Case goods buyers seek more than just low pricing
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, March 4, 2011
Sunrise Home Furnishings did well at market with this Fairfax 48-inch round counter height dining set in hardwood solids and veneers with a deep brown cherry finish. The counter height stools are upholstered in a faux leather with decorative stitching.
TUPELO, Miss. — For case goods suppliers, the Tupelo Furniture Market continues to reinforce the importance of finding promotable products during tax season in an economy that's still down.
But while retailers were still1 buying closeouts and bargains, they weren't continually searching the market for the absolute lowest prices, exhibitors said. That could indicate that retailers may be getting tired of selling more product for fewer dollars.
Collectively, case goods suppliers said they saw a number of Top 100 stores at the Tupelo market. But they also said they hope that next winter's market dates don't fall so close to Presidents Day, which may have kept the smaller retailers in their stores for weekend sales.
Most supported a date that falls in January, in time to ship goods well in advance of Presidents Day and the tax refund selling season.
Lee Scott, vice president of sales for Harden Mfg., said retailers continue to want to stock as little inventory as possible and want to get furniture quickly. He said he saw good quality buyers at the market - even if traffic was a little off - including some Top 100 buyers visiting Tupelo for the first time.
Some regions, such as Arkansas, were well represented, Scott said.
One positive for Harden in recent months has been the youth bedroom category, he added. Last year, one of the company's import youth groups outsold 2009's top master bedroom group seller.
"The velocity is pretty amazing," Scott said.
Bob Lephart, vice president of sales and marketing for Sunrise Home Furnishings, said pub height casual dining groups did well with dealers in Tupelo. Successful products included the Fairfax five-piece pub height group with polyurethane seats for about $499, the Grisham seven-piece group with fabric upholstered seats for $699, and the Brunswick triangle pub table.
Sunrise also reported doing brisk business with Tupelo specials and with entertainment groups with sleek, modern designs. Lephart said that the average size of orders was up about 25%.
Ray Steele, co-founder of Gail's Accents, said the company did well with its Tupelo Ten offer, knocking $100 off the invoice if a retailer ordered 10 different SKUs.
Bryan Sprinkles, sales and marketing manager for John Thomas Furniture, said the Tupelo market continued to fill the niche the supplier was aiming for, putting it in front of some accounts he doesn't typically see at other markets.
Purchase incentives worked well for Coast to Coast Imports, said David MacIntosh, chief administration officer. He said reclaimed looks also continue to do well for the company, which saw a number of major retailers through the course of the market.
"The customers we've seen have been buying. We've been pleased," MacIntosh said.
Dave Shock, national sales manager for Cramco, said the company sold a lot of closeouts and was able to open some new accounts, fulfilling the objectives it set for the show.
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