Pier 1 Imports buys RP furniture

One of the biggest furniture retail chains in North America, Pier 1 Imports is aggressively buying Philippine furniture. The firm's managing director Jim Prucha is impressed with Philippine furniture products.

The company is owner of one of the most extensive chains of furniture and home furnishings specialty stores in the US and Canada with 1,076 Pier 1 outlets in the US, 84 Pier 1 stores in Canada and another three franchised stores also in the US.

"Your furniture sets are some of the most beautiful products in the world," said Prucha after a successful supply negotiation with one of its old suppliers from Pampanga at the national office of PHILEXPORT.

He was one of the buyers who participated in the recent Philippine International Furniture Show.

From Manila, the Pier 1 buying team proceeded to Cebu to scout for suppliers in the counterpart furniture show, CEBU-X.

Despite the fact that Philippine indigenous exports are getting more expensive and fewer local producers participated in this year's furniture fairs in Manila and Cebu as a result of the weakening dollar, more foreign buyers were observed to have come to the furniture show in Manila and are set to go to the succeeding fair in Cebu.

The merchandise director of Pier 1 did not mention any figures on how much his team is planning to buy from the Philippines, but he made it clear that his company goes for big volumes of at least 2,000 sets for each design of furniture they decide to buy.

"Your furniture makers are mostly small and could not meet those orders. But we go out of our way helping them meet orders," he said. He did not elaborate on the nature of assistance the big retailer extends to its Filipino suppliers.

He added his team is particularly interested in wicker furniture, or those made of rattan which are still abundant in Mindanao.