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Future of High Point mini-market undecided

By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, January 29, 2006

High Point — By most accounts, the mini-market here this month spearheaded by Lifestyle Enterprise was a hit with retailers and exhibitors who took part.

What happens next, however, is still undecided.

Lifestyle said before the event that if the mini-market was successful and made sense, it would support such events in the future. The full-line importer saw about 500 visitors at the Jan. 16–18 event, many more than the 300 it pre-registered, but won't know for a while if the effort was worth the expense of opening its showroom and flying in and lodging retailers.

"That's the million-dollar question at this point," said Greg Noe, chief operating officer. The company will have to see how many commitments turn into orders to get a final tally on how much revenue was generated. There also are intangibles Lifestyle believes have value, such as face time with top customers.

Other exhibitors — who didn't foot retailer travel expenses — gave the event a big thumbs up and would like a similar mini-show in July. About 60 showrooms in addition to Lifestyle's were open.

Compared with the spring and fall High Point markets, the mini-market had a relaxed atmosphere and allowed buyers and vendors to spend more time together.

Roger Friesen, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Palliser, said retailers are often pressed for time at the big markets, or Friesen is tied up with one customer and can't see another. On the first day of the mini-market, however, he said he personally spoke to all 10 buyers who came in, and none were rushed.

Others noted that no one felt price-gouged on lodgings, rental cars or meals. Ed Roth, executive vice president of Somerton Home Furnishings, said he got a hotel room for about $100 a night. When he asked if he could reserve a room for April, he was told the same room would run $275.

Some manufacturers speculated the mini-market could grow into a regional market or take the place of High Point's informal premarket, which occurs one month before the April and October markets.

Importers have said that premarket no longer serves its original function of letting key retailers see product and offer critiques. Because of the shipping time from Asia, source factories can't get reworked samples to High Point in time for market.

High Point had a regional market many years ago but it died out, said Tom Mitchell, senior vice president of showroom building operator Merchandise Mart Properties. Premarket still works for domestic producers, he said, so perhaps January–July could become the time for an importers' premarket.

Friesen said none of the 10 accounts he had on the first day were people Palliser would see during premarket, so the mini-market wasn't exactly a straight-up replacement. But he said that if a January–July event gains strength, it could become a better version of premarket. More exhibitors could team up to support the show or offer more new products and specials, he said.

"If it works for the retailer, it works for all of us," he said.

For Vaughan-Bassett, premarket was becoming less and less of an event, said Wyatt Bassett, executive vice president. The January show seemed to have the potential to be a successful off-market event and to help retailers better manage their product flow, he said.

Friesen said Palliser didn't have any new product samples here. They were all at the Toronto show, which overlapped the High Point event. If the High Point show were to happen again, he said, he would have two samples made of each piece.

"If I had known about this earlier, I would have doubled up on the samples offered in Las Vegas," said David Ballard, president of Primo Designs.

Ballard said Primo hasn't made a decision yet whether it will show at premarket in March. Roth said Somerton would show at premarket only if customers ask it to be there.

Orleans Furniture showed in High Point and also is showing in Las Vegas. Ed Marshall, president and CEO, said he didn't think the High Point event would hurt business in Vegas.

Acknowledgements
Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza, Associate Editor Tom Russell and Senior Editor Gary Evans contributed to this story.

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Future of High Point mini-market undecided

Feb 1, 2006

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