Furniture activity rated good at Nationwide winter show
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, February 22, 2004
NEW ORLEANS — NEW ORLEANS — Nationwide Marketing Group's winter buying show here generated good business for exhibiting furniture manufacturers.
Sandberg Furniture was "pleasantly surprised" with reaction to its first show through Nationwide's Furniture Smart division.
"It was the best-run buying group show I've ever been around," said Wayne Harris, national account manager. "We wrote a fair amount of business and opened 11 new accounts."
This was the first time the show was held in the Superdome, giving exhibitors ample space to show their wares.
This was importer Coaster's sixth or seventh Furniture Smart show, said Larry Furiani, vice president of dealer relations. He said furniture buyers' attitudes are improving, and that the appliances and electronics dealers at the Nationwide show were attracted by furniture's higher margins.
This event was the best of Berkline's three Furniture Smart markets, said Richard Tickle, vice president of regional sales and key accounts. Home theater seating is a growing business and attracted much attention here, he said.
He said this was the first time sister company BenchCraft showed at the market, drawing buyers with its stationary leather upholstery and occasional tables. Retailers were especially interested in functionality, such as lift-top cocktail tables and pullout trays, he said.
United Furniture Inds. showed its upholstery here for the first time and was pleased with the positive reaction. Jay Quimby, national sales manager, said the company opened more than 30 new accounts on the first day, ranging from mom-and-pop operations to large chain stores. Sales representative Bill Brayton said retailers liked the fresh looks and were especially high on new microfiber models.
Strong sales in January and at this show point to a bright 2004 for Relax-R, said Dan Ide, vice president of sales and marketing, who said the recliner resource wrote orders here.
Nationwide's show draws some furniture vendors who don't attend standard furniture markets. Home entertainment manufacturers like Bell'O, Elite and Works of Art focus on home electronics stores rather than furniture stores.
Bell'O, whose line is made in Italy, won a design award at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show and prefers to align itself with the cutting-edge mentality of electronics.
Art Gardea, president of Works of Art, spent years working in electronics stores and feels more comfortable with those customers. He sells home entertainment walls in 41 states, but has only one furniture dealer account. He said electronics store owners are more receptive to suggestions than their furniture counterparts, who are more likely to think they know it all.
Works of Art's claim to fame is customization, Gardea said, working with the dealer to provide goods in six to eight weeks. Over the last year and a half, the company has grown from 65,000 square feet of manufacturing space to four facilities totaling 140,000 square feet, he said.
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