Buyer registrations up at Quebec show
By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, October 3, 2005
Quebec City — Independent retailers from throughout French Canada attended the Salon du Meuble de Québec, which ended its three-day run at the Centre de foires de Québec here Sept. 19.
Francine Beaudin, president of the company that operates the market, said fewer exhibitors participated than in previous years, but buyer pre-registrations hit a record 994.
Last year, about 1,000 store owners, managers, buyers and staffers attended the market, most from Quebec and the French-speaking regions of northern New Brunswick and the Ottawa Valley of eastern Ontario.
"This market is very well supported by French-speaking independent retailers, except for those from Montreal who seem to prefer to go to the Toronto show in January," said Brian Lecker, director of marketing for metal furniture resource Origo Designs. "We've shown here for the past five years and we've consistently grown our business in Quebec."
Just over 100 exhibitors offered furniture, bedding, decorative accessories, appliances, electronics and retail services in about 200,000 square feet. Majors showing here included South Shore Inds., Dutailier, Jaymar and Sealy Canada.
Mega Group and Cantrex Group expected strong turnouts from their Quebec members, and both buying groups recruited new members.
Beaudin attributed the decline in the number of furniture exhibitors to the surge in Asian imports. "It's very tough to be a manufacturer at this time because of the levels of imports coming from China," she said. "Many exhibitors have cut back on their activities because of this loss in business."
The Cantrex meeting here drew senior executives from Sears Canada, which acquired the buying group earlier this year. Next week, Cantrex will hold its first national convention in a number of years in Toronto.
