Upholstery intros abound, but traffic off
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, November 2, 2008
HIGH POINT — The market has been up and down, but that's the stock market. In the upholstered furniture business, the High Point Market was just down.
The indicators were not so much upholstery makers themselves, many of whom said attendance and orders lived up to their low expectations, but other signs — like relatively light traffic on the roads, restaurant reservations that were easy to obtain, and some showrooms that were closed on Saturday.
Market's slack mood wasn't the fault of manufacturers, especially regarding new product. Many filled their showrooms with new goods as if this was going to be the best market in ages. There were plenty of full-blown collections, innovative looks and color.
Despite the dismal economic backdrop coming into the market, some executives breathed sighs of relief that they still saw customers.
“It's shocking,” said Del Starnes, president of Taylor King, indicating that traffic was better than anticipated. “There were some dealers who didn't come but there were also some new prospects.” But, he added, “Order-writing was not at the level of attendance.”
The luck of the draw was good to Patagonia Trading, a Los Angeles-based specialty upholstery house that had a prime spot at the entrance of the International Home Furnishings Center's Interhall.
“We came here with no expectations,” said Edward Guerrero, the company's president. “It turned out — God knows this is true — to be the best market we've ever had. We've had quality buyers who understand our product line,” he said, describing it as boutique and design oriented.
Knowing the company would be in a prime location, Guerrero said Patagonia “pushed the envelope” for the market in style and product introductions.
Yervant Varjabedian, an executive with rug and furniture source Safavieh, said that international attendance at this market was way down, and “the mom and pops with two or three stores — they are not really around.”
He added, “I think we're going to lose mom-and-pops and weak department stores. But once we recover, it's going to be with a big bang.”
“We're probably 15% to 20% off in body count but far better than we expected,” said Tom Jordan, president of Michael Thomas. “Order-writing was slightly ahead of the last two or three markets, partly due to our Norwalk gains (from picking up former Norwalk customers) and partly due to Joe Ruggiero (a new line in the Miles Talbott division).
“Orders were smaller but most everyone bought some new things to put some life onto their floors,” Jordan said.
Product research before market paid off in orders for Westgate, showing at its second High Point Market, according to President Tom Carter. He said the company, which is now shipping orders from its first market in April, got several commitments from Top 100 dealers, and added that he already has orders to take the company through March.
One reason for the success, he said, is that Westgate is focusing on domestic manufacturing, which helps retailers manage inventory. In addition, the company is a vertical manufacturer with a Chinese fabric maker and partner and offers customers only exclusive fabrics.
While it may have been a so-so market for most, some companies reported having an outstanding week.
Contemporary specialist Younger Furniture said it had its best market in the company's 20-year history. Company executive Meredith Younger said several factors helped, including its new location right inside the front entrance of 220 Elm, and its five-day delivery on seven styles and 15 frames.
Canadian manufacturer G. Romano said it had “brisk business” as it offered a new fashion-driven collection designed for small spaces in white, flannel-like charcoals accented by citrine accents, including paisley and hound's-tooth prints.
“We were pleased with our traffic and most importantly by the dealer excitement to the new collection,” said Rick Lovegrove, design director.
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