Turkish furniture sector set to broaden its global presence

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey, which made $3.5 billion furniture exports last year, is preparing to open two furniture malls in the U.S. and Dubai in coming months.

While the country's furniture sector continues its existence in the global market in terms of exports, it aims to create a global brand and permanent sales channel abroad.

Koray Caliskan, the head of the country's oldest furniture showroom and a shareholder of project MODOKO, said the mall in the U.S. will open in the first half of this year in Kansas state and Dubai project will be completed within two months.

As part of the project, furniture malls will sale Turkish furniture products of numerous brands.

The project was jointly launched by MODOKO, another leading furniture showroom MASKO and Kayseri Organized Industrial Site (OIS), Caliskan told Anadolu Agency.

While building of malls in Dubai and the U.S. was prioritized, the aim is to open new malls in different places in the U.S. and different parts of the world, he noted.

Turkey and the U.S. recently targeted to reach $100 billion bilateral trade volume and the furniture sector was among five main sectors.

"With this project, Turkey will have a global brand and permanent outlet for promoting and exporting the country's furniture products," Caliskan underlined.

- Project will contribute to export target

Touching on the U.S. project, Caliskan said studies for the mall are continuing, adding a major part of the work has already been completed.

The mall in the U.S. will be providing services such as management, sales, montage and logistics.

"We are waiting for the approval process and procedures for incentives, it will be announced in the first half of 2020," he added.

Caliskan asserted that these malls will increase Turkey's exports significantly, adding each mall will see huge amount of sales figures in a short period.

Reminding that the country's furniture exports reached $3.5-4 billion level from $100-150 million level in 15 years, he said the sector's 2023 target is $10 billion.

Caliskan added that the sector needs new methods for reaching this target and the furniture mall project will contribute to the country's export target.

"Our sector adopted the project and several brands have joined it," he said and noted the country's furniture plants have small capacity, but this kind of cooperation will help the sector to meet the demand.

The furniture mall project is also expected to contribute side sectors such as the house-ware and carpet sectors, and pave the way for small enterprises, which currently does not have enough capacity to export goods.

The project will also promote Turkey's brand value abroad.