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Salone del Mobile Milano, autumn maneuvers. President Porro: “This is how we try to conquer the USA”. And China?

Interview with Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile - The world tour successfully debuted in New York, celebrating Italian design and the Salone del Mobile Milano. However, international maneuvers threaten Made in Italy and SMEs, despite the Salone continuing to attract companies and buyers from all over the world

Salone del Mobile Milano, autumn maneuvers. President Porro: “This is how we try to conquer the USA”. And China?

La first stop of the world tour dedicated to the promotion of Salone del Mobile Milano , took place from 5 to 29 September in the prestigious setting of Bloomingdale's in New York with an event entitled “Italian design: from Classic to Contemporary”. An event that celebrated Italian culture, luxury and art. The event was a great success but created, as always, a wide and prolonged hype of the press. While the data of an export that sees a collapse in Europe but a significant growth in sales in North America, in Italy, together with the data of FederlegnoArredo, we have also collected some voices critical towards Made in Italy of design. The Salone, it must be said, actually continues to enjoy excellent health at an international level, remaining a fundamental stage for the large cluster of designers and buyers.

Salone del Mobile, autumn maneuvers

Parallel imports, shady maneuvers, heavy pressure on Italian SMEs why they don't participate in the Salone del Mobile, and more. The autumn maneuvers of the large international groups have begun, often owners of historic Italian brands in decline or in any case fascinated by who knows what profits and successes. The goal? Perhaps to hit the Salone del Mobile Milano, which continues to attract more and more North American companies and operators like no other event in the sector? Or to take over Italian SMEs that, despite their small size, have made a further leap forward in the US in the first four months of the year? And that offer extremely innovative design, quite distinct from the numerous and somewhat tiring re-editions?

Parallel imports, a case

Italian-American rumors, not just gossip. A example, without naming specific names: let's imagine a large group (producer and retailer, which we will call A) which has acquired about ten brands, including some Italian ones. Group A wants to sell on Market B the furniture of aItalian company (which we will call C), already present in that market, but at a lower price. A manager of a company comes into playanother Italian company (which we will call D), also part of group A, whichbuy C's furniture in a country where costs are lower than in market B. This obviously causes serious damage to company C.

How much is the Salone brand worth?

The Salone brand is worth a lot, a lot. The reputation of the event was quantified for the first time by Lectra Co Launchmetrics, which scientifically measured the value, credibility and authority of the Salone del Mobile, estimating it at a whopping 24,8 million dollars and defining it as “unparalleled” on a global level. Furthermore, the groundbreaking news has just arrived that the historic Internationale Möbelmesse Cologne (Imm), it was suspended. While the promotional tour of the Milanese Show was a great success in New York, in its first stop. “With an important novelty,” he tells FIRST online Mary Porro, president of the Salone – that we wanted to open the event to private individuals, which in previous editions was reserved for operators and designers. The aim was to convey to what is a high-level public our quality, what is behind each product and what makes it unique. It was the exhibition dedicated to the excellence of Italian furniture production which, from 5 to 29 September, was part of the project 'From Italy, With Love' by Bloomingdale's dedicated to Italian culture, luxury and art in New York”.

Once again the long tour started from the United States, in particular from New York. “The Usa I am the rest of the third market of destination of the exports of Italian Wood-Furniture Supply Chain – replies Porro – which in the first four months of this year recorded a positive variation of +5,2% for a value equal to 663,6 million euros and in the first six months a +2,7%. It is certainly not an easy market to conquer, because our companies encounter a series of serious difficulties regarding personnel, which now characterizes the entire country. In the USA there is a lack of skills; personnel tend to change jobs often because salaries are tied to results. And so our companies often have to resort to their own installers. At the origin, as our partners have pointed out to us, there is a now historical heavy cultural deficiency, because schools, even private ones, offer training of insufficient quality for the job. New York is an exception, and it is not for nothing that we have once again chosen the city for our long stage”.

Export, caution and trust

There is no doubt, however, that exports of the sector to other countries have stopped and we will address this issue in detail with the president of FederlegnoArredo, Claudio Feltrin.

What is the mood of its own. between operators, designers e design lovers? “There is still widespread confidence but also a certain caution both in terms of household purchases and business investments. Sales, turnover and exports of furniture have fallen. The wars and the uncertainty over the outcome of the American elections are weighing heavily.” Some long-standing exhibitors have shown signs of fatigue in relation to the April event. These are small and medium-sized companies that are perhaps suffering from the current general crisis. “And yet, there are forecasts for a change in the negative trend, and the Show is a strong global catalyst.”

Il consortium Sustainable talks, launched in January by FederlegnoArredo could help support SMEs in the difficult path of the full transition to the circular economy? “Certainly, it is in fact essential that furniture companies use the new tools available to team up, to support the increasingly complex challenges of the markets”.

And in this regard, how much has it influenced and is influencing the export the closure of several sea ​​passages which certainly have an impact on Costs logistics?

"Some companies have already created companies outside Italy for this very problem, but they are not small and medium-sized companies. In reality, it is since the Covid period that we have learned to look for solutions on a case-by-case basis, to be resilient and to live with the difficulties of completely changed logistics. It should also be considered that fortunately our sector operates over long periods of time and often for a clientele accustomed to accepting waiting. It is on large projects that the precision of the various delivery stages is fundamentally important".

However, it becomes very difficult to work with distant people. Asian markets, With the 'India for example, which had great growth potential for Made in Italy. Has this expectation been confirmed in a positive sense?

“Not really. India was one of the most anticipated markets for us, and instead it turned out to be very difficult: it is a very rich market but not particularly receptive. However, a general readjustment of the international markets is underway because if Europe, which constitutes the most consistent part of our sales, is still in the negative, the Arab countries are recording consistent growth – observes Porro – Among other things, there are also signs of recovery in the markets, especially for the contract, which, after having suffered a lot due to the prolonged blockade of the Covid period, is instead recording a good trend”.

In China, beyond the crisis

La China is going through very difficult months due to the crisis in domestic consumption and real estate. What do you expect? “The great Chinese tour starts in November from Shanghai with strong hype press; the crisis is definitely strong but our presence is now extended even in the second line cities after the most populous ones. And despite the fact that for the Chinese government the word luxury has negative connotations, Made in Italy is considered an expression of our art. It will be the occasion for a great relaunch of Italian furniture. We bring the 25th anniversary of Salone Satellite to Hong Kong, a unique experiment that has valorized many young designers”.

The particularly original formula of FederlegnoArredo's trade fair events, known for including the bathroom biennials and Eurocucina, and which during the year is enhanced by a very intense activity of the international press office, takes on an inimitable aura of glamour. All the major newspapers on all continents write about it; the heart of this success, only partially “obscured” by the global crisis, lies in the “Italianness” of the products, components, marketing and manufacturing. However, a worrying example emerges: Copenhagen, in attempt to imitate the Salone and Made in Italy e Europe quality, the local furniture fair decides to launch, in competition with Made in Italy, a large kermesse on Made in Europe and Made in Denmark. But with a fundamental misunderstanding: nothing is produced in Europe or Denmark, everything comes from Asia. And it is serious that they want to pass off as European design products at low cost and of quality not comparable to the European and Italian ones.

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