KARACHI, July 2: The influx of cheap Chinese goods has driven various local-made products out of the market, and led to the closure of some of the industries including toys, stationery, garments etc., and many are on the verge of collapse finding it difficult to compete with Chinese products.

Now Chinese furniture has started making inroads in Pakistan, which according to some market observers a potential threat to this industry, but others rule out any serious threat in near future.

The share of Chinese furniture in the local market is not that significant because it is not as cheap like other goods from China, however, sending a ripple in the market.

A furniture dealer in Arambagh Area, the country’s oldest furniture market, was selling a Chinese transparent glass dining table for six persons for Rs15,000 and claimed that the price was quite reasonable as compared to locally-made table which cost over Rs20,000.

Stylish Chinese computer trolleys are available in the range of Rs1,000 to Rs4,000, and the prices of TV trolleys range from Rs1,800 to Rs3,000.

Chinese sofa sets are also available with prices ranging Rs12,000-Rs70,000, depending on the quality and designs.

Besides, Chinese-made bed and dining unit (full cushion leather bed) can be purchased at Rs125,000 in posh areas. Similarly, a bed set and dressing table, made of iron rod, now cost Rs90,000. In wooden segment, a bed-set and dining table cost Rs100,000.

“I think China has captured 15-20 per cent market share in iron rod and wooden furniture and also in office furniture,” Alliance of Market Association Chairman Atiq Mir told Dawn.

Chinese wooden furniture has already entered in the local market, while iron rod furniture is also available. However, in deco furniture segment, the presence of Chinese items is not so significant.

The furniture market is now passing through a transformation period as people have now got a vast variety in shape of wood furniture, deco furniture and the latest entry is the iron rod furniture.

Consumers now appear much curious and also impressed with the designs and colours of iron rod and deco furniture since Pakistani and Indian TV channels have started projecting stylish furniture in their soap operas. Smelling the change of mood, the furniture dealers have intensified their endeavours in introducing iron rod and deco furniture with trendy designs and looks.

Because of the fact that Chinese furniture is considered a disposable item like the European furniture, it may take some time to take away a big share from the well-established local furniture industry. Another factor is that the Chinese furniture is also very light in weight.

“Chinese deco furniture cannot compete with Pakistani made deco furniture,” Atiq Mir said adding that they may take some share in wooden and iron rod.

Pakistani furniture-makers are currently taking the design concept and ideas from the websites and European countries furniture catalogues mainly from Italy, the UK, and France etc. Italy being famous for its innovative styling and fashion designing, can be considered as the creators of deco and iron rod furniture.

“We copy designs but we make changes and improvement in it so that the end-product comes out with a marked difference from the European designs,” said Mohammad Farooq, proprietor of Al Balad Furnitures at Arambagh Bagh.

He said that it was the skills of our craftsmen who made the furniture worth- watching with amendments in designs and style keeping in view the taste of locals.

He said that the middle income group now preferred deco furniture instead of wooden furniture, while lower middle class liked wooden furniture as it was cheaper to deco. In iron rod, all income groups were interested, he said.

The price of a wooden bedroom set (bed with two side-tables, dressing-table, divider and cupboard) carries price tag of Rs40,000-50,000, while in deco the price of an average deco bedroom set starts from Rs50,000 to Rs150,000, depending on the quality, designs and colours. In posh areas, it was available at Rs300,000-Rs500,000.

“We do not have any problems in selling deco furniture in the city as our main buyers arrive from the Interior Sindh,” Farooq said and added that the current slowdown in the market did not mean that the buyers were not coming as majority of dealers work on advance orders. He said that the iron rod furniture was a new concept in Pakistan and that was why its sales were very slow.

Meanwhile, a dealer of iron rod furniture in Karimabad said that people were now changing their mood towards iron rod furniture from wooden as it was much cheaper and durable.

“We offer 10-year paint guarantee and five-year joints guarantee to our customers,” the dealer said adding that an iron rod bedroom set (bed, two side tables, dressing table, mattress and cupboard), made of 18 gauge, cost Rs38,000 while the same set for 16 gauge cost Rs42,000.

Prices of furniture, like other items, have also been on the rise for the past many years. Atiq Mir attributed the price hike to frequent increase in the cost of raw material used in manufacturing of wood and deco furniture.

He said that sheesham wood price now ranged Rs600-800 per sq ft as compared to Rs300 a year back while teak wood price surged to Rs2,800 from Rs1,300. He added that foam and mattress makers, chip board makers and real wood makers had escalated the prices by 30-50 per cent in the last one year.