Despite offering quality products at discounted rates, top furniture manufacturers have so far failed to attract desired number of customers at Dhaka International Trade Fair 2023.1.14
During a visit to the fair this correspondent exchanged views with many of the managers of the furniture manufacturers who expressed getting negative response from the customers.
Most of them said that they are not allowed to decorate and construct multi-storey pavilions to display their products, like they could in the previous fair ground in Agargaon.
"We cannot display more than 20-30 percent our products at a time due to space shortage. On the other hand, most of visitors come in the trade fair at Purbachal from nearby,” MdMosleh Uddin, Pavilion-in-Charge of Partex Furniture, told Bangladesh Post. He said, “We have displayed products keeping in mind to attract customers of both, middle and higher class consumers.” He also said that Partex Furniture have introduced discounted new designs which dominate the products.
FarjanaHaque, Pavilion-in-Charge of Navana Furniture, told Bangladesh Post, “We have set a target to sell products worth around three crore Taka at the month-long fair, but till January 14, we have sold furniture worth only Tk 50 lakh.
She hopes that the sales of their products will get momentum in the last week in the fair.
She also expressed dissatisfaction over the location of the fair held at Purbachal. “Sadly, we have not noticed foreign buyers. As a result we fail to get export orders,” she added.
Meanwhile, leading furniture makers - Partex, Hatil, Delta, Navana, Akhter, Regal, and Brothers have introduced different types of new design beds, almirah, wardrobe, door, sofa, drawing table, dressing table, tea table and so on made of wood, plywood as well as board.
The furniture companies have offered up to 15 percent discount on 300 models of products. Many companies have offered the facility of equated monthly installment (EMIs) to attract customers of all classes.
On Saturday, furniture pavilion owners expressed satisfaction with the turnout of crowds in the furniture zone on the fourteen day of the fair.
A number of pavilion in change told Bangladesh Post that they have participated in the trade show mainly for wooing visitors to the roll-out of their new, custom-made products.
Customers are also happy, as they find all companies in a certain area for comparing the quality, variations and the price of products.
Noshin, a customer who bought a dressing table from the fair, told that she was satisfied as she could buy a new product at affordable rates, after justifying quality and discount of many companies.
Moshiur Rahman, marketing director of Hatil, said they have set a target to sell products worth two crore Taka.
He said that they have set the price for the fair with a big discount of 5-10 percent.
Meanwhile, this year, DITF will host a total of 331 stalls and 57 pavilions and mini pavilions.
There will be 17 stalls by companies from 10 countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and South Korea.
Like last year, the fair committee has set up a special BRTC bus service from Kuril Bishwa Road to Purbachal to make it easy for visitors to travel.
Apart from a huge parking lot, the exhibition centre on the outskirts of the capital also has an auditorium, conference rooms, restaurant, children’s play area, prayer room, medical booth, guest rooms, built-in public address system and a modern firefighting system.
The entry fee for this fair will be the same as last time. It will be Tk 40 for adults and Tk 20 for children.
