Limited space can yield maximum benefit
Carole Sloan, Senior Contributing Editor -- Furniture Today, February 12, 2006
What a difference less space makes. That comment was heard over and over during the Las Vegas market. Retailers waxed enthusiastically about the size of the showrooms, which let them move in and out quickly, but also let them see what the supplier had to offer.
Some High Point showrooms almost require a forced march to get through, and more than one seasoned pro has looked glassy-eyed after doing a couple of those humongous spaces in a day. As the pros explain, one doesn't need to see every table or nightstand to know what the stuff looks like, how it is made, or how it fits into a collection.
Granted, some of the really big guys were significantly pressed for space in Vegas, but a couple of them are moving soon to bigger spaces, although certainly not the size of their High Point showrooms.
Then there were the buyers shopping for home textiles and rugs in Vegas. In decorative bedding, a boutique approach was dominant, and one exhibitor even cut back from his July space, calling it just too much.
A key rug player, moving to another location come July, called his current space a tad too small, but noted the new space would still be much smaller than his High Point extravaganza.
Others in rugs, decorative bedding and home accents said the smaller spaces actually were more effective than bigger spaces at other shows, since it made suppliers think harder about what products to display, and showed retailers how limited space could be used well.
The impact of all this could spill over to the retail scene, where some new furniture stores are so big that it's the consumer that walks away glassy-eyed.
Perhaps it will prompt a new look at one of the key functions of a retailer — that of being an editor of product for the targeted consumer base.
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