China\'s whole cupboard looking for export opportunity

A few days ago, the 2008 China’s stairs & cupboard export trade fair was held in Guangda Convention and Exhibition Center in Shanghai. Nearly 100 enterprises participated in the show, actively seeking for domestic and export opportunities.

China has a very different kitchen culture from Europe and the United States, where kitchen has already gone beyond the cooking areas, into parlor, leisure and relaxation areas. Watching TV, surfing the internet, chatting with friends are very normal life screens. As a result, kitchen becomes more and more relaxed and information-based. China’s kitchens are becoming opener too, where the whole cupboard (http://www.tootoo.com/buy-whole_cupboard/) plays a key role.

Shanghai is a fashion front of modern life, where many "returnees" and many people seeking for European and American way of life make Shanghai’s cabinet industry particularly active. Whether the internationally renowned European brands Kit Man, the top three domestic brands Haier, Oupai and Opel, or the local brands Yaoxing and Ya Dier have their own arena. However, there are still many issues to be addressed in the less than 20 years of China's cabinet industry (http://www.tootoo.com/w-Furniture_Furnishings/) development.

According to Tootoo.com network data, in nearly two years, many household categories like furniture, sanitary ceramics, paintings are shifting to domestic sales from exporting, because of the lower export tax rebates, increased foreign trade barriers, rising raw materials and human resource cost. Differently, the cupboard plants still hold high export, the vast majority of which are taking the "brand" roads. In addition, few Chinese original cabinets (http://news.tootoo.com/Building_Materials/Bath_Toilet_Appliances/) are maintaining both domestic sales and exports, one of whom is Haier.

"China's Cabinet industry has developed for about for 15 years. At present, Europe and the United States have a popularity rate for 62%, Japan 57%, China only 2.68% compared. The industry Is a promising industry, both in terms of time and market space. The confidence of people's consumption are more or less affected by the continued downturn the stock market in the past few months, and the successive months of natural and manmade disasters, such as the snowstorm in February, Tibet free rebellion in March, hand-foot-mouth disease in April, the earthquake in May. Enterprises have chosen to export the same, from the perspective of promoting Profit or brand image. Difference is that we are ODM (Original Design Manufacturer), they are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) comparatively.As for the appreciation of the RMB, as well as the rising costs and other issues, that’s the problems the whole industry has encountered." analysed Ma Hua-qing, marketing Minister of Haier Kitchen Facilities Co., Ltd. (http://www.tootoo.com/d-c6433992-Haier_Kitchen_Facilities_Co_Ltd_/), in an interview by reporter from tootoo.com.