For five straight days in late April, designers and retail buyers descended on North Carolina for High Point Market. With the spring edition of the world’s largest furnishings trade show now clearly in the rear-view mirror, Home Goods Online consulted three major exhibitors to get their take on the renowned event, business expectations for the coming months and whether they will take part in summer’s Las Vegas Market, which is just weeks away.
Katherine Kalen, Chief Marketing Officer, Sunpan
HGO: How would you describe the turnout by retail buyers from Canada at the spring 2025 edition of High Point Market?
Kalen: Our overall turnout this past spring market was strong. However, we did notice fewer Canadian customers travelling to High Point. We were unsure of what to expect going into the market due to the uncertainty regarding the tariffs, but the show exceeded our expectations both in terms of showroom visitors and orders placed. Many customers were eager to take advantage of pre-tariff pricing on some of our offerings.
HGO: How did overall traffic compare to last year’s High Point Market?
Kalen: Both the fall and spring markets perform well for us, with steady and comparable levels of attendance. This year, overall foot traffic in our showroom was slightly higher in comparison to last spring market, and we were pleased with the engagement throughout and the positive feedback to some of our latest designs.
HGO: Based on your experience at the market, how do you expect business to evolve over the coming months?
Katherine: Business remains steady and we are consistently seeing a strong order intake. Having products stocked in both our warehouses in Canada and the U.S. has been instrumental in providing us the flexibility and efficiency to cater to customers across both markets. Looking ahead, we expect the momentum to continue as the demand for trend-forward designs grows. We are also launching new initiatives this year that will be significant growth drivers for the business.
HGO: Will you be exhibiting at this summer’s Las Vegas Market?
Kalen: We are excited to return to the summer Las Vegas Market. While the winter market typically draws more traffic, we have the opportunity to connect with new and existing customers, especially those on the West Coast.
HGO: Will any new product introductions be showcased at the upcoming Las Vegas Market?
Kalen: We are looking forward to showcasing our latest designs across all categories at summer market. One of our most exciting launches includes a new artwork collection that we have created in partnership with a Toronto-based art house. Paying homage to nature, the ‘Enchanted Forest’ pieces feature a tree design printed on layers of linen fabric for added depth and dimension. We also have a lot of new additions to our lighting collection, from table lamps to chandeliers, including standout pieces like our Anusha table lamp, which is crafted from natural travertine with a sculptural base. Lastly, we are introducing beautiful concrete pieces to our outdoor collection. Our Geddes coffee table, which is also suitable for indoor spaces, is hand-finished with a faux travertine and faux wood look and is currently in stock and ready to ship.
Mark Wiltshire, President, Steamline Art
HGO: How would you describe the turnout by retail buyers from Canada at the spring 2025 edition of High Point Market?
Wiltshire This was our second market at our newer and larger showroom located at IHFC Commerce 503. Most of our bigger Canadian dealers were in attendance and placed significant orders. All Canadian buying groups came into the showroom as well. We also opened to many new Canadian retailers who were able to see the breadth of our assortment, as this is our largest showroom in North America.
HGO: How did overall traffic compare to last year’s High Point Market?
Wiltshire: There is no doubt all the ‘tariff noise’ has caused some concern, especially in the U.S. As a result, many U.S. retailers did not attend and those that did pulled back a bit on their normal spends with us. Overall, our attendance was slightly up despite a down market. We attribute this to our growth in the U.S. market with many new dealers coming on board, as well as significant international customers. Attendance at the spring market was overall slightly down over the fall.
HGO: Based on your experience at the market, how do you expect business to evolve over the coming months?
Wiltshire: Post-market, the ‘tariff noise’ has subsided and we are seeing our core customers reordering at a historical clip. Our furniture channel of customers has reacted well to our new introductions. They were asking for larger pieces of artwork from us. We introduced nearly 50 new pieces that we/they consider larger and we have been overwhelmed thus far with the instant success. We have made a conscious effort over the past 24 months to diversify our channels of distribution (furniture, decor, gift, alternative, e-commerce and big-box nationals), to grow the U.S. business and to be the best value in the industry. Despite a down market, our business this fiscal year will finish significantly up.
HGO: Will you be exhibiting at this summer’s Las Vegas Market?
Wiltshire: Our lease expired in March, and after much deliberation we decided to renew. We made this decision based on many factors: show traffic at the winter edition of Las Vegas is off the charts; we see a significant customer amount of dealers from Western Canada and the U.S. who prefer to attend this market; and this is a market where many U.S. top 100 furniture retailers and large national retailers prefer to attend. That said, of all the markets that we have permanent showrooms (High Point, Atlanta, Toronto and Las Vegas), the summer show in Las Vegas is the lightest attended, but significant customers do attend, making it worthwhile.
HGO: Will any new product introductions be showcased at the upcoming Las Vegas Market?
Wiltshire: We will be introducing over 200 new print-on-demand images. This program is fully manufactured in Mississauga, Ont. There will also be a very exciting new gallery wall program, a massive expansion of our Juvenile Art collection and heavy embellished artworks from our Grand Scale collection developed with our furniture retailers in mind.
Sara Samieian, Co-CEO, Moe’s Home Collection
HGO: How would you describe the turnout by retail buyers from Canada at the spring 2025 edition of High Point Market?
Samieian: We anticipated a softer turnout from Canada due to the broader political climate, and while attendance was slightly impacted, it wasn’t as dramatic as expected. Compared to fall 2024, Canadian traffic was down roughly 10 per cent. Again, it was noticeable, but not disruptive. We saw that this trend was echoed across High Point Market by many of our peers.
HGO: How did overall traffic compare to last year’s High Point Market?
Samieian: Overall traffic was slightly softer, but the quality of partnership conversations, quotes and orders was high. With tariffs and sourcing top of mind, buyers came in with clear questions and a focus on planning ahead. While there was a brief moment of pause across the industry, it created space for more intentional, strategic dialogue, which we see as a strong foundation for what’s next.
HGO: Based on your experience at the market, how do you expect business to evolve over the coming months?
Samieian: With more clarity around tariffs and sourcing, we’re seeing confidence return. The brief pause has passed and clients are ready to move forward. We’re on track for meaningful growth heading into the second half of the year.
HGO: Will you be exhibiting at this summer’s Las Vegas Market?
Samieian: We won’t be exhibiting at the summer edition of Las Vegas Market. Instead, we’re continuing to invest in our Vancouver HQ market, where clients receive a private, first-look experience of our upcoming collection in our headquarters. We’re also expanding our presence through localized events across key cities designed to build deeper connections and strengthen our community.
HGO: Although not exhibiting at the upcoming Las Vegas Market, do you have any new product introductions this summer?
Samieian: We have three standout launches. The Isla collection is available as a modular that can be configured to fit multiple living spaces. It’s a modern take on slipcover upholstery, with soft curves, relaxed forms and fully washable covers, that was designed in response to client demand for washable fabrics with modern design details. The Casey tall bookcase was our top seller at High Point Market. Developed and inspired by our bestselling bookcase collections like Miri, it balances form and function with a clean silhouette and softened bullnose edge for a modern organic feel via it’s rustic oak finish. The newest addition to our Evelyn collection, the Evelyn dining table, debuts in green onyx, our top-selling new stone finish known for its rich veining and natural variation. Designed in direct response to client demand, it expands the popular series of coffee and side tables into a bold new centrepiece for dining spaces.