Core conclusions:A solid wood furniture factory in Nankang, Jiangxi Province relies on dealers and e-commerce platforms for domestic trade distribution, and decided to export in the second half of 2025. us fromcustoms dataScreen out real buyers in Southeast Asia, use localized information packages and e-commerce channels to cut in, first get the first order in Malaysia home appliance e-commerce, and then use export performance to attack the distribution channels in Singapore. The cumulative export volume in 14 months exceeded 4.2 million yuan. This case shows that when furniture, which "emphasizes logistics and local adaptation", goes out to sea, it is much more important to choose the right market than to spread the net widely.
1. Customer background
This factory has been manufacturing solid wood furniture in Nankang for more than ten years, with more than 80 workers, mainly solid wood beds, dining tables and TV cabinets. It supplies domestic dealers and also supplies goods on e-commerce platforms. In the past two years, the price war in domestic trade has become more and more fierce. Dealers have lowered prices and platform deductions have increased. Bosses have calculated that for the same bed, the gross profit margin of export orders is significantly better than that of domestic trade channels.
In mid-2025, the boss came to us. It's not that he hasn't tried exporting: he has registered for an international station and sent English development letters. Over the course of a year, he has only received two replies. The value of a single piece of furniture export is high, the logistics plan is complex (mainly the whole cabinet, requiring moisture-proof packaging and cabinet fixing plan), the customer's decision-making cycle is long, and the flow method of the universal platform is not friendly to furniture factories-this is his lesson learned after paying tuition.
2. Problem diagnosis: Four stuck points stop the exit in the water testing stage
- Can't find a matching buyer.The English development letter sent out is a general buyer list. Furniture buyers are concentrated in specific importers, e-commerce sellers and hotel engineering channels. The list is wrong, and no matter how many emails are, they cannot be hit.
- There is no market adaptation of the data.The product catalog is a literal translation of the domestic trade version. The size is generally marked in centimeters and wood. There are no moisture-proof treatment instructions and container loading plans that the Southeast Asian market is concerned about. Buyers cannot even gather the basic information of the quotation.
- Channel selection is misaligned.The main channels for furniture export are import distributors and regional e-commerce sellers, but factories focus on inquiries on other platforms, and active development actions are almost zero, so inquiries are naturally rare.
- Logistics and certification are uncertain.The factory is not sure about the fluctuations in freight rates for the entire container, moisture-proof packaging standards, and wood-related compliance requirements in the destination country. When quoting, it adds all freight risks to the price, and loses competitiveness as soon as the quote comes out.
The four sticking points magnify each other: buyers do not match the right approach and make the data revision without direction, poor information makes channel development without ammunition, and poor logistics makes the quotation distorted. The way to break the situation is to screen buyers first, and then push back the data and logistics solutions.
3. What have we done?
- Using customs data to conduct a back-up investigation of furniture importers in Southeast Asia: 92 companies with real import records of solid wood furniture in the past 12 months were identified, covering Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. They were divided into A/B/C three grades and A 21 grade;
- Redo the localization package: English product catalog is labeled according to metric/imperial double, wood type and moisture content treatment instructions, moisture-proof packaging and 40-foot-high container loading plan, real-life photos of container loading, ten days after landing;
- Channel approach: Priority development is given to buyers from Malaysia and Singapore in the A-class market-the Chinese business networks in the two countries are mature, communication costs are low, and home e-commerce penetration rate is high; development letter +WhatsApp dual touch, email talk about parameters, WhatsApp delivery and installation video;
- Logistics and quotation plan: Lock in monthly agreement prices for the entire container in Malaysia and Singapore with freight forwarders. The quotation is double listed on FOB/CIF, and incorporate freight fluctuations into floating clauses valid for 30 days. Price competitiveness is immediately restored.
