection, Cielo collection, and Cannes collection.
Teng Nuo mainly works with oak, ash, pine, alder, and birch. In addition, Teng Nuo also uses recycled woods for its products. The production center of Teng Nuo covers a total area of 5,000 square meters, set up with multiple showrooms and offices.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Foshan Shunde Creation Furniture is a professional hotel furniture designer and manufacturer. The company contracts OEM orders of all range of hotel furniture, such as furniture set for guest rooms, suite room, lobbies, banquet halls, meeting rooms, lounge rooms, bars, gyms, gardens, corridors, and outdoor swimming pools.
Their product line includes bed frames, wardrobe, TV units, desk, chair, armchair, sofas, coffee tables, mirrors, and more.
Main Products
Summary
Location: Foshan, Guangdong
Co-founder of Asiaimportal (HK) Limited and based in Hong Kong. He has been quoted in and contributed to Bloomberg, SCMP, Alibaba Insights, Globalsources.com, China Chief Executive, Quartz Magazine and more.