Ethan Allen Interiors, the largest US furniture retailer, opened its first Chinese store in January. The showroom in Tianjin was built under an agreement with Markor Furniture International to develop a chain of Ethan Allen stores in China. It will be followed by showrooms in Beijing and Urumqi, Xinjiang autonomous region.
Markor, which manufactures furniture in China, will operate the stores under licence. Ethan Allen said the move would enable it to study the Chinese market and give a better understanding of opportunities there.