Rowe moving to Showplace

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, September 17, 2012

HIGH POINT - Rowe Furniture's announcement that it will become an anchor tenant at Showplace not only represents a new home at the High Point Market for the upholstery manufacturer, it also signifies a shift in the makeup of the building.
     Showplace these days is housing more permanent tenants and fewer smaller temporaries, which now only have space on the right side of the first floor as one walks into the building.
     Upholstery manufacturer Rowe will occupy as much as 50,000 square feet of space at Showplace at this October's High Point Market. It will take up the entire left side of first floor, a space previously occupied by short-term, temporary exhibitors. Rowe said it has a long-term lease on the space with building owner International Market Centers.
     With the announcement, Rowe joins other large permanent tenants in the building, including American Leather, Four Hands, Chromcraft Revington, Surya, Copeland, Steve Silver and Furniture Classics.
     The new showroom is a big move for Rowe, which has occupied space in the Commerce Wing of the International Home Furnishings Center - also operated by IMC - for most of its 60-plusyear history. Along with sister brands Clayton Marcus and Robin Bruce, it most recently had about 35,000 square feet in C-1103.
     The company has been working over the summer to update space 1100 of Showplace in time for the Oct. 13- 18 market.
     In addition to a dramatic new lobby entrance, it will feature a Studio Rowe Gallery, a store-within-a-store concept that provides retailers an onsite example of ways to showcase Rowe product on their floors.
     "The showcase is designed to help independent retailers compete in the lifestyle world of retail marketing and presentation, made popular by national retailers," Rowe CEO Phil Haney said in a statement.
     The showroom also will have dedicated entrances to various lifestyle displays for the Rowe, Robin Bruce and Clayton Marcus lines.
     "The new showroom provides an opportunity for us to showcase the amazing progress that our associates have made in expanding and redesigning the product lines for each of our brands," Haney said, adding that Rowe President Bob Choppa has "once again shown us why he is widely considered the best in the business as he has raised the bar on product design, fabric to frame application, quality and value, resulting in an improved product and value story for our retail partners."
     In addition, buyers can visit the Rowe showroom's Newbury Street Café, which will have indoor and outdoor seating for lunch. The menu will include Rowe's traditional Lobster Roll feast held on Sunday of market.
     Tom Mitchell, president of home furnishings for IMC, said temporary tenants displaced by the move have been given opportunities to move to other areas of the market, including the four primary IMC temporary showroom venues in Showplace, the Suites at Market Square, and in the Pavilions and Interhall areas of the International Home Furnishings Center.