Blims Fine Furniture, a maker of stylish furniture in the Philippines, is seeking partnership with leading Swedish retailer Ikea following reports that the company plans to expand operations in the Philippines.
“We already wrote them. We are certainly interested to have them on board either in a partnership or via franchising,” Blims president and chief executive Samie Lim told reporters at the sidelines of a pre-event briefing for Franchise Asia Philippines 2013.
Blims is positioning itself to carry several famous foreign brands. Lim said Blims might form another company to carry the Ikea brand once the Swedish retailer accepted the offer.
He said Blims may offer a viable location for Ikea and a fixed share in retail revenues.
Lim said Ikea’s entry into the newly-developing Philippine market would be more acceptable to the middle-income segment because of its mass-based presence in Europe. He added the franchising concept might work in negotiating for the entry of Ikea into the country.
“Our strength is consumer durables. We are good at selling big-ticket items and Blims will be bringing in more interesting brands in the near future. Clearly, the wonders of franchising might help us bring Ikea here and other famous brands, as well,” he said.
Ikea is the world’s largest furniture retailer that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories.
Source: Manila Standard Today
