Friday, October 21, 2011

A struggling economy is not deterring local furniture manufacturers from introducing new products at the International Home Furnishings Market. The market, which is the world’s largest home furnishings industry trade show, will start Saturday and run through Oct. 27 in High Point, N.C. Tom Prato, Bassett Furniture Industries’ vice president of sales, and Phil Garrett, Hooker Furniture Corp.’s national sales manager, both expressed cautious optimism about how their companies will fare at the market. Business is not as good as Bassett would like, but it is gaining momentum, Prato said. “Things certainly aren’t the way they were several years ago,” said Candace Payne, president of Shenandoah Furniture inc. yet “we’ve been very fortunate,” Payne said. “We’ve remained busy in the past couple of years” making furniture for customers who actively sought it. She mentioned that this year is Shenandoah’s 30th anniversary. Noting that economic concerns such as high unemployment and affordable housing are “outside our control,” Garrett said “we feel very strongly” that Hooker’s new product lines will captivate consumers when they are ready to buy furniture. “We’re planting the seed” so that when retail sales improve, consumers will choose Hooker for their furniture needs, he said. Glenn Prillaman, president and CEO of Stanley Furniture Co., said he expects furniture retailers “to be very reserved in what they buy” at the market, due largely to cash flow challenges. “There’s not a lot of demand at the consumer level” for furniture, he said. But retailers “always are looking for new products,” Prillaman said. “We’re just hoping” that Stanley will have products that retail buyers will like. Company employees are ready to provide furniture for them, he said, noting that Stanley has signed a five-year lease on its Martinsville warehouse. “That has really energized our associates,” he emphasized. at Bassett Mirror Co., “we’re really trying not to think about” the economy, said Vice President and National Sales Manager Bill Frazier. rather, Frazier said, the company has focused on improving the appearance of its showroom to complement the development of new products as well as new styles for its product lines. “I feel really good” that the strategy will help Bassett Mirror attract new furniture dealers, he said. Held every spring and fall, the market features exhibits by more than 2,000 furniture manufacturers. About 85,000 furniture industry employees attend each market, according to the highpointmarket.org website. Manufacturers use the market, which is not open to the public, to promote new product lines, renew relationships with retailers and recruit new retailers to sell their products to consumers. at this market, Prato said, Bassett will introduce its new Moultrie Park collection of bedroom, dining room and occasional furniture with three different finishes. Bassett also will debut some leather furniture products, as well as casual dining products to be produced at its Martinsville factory, Prato said. he added that the company wants to do all it can to help that factory continue being successful. Garrett said Hooker’s major emphasis at the market will be its new Primrose Hill line of bedroom and dining room furniture and upholstery with English and European influences. Hooker also will promote its Envision line of lifestyle-oriented furniture. The line features items that are slightly smaller and less expensive than a lot of furniture sold today and are geared toward younger customers who want furniture that is “a little more hip and trendy,” Garrett said. in addition, he said, Hooker will promote accent pieces featuring “a lot of mixed media and mixed materials” with traditional types of silhouettes. “We’re trying to be a little more cutting edge and the fashion leader” in the furniture industry, said Garrett. Bassett Mirror’s “strongest focus” at the market will be on lighting, Frazier said. That includes larger lamps as well as new styles of lighting and shades. Larger mirrors and other wall products also will be introduced, along with a lot of new “high-end looks” and upholstery, he said. Stanley is introducing a new collection for every room of the home. it has both Pacific and Asian influences and five different finishes, “so it can go in lots of different” residential settings, Prillaman said. The company also is introducing a smaller-scale dining room collection targeted for large kitchens that have room for a dining area. Prillaman said he expects that line will be popular because it is designed to help make kitchens informal gathering places for families. Consumers and retail buyers can examine Stanley’s new collections online at stanleyfall2011.com. Prillaman mentioned that unlike a lot of furniture companies, Stanley is willing to present its new products to the public before the market starts through means such as the Internet. Payne said Shenandoah will introduce three new sectional groups, two new sofa groups and two new accent chairs. The company also has developed some new colors and fabric patterns it will showcase at the market, she said. Overall, Shenandoah is taking things such as silhouettes, proportions and style categories that have been successful in the past and expanding upon them, said Payne. The fact that they have been successful makes her optimistic that the expansions will prove popular. Still, “you never know when you develop something new how customers are going to react to it,” Payne said.