Industry faces new market paradigm
Carole Sloan, Senior Contributing Editor -- Furniture Today, April 8, 2007
It wasn't the best of markets; it wasn't the worst of markets. If a consensus could be developed, the just-concluded High Point Market probably lived up to the expectations of most exhibitors.
Because many had low expectations, the results either reached or perhaps slightly exceeded those expectations.
The litany of woulda/shoulda comments would fill an encyclopedia. Many of them boiled down to common sense.
Among the most repeated criticisms was the scheduling of market during the school spring-break season, and its closing just barely before Passover began, and just after the beginning of Holy Week.
The original premise for moving the market to an earlier date had some validity when proposed. It would let retailers make commitments and allow deliveries for the upcoming season to evolve in a timely manner.
The reality was that a goodly number of samples from China didn't make it to the spring market because of the narrow window between the end of the Chinese New Year celebration and the market in High Point.
And if some fully made Chinese furniture did make it to these shores in time, many of the fabrics designed to be on the upholstery did not, again for the same reason.
Retailers here pointed out an even more significant challenge for Chinese imports. With long runs, longer delivery times, shared manufacturing facilities and container minimums, much of the product was homogenized, showing scant design creativity.
Thus, a number of retailers said, product looked a lot alike from company to company, without the normal finessing that individual manufacturers typically provide in their own facilities.
One thing exhibitors and retailers largely seemed to agree on: The furniture community will have to respond to criticisms and adapt to a new market paradigm.
-
Brazil show reports record attendance
May 15, 2012 -
High Point feels good
May 10, 2012 -
Ross Furniture Logistics expands Fla. Facility
Jan 10, 2012 -
Domestic Fabrics Gaining Ground
May 4, 2011 -
Tax time spurs upholstery orders
Mar 4, 2011
Featured Company
-
FurnitureCore.com
FurnitureCore.com is a dynamic web application aimed at the furniture industry. Retailers and manufacturers alike will find our deep reserve of tools to be exactly what their furniture business needs.www.furniturecore.com... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
