PORTUGUESE HOME CLUSTER STRONGLY INVESTS IN THE US MARKET WITH HIGHEST EVER PARTICIPATION AT ICFF

PORTO, Portugal, May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, ICFF, the largest North American fair dedicated to interior design and furniture, will dedicate an exclusive space to Portuguese brands. The Portuguese contingent, whose participation is coordinated by APIMA (Portuguese Association of Furniture and Related Industries), will be represented by a total of 15 brands.

The North American market was, among the main export destinations for Portuguese furniture, the one that grew the most in 2022, with a 27% increase in sales registered by national brands to the USA. This growth, registered in a year in which this cluster recorded the record value of exports, even led the USA to rise to third place among the largest importers of the Portuguese Home Cluster, only surpassed by Spain and France.

These indicators, combined with the instability registered in some of the traditional European markets, led APIMA and AICEP to define an ambitious strategy to focus on the North American market, the largest and most dynamic in the world.

"In the recent past, large American companies have come to recognize the advantages of focusing on quality and innovation, instead of the price. In this context, European brands, and the Portuguese ones in particular, have been able to promote themselves through their commitment to a bold and differentiating design, combined with a unique know-how of many decades", explains Joaquim Carneiro, president of APIMA. "The companies we bring to ICFF perfectly combine the importance of tradition and knowledge with the avant-garde required to impact American buyers and consumers. We are very confident for this edition of ICFF", he adds.

Although some of the Portuguese companies that will be at the event have already participated in the past, this is going to be the first appearance for most of them. The 15 brands that will promote the best of Portuguese production and design are AM Living, Brifour, Dooq, Duistt, Domkapa, Flam & Luce, Frato, Glammfire, Laskasas, Luísa Peixoto, MAB, Mooza, Paulo Antunes, Serip and Wooliv.

The months of May and June are crucial in the international promotion calendar for the Home Cluster. After ICFF, IMM Cologne takes place from the 4th to the 7th of June, followed by the main event to promote this cluster in Portugal, the Portugal Home Week, which takes place between the 15th and 16th of June, at Alfândega do Porto.

SOURCE Portuguese Home Cluster (APIMA)