Let's rethink and improve Canada's summer markets
By Michael J. Knell, Canadian correspondent -- Furniture Today, September 30, 2001
The Canadian furniture industry has a love/hate relationship with the summer markets, particularly those held in Toronto and Calgary each June.
They are loved because, in strictly regional terms, they are well-attended events that do strong business with independent retailers from Ontario and western Canada, respectively. They are hated because the cost of doing that business is higher than it would be if we had just two national markets a year.
That argument also applies to last month's Québec market, but that show falls outside this debate because it's the only one not run by one of the three factory associations.
All markets, of course, are customer-driven. As long as retailers come, manufacturers will exhibit even if the price they pay for doing business strikes them as too high.
The time has come to change our expectations of what role the summer markets play. Expectations should be based on a couple of easily demonstrated truths. First, the two most important markets to Canadian furniture retailers are Toronto in January and High Point in April. Every other event takes a back seat.
Secondly, markets are not held for the majors — that is, any company on Furniture/Today's list of leading Canadian furniture retailers. These folks probably could get along without markets altogether.
We have to realize that markets, even the Toronto winter event, are held mainly if not solely for independent furniture retailers. More specifically, they're for the small retailer, often the single-unit dealer in a secondary or tertiary market.
A quick review of the attendance figures for both June shows supports the argument that the majority of smaller independents in Ontario and the West are turning out to their respective markets.
The question then becomes: How do we make attending these markets a must for those who aren't coming, and how do we add value for those who come every year?
Perhaps it's time to revisit a few old ideas. At one time, both the Toronto and Calgary summer shows offered retailers an airline ticket or a couple of nights accommodation for C$99.
Maybe it's time to bring back an education/ conference component, featuring speakers and topics of interest to independent retailers. A look at the High Point experience, as well as markets in other industries, indicates that having a strong educational offering doesn't detract from the business of buying and selling. It adds to the value of attending.
The organizers of both the Toronto and Calgary markets recognize the challenges and are committed to meeting them.
But the days of ever-increasing attendance and truckload buying are over. It's time to recognize the summer markets for what they are and work to improve them, while accepting that their relatively high cost-to-return ratio is the price of doing business.
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