About thirty habitat companies attend a conference by Extenda and Anieme on opportunities in the Nordic countries

A total of 39 professionals out of 27 Andalusian companies in the habitat sector (furniture, decoration, lighting, textile, home, ceramics, etc.) participated in the technical day 'Habitat in the Nordic Countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark)'Organized by the Ministry of Economy and Knowledgethrough Extenda-Andalusian Foreign Promotion Agency, and the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers and Exporters of Spain (Anieme), at the headquarters of Extenda in Seville.

Through these sessions, attendees have been able to learn from professionals with extensive experience in business development in these markets the business opportunities currently offered by Nordic countries for Andalusian companies that operate in the habitat sector.

In this way, the invited experts have explained to the participants what the channels of access to the market are, its main actors, the trends in interior design and the tastes of Nordic consumers, as well as the keys and practical aspects to take into account. at the time of export to the Nordic countries.

Nordic market potential

The states of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, are one of the most prosperous economies in Europe, with a growing population and consumers with high economic capacity. Among the products with the greatest business possibilities are furniture, decorative ceramics, lighting, textiles, natural stone, coverings and decorative accessories, as well as the development of numerous Contract projects of various kinds (hotels, restaurants, offices, residential, etc.)

These and other aspects have been addressed during the day by professionals such as Eduardo Teixeiraresponsible for Area Manager Spain, France and Benelux of the Stockholm Fair, who has introduced a series of general considerations about the business opportunities that exist for the sector in the region; or the director of Red Carpet, Maribel Álvarez, which has been in charge of analyzing the keys to the marketing of decorative ceramics in the Nordic countries.

Likewise, experts from encourage me have introduced the online marketing platform 'Spansk Design', aimed at the promotion of Spanish companies in the housing sector in the Nordic countries, and have spoken about the importance of digital promotion in mature markets; and Joerl Karsson and Daniel Rodríguez, both architects from the Swedish studio Krook & Tjäder, have explained the access requirements to the Contract Channel in this countries.

The countries that constitute the main destination markets for the Andalusian sector are France, which accounts for 29,3% of sales; Germany, which triples its sales by growing 187% and Portugal, with 8,7%

Furthermore, at the end of the day, around twenty attendees met with the invited speakers in order to delve deeper into the aspects that were of greatest interest to them for their company.

Particiapant enterprises

The companies that have participated in this day come from Seville (I Do Project, Conceptual Interior Design Studio, Tapizados Doñana; Fábrica de Muebles Torres, Universo Eirín, Tapizados Marpe, Vellocinos, Aldo Cruz, La Cartuja de Sevilla, Casia, Ormos Sofás, Paralade Special Things, Javier García, Uon Studio, Artsofa, Majestic and Comfort); Cordoba (Jofer Burgos Diseño, Contract Interiors, Arttile, Lampas Silvio and World Furniture and Stone); Granada (The African Touch, RGRelectrodomesticos, Fokobu); Almeria (Moix Design and Anforas de Mar); Malaga (Novocuadro); and Jaen (Pottery Sons of Pablo Padilla).

Andalusian habitat sector exports continued to grow in 2016, increasing its bill by 13,8% over the previous year to reach 243 million euros, which means that foreign sales of Andalusian furniture and decoration products have grown by 45% in the current decade ( 2010-2016).

The majority of the sector's products exported in 2016 came from Seville, which accounts for 42% of sales with 101 million and a growth of 10,1% compared to 2015; Almeria with 15,8% of exports up to 38 million and an increase of 59%; and Malaga with 27,8 million (11,5% of the total). They follow very closely Cadiz with 26,4 million (10,9% of the total) and an increase of 27,1%; and Cordoba, with 25,5 million (10,5% of the total) and an increase of 26,7%.

The most exported habitat products by Andalusian companies were kitchen furniture, which accumulated a bill of 70 million, 28,7% of the total, which represents a growth of 11,7% compared to 2015; followed by line appliances, with 43 million, 17,8% of the total and an increase of 66%; and home furniture, with 42 million, 17,3% of the total and an increase of 7,1%.

Main destination markets

On the other hand, the countries that constitute the main destination markets of the Andalusian sector are France, which encompasses 29,3% of sales worth 71 million, which represents an increase of 11,7% over 2015; Germany, , which tripled its sales by growing 187% to 22,2 million, 9,1% of the total; and Portugal, with 21,2 million (8,7%). They follow him United Kingdom, with 13,8 million (5,7% of the total), which doubles its figure; and Morocco, with 11,9 million (4,9% of the total).

In 2016, a total of 3.242 companies in the habitat sector Andalucía sold their products in international markets, 26% more than those who did so in 2015. Of these more than 3.000 companies, 15,3%, up to 247, are regular exporters (exporting for more than four years in a row), which It also represents a growth of 7,6% compared to 2015.