Buyers applaud Lifestyle-initiated market
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2006
High Point — Howard Regenbogen hadn't been to High Point in about five years, but the Forbidden City Furniture Show — and Lifestyle Enterprise's offer to pick up travel expenses — lured him here last week.
The secretary of the family-owned Marjen Furniture in Niles, Ill., wasn't planning on buying anything, but wound up ordering a $599 retail leather upholstery group, along with some case goods.
"I think they have an incredible value as far as product goes," Regenbogen said during a reception and dinner hosted by Lifestyle. "To me this is a better concept (than a typical furniture market) because I could concentrate on one company and assess the value as opposed to running myself ragged visiting 30 different companies."
His comments were typical of those from many of the retailers attending the Lifestyle show here. They praised the event, saying it offered new looks and great prices — without the crowds and inconveniences of a typical High Point market.
Some even said they could envision similar programs on a regular basis, replacing the premarket usually held here a month before the April and October shows. And a few dealers said they chose the event over the January Las Vegas market, or said they had planned to skip Las Vegas this time anyway.
"We feel it was a very worthwhile buying experience, even given that we came all the way from Hawaii," said Bub Wo, president of the 15-store Honolulu-based C.S. Wo & Sons. "I have the highest respect for William Hsieh, James Riddle, John Wampler and the Lifestyle organization. I commend them for their bold move and wish them much success."
Steve Tronstein, vice president of Warren, Mich.-based Gardner White, said Lifestyle's event was "exciting and new for the furniture industry, and we're excited to be apart of it."
"I really think William Hsieh could save the High Point market," Tronstein said. "It's showing another purpose for High Point, where (sources can show) without adding tremendously to their overhead."
While Lifestyle hasn't committed to doing the show regularly, Tronstein said he could see a similar event replacing High Point's dying premarket, which has suffered from the dramatic shift to Asian sourcing. Companies have said there isn't enough time between premarket and market to make changes to imported goods.
"This is far enough in advance, it could actually affect product changes," he said.
Lifestyle showed in Las Vegas in July, and its executives said they thought long and hard about going back but decided a High Point showing would be a better use of resources. The company paid to fly in a number of retailers.
Steve Rotman, owner of Rotman's in Worcester, Mass., said the values from Lifestyle were "outstanding," and that he spent money here with the company and also with Vaughan and Vaughan-Bassett.
"I'm still going to Vegas but plan on spending less than I had originally budgeted before I knew about the Forbidden City show," he said.
Even Bob Yondo, merchandise manager of Las Vegas-based Walker Furniture, was here. He said Lifestyle is so important to the store's product mix, "you can't afford not to be here."
"But I still have to go to Las Vegas," Yondo added with a smile. Walker, after all, is virtually within walking distance of the World Market Center.
| Acknowledgements | ||
| Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza and Associate Editor Thomas Russell contributed to this story. | ||
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Buyers praise Forbidden City show
Jan 18, 2006
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