Page 20 - Craftcil Oct 2023

feature - 56th IHGF Delhi Fair and Delhi Fair Furniture

Design Talk for Opportunities in India

13th October 2023: Mr. Gunnar Hoffrichter, Independent the future), he urged Indian enterprises to seize opportunities
Consultant, Hamburg/Germany with passion and determination. Despite crises like war and
spoke on latest trends & forecast; economic problems one needs to play on strengths and succeed,
overarching materials/finishes as he emphasised. Sharing some pointers, the speaker spoke of
per décor and furniture market; alyzing the past, present, and future vision that is vital to map
important materials, finishes, product growth and added, “focus on your strengths and work
textures; macro trends to hard in advance for results. Invest in time and understand seasonal
understand the cultural shifts events. Market research is essential to identify trends and
across the globe; and future necessary developments. Invest in tech and machinery.” He
landscape of home decor. further asked exporters to address the issue of monotony in
product variety and emphasised, “consider traveling and
Mr. Hoffrichter started his
discovering; visit if possible and invest in machinery, showrooms
presentation with his admiration
and booths. Think creatively to attract new customers with unique
for India’s hospitality and culture. Speaking from the buyers’ point
displays and marketing on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn.
of view, he suggested ways to help Indian businesses grow. “We
Establish a strong online presence to let people know what you
all acknowledge the challenges India faces, but I believe India
sell, who you are, and what makes you unique.” Finally, he closed
can keep growing. I have some suggestions, such as addressing
with an encouragement - “India is a progressive nation, and I
delays in delivery, improving communication, and navigating
appreciate the hard work. Let's grow together.”
reliable sources, which can be tough for buyers,” he said and
added that India can also enhance its marketing efforts, and early With specialization in strategy, product development and
sampling testing is crucial. visual merchandising, Mr. Hoffrichter has handled design/product
development processes with 20+ years of knowledge in analysis,
Using the expression Carpe Diem (used to urge someone
positioning, purchase and strategic as well as operative product
to make the most of the present time and give little thought to
management and marketing
plus brand building. He has
over 30 years in the trade
with experience in creativity
& design orientation, having
worked for brands, such as
JOOP! Living and Lambert. He
has successfully
implemented new product
groups & lines and built
agency networks;
communicated with internal
and external interfaces and
coordinated meetings,
presenting the results both
internally as well as to
external audiences. „

20 CRAFTCIL • October 2023