Fntique: Connecting Local Furniture Artisans from Egypt to the Global Markets

Ayman Ismail:
Noha El Sebaie:
Seham Ghalwash:
Fabrication and manufacturing
January 2024
Entrepreneurship
This case addresses Fntique company, an Egyptian American furniture exporting company which aims at connecting local artisans to the global market. Fntique was founded in 2017 and specializes in exporting handmade furniture inspired by iconic historical eras, initially. Without a doubt working in the export sector is filled with operational challenges. Namely, they exported small quantities, and the production stage of the value chain was not under their direct control. By early 2020, Fntique was selling an average 15 units per month, and had achieved a growth rate of 10%. While Fntique had been growing steadily over the past few years, the company’s growth potential was still far from reached. The case dilemma involves the strategic decision faced by Mr. Bedair and his team to transition their operation to B2B model. They believed that this shift would help them overcome the challenges associated with the B2C space, especially shipping cost. However, this decision presented major challenges for Fntique. The case aims to cover challenges related to transitioning to the global business market of B2B in the US. These challenges include exporting practices, company competitive strategy, value chain analysis, distinction between B2C and B2B in the global market, and international B2B marketing communication program.

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