The furniture sector in Russia has undergone radical transformation in recent years and the supply from abroad has revolutionized this huge market. It is Italy as a country that has benefitted the most from this change: in fact our country maintains the leading position in furniture market in Russia although countries such as China, in particular, and to a lesser extent Poland and Ukraine, have seen their exports increase. Despite the fierce competition from China, Italian exports are still first place, holding about 34% of Russian imports, while China is still a little scattered, with a market share of 21%. There are varied reasons for investing in this market: in fact, imported furniture accounts for 50% of sales, the manufacturers are unable to compete with the Italian competition, the dissemination of our furniture is not just limited to Moscow or St. Petersburg, but is also expanding in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Rostov where one can now see stores dedicated exclusively to imported furniture and in particular Italian furniture. Apart from this, agreements between Russian and Italian companies are also becoming more frequent, through which the manufacturing is done in factories in Russia using components and equipment of Italian origin. The furniture sector in Russia represents perfectly the type of market in which the influence of "Made in Italy continues to be strong and in which Italian companies should strengthen and further consolidate their market share.
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