Toronto attendance drops 5%
By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, February 29, 2004
MONTREAL — MONTREAL — Retail attendance was down 5% at this year's Canadian Home Furnishings Market compared with 2003, according to the Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Assn., organizers of Canada's largest industry trade event.
A total of 3,092 retail operations sent 5,972 buyers to market in January, down from 3,256 stores and 6,559 buyers last year.
Jean François Michaud, president and CEO of the QFMA, attributed the decline to several factors, including cost cutting — stores sent fewer people to market to save on travel expenses.
"We're sure the drop isn't very significant," he said. "A review of the names on the list makes it obvious that all the major retailers attended."
While European shows typically report detailed attendance figures, the QFMA is the only market organizer in North America to do so.
"We don't talk about the number of visitors," Michaud said. "We talk about the number of stores that come to the market and the number of buyers they send. If we talk about visitors, the total number of visitors we had at the show this year was up quite a bit from last year."
Canadian attendance was down 6% to 2,867 retail operations sending 5,625 delegates, which he said reflects normal attrition and the fact that few new people are entering the industry.
"We have seen more bankruptcies and more people just leaving the business over the past year than we have for the past four or five years," Michaud said.
U.S. attendance fell 3% this year to 172 stores sending 269 buyers.
"It's tough to attract buyers from the United States," Michaud said, noting that retail hasn't been strong south of the border. "It's been tough in the U.S. market for the past two years now, but it seems that the right people are coming."
The QFMA said the show's registration system has been improved significantly. For example, interior designers are no longer classified as retail buyers. Even though they do significant business with CHFM exhibitors, they aren't the manufacturers' most important customers.
The QFMA has targeted retailers who offer contemporary and transitional style goods, and Michaud is confident the CHFM is building a strong following among U.S. retailers.
Attendance from other nations almost doubled, to 43 stores and 78 buyers compared with 22 stores and 45 buyers in 2003. Much of increase was attributed to a buyers' mission from Mexico, organized in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
The next Canadian Home Furnishings Market will be held Jan. 15-18, 2005, in Toronto's International Center.
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