Market 'fairly good' for upholstery makers
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, May 22, 2006
High Point — Upholstery exhibitors are back home this week after a market that most describe as fairly good.
While most said that this market wasn't a barnburner, especially regarding traffic, executives have enough orders to keep factories buzzing. Business varied from showroom to showroom, with companies that offered new programs or products doing better than those that didn't.
Contemporary specialist Lazar drove buyers to its expanded showroom with a new Signature Design Collection, which includes two groups by designer Stanley Jay Friedman and one by designer Tom Kennedy.
"We're getting sales, we're getting traffic — we're getting all the ingredients that make a good market," said Darrin Royer, director of design and merchandising.
Hickory Hill drew attention with new leather in the Jaclyn Smith line and an I-Design program that allows consumers to mix and match design elements to reflect their personal styles.
"I would say that the response has been really good," said Teddie Walker, director of program marketing. "Groups would come in and spend a half hour or more looking, so you could tell they were interested."
Import case goods and upholstery specialist Najarian Furniture also saw good traffic coming in to see new collections, including a loft-style wood frame transitional group called Rado.
"This is the best-placed item we have," said Michael Lawrence, director of sales and operations.
Michael Najarian, a principal in the company, said almost everyone who entered the showroom "bought something." He attributed the positive response to "people trying to be optimistic about the future."
This definitely was an improved market for Los Angeles-based Richter, which was fighting off a forced bankruptcy a year ago after running into cash flow problems caused by too-rapid growth.
"Last show, we were doing security," said Ahmad Deshae, an account manager, noting that the fate of the company, which supplies Z Gallerie, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, was in limbo at the time.
"This show, we're inviting everyone back and we can grow as fast as want to," said Deshae.
Tom Jordan, president of Michael Thomas, which has an outlying showroom at 1690 English St., said he was prepared for a quiet market.
"Retail had not been very vigorous in April, and my theory is that retail traffic the week before market determines the success of a market," he said. "A big weekend sales figure means the dealer comes to market to buy, and a slow weekend sales figure means she comes to look."
This market, he said, "traffic may well be down but buying has been very good. The answer to 'what was I expecting?' is 'not much.' I'm delighted to be wrong, as usual."
Traffic grew steadily as the market unfolded in the Market Square showroom of Patagonia Trading, according to Catherine Calig, vice president and owner with her husband, Edward Guerrero.
"We started writing business on Tuesday, and it gets busier every day," Calig said about midway through the market. She said the buying mood "is very positive, very upbeat," and sales were way ahead of what for Patagonia was a listless October market.
Upper-end producer Taylor King also had strong business, due in part to a large upholstery introduction and a collection of hand-painted wood furniture that hits affordable price points.
"Attendance is up and people are writing orders," said Tanya Comer, director of marketing. "We sold 95% of our showroom," she said, meaning that buyers have been committing to complete room groupings shown. "The reaction has been great, and people are buying up stock."
