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Vegas buying proves upbeat

By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, February 3, 2008

Las Vegas — Fears that the industry-wide sales slump would dampen enthusiasm and curtail market attendance never materialized here last week as buyers streamed into showrooms looking for ways to jump-start business.

Exhibitors said buyers were upbeat and eager to review new ideas and new products, and that most were ready to write orders.

Order-writing was particularly heavy during the market's first two days, but continued throughout the five-day event.

"This was our best-attended Vegas market to date," said Tom Liddell, senior vice president of sales at Powell Co., who said buyers were lined up in the hallway outside his company's seventh-floor showroom on opening day.

"We had five people doing nothing but registering buyers," he said. "Even better, once inside the showroom, they were writing orders."

Attendance figures weren't available at press time, but market officials were pleased with the turnout and the level of enthusiasm.

"Obviously, our industry is undergoing some challenging business conditions, but I think our exhibitors went over the top trying to create something," said Dave Palmer, general manager of the World Market Center, who announced his retirement during market. "Virtually everyone had new product ... and they know that works at this market."

He said attendance from outside the United States was especially strong, and predicted that international attendance would be 60% ahead of last July's show.

"Our whole showroom was full of new product, and that's what it takes to get people enthused," said Broyhill President Jeff Cook.

Many exhibitors said buyers weren't simply looking for deals and closeout pricing. They frequently asked about higher-priced goods and related merchandising packages.

Bill Minhas, CEO of upholstery importer Flair, said his company was hoping to drive retailers to the showroom with a $399 sofa but discovered they were more interested in $1,199 seating groups because of the value they represented.

"On Monday, we wrote more business than during the whole summer market," Minhas said. "We had to postpone some appointments."

Rowe Furniture, which showed here for the first time, saw a steady flow of people into its space. According to Stefanie Lucas, president and CEO, the mid-priced upholstery producer saw customers it hadn't seen before from the western states, western Canada and Mexico. Rowe also saw some customers it usually sees in High Point.

Lucas said the company "made the right choice" in coming to Vegas.

At case goods and upholstery major Universal, dealers still showed strong interest in the Better Homes and Gardens-licensed collection, which was introduced last spring. More than a dozen new accounts were added to the line, said Dave Pinamonti, senior vice president of marketing and sales.

"This was their first exposure to it," he said. "The ones we added were primarily dealers west of the Rockies, dealers in good, quality smaller markets."

The reviews weren't quite as glowing from temporary exhibitors in the Pavilions, although many said traffic was good the first three days of the show.

"We've seen a good number of buyers. Those who had appointments were kept busy," said Tambra Jones, executive director of the Specialty Sleep Assn., whose members occupied nearly all of Pavilion 3. "It also was a good opportunity to talk about SSA and promote the category."

Gat Caperton, president and CEO of Caperton Furnitureworks, said attendance was weak at his temporary space at the rear of Pavilion 2.

His neighbor, Dynamic Furniture, also saw slow traffic. Karim Kurji, vice president of sales and marketing, said the front two-thirds of the building were rugs, fabrics and retailer service providers, and he wondered how many bedroom furniture buyers knew to come back to see him.

Caperton and Kurji said they were looking forward to moving into their permanent spaces in Building C, which opens this July.

Acknowledgements
Associate Editor Thomas Russell, Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza, Senior Editor Gary Evans and Staff Writers Jeff Linville and Heath E. Combs contributed to this story.

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