Keeping abreast of market trends, meeting suppliers and finding new ones to create business opportunities, initiating partnerships, with particular attention to tableware, glasses, trays and home fragrances. These are some of the priorities of buyers from Morocco, who are going to visit Milano Home with the clear intention of expanding the offer for the North African country. Operators highly appreciate Western furniture and objects, especially Italian ones, which complement the rich assortment of locally manufactured products.

Morocco boasts an ancient handicraft tradition characterised by Eastern and Andalusian influences. Fabrics such as organza and silk; pots and lamps worked with brass, copper and silver; metal and nickel silver trays; glass table lamps and wall lights; tables made of majolica; plates, bowls, jugs, vases, spice holders and many other ceramic products; textiles and carpets. A varied and diversified offer that must be aligned with tastes and trends of the internal market, which are characterised by a growing interest in the quality expressed by the workmanship of Made in Italy.

Set de Table

“Last November we celebrated our first year in business. We chose to open in Marrakech because there are not many homeware shops in the area”, explained Amina Toufiq, owner of Set de Table.

“The shop offers a wide assortment of products related to the world of tableware: tablecloths and linens, kitchen utensils, cookware, cutlery, glasses, trays, interior design products and home fragrances. There has been a strong increase in demand for trays and decorative products”. 

It is a well-established tradition for Moroccan customers to prefer physical shopping to online shopping. However, in recent years, this habit has undergone a change of pace for two reasons.

“Covid-19 caused an increase in the flow of orders via the Internet. In addition, the market in Marrakech was affected not only by a higher cost of living, but also and above all by the earthquake of 8 September, after which people dedicated themselves to helping the most affected regions and, as a consequence, there was a great decrease in purchases. Nevertheless, the encouraging sales numbers of the last quarter indicate a gradual return to normality and should increase significantly in the future”.

Artable  

Artable is a young company that started its activity this year.

“I have always been passionate about setting tables with quality and design-oriented items, and I wanted to turn my passion into a profession that could allow the company to evolve, innovate and create new proposals”, commented Mouna El Hilali. Our products include decorative tableware and homeware.

What attracts your customers?

“We are seeing a growth in demand for tableware in porcelain or stoneware. The Moroccan market fluctuates depending on the period, but the time in which we have a surge in demand is undoubtedly during Ramadan, when families often gather for the whole month and customers like to renew their table”.

Tour de Table  

From a delicacy to the universe of the table. After opening a chocolate shop 20 years ago (Jeff de Bruges), Mouna Benchekroun devoted herself to her other great passion, as she opened Tour de Table in Fès in 2019, a place dedicated to decoration and table art.

“Right from the start I focused on Italian objects and proposals, which are very popular in Morocco. A choice that was appreciated by our customers, as Moroccans like to surround themselves with products with strong aesthetic impact and quality. For my shop, I focus mainly on big brands such as Alessi, Lsa, Leonardo, Brandani, Villa d'Este and others.

Is there a product type that is particularly popular?

“Great attention is given to the name of the producer rather than to the industry in general. Buying a tool, a piece of furniture, or an object from a well-known brand is a guarantee of quality and reliability. As far as product categories are concerned, the domestic market is developing more and more in the tableware and decoration sector. It is particularly in this field that I will try to look for new insights at Milano Home”.