TEMPO Interactive, Surakarta:Furniture entrepreneurs in Surakarta can relax. Before the year has ended, furniture orders from abroad have been flooding in, especially for the Christmas and New Year celebration.
The Head of the Surakarta Branch of the Indonesia Furniture Association (Asmindo) David Wijaya, told journalists that furniture orders have increased since October. “Before December, orders must be sent to destination countries,” he said yesterday.
He estimated that furniture exports can increase by 20 percent from previous months. In the last two years, buyers from the US and Europe slowed down because of the financial crisis. This year they will buy Indonesian furniture in big volumes. “Because the economy is improving,” he said.
According to David, every year the average furniture shipped to America and Europe amounted to 400 containers, products from 50 of Asmindo’s members. The type of products preferred are sets of table and chairs and souvenirs for Christmas gift, such as candle holders.
A furniture entrepreneur, Sri Mulyani, confirmed that furniture orders from abroad have begun to come in. The orders, she said, come from Australia and Italy. The products sought are desks and end tables. As many as six containers stood ready to be shipped.
But she admitted that conditions have not returned to the levels prior to the financial crisis. At that moment, Sri sends up to 25 containers each month. “But now it has started to improve, because during the crisis there were no orders at all,” she said, adding that orders started to be placed since September.
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