Lifestyle's solo HP show
Importer will host dealers Jan. 16-18
Ray Allegrezza -- Furniture Today, November 14, 2005
HIGH POINT -- Lifestyle Enterprise will host its own furniture show in January at its Forbidden City showroom here.
Billed as the Forbidden City Furniture Show, the Jan. 16-18 event will play to the primary customer base of the container-only supplier of Asian case goods and leather upholstery: Top 100 retailers.
If the show meets expectations, Lifestyle will host a similar event in July.James Riddle, managing director, said retailers in January will see “all new items and our best pricing ever” at the 28,000-square-foot Forbidden City showroom. He said the company will have 10 to 20 new offerings in the Shanghai Leather program and 10 to 15 new bedroom suites, plus introductions in dining and occasional.Riddle also said the company would use the show to announce Lifestyle’s entry into a new category.
He said that by hosting its own show, Lifestyle Enterprise can leverage its investment in its High Point showroom, provide customers with a highly focused shopping experience and make the best use of its marketing and merchandising dollars.He said the company is planning festivities Monday and Tuesday evenings, but couldn’t be specific at press time. Lifestyle exhibited in temporary space at the Las Vegas market in July, but will skip the Jan. 30-Feb. 3 show there in favor of its Forbidden City event two weeks earlier.The company said that after evaluating its costs in Las Vegas, said to be close to $500,000, it concluded it could make more of a splash by hosting its own event.Lifestyle will continue to take part in the Cologne, Germany, show Jan. 16-22, which it said will attract a different group of retailers than the High Point event. The company also will keep showing at the spring and fall High Point markets and will introduce more new product there. Greg Noe, chief operating officer and group president, said he believes the company is strong enough and can offer enough compelling values to make its inaugural January event successful.“Our company has experienced annualized growth of some 60%, and in less than five years has boosted our sales from $25 million to $200 million FOB Asia,” Noe said. “Since we are container-direct and have a relatively focused customer base, if we see the majority of the Top 100 list of retailers, we will have been successful.”Riddle said retailers are responding positively. “Everyone we’ve called so far, including Sears Canada, Havertys, Leon’s and others, has told us they are coming.”Riddle and Noe said the company’s chairman, William Hsieh, spearheaded the idea for the private show.
“William, who is aiming for Lifestyle to be a $1 billion company by 2007, is a firm believer that the customer shops wherever the best products at the best prices are. We intend to make that here in High Point in our Forbidden City showroom,” Riddle said.When asked if the move might prompt other High Point exhibitors to open their doors at the same time as the Lifestyle show, Riddle said, “It wouldn’t surprise me. But whether they choose to ride on our coattails or not, the industry will know that this is a Lifestyle Enterprise event.”High Point Mayor Becky Smothers said the move was a positive one for the city’s furniture market.
“The city would welcome this action and in fact, encourages all suppliers and exhibitors to take measures to encourage buyers to shop in High Point,” she said.
