THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1978
DOMESTIC MARKET FOR HK'S FURNITURE INDUSTRY
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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. DAVID JORDAN SAID THIS EVENING THAT HONG KONG HAS AN UNUSUALLY LARGE DOMESTIC MARKET FOR MODERN FURNITURE.
SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS, HE SAID THAT ALMOST 50,000 NEW HOMES ARE FORECAST FOR 1978 AND 60,000 FOR 1979. +ADD TO FURNITURE REQUIRED FOR THESE UNITS REPLACEMENT ITEMS FOR SOME OF THE HOUSEHOLDERS IN THE 770,000 UNITS NOW IN USE, AND YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL DOMESTIC MARKET+.
MR. JORDAN SAID THAT OTHER COUNTRIES HAD NOTICED THE POTENTIAL OF OUR LOCAL MARKET AND HAD EXPORTED $200 MILLION WORTH OF FURNITURE TO HONG KONG IN 1977 - NOT VERY MUCH LESS THAN OUR DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF FURNITURE WHICH LAST YEAR WERE VALUED AT $260 MILLION.
+TO HAVE A LARGE DOMESTIC MARKET IS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION FOR ANY HONG KONG INDUSTRY TO BE IN, AND THIS NEW FEDERATION IS WELL PLACED TO CO-ORDINATE THE MANY ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE NECESSARY IF THE INDUSTRY IS TO CAPITALISE FURTHER ON IT+.
BUT HE STRESSED THAT IF THEY WERE TO DO THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE READY TO ACCEPT NEW MATERIALS, NEW DESIGNS, NEW SKILLS AND NEW TOOLS.
+THIS IS NOT EASY FOR AN INDUSTRY WHICH IS OLD-FASHIONED TRADITIONAL, CRAFT-BASED AND IN ITS OWN WAY SUCCESSFUL IN MANY RESPECTS+. BUT IN REMINDING HIS AUDIENCE THAT TIME DOES NOT STAND STILL, HE SAID THAT CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE MARKET PLACE MIGHT ALSO FORCE THEM INTO LINES OF PRODUCTION OTHER THAN THOSE THEY ARE NOW IN.
HE GAVE A REASSURANCE TO THE INDUSTRY, WHICH HE SAID HAD SERVED HONG KONG SO WELL FOR SO LONG, THAT THE TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT, THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE, THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE POLYTECHNIC STAND READY TO PROVIDE WHATEVER HELP IT IS IN THEIR POWER TO PROVIDE.
MR. JORDAN DID NOT OVERLOOK THE TRADITIONAL SKILLS WHICH HAVE MADE HONG KONG'S ROSEWOOD, BLACKWOOD AND RATTAN FURNITURE SO POPULAR AT HOME AND ABROAD.
HE SAID THESE SKILLS HAVE LONG HELD AN IMPORTANT AND HONOURED PLACE AMONG THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE CRAFTS AND THAT THERE IS STILL A MARKET FOR SUCH FURNITURE, ALTHOUGH NOT A MASS ONE.
BUT FOR THE MASS MARKET MR. JORDAN SAID: HERE THE NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT. TODAY'S CONSUMER LOOKS FOR ATTRACTIVE, BUT FUNCTIONAL STYLING, AND FOR PIECES OF A SIZE SUITABLE FOR MODERN APARTMENTS+.
THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS INCLUDES THREE MAJOR FURNITURE ASSOCIATIONS AND 125 INDEPENDENT COMPANIES. MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY.
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