Sunny Chang pictured inside the Macau shop
Along Macau’s busy streets and stalls selling traditional dried goods sits a new shop with an extensive showroom of home furniture.
Commune, a Singapore-based furniture design company, opened a Macau branch in September 2015, hoping to inspire locals with pure, natural woods imported from the U.S.
Sunny Chang, the franchise’s director of operations, says that Macau’s furniture culture is different.
“We have checked similar markets and saw furniture being displayed in factory buildings; shops would stack up furniture for customers’ choices. The culture is different,” says Chang.
He added that many locals had to purchase their custom wooden furniture in Hong Kong or mainland China, due to its absence in Macau. Chang says their competitive advantages include the use of solid wood, mainly oak and black walnut, and their work with the Rainforest Alliance to ensure that their use of wood does not affect biodiversity.
Chang told the Times that they were mainly
targeting middle-aged affluent executives, but was surprised to find Generation Y’s [those born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s] preference for raw materials.
Commune Macau has collaborated with local interior designers to meet consumers’ needs. The shop now offers interior design as part of their sales package.
The director claims that their furniture pieces are exclusive and original creations for Commune.
Commune, composed of five designers from around the world, was founded in 2011 by a Singaporean designer and expanded to China in 2013. It now has over 30 branches, including one in Macau.
Chang, 28, says that they plan to open two more branches in Macau and Hengqin Island.
“In April, we will open another 1,500 square foot store just across the street and in August, we will rent a 2,600 square foot unit in a Hengqin mall,” says Chang.
The franchisee expressed his concern over the rental price of units in Macau, saying that furniture variety is limited by the lack of floor space. However, with the upcoming opening of the Hengqin unit, Chang believes it will be a great opportunity for Commune Macau to showcase its products. They will also include a coffee shop as they do in Singapore.
The shop, situated in one of Macau’s heritage buildings, aims to go beyond selling furniture and build relationships with customers. There are plans to hold wine classes in Commune’s first store, in order to reach out to the community.
Commune Macau’s director of operations says that Macau’s furniture stores lack the “ambience of home”, stating Commune urges customers to sit and use their furniture to get a feel for their products.
“We want to build relationships, we’re not just about selling furniture. We want people to come and chat over coffee. That’s what we’re all about, creating relationships,” he added. Staff reporter
No Comments