Outlying showrooms benefit too
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2006
High Point — Furniture showrooms outside the main downtown cluster were pleased with activity at last week's mini-market here.
Universal Furniture saw more than a dozen accounts by appointment, mainly from Southeastern states. Some were existing dealers and others were new, said Stephen Giles, senior vice president of merchandising.
In either case, retailers offered feedback on new product and placed orders on in-line goods.
"The response for the product was excellent," Giles said. "Anytime you can have face-to-face time with your customers is good."
Fine Furniture Design & Marketing expected to see about 10 retailers, most of whom had not previously been to the company's showroom, said President Ted Philpott. The company showed only existing product. But because dealers were new to the line, they placed orders.
"It was a benefit to us," Philpott said of the show, organized and sponsored by Lifestyle Enterprise. "Anytime people come into town and we can get them into our showroom and expose them to our product, it is a big plus for us."
The show attracted many retailers drawn to Lifestyle's more promotional product. Still, there was clearly a benefit for FFD&M and other medium to higher-end lines.
Manchester Furniture Group keeps its doors open all year. President Ron Hahn estimated on Tuesday that Manchester had seen 25 accounts last week, compared with 20 to 30 at a typical premarket. They came from as far away as Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan. Some were new accounts, but most were existing clients, Hahn said.
Some suppliers at the outlying Center Point showrooms also were open. That included Primo Designs, which saw eight customers on Monday.
"I would have been pleased to see six all three days," said President David Ballard. Most of the visitors were not current customers, so Ballard was able to write some orders.
River Forks, another Center Point tenant, had 10 dealers in by early Tuesday afternoon, including two new accounts. It showed product from the October market and placed several container orders.
"I was very pleased," said David Schreibfeder, the company's director of sales.
Center Point tenant Holland House reported seeing 30 dealers by late Tuesday, some of whom placed orders.
Mike Rush, president of ready-to-assemble specialist Rush Inds., keeps his North Wrenn Street showroom open 52 weeks a year and flies in dealers every few weeks. Last week he had his doors open to receive feedback on an introduction he is planning for April.
He applauded Lifestyle for its initiative, saying its show is a model of what could happen here each month with different categories of furniture.
"I was impressed with the job one company did," Rush said. "I think this success story can be multiplied 12 times a year and take the stress off the main market."
He encouraged the International Home Furnishings Market Authority to take an active role in helping organize such events instead of spending money on building projects and administration.
He said a series of markets would benefit local hotels and restaurants without taxing their resources the way the spring and fall market crowds do.
"It works much better in life when you have things running in a smooth, even keel versus having highs and lows," Rush said. "If you have category shows, it would turn High Point into the hub of the furniture industry from a marketing and logistical support standpoint."
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Mini-market benefits outlying High Point showrooms
Jan 19, 2006
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