Toray Industries, Inc. is focusing on developing applications of “ultrasuede” artificial suede in interior goods and furniture in the European and Mainland Chinese markets.
Ultrasuede application in interior goods accounts for slightly over 20% of the total sales volume, but the majority is for the Japanese and U.S. markets. For this reason, the company is endeavoring on expanding in Europe in China with an intention of making the four markets achieve the same equal scale in the future.
As part of its promotional activities, Toray exhibited in the China International Furniture Fair for the first time this year, and has been exhibiting in Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany since 2015.
Toray renewed its brand strategy for artificial suede in 2013. The company changed its system to sales on a worldwide scale with the ultrasuede brand being used for artificial suede made in Japan. In conjunction with this change, it has also been actively participating in various overseas exhibitions to promote the brand.
Through its exhibition in Heimtextil, application in interior goods in Europe has been successful as it promoted ultrasuede among brands, and this has led to increasing business. At Heimtextil from January 10th to 13th, 2017, Toray plans to change the exhibition contents with actual business in mind.
Sales of ultrasuede for application in interior goods are increasing slightly. In Japan, the ninety-six color stock has been successful in obtaining new customers. Sales in the U.S. have been growing including application in aircraft seats, and sales in Europe and China, which are still small in share, are also heading steadily upward.