In the fall issue of Home Goods Merchandiser magazine, four Canadian retailers shared what they were most excited to shop at High Point Market, and what they hoped to get out of their visit to better their business at home. Now that the world’s largest wholesale home furnishings show is behind us, Home Goods Online asked the same retailers poignant questions about their trip to North Carolina’s furniture hub. Here, Steve Forberg, CEO of Decorium, Lori Negrinotti, merchandise manager at Stoney Creek Furniture, Darryl Sherman, president of Wilson Furniture, and Andrew Tepperman, executive chairman at Tepperman’s, provide insightful responses and their take on the semi-annual trade-only event.
HGO: Can you describe your experience at this fall’s High Point Market? How did it compare to previous trips?
Forberg: After attending 30 years of High Point markets, this one felt different from the standpoint of so much volatility in the marketplace with tariffs, supply issues and price increases. Our industry always seems to have a storm to navigate, which just keeps making those surviving this ride that much stronger. The market felt much quieter on the streets and in the hallways — a trend the past few years. We saw lots more fabric recoveries on existing frames than new frames from some upholstery vendors. Slower times means less new in research and development but more new covers, and vendors streaming assortments and cutting out the fluff.
Negrinotti: High Point Market proved very productive for us. We did observe a decline in attendance from Canadian and international buyers. This market we carefully scheduled appointments to allow time for discussions that included how vendors are currently handling supply chain issues, rising material costs and tariffs.
Sherman: This year we visited 18 vendors and explored some new suppliers. Half were Canadian vendors, with the balance either U.S. manufacturers or importers. This is approximately the same vendors we would visit on our annual trip to market. Foot traffic at the market was definitely lighter than we have seen in the past. Anecdotally, we heard from some of our reps that there were less visits from Canadian retailers and considerably less visits from American retailers this fall. Some of our reps had full schedules while others had just a few visitors over the market. After several years with few new introductions, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most manufacturers had showroom refreshes, updating styles and coverings, moving to cleaner lines even on traditional styles. The general colour trend was toward earth tones, moving away from greys. We did see a few introductions of fabrics in green shades, including forest green. But the majority of what we saw were 50 shades of beige and a few cappuccino finishes. Also, I noted a lot of lighter wood finishes for the bedroom and dining room, from naturals to light washes. From my experience, these best appeal to certain U.S. markets and perhaps some larger cities in Canada. For us, we are still finding darker tones and greys selling in case goods.
Tepperman: Traffic seemed lower compared to other markets. It has been slowing for the last few years. But it felt like there were more introductions at this market. Suppliers we spoke to attributed this to having had more time for research and development.
HGO: What were the best things you saw at the market?
Forberg: The best thing we saw at the market was suppliers addressing quicker delivery and coming up with solutions to ensure faster lead times. One vendor came out with 30 frames in 30 covers with 30-day delivery. That’s a game changer.
Negrinotti: We were impressed to see more suppliers investing in IT-enhanced software that improves the customer’s point-of-purchase experience. It showed a full understanding that a consumer often needs a visual when it comes to customization. Bermex Furniture did a fantastic job with their program. Speaking of Bermex, the company’s German engineered automatic butterfly leaf was definitely on our most impressive list. For style leaders at this market, Moe’s Home Collection easily earns our nod. The team did an excellent job executing the latest styles infused with some refined classic elements. Far from a “me too” showroom, it had a fresh edge to it with relatable collections.
Sherman: We saw some new style recliners at La-Z-Boy, in fabric and leather at good prices that should retail well. Palliser introduced three styles of recliners with many options and sizes. Decor-Rest/Superstyle also featured a sectional with an updated cuddler at a good retail price point. Canadel offered five new updated finishes to their line. Best Home Furnishings featured a new collection by Erin and Ben Napier. We have been a dealer for many years and seeing this collection demonstrated the efforts of this supplier to move forward in their product presentation offerings, moving in a design direction far beyond their roots. Runner-up was the whimsical Margaritaville collection from Hooker Furniture. Although these collections weren’t for us, they were worthy of note and I hope they find a spot on other showroom floors.
Tepperman: Colour is coming back, which is exciting for the showrooms. Not just in base cloth but with pillows and accent pieces. Case goods also showcased a wider range of colour, shade and treatment variation. ‘Gotta look good on Instagram these days!
HGO: Did you see prices increase? If so, how are you handling them back at home?
Forberg: Pricing continues to rise and while some things were up at market, there were also many vendors that had great offers on closeouts and price reductions. As they sit with excess inventory, you can find good value out there. We have been dealing with price increases for a few years now and even more so the last six months with the tariff issues. We adjust our costing as fast as we find out from our vendors and have seen more price increases hit Nov. 1, after market.
Negrinotti: We did see some price increases that must be factored into our pricing strategy to ensure margin protection. Most of the newly featured collections were quoted inclusive of any price increases.
Sherman: Price increases have been arriving prior to market from some suppliers, although most wait until after fall market to introduce increases. Surcharges from U.S. suppliers have been ongoing. We have been absorbing many surcharges but continually re-evaluate our pricing and will continue to monitor and adjust prices accordingly. I found most of our suppliers were offering value items in their mix as they understand the pressures on retail to provide affordable options.
Tepperman: Nothing material with price increases from any country. Items from the U.S. are not subject to tariffs and the Canadian government is doing what it can to keep global tariffs and duties as low as possible. We have seen some weakness in the Canadian dollar, which impacts purchase prices everywhere outside of Canada. Speaking from a Canadian perspective, business has been challenging in two ways. First, we’ve spent months navigating our supply chain to avoid tariffs from any country that would have been passed along to consumers, driving up inflation. Our goal has been to find ways to keep prices as low as possible. This leads to the second issue, which is around the trade re-balancing period and impact on consumer mindset and confidence. When consumers are nervous, we must keep prices not just low but offer even better value that encourages them to buy.
HGO: What were the high points of High Point?
Forberg: The high points are always connecting with our valued vendor base, sales representatives and other retailers that we have great relationships with and reconnect with. It’s nice to get out of the store for a few days and focus exclusively on merchandising and curating what will be best for our clients. As well, the hunt for the next great collection or item is always a high point and we sure did see lots of that. Now the work begins back home to put it all together, which is fun.
Negrinotti: We were pleased many of our best discoveries came from our Canadian manufacturers. It was clear they were focused on providing new innovative products for our marketplace. A personal highlight for us was having our founder, Dennis Novosel, join us for one last market trip after a 10-year sabbatical. It gave us a renewed appreciation of how our industry was built on strong relationships between retailers and manufacturers. Dennis has helped many people over the years and is truly a pillar of the industry. Based on this alone, it was a trip we will not forget.
Sherman: One of the highlights at this year’s market was watching a post-season baseball game with some of our Canadian factory reps when the Toronto Blue Jays beat the L.A. Dodgers (Game 1). Our group huddled at a table in a Winston-Salem bar with most patrons watching other games, uninterested in the World Series. Flashback to 1992, when Atlanta was playing Toronto during the fall market. I remember being in a crowded room with many Braves fans watching our home team. The Jays won then as well. It’s good to know that Canadians at High Point Market support their home suppliers and team.
Tepperman: The growth in modular versus sofa groups create excitement toward higher price points in a tougher economy. Finding ways to drive up the spend per transaction while still offering eye-catching value is the key in this cycle.