Quebec City — Retailers attending the Salon du Meuble de Québec here this weekend are expected to be in a buying mood as business slowly begins picking up after a disappointing first half.
"At the beginning of the year, it was just as difficult in Quebec as it was everywhere else, but we now seem to be back on track," said Christian Ladouceur, vice president of marketing for case goods producer South Shore.
The market opens for a three-day run this Saturday at the Centre de foires de Québec. It is the only Canadian furniture market not owned and operated by one of the three factory associations, and the only one that targets independent retailers from Quebec and the French-speaking regions of northern New Brunswick and eastern Ontario.
About 120 exhibitors will offer all the major product categories, including appliances and accessories. The market is supported by Cantrex Group and Mega Group. Both buying groups have large Quebec divisions that hold merchandising and marketing meetings in conjunction with the show.
Factory executives say the regional event has a strong following among independent retailers in Quebec. It's also very much an order-writing market.
"It's usually a very good show for us," said Gustave Lapierre, a sales representative for Mobi-Art, a manufacturer of solid-oak dining room, wall systems and occasional tables. "It's very important to the local stores. Business has been slow for the past few months but it's beginning to turn around, so most of our retailer partners have said they'll be at the show."
"It's a very distinct show in a lot of ways," said Robert Vlessing, president of leather and fabric upholstery maker Coja Leatherline. "The retailers give you more time; they're not rushing from place to place. I don't think any other regional show has worked quite as well for us. I wish more Canadian retailers would go there."
South Shore's Ladouceur said attendance has been growing over the past few years. "The buying groups have always had a strong presence at the Quebec show," he said. "But we're starting to see all of the major players in Quebec there as well."
He estimates that only 10% of those retailers who attend the Salon du Meuble de Québec visit High Point, while perhaps 50% shop the Toronto January market.
An important venue
Many manufacturers who show here also are regional. For example, while Mobi-Art is well established in Quebec, it's only now starting to branch out into other markets in Canada and doesn't sell in the United States. Since Quebec is the company's only market, it's an important venue to launch new products.
South Shore's Ladouceur said, "We'll show things that were shown first in High Point last April, and we'll also preview a few things we'll show in October."
"The products we show here aren't the same as those we show in High Point or Toronto," Vlessing said, adding Coja works hard to cater to Quebec's tastes in styling. "We do business with a lot of high-end retailers and we do a lot of special-order business for them."
For more information about the Salon du Meuble de Québec, call (418) 624-4310 or visit the market's Web site, salonmeublequebec.com.
