Share this on

Sales uptick could boost traffic at Tupelo Furniture Market

Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, February 14, 2012

Beckham Home’s Tupelo introductions will include this No. 007 92-inch sofa, shown in a reptile textured Tinga Caramel bicast leather.

TUPELO, Miss. — Suppliers are hoping that reports of better business at recent shows continue this week at the Tupelo Furniture Market, which officially opens Thursday.

Most expect that on this, the market's 25th anniversary, retailers will continue taking advantage of Tupelo's reputation for traffic-building promotions.

Bethel Poston, executive director of retail buying group The Buying Giant, said an uncertain retail environment has recently given way to a current window of steadier sales. He said he'd heard reports of better Las Vegas Market traffic and said that cash flow may be the difference - giving retailers more money to spend on goods.

"When you don't have retail sales it's tough to merchandise," Poston said. "I've had some retailers in Tennessee that have said that the last three months are the best they've had in years."

Upholstery source Beckham Home will introduce a good ($499 retail), better ($599), best ($699) sofa/loveseat program in Tupelo. The Mississippi-based manufacturer says it will capitalize on its ability to buy high-quality chenilles at bargain prices to produce value merchandise at closeout prices.

Beckham will show a sofa/loveseat combo for $175 cost. The 78-inch sofa and 56-inch loveseat are designed so that 60 sets fit on a 53-foot trailer for maximum capacity and fuel utilization, according to Sonny Cassady, owner of Beckham Home and Cassady Closeouts.

The company also will offer the No. 100 Environ sofa, made primarily from recycled components, that sells at $119.75 cost and "is ideally suited for any store that has a clearance center, outlet store or wants a dynamic item to promote," said Cassady.

He said he expects a well-attended market, based on calls he received since a market preview was sent out by Tupelo organizers. "We've gotten calls from people I don't even know who they are that have seen my ad. And we always see the majors."

But Gerald Washington, CEO of Washington Furniture Sales, isn't so sure.

"It seems like most of the big dealers have stopped coming to Tupelo. I don't know if that's right or wrong. We do okay there but most people don't do any buying until they get to High Point," he said, adding, "We have some small dealers that do."

Washington said he was shifting his strategy to making High Point the company's main introduction market "because two markets a year is all I need. We've just got flooded with markets."

Nonetheless, Washington still wants something good on his Tupelo plate and will be offering a polyurethane contemporary group. "It will be hot priced," he said.

Bedroom and entertainment manufacturer and importer Harden Mfg. will continue to sell its attributes: shipping quickly, complete and on time, and low minimum orders, said Harley Ostlund, president.

Ostlund said the company is coming off a well-attended Las Vegas Market. He also said he hopes that goods that were well-received in High Point last fall will drive new floor placements in Tupelo as well.

Two bedroom groups doing well include Milton, a painted black introduction that Ostlund said will likely climb into the company's Top 10 sellers, and Jackson Square, which has retailed well since it was introduced.

"Those are both a departure for us because they're not $399.99 groups for retailers - that's where about 40% of our product sits. This is $999 product," Ostlund said.

Dave Shock, national sales manager for casual dining and occasional source Cramco, said the company will show new goods from the fall High Point Market, specials and closeouts. That includes many of the company's new Malaysian wood offerings that lately have helped drive business.

Shock said that Tupelo usually generates orders, even when traffic appears slow.

"We use Tupelo as a writing market for deals and it really works out well for us that way," he said.

Senior Editor Gary Evans contributed to this story.

Share this on

Sales uptick could boost Tupelo traffic

Feb 22, 2012

Also by this author

Also by Heath E Combs

Featured Company

Wright Labels

Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more