4. Execution rhythm
Month 1: List implementation and data revision
In the first month, the list of 92 buyers and the three-level classification were completed, and the English information package was finalized. The factory selected two salesmen to specialize in developing letters and WhatsApp. In the first month, they reached all 21 A-file companies, responded to 6 companies, and 3 companies entered the proofing and quotation stage.
Months 2-4: Malaysia's e-commerce channel opens first
A Malaysian home appliance e-commerce seller made its first order of 450,000 yuan (two 40-foot-high cabinets of solid wood bedframes and dining tables), which became the starting point for the factory's export performance. The first order was issued, and the container loading plan, moisture-proof packaging, and documentation process were all practiced; the second Malaysian customer followed up and placed the order in the fourth month.
Months 5-9: Singapore distribution channel opens
After the export performance and the endorsement of the loading record, the negotiations between the two home furnishing dealers in Singapore have accelerated significantly: orders have been placed one after another since the sixth month, and the solid wood dining table series have been repurchased stably in the Singapore market. The factory has developed two models of light-colored wood leather according to local preferences, and the customer unit price is 15% higher than the standard model.
Months 10-14: Combination molding and capacity switching
By the 14th month, the factory had formed a dual-tier structure of "Malaysian e-commerce sellers + Singapore dealers making profits." The average monthly export volume stabilized at more than 280,000 yuan, and repurchase customers contributed 70% of shipments. The boss gradually switched the production capacity of low-margin domestic trade channels to the export line, giving priority to export production scheduling during peak seasons.
V. Outcome data
Results at the end of the 14-month implementation period:
- Cumulative export volume:exceeded 4.2 million yuan
- Active overseas buyers:8 (4 in Malaysia, 2 in Singapore, 1 each in Thailand and the Philippines)
- Proportion of shipments from repurchase customers:70%
- Average monthly export value (starting from the 10th month):More than 280,000 yuan
- Customs data screening list:92 companies, 21 companies in Class A, and the response rate for Class A is about 29%
- Collection method:30% in advance +70% on copy of bill of lading, zero bad debts
6. Which factories can this method be replicated to?
one isIndustrial belt factories for large durable consumer goods。In addition to furniture, mattresses, bathroom cabinets, fitness equipment, outdoor tables and chairs and other categories that "focus on the whole cabinet and focus on logistics" have the same logic in Southeast Asia: customs data screens out the corresponding buyers, and the cabinet loading plan and moisture-proof packaging determine the professionalism. The channel order of e-commerce sellers first and then dealers determines the rhythm. The start-up investment is mainly a localized information package and locked agreed freight rates.
second isRegional leading factories that cannot fight the domestic trade price war and want to change tracks。The Chinese business network in Southeast Asia is mature, the furniture aesthetics are similar to those in China, and the transportation voyage is short. It is the first stop with the least resistance for furniture categories to go abroad. It is much more stable to penetrate one market first and then replicate it to neighboring markets with actual results than to open five or six countries at the same time.
7. Common questions
Q: Do Southeast Asian customers only buy low-priced panel furniture, and solid wood is too expensive to sell?
A: On the contrary, the expansion of the middle class drives the differentiated demand for solid wood and high-end panels. The light-colored wood veneer specially supplied by this factory is 15% more expensive than the standard model and can still be repurchased. The key is to use the right channel-e-commerce sellers use the cost-effective model, dealers use the profit model, and the two lines are quoted separately.
Q: The logistics of the whole cabinet is complex. Can small factories hold it?
A: Leave professional matters to professional people: the freight forwarder locks the agreed price, the freight forwarder provides guidance on the container loading plan, and the factory is responsible for implementing moisture-proof packaging and fixing according to the plan. After running through two or three cabinets, container loading efficiency and data became the most convincing part of the data package.
Q: Can a business team that does not speak English operate in the Southeast Asian market?
A: Business communication in Malaysia and Singapore is mainly in English and Chinese. Chinese business letters are directly available in the Chinese business circle. Please prepare the English information package at one time. The language threshold for domestic business teams in this market is relatively low in major export markets.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
