Furniture manufacturers enter the retail chain

The conference ‘RESTART: How is the Russian Furniture Market Adapting to the New Reality?’ has taken place within the Mebel 2022 exhibition and become a preparation for the Purchasing Centre for Retail Chains™: Furniture, Accessories, Furnishings. The event is organised by KVK Imperia and EXPOCENTRE AO. 

The participants discussed the urgent problems of today's furniture industry, analysed the current furniture market and got answers to a number of questions. How has the departure of major players affected Russian furniture purchasing demand, and how have forces been distributed? How has the market changed? What should be emphasised in order to attract customers in the current environment? Where to look for points of growth and what should be abandoned?

There has been talk of dramatic changes in the furniture market since the spring of 2022. Sanctions, the closure of IKEA shops, and the devaluation of the national currency have all had a strong impact on the behaviour of the Russian consumer.

Representatives of furniture companies - Oleg Retanov, CEO of Kvaik Group (the Medved furniture stores), Sergey Polyakov, Head of Attraction at Hoff Marketplace, and Eduard Romanovsky, Development Director of Mebelik - spoke about how large companies are coping with the problems. 

At the Purchasing Centre for Retail Chains™: Furniture, Accessories, Furnishings manufacturers held direct negotiations with purchasers of retail chains, online shops and furniture factories on the supply of products and components.

A total of 24 procurement companies representing furniture retailers and enterprises took part in the Purchasing Centre for Retail Chains™. 

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO