Exhibitors applaud Bedding Center at High Point market
MMPI will work with mattress companies to improve concept
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
High Point — Spring market exhibitors here applauded the new Bedding Center but suggested changes were needed to fully realize its potential, and the center's developer is pledging to work with exhibitors as it expands the concept.
The Bedding Center, occupying about 25,000 square feet of showroom space on the top floor of the Suites at Market Square, was home to more than a dozen bedding producers and sleep accessory vendors.
The center was the brainchild of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., which believes that many buyers who come to High Point want to shop for bedding.
Tom Mitchell, senior vice president of MMPI's High Point operations, offered this assessment: "Generally, we could not have been more pleased with dealer and exhibitor feedback. That gives us a good foundation to build on."
He said feedback "is critical to the Bedding Center's future success," adding, "We are committed to expanding the Bedding Center. We believe it offers dealers what they want, and exhibitors what they need."
The largest producer in the Bedding Center was Therapedic, a Top 10 player. President Gerry Borreggine said he's convinced of the viability of High Point as a bedding market.
"We are very supportive of what MMPI is trying to do," he said. "We will make every effort to make this successful. Anytime you draw attention to the bedding category, you are doing a good thing for the bedding industry. They should be commended for that."
Borreggine recommended that bedding producers be dispersed on a floor of a showroom building, or dispersed throughout a showroom building.
"I don't think we should all be lumped together in one corner of the building," he said. "It doesn't give buyers enough privacy and it isn't respectful of producers' needs for separation between each other."
He described spring market traffic as "disappointing. It wasn't brisk. But the traffic we did get was legitimate."
Kathy Grigg, vice president of Carolina Mattress Guild, had this assessment: "I'm thrilled someone is focusing on the mattress industry. This is very important for High Point. It's a learning curve. We can grow from this."
She said traffic was "light," adding the center should be more accessible to furniture buyers. "We were not near other furniture people," Grigg said. "The buyers in this area (of the building) were accessory buyers, not furniture buyers."
She also recommended that bedding producers be more spread out throughout a showroom building.
Dave Powers, president of Protect-All, described the venue as "one of the better ones I've been in. I loved the spaces and the way it was laid out." But, he continued, "I was disappointed in traffic. What they need to do to make it a more meaningful marketplace is have more representation by the majors. That will be the draw."
Rick Snider, sales manager for Glideaway, said, "It's too early to give up. We are willing to give it one more go-around. It would be nice to get into an area of higher traffic and furniture buyers."
Ashley Groce, regional sales manager for Corsicana, hailed the Bedding Center as "a great concept. This is new. It will take time to grow."
Corsicana, a Top 15 bedding producer, was pleased with the exposure it got in High Point, Groce said. "The traffic, considering that it was down overall, was good," she said. "We got some good exposure. It definitely was a good experience. We opened some new accounts."
She would like to see the Bedding Center located in a higher-traffic area, with more exposure to furniture buyers.
Another exhibitor in the center was Eclipse, a 102-year-old producer looking to grow. "This was a good opportunity to reintroduce bedding to the marketplace in High Point," said Matt Connolly, executive vice president. "We had a lot of new items, so it was good timing for us."
