Monday, December 31, 2012

Furniture store sees potential of Davao market


BLIMS Fine Furniture has picked Davao City as its jump-off and radiation point for its Mindanao expansion, and had recently opened its first branch in the region at the Ayala Abreeza Mall. Blims, the country's top retailer of high-end furniture, made sure its lineup of offerings will be available for Dabawenyos. Its global brands include La-Z-Boy, recognized as the world's best-selling recliner; the innovative designs of Cellini furniture; and the stylish pieces of Maestro sofa. "High-end furniture is hard to find, especially if you are not living in Metro Manila. To get your dream La-Z-Boy recliner sofa, you really have to get a good designer to customize it for you. Fortunately, Davao customers with exquisite tastes, need no longer scour the entire Mindanao or import items from Metro Manila to get luxury furniture," Blims business development manager Sam Gregory Lim said. The Abreeza branch, which is Blims' 15th showroom in the Philippines, is strategically situated, since Davao City is a high-end market. Blims president and CEO Samie Lim said the company is eyeing at least two more sites in Mindanao after opening the Davao branch. "After Davao, we will go to Cagayan de Oro and Dipolog. Then we will go to some areas in the Visayas, and then Southern Luzon," he explained. Lim said Blims is inviting owners of prime properties in the provinces to be their joint venture partners in the company's expansion strategy. Furniture sales, he said, is expected to pick up alongside the construction boom, which has been cited by the government as one of the main drivers in the better-than-expected economic growth of the country. Lim said Blims is ready to forge joint venture deals with prime property owners in the regions to further fine tune their company’s expansion program. This is also one of the strategies Blims considers in putting up more stand-alone showrooms for La-Z Boy in its 11 targeted areas. La-Z-Boy has identified the cities of Baguio, Laoag, Roxas, Legaspi, Naga, Batangas, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos as its next frontiers. Aside from La-Z Boy's own stores, the American-made furniture is also showcased in all Blims close to 20 store outlets.