site.btaBulgarian Consumers Still Choosing Furniture Based on Price, Not Quality - Survey

According to a survey conducted by Trend in 2023 on behalf of the Branch Chamber of Woodworking and Furniture Industry (BCWFI), price remains the leading factor for consumers in Bulgaria when buying furniture. Price ranks first regardless of the age or monthly income of the respondents, the Chamber said on Monday.

BCWFI Executive Director Daniela Petrova explained that Bulgarians, when furnishing their homes, still find it difficult to trust furniture made in Bulgaria. "Consumers choose furniture that is practical and in line with the size of their homes. The predominant factor in purchase is still mainly the price. Unfortunately, the culture of furniture choice in our country is not very high. Massively, people prefer to buy a cheaper bedroom, wardrobe or kitchen without thinking that a lower price rarely means good quality. They often buy furniture from Facebook groups and obscure third country manufacturers. However, people are not aware of the harmful substances in this type of furniture, usually bought from illegal traders. No one can guarantee them that the cot they have bought cheaper and probably from an illegal manufacturer meets the standards and, for example, does not contain high amounts of formaldehyde."

Woodworking and furniture manufacturing are traditional industries for Bulgaria, which are a significant factor for the economy, as they create 3% of the country's GDP and provide over 55,000 workplaces. The furniture produced in Bulgaria gives an excellent price-quality ratio, while complying with all European safety requirements, said Petrova. "We have many examples of factories that are almost fully automated and the teams only manage the processes. Thanks to modernisation, companies in the sector have achieved higher quality, increased production volume, reduced production time, minimised material and resource costs, and eliminated errors," she added.

Proof of the quality of Bulgarian production is that it is very highly valued by leading global brands and partners, the Chamber pointed out. Bulgarian companies furnish five-star hotels abroad, boutiques of luxury brands, offices of leading companies, high-end public buildings. Bulgarian furniture is well known and successfully traded in Romania, Greece, Poland, France, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, etc. However, the scale of the sector is not sufficiently known in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian enterprises producing furniture are well equipped technologically, mainly through funding from EU programmes and funds. Many of the factories have renovated production facilities, modernised with the latest generation of machinery, software, ventilation systems, etc. Eng. Petar Dishkov, expert at the BCWFI, said that for the creation of furniture production, Bulgarian companies use mainly Bulgarian raw material - wood extracted from the forest, as well as residual wood from wood processing, and recycled wood obtained by applying the principles of the circular economy. In this way, the cascade principle, which is enshrined in the European Forestry Strategy 2030, is put into practice in the sector," he noted.

Solid wood furniture is also made in the country, although the situation there is slightly different, the Chamber pointed out. In Bulgaria, there are still centres for the production of quality solid wood furniture, tables and chairs, but they are experiencing increasing difficulties. An example of such a centre is Troyan (North Central Bulgaria), where woodworking and furniture production provide over 30% of employment. Stara Zagora is a similarly serious economic zone, with the leading producer of chairs in the country, Sredna Gora in Stara Zagora. Nearly 2,500 solid wood chairs are made there every day, which go to IKEA. However, many of the factories have recently been struggling with a number of difficulties: lack of workers, high wood prices or deterioration in quality, uncertainty in supply chains, etc., the Chamber noted.

In addition to quality raw materials, the furniture production in Bulgaria relies on the latest and quality fittings (mechanisms, accessories, etc.) of the world's leading manufacturers. Recently, some of the furniture companies have been working together with renowned designers who create collections in line with the most modern and current trends.