Mini-market to draw 300
More than 50 exhibitors join Lifestyle show
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, January 15, 2006
High Point — More than 50 manufacturers and importers are opening their showrooms here this week and at least 300 retailers are expected at an unusual mini-market, initiated by importer Lifestyle Enterprise.
While everyone attending hopes to benefit from it, the event also raises some questions about this city's furniture future.
Might the show replace High Point's premarket, which has increasingly been criticized as irrelevant?
Is this a one-time show, or will it happen every six months?
Will many retailers and exhibitors be willing to make a third trip here per market cycle, in addition to premarket and market?
By Friday, more than 50 companies had told Furniture/Today that they would open their showrooms for two to three days to coincide with the dealer event first announced by Lifestyle.
Some exhibitors will show new product, others will show sketches and renderings, and some will offer the same product they did at the October market.
While Lifestyle created the event as an alternative to showing in Las Vegas, a few companies will use this week as an early premarket for the High Point spring show in late April.
For the past few market cycles, manufacturers have complained the March and September premarkets no longer served their original function. In the old days, companies brought out sketches and samples at premarket for dealers to see. Then, in the month before market, the factories would tweak the new lines based on the retailers' suggestions.
Andrew Pearson Design was one company that traditionally made changes to products based on premarket. With a factory only an hour from High Point, the company could easily make new samples and get them here in time for market.
Now, the occasional and dining company designs its products in North Carolina but has them produced in Asia, said Pat Allison, vice president of sales. There simply isn't enough time to tweak a sample shown in March and have it at the April market.
This week, Andrew Pearson will have new sketches and photographs to show, but not the finished pieces.
The same goes for Legacy Classic, according to Lee Boone, general manager. Maybe a January mini-market could become the new premarket, he said, since holding the event three months prior to market is the only way for an importer to get meaningful feedback.
Some companies, however, will have ample new product. Largo, for example, plans to display six to eight new promotional bedroom groups.
Hooker Furniture usually holds a research meeting with key retailers in January, but moved it to December in order to have new products ready to show here this week, said Kim Shaver, vice president of marketing communications. Hooker also plans to open its showroom for the March premarket and April market.
Allison said that if retailers come for premarket, then Andrew Pearson would be open then, as well as in April. But he said he couldn't imagine retailers traveling to High Point three times in one market cycle.
Phil Miller, senior vice president of Thomasville's Virginia operations, said the company's Founders/Vignettes showroom won't be open this week, since participation in premarket itself has been so weak in recent years. Miller said the showroom is open in March and September, but his staff spends the time finalizing what product to show and where to place it. Compared with five or 10 years ago, few retailers stop by.
Companies like Universal and Fine Furniture Design & Marketing won't be open to walk-in traffic, but said any clients that are in town can call to set up an appointment.
While exhibitors aren't sure how many retailers will be here, Lifestyle said last week its tally has topped 300. James Riddle, managing director, said Lifestyle hasn't counted just how many are Top 100 stores, but said several will attend. Lifestyle was booking rooms for retailers at the Radisson, but filled it up and began using other hotels, to the delight of High Point city officials.
Noble's Restaurant, which normally isn't open on Sunday evenings, opened Sunday to serve retailers arriving over the weekend.
Lifestyle is entertaining retailers with new products and two big evening events. Riddle said the showroom is filled with more than 10 new leather offerings and more than 10 new bedroom suites, as well as occasional and dining pieces.
On Monday and Tuesday evenings, the action will move from the showroom to the nearby Centennial Station dinner theater, with cocktails, dinner, a live band and an appearance by Miss North Carolina. A highlight of each evening will be a drawing for a new luxury convertible car, for those registering at Lifestyle's showroom.
Lifestyle has said that if the show meets expectations, the company would plan a similar event in July.
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