Motion sources make best of slow market
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, March 2, 2008
Tupelo, Miss. — Making the best of a slow situation, motion upholstery resources showing at the Tupelo Furniture Market looked to the bright side as they waited for buyers and responded to those in attendance.
Yes, some important majors showed up, but the number of mid-tier dealers and walk-in customers lagged.
"It's a soft market," said Chris Brooks, director of marketing for Brooks Furniture, one of very few glider-rocker manufacturers on the scene here.
Still, companies such as upholstery producer Albany Inds. looked to the show as a staging ground for next month's High Point Market. Albany turned the event into "an opportunity for hot pricing on closeouts" and got a jump on introducing new product to major accounts, said Jay Cochrane, vice president of merchandising.
"Sure, we wish more people were here," said Tom Schmidt, president of leather upholstery source Soflex. "Everyone knows it's a slow market, but we opened 24 new accounts, including some of the Top 100."
Added Kerry Lebensburger, president of sales for Ashley Furniture, "People from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia — they're here ... and we've done business with them." He said Ashley's version of bonded leather, UltraHide, which was introduced in Las Vegas, drew a positive response here.
This market also was a launching pad for some new companies, new managers and new showrooms.
Prestige Motion, a container-direct midpriced motion seating company, made its industry debut here.
Room Inspirations, a container-direct resource for motion and stationary, moved into a new permanent showroom.
"We're taking off very well with market conditions," said Michael Parasmo, president of Prestige. "Retailers need this price point-driven merchandise. It keeps them in the loop."
The launch focused on bonded leather and padded suede motion frames, with prices starting at $599 for padded suede.
PeopLoungers/LeatherWorks, meanwhile, had a new manager in Larry Crink. The former DeCoro executive was recently named executive vice president of sales and marketing services.
"We are writing business with smaller dealers as well as our regular dealers," Crink said. "Above all, we are receiving tremendous support from folks anticipating our upcoming official presentation of new offerings in High Point."
Despite "splotchy traffic," Leather Italia U.S.A. President Michael Campbell said there was some order writing with independents and three Top 100 retailers. "We implemented a program with one (major) — quite an unexpected bonus."
Catnapper showed products it had introduced in Las Vegas. These included its Comfort Choices line featuring a seating wedge in lieu of a table, for added dual-recliner comfort. The company also showed a series of contemporary press-back recliner chairs dressed in fashion-driven, high-performance fabric covers.
Case goods and upholstery source Largo was featuring bonded leather seating here, but it will add a series of top- grain leather accent chairs to its line at High Point.
Ekornes, Southern Motion and others also exhibited.
"Tupelo is a market to look forward to because it is friendly, low key and people buy," said Jay Shurling, vice president of sports-licensed seating source Baseline Furniture. "But this market is distinctly different. While it's still friendly and low-key and people are buying, it is not to the volume we used to have."
On a brighter note, Shurling said, "However, we do have lots of follow-up opportunity."
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High Point feels good
May 10, 2012 -
Motion, leather among stars in upholstery spaces
Feb 22, 2012 -
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Better leathers a hit at Las Vegas Market
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