Soaring prices of iron furniture irk customers

By By Faryal Najeeb
KARACHI: Prices of rod iron furniture have increased by over 33 per cent within a period of one and a half months adding further distress into the lives of inflation burdened people as household furniture now shoots out of common man’s reach in the country.

Furniture dealers in Arambagh, Nursery and Gulshan furniture market informed The News that the following skyrocketing prices of rod iron furniture within a span of two months, customers blame dealers for the hike while many decide against buying furniture, consequently leading to a severe loss in their clientele.


Gulshan Arsalan Furniture Mohammad Saeed said a standard bedroom set comprising a queen size bed, side tables and wardrobe costing between Rs18,000 and 20,000 just a month ago and now it ranges between Rs24,000 and Rs26,000 while a sofa set (3+1+1) earlier valued at Rs5,000 was now priced at Rs7,000 or more. He said the hike was due to soaring iron ore prices which are the main raw materials of furniture.

Saeed expatiated there were two sorts of customers wanting household furniture, those wanting to redecorate their homes and the other were those who needed an item as they did not possess it as yet.

The dealer stated many of the consumers who were planning to only redecorate their homes decided against the notions when they heard the new exorbitant prices after conducting a survey in markets before returning to make their purchase.

Arambagh Cardinal Furnishers Samin Raza narrated a similar customer trend in his market. He illustrated many women lamented and shared their inflation burdened woes whereas some blamed the dealers and dubbed them “profiteers.”

“No businessman likes to lose his clients and therefore people blaming us for the sudden hike are unjustified as we ourselves have had to buy the furniture at a higher cost and hence were compelled to pass it on to our customers,” Raza said.

All Pakistan Furniture Exporters Association Chairman Turhan Baig Mohammed enunciated despite furniture exports standing at $20 million (excluding furniture components) rod iron furniture is not exported from Pakistan to any country hence the price hike does not affect international trade in any way.

“Various other countries have a better competitive market as compared to Pakistan in this category of furniture with better expertise in design making, leaving the country out of the race,” he added.

Rod iron furniture is preferred amongst the lower and middle income people as it is cheaper compared to wooden or deco-furniture and the price variations stood as significant as Rs15,000 at minimum.

However, with the hike in prices of rod iron furniture, the line between wooden furniture and the former seems to be fading as wooden furniture continues to retain their prices and consumers are left with a hard choice to make.