Showtime spirits high
By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, December 9, 2007
High Point — Business conditions are difficult, but Showtime was wonderful.
The list of challenges is long and painfully familiar — slow retail, weak dollar, high oil prices, housing crisis — but despite all that, or maybe because of it, the semiannual fabric show here last week was a rousing success.
Elevators were packed in the Market Square Textile Tower, and the aisles in the Suites at Market Square temporary space were full of energetic, upbeat buyers and sellers.
"Business was steady throughout the show," said Tom Notaro, vice president of sales and marketing for Wearbest Sil-Tex. "It typically ebbs and flows, and Sunday is usually quiet in the temporary spaces, but this time Sunday was busy and the whole show was very consistent."
Furniture manufacturers — even major Mississippi producers who got previews from most of their key suppliers a couple of weeks before Showtime — were at the show looking for additional, more dependable, or possibly more domestic vendors.
With the market stuffed with "bad" inventory that's not moving, including some cut-and-sewn kits, roll goods and finished upholstery, buyers were focused on specific projects or searching for something different to create and drive their business.
Fabric suppliers came through for their customers, taking advantage of the demise of former giants Quaker and Joan to launch new programs of body cloths and decorative jacquards, more eco-friendly goods and warehousing and delivery programs to help reduce inventory for upholstery manufacturers.
"Traffic was great and we had a nice blend of customers," said Bill Fisch, president of Big Kahuna Fabrics and first-time exhibitor The Mitchell Group. "When times are tough, I believe the buyers want excitement in order to motivate the consumer to buy, and we offered that."
The number of buying group attendees was up, according to Catherine Morsell, executive director of the International Textile Market Assn., which produces Showtime.
"Our exhibitors were very happy and excited by the increased number and quality of buying groups. The non-furniture buyers usually write actual orders instead of sampling," Morsell said. Fabric companies often don't reap the rewards of their Showtime introductions until after the next furniture market when the new patterns get placements at retail, which can be a long wait when times are hard.
"Furniture manufacturer buyers all seemed upbeat and happy," said Michael Day, president of Textile Fabric Associates. "No one was full of gloom and doom. Maybe the worst is over."
On the final day of the show, 77 Showtime exhibitors opened their booths and showrooms to designers who were in town for Designer Wednesday at the High Point Design Center, an association of high-end showrooms.
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