Manufacturers see solid Tupelo market
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, February 17, 2003
Tupelo, Miss. — Manufacturers expect this week's Tupelo market to be better than average.
Promotional upholstery is doing well, and activity here should reflect that, according to several manufacturers.
"The starting price points are not dead by any means," said Gerald Washington, president of American Furniture. "They're still making money . . . more than you might think."
"Tupelo is going to be real exciting," said Harvey Bailey, sales manager at Style-Line Furniture, which will make a big push in its Kathy Ireland line with 10 to 12 new frames and about 40 SKUs of new fabrics.
Business hasn't been bad, he said, "although we're still in a roller-coaster mode" with succeeding months up and down. The company has a four-week backlog, Bailey said.
Billy Lansdell, president of Sit-n-Ez, said the first part of the year tends to be good for the company's target consumers because the holiday season is far enough behind and the vacation season far enough ahead that they have tax refunds and other disposable income.
"We expect to have a good market," he said.
Larry George, president of United Furniture, said that business has been good but he's hard-pressed to explain why.
"Other industries are crying the blues, but retail hasn't been that bad since around the first of December," he said. "I think Tupelo will be a good market. Most hotels are booked, and we have a lot of people coming in. My people are pretty upbeat right now."
Business has been "very spotty," according to Hamp Hughes, president of Rose Hill. "The last three months have been fairly good. But there's a long summer from June to September."
Tupelo, he said, "is going to be a strong one. It's always a nice shot this time of the year."
