Leather's appeal still growing
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, March 3, 2002
TUPELO , Miss. — Tupelo continued to show its strength as a destination for leather upholstery, and not only at promotional price points.
The market has moved well beyond the leather/vinyl standbys and now boasts full leather looks from both longtime exhibitors and companies new to Tupelo.
First timers here included Campbell Leather Sales, a North Carolina-based distributor of Italian seating; Four Hands, a high-end Texas-based importer of leather and case pieces; and New Pacific Direct, a California-based importer of leather and rattan.
Leather sofa prices at this market ranged widely. Onyx, an oversized sofa from BenchCraft's in-house line, was priced to retail at $699, while Santiago, imported from Hungary by Four Hands, retails at $2,499.
Attendance was brisk in several leather showrooms, following the pattern established at other regional markets this winter.
"We saw it happening in San Francisco and we hope this surge carries us through into April," said Dwight Hardison, vice president of sales and marketing at BenchCraft. "Business is actually pretty good. Retailers are looking to fill the pipeline because they are out of merchandise. We are very optimistic and looking forward to a great 2002."
BenchCraft unveiled several frames here including two sectionals, one sofa from its Italian-made Vera Pelle collection, and another sofa from its own in-house Tannery line.
Skyline, which also reported success in San Francisco, reintroduced the Emperor's Collection, with a Victorian tufted high-back leather sofa.
The leather entry retails at $1,149 in all-leather or $999 in leather/vinyl.
Tom Schmidt, vice president of sales for Leather Bella, said his Tupelo was "incredibly" busy early in the market. "As with High Point, the market is opening earlier here. We have written some good orders."
Leather Bella opened a fourth warehouse in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., in December, which Schmidt said "gives us the ability to ship anywhere in the country."
Bill Pirtle, vice president of sales for InstantLeather, the quick-ship arm of LeatherTrend and LeatherMart, said business in Tupelo was "very good. We are very pleased at the reaction. We've had good business with existing accounts as well as the new accounts our sales reps have been pioneering."
| In its initial Tupelo outing, Campbell Leather showed styles including this wood-base Italian import. |
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Motion, leather among stars in upholstery spaces
Feb 22, 2012 -
Leather upholstery buyers target higher price points
Oct 20, 2010 -
Tupelo order writing on track
Aug 29, 2011 -
Leather sofa sources expect price increases
May 2, 2011
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