The first signs of an upturn were discernable during the four days devoted to the Italian home furnishing sector at the Saloni Worldwide in Moscow, organised by Cosmit. According to the organizers, 360 Italian companies showcased their wares in the Crocus Expo pavilions from 7th to 10th October, attracting increased numbers of visitors from Russia and the former Soviet Republics – 29,098 in all.
“An exceptionally positive result – stresses Carlo Guglielmi, president of Cosmit – especially considering the situation that still obtains at global level. The Moscow fair gave our companies an opportunity to meet buyers who are genuinely interested in Italian products, and who have put in orders and made contacts that give us good reason to believe that the market is starting to pick up, albeit slowly. I am sure that applications to take part in next year’s event will be even more numerous, with businesses being aware that the Moscow Saloni WorldWide constitutes an absolutely unmissable opportunity”.
The Saloni WorldWide also served to bring out various serious problems that could prove a bar to the growth of Italian products in the Russian market: the tightening of customs regulations and the rise in import duty on goods from Italy first and foremost.
“Our Federation – states Rosario Messina, president of FederlegnoArredo – is already working with institutional representatives to try and solve border problems that might otherwise prove detrimental to our companies and curtail not just opportunities for commercial trade expansion but also for business trips to Russia”.
“The powerful impetus generated by this fifth edition of the Saloni WorldWide – concludes Guglielmi – also impacts on Cosmit, encouraging us to carry on developing new valorisation projects for Italian furnishing all over the world and to launch fresh initiatives for promoting internationally the culture of design that emanates from Milan, for which credit is due not just to the excellence of our products but also in great part to the creativity of our young designers”.
