The French

[Guest FatBAt]

Pfft, I won't even shop at ALDI.

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I get confused at ALDI....One minute your looking at toilet paper and next to that is a stack of DVD recorders.

I don't no what the subliminal message here is but......the last thing I think of when sittin' down on the throne is wantin' to record it.

Cheers

[Guest FatBAt]

Its an interesting problem, wondering where it all ends.

I have a custom made timber furniture business and we retail our own built products in our own store.

The idea of anyone in our industry trying to match China's production is well beyond the physical and financial capabilities of anyone in this country. Plenty of sucessfull aussie furniture manufacturers, such as Parker and Chiswell, have gone by the wayside.

Even leading furniture manufacturers in the last 10 years have closed down their operations here, choosing to keep the top 10 staff out of several hundred, sent the guys to china to train the 2000 or so employees they can buy for the cost of their two hundred or so here.

In a majority of furniture shops in China, the employees live at the factory, in dormatorys, eat at the factory cafeteria, all as part of their job. They work an average of 11 months continuous, then get handed their 11 months pay in one hit, and go back to their respective families and provinces for 4 weeks.

Australian timber mills send Aussie native hardwood over to China by the boatload, including Tassie Blackwood, Victorian Oak and Jarrah. Some of it even in log form, as it fell, as it is much cheaper for the Chinese to do any sawing and kiln drying process in China. The logs are then made into furniture by any one of the many before mentioned setups that are "Australian owned" company in China, and shipped back here as finished furniture.

So, this is now sold as Australian Timber furniture, by Australian Manufacturers. But this is not made in Australia, Check out any Harvey Norman Catalogue.

All we do to combat all this, is the F1-11 story, where we build the absolute best stuff we possible can with our own abilitys, and let the scabs try and catch us.!!

Tell me the Last time you seen a Chinese furniture compant build one orf these River Redgum Beauties!???

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The furniture industry has been hit VERY hard with imports. I have been in new furniture transport (and retail) industry for nearly 20 years and boy, has it changed.

The pressure is on retailers to get in more imports just to survive. If you don't deal in imports, eventually it will overcome you. Generally speaking of cause. NO buying groups use the the buy australian slant because they know they will go out of business.

...."Tell me the Last time you seen a Chinese furniture compant build one orf these River Redgum Beauties!???"

Problem is Dannopower (and you know I'm right) is cost. Consumers will buy an inferior product if it means saving dollars. The well afforded consumer will buy at Fantastic Furniture for an import leather sofa (BUT) won't say where they bought it. Most consumers really are not interested where it is made moreover than how much it costs. There are consumers (few) that will request aussie made furniture but unfortunately not many.

My hat comes off to you. It is truly people like you that puts the aussie in australia :entlueft: P.S We need more "hat off" icons

Cheers

[saleen]

Pfft, I won't even shop at ALDI.

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Most of the things sold @ ALDIS is made in Australia !!

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It was a joke poindexter.

[Kimberley Scott]

Accidently posted in here, nothing top add.

Scotty

Edited 14/10/06 11:05 AM by Kimberley Scott

[Lumpen]

Oui Oui!

Hand zee Citwon Masheratee iz che magnifique!

Sey Bonn!

Pierre

[ExAreSix]

Oui Oui!

Hand zee Citwon Masheratee iz che magnifique!

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Sey Bonn!

Pierre

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That is sexy... The flowing lines, the flawless metal work, the beautiful corners.

The french really do know how to make hand rails on top of walls.

[Lumpen]

Accidently posted in here, nothing top add.

Scotty

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Someone's on the turps for his birthday

Onya

Lumpy

[phantomchic]

poor lil vegemite

[Dannopower]

The furniture industry has been hit VERY hard with imports. I have been in new furniture transport (and retail) industry for nearly 20 years and boy, has it changed.

The pressure is on retailers to get in more imports just to survive. If you don't deal in imports, eventually it will overcome you. Generally speaking of cause. NO buying groups use the the buy australian slant because they know they will go out of business.

...."Tell me the Last time you seen a Chinese furniture compant build one orf these River Redgum Beauties!???"

Problem is Dannopower (and you know I'm right) is cost. Consumers will buy an inferior product if it means saving dollars. The well afforded consumer will buy at Fantastic Furniture for an import leather sofa (BUT) won't say where they bought it. Most consumers really are not interested where it is made moreover than how much it costs. There are consumers (few) that will request aussie made furniture but unfortunately not many.

My hat comes off to you. It is truly people like you that puts the aussie in australia  :entlueft:  P.S We need more "hat off" icons

Cheers

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Thanks mate, But dont give up on the Aussie consumers just yet.

There is an increasing amount of knowledge and product research that our customers tend to be getting into regarding spending their hard earned $$$. I have noticed in the last 5 years, clients seem to be asking more and more about the resource, our company policy regarding the useage of forestry products and the general client interest in the story about how their particular piece of furniture is created. People are getting sick of this disposable world we have made for ourselves in the last 20 years and are staring to wake up and let their money do the talking.

As you can probably gather, we aren't really into the majority market, of cost cutting prices and sales etc. We sell a hand built product, that offers the client input into its design, including styling, size and material. People come to us for a complete understanding in what they are purchasing, and getting exactly what they want.

Obviously, like you said, "Most consumers really are not interested where it is made moreover than how much it costs." Most is a lot, but you must look at the customers that you are servicing.

People in general want to surround themselves with things that make them happy, whether it be a nice car, house, etc. As people become more financially stable, they way they spend their money and what makes them happy includes items that they perhaps have always really wanted, or would like to have.

The majority of the population of Australia are middle aged, from the baby boomer generation. Their children are grown up, they are toward the end of their working careers, and they are toward the end of their debt for house repayments etc. Products, like the redgum table in the photo, are not only very servicable but give people pleasure to own. I introduced these tables into our production 8 weeks ago, at just under $5000 (without the chairs) and have sold 6 in that time.

There is always a rule I use in life, "always buy the best you can afford at the time". If the situation permits it, spend the money. Doesnt mean buy the best there is. If its not the best thing out there, no matter how long you own it, even if situations change and you are in a position to buy a better one, you will not be dissapointed in owning it as it was the best you could do at the time. there's nothing wrong with fantastic furniture, there is an area of cunsumers that need these places to get by. But, you get what you pay for.

We have been conducting business this way for 25 years this year, and with every effort from myself, my business partner and our 17 employees, will continue to do so for many years to come.