We met with Doğtaş International Markets Director and Executive Board Member Taner Kırcı to talk about the successes and needs of their company, and to gain a general perspective on the furniture industry, which strengthens its place in the global furniture market every year, attracts attention with the quality and innovative products it offers to the market, and makes a name for itself.
The furniture industry, an important branch of industry that transforms living spaces using aesthetics and functionality, has undergone a great evolution in recent years thanks to technological developments, changes in design trends and sustainability-oriented approaches. The Turkish furniture industry has become one of the trend markets of the sector with its quality products. Doğtaş International Markets Director and Executive Board Member Taner Kırcı, with whom we talked about the development and transformation of the Turkish furniture industry in recent years, said: “As the Turkish furniture industry, we maintain our competitive advantage in the markets where we exist with our constantly renewed product portfolio, R&D investments, special products produced to meet customer needs that vary according to geography, and innovations in design and functions.”
Could you share with us the current performance data of the Turkish furniture industry?
– Production: Furniture production in Türkiye amounted to 11 billion dollars in 2022. This means a 10.5 percent increase compared to 2021.
– Export: Türkiye’s furniture exports amounted to 4.7 billion dollars in 2022. This means an 11.2 percent increase compared to 2021.
– Domestic market: Sales in the furniture domestic market in Türkiye amounted to 6.3 billion dollars in 2022. This means an 8.5 percent increase compared to 2021.
The sector’s weight in exports is increasing every year. The share of the furniture industry in total exports was 2.3 percent in 2022. This means a 0.5 percent increase compared to 2021. However, employment figures in the furniture industry are also progressing quite satisfactorily. Approximately 250 thousand people were employed in the furniture industry in 2022. This figure means a 5 percent increase compared to 2021.
Which are the most important export markets of the Turkish furniture industry? Can you give information about Turkish companies’ performance in these markets?
Turkish furniture sector exports increased by 11 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 4.7 billion dollars in 2022.
The most important export markets of the Turkish furniture industry are;
- Iraq: 538 million dollars
- Germany: $402 million
- Israel: $243 million
- USA: $240 million
- France: 205 million dollars
The most important markets after these top five export markets are Libya, England, Netherlands, Romania and UAE.
What kind of initiatives is Türkiye taking to maintain its competitive advantage in the markets where it is strong?
As the Turkish furniture industry, we maintain our competitive advantage in the markets where we exist with our constantly renewed product portfolio, R&D investments, special products produced to meet customer needs that vary according to geography, and innovations in design and functions.
Which countries are the most important competitors of the Turkish furniture industry?
Although it varies according to product group and brand category; China, Italy, Germany and Poland, which have a large share in world furniture imports, are the most important competitors of our country.
What are the latest trends you observe in international furniture markets?
Fast-changing color and fabric trends, simplicity, functionality and design coming to the fore again are among the trends that have attracted attention recently.
“Turkish furniture industry is very rich in terms of diversity”
With which design and style features do you think the Turkish furniture industry stands out in the international arena?
The Turkish furniture industry is very rich in terms of diversity. The sector produces furniture in different styles such as classic, modern, avant-garde and rustic. Thus, it offers the opportunity to find furniture that appeals to every taste and need in every geography of the world.
“We manage our processes by adopting new technologies and adapting them to our production and products.”
How do you adapt your design and production processes to accommodate changes in consumer demands?
Consumer research gives us a lot of data to get started. These studies help us understand what types of furniture consumers are interested in, what they expect from furniture, and what factors they consider when purchasing furniture. In order to adapt to these changes, we need to follow the changing trends closely and make our design and production processes more flexible. While doing all this, we manage our processes by adopting new technologies and adapting them to our production and products.
Which countries are the most important competitors of the Turkish furniture industry?
Although it varies according to product group and brand category; China, Italy, Germany and Poland, which have a large share in world furniture imports, are the most important competitors of our country.
“Turkish woodworking machines have become very good alternative products for us manufacturers with the serious development they have shown in recent years.”
What do you think about Turkish woodworking machines? What is your production output with domestic machines?
Turkish woodworking machines have become a very good alternative for us manufacturers with the serious developments they have made in recent years. In the past, we had no choice but to purchase many woodworking machines from foreign companies that had a monopoly in their field. Today, we think that our local companies are at a level where they can easily compete with foreign brands with both their product quality and technical services. We have many production facilities, and in each of these facilities, we take care to use the machines that are the best in their field and that will best meet our needs. To give a concrete figure, we can say that 25 percent of our current machinery consists of domestic machines. Our goal is to raise this rate to a much higher level.
