A booth at the VIFA Home 2018. The fair this year will be held at the Phú Thọ Sports Stadium in HCM City’s District 11 from November 28 to December 1. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The 2019 Vietnam Furniture and Home Furnishing Fair will be held in HCM City from November 28 to December 1 to promote locally made wooden furniture, home decor and handicrafts.

The expo at the Phú Thọ Sports Stadium in District 11 will have 600 booths set up by 120 brands to showcase outdoor and indoor furniture, handicrafts, and household appliances.

Huỳnh Văn Hạnh, permanent deputy chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA), told a press briefing in HCM City on Tuesday that in addition to a number of large domestic furniture retailers such as Chilai, HOME'FURNI, Toàn Phú Furniture, VietmayHome, and Duy Tân, the fair this year has also attracted prestigious export brands such as Scancia Pacific, Savimex, Donata, Lê Trần, Việt Can, and SADACO Bình Dương.

“These firms will bring their products to VIFA HOME this year for domestic customers. This is a good sign for the domestic market, which has high demand for export products.”

With the message ‘Furniture banquet’, VIFA HOME this year would underline its status as the biggest furniture fair in the country, enabling consumers to find complete packages for their living spaces, adding that on the occasion of Black Friday exhibitors at the fair would offer big promotions, he said.

With a population of nearly 100 million, increasing incomes, and rapid development of the property market, the Vietnamese market is a promising one for the furniture industry, he said.

Domestic furniture consumption has increased significantly in recent years, and is expected to reach US$5 billion this year, nearly equal to exports, he added.

Thái Lê Hương, marketing manager at Cozy Living Company, which distributes furniture, said its domestic sales were growing by more than 30 per cent a year mainly driven by demand from apartments.

Nguyễn Chiến Thắng, chairman of HAWA Corporation, said Vietnamese were paying more attention to creating beautiful living spaces.

“They prefer customised furniture, which is the strength of small and medium-sized enterprises,” he added.

Organised by HAWA and HAWA Corporation, the fair will also feature seminars, game shows, art performances, and lucky draws.

The ASEAN Furniture Industries Council delegation with more than 50 representatives of Southeast Asian furniture associations and businesses will visit the fair to explore business opportunities.

Over the last 10 years the annual expo has acted as a bridge connecting wooden furniture producers, traders, distributors, and retailers. — VNS