Been a while since I have gone to the High Point Market, what with Covid and all. I'll take photos of interesting things and put them here in this thread after I return.
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Been a while since I have gone to the High Point Market, what with Covid and all. I'll take photos of interesting things and put them here in this thread after I return.
Love seeing the photos when you return! Have a good time!
Left my house at 4 am, arrived at Market and stayed until 6 pm, now on my way back and will get home about 11pm. 5 hour drive each way. I bought a LOT of furniture. Way more than I usually do. Market deals were too good to pass up and with supply chain shortages it will be 5 to 10 months before it sporadically arrives. Plus, we are selling a lot off our showroom floor right now and this will refill the store as it comes in. Good discounts for stock, I can pass that on to clients. Some really nice product, too. I could have bought more but fear my store is not big enough!
Yay! Can't wait to see the pictures!
I will post photos through the next week as time allows. I didn't get many at Hancock and Moore because even though my iPhone 12 Pro was 100% when I got there at 9 a.m., by 4 p.m. when I was at H&M, I only had 5% power left.
Going to the High Point Furniture Market is a bit like having a Family Reunion. You get to catch up with all the people you talk to on the phone most every day, and they get to put a face to a name. It's a lot of fun, and the people that work at the manufacturing companies are genuinely nice and like what they do. They all asked where my daughter Sarah was - they all wanted to meet her (she was at her best friend's wedding as a Bridesmaid in Cancun, Mexico). We at The Keeping Room have a really good relationship with your suppliers, we never give them a hard time or yell at them if an order is incorrect or there are issues (apparently a lot of dealers and decorators flip out on them), and that makes for good business and friendships.
I was very surprised there were Market Specials. Every supplier is backed up and can't produce fast enough. There is no real reason for them to offer any discounts at Market, but they do - because its been done for years. So I ordered WAY too much furniture. I can't get discounts except at Market in this climate, so I crossed my fingers and hope it doesn't all start arriving at once next Spring. I expect it will mostly come in over a four to five month period, its difficult to project out what customer demand will be in the Spring, but with ongoing price increases PLUS a nice Market discount this will allow me to sell these future floor models for 10 to 15% less than if ordered and it will show some new styles, and no wait period.
I picked up a new line under the Hooker Corporation umbrella called MARQ and did the buy in for it. This is made in Mt Airy NC (remember the Andy Griffith Show?) and I was absolutely impressed with the frame build and exquisite tailoring. This is the top brand for Hooker Furniture Corporation, made above all their other lines (Hooker, B-Y, Sam Moore) Price points are excellent, too. It's not an 8-way hand-tied line, but instead uses double rows of no-sag springs which are spaced closer than most. They sit great, are deeper depths that most people now like, and are not mushy (I will not buy too-soft pieces any more). Fabrics will be coming to the store soon and I have a Sectional and Sofa/Chair combo on order together with a few case goods. Check it out here. www.hookerfurniture.com/marq.inc
I also bought quite a bit of Century and Taylor King. Some of the new designs are just stunning. And in what what my hardest decision of the day, I decided to go forward with this display unit that is unsalable. This was a big commitment, not because of the dollar amount it cost, but because of the space it will occupy in our smallish-store (we only have 5,000 sf). This is a unique build, that shows all the Taylor King Your Way features in one piece. It has standard depth, plush depth, tall height, all the different fills, all the different edge closure seams and cushion types, including skirt styles. it's visually a mess, but allows you as the customer to see exactly what you can select in options on their Design Your Own Portfolio collection, and takes out the guess work in decision making. I'm hoping the space it takes up will justify the permanent display space it occupies. All will be custom embroidered just like in the photo, and there will also be a single "T-Cushion" which is not in the photo that can be put in to show that vs a box cushion.
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Supply chain issues continue to plague all the makers, a few have said they will not even open new accounts right now. Mostly it's currently a worker issue, and mainly from suppliers who don't have adequate manpower to supply the manufactuers with the materials they need to work 5 days a week. Most of the domestic production suppliers are working 4 days a week, or 4 1/2, because they can't get the goods to produce the orders. And of course, this is how inflation works - raw material producers have to pay more to workers, pass that cost onto manufacturers, who pass it on to dealers, then to the end user. Then goods and even groceries become more expensive. And the cycles continues as workers demand more to afford the cost of items.
A good trip, too much to do in one day, I was unable to get to Fjord's to see their new offerings or get over to Sherrill where former Hancock and Moore Designer Alan Price now works. I love Alan's designs, and wanted to see what he is doing over at Sherrill. Next trip.
Here's the chair I didn't buy at Market. I am struggling with this and tempted to call them today and tell them to add it. It was their photographic model for the web site
http://www.hancockandmoore.com/Produ...?SKU=6604-S-CH
Quite simply, it's the most comfortable swivel chair I have ever sat in, and drop dead gorgeous. The leather, Orson Parchment (GR 5) is out-of-this world soft. The Premium Finish on the wood trim just takes it over the top. It's Heavenly. Why didn't I buy it? Because even with Market Discounts, I would have to price this in the store at $ 4,950 - which is $ 1,000 less than if ordered. I don't know if there is a buyer for this chair at that price. Of course, I can buy it dumbed down in a GR 1 leather and standard finish to drop the price into the lower $ 3K range- but then it's not what it is.
What do you think? Too expensive?
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I think the TK sample chair will be incredibly helpful to future buyers. An opportunity to view and try out each possible option.
Yeah $5K for a single swivel is way past my budget. It looks beautiful though! I half hoped you had bought the your way 2 motion recliner they took the stock pictures of though!
That Emerson Swivel in the Orson Parchment leather IS expensive. It's also the nicest and most comfortable chair I have ever come across - and that's saying a lot. I was able to buy this exact floor model in the photos for a little less after some negotiation, so this will land in the store @ $ 4,455 and it will sell to the right customer.
I did not buy the Your Way 2 pieces at Market, for several reasons:
1) I made a lot of purchases at Century, Taylor King, and Bradington-Young, Jonathan Charles and the new MARC line. By the time I got to H&M at end of the day, I was dialed back on floor stock for them as I had already bought twice the amount I normally do, so my H&M stock order was less than at some other times, plus I don[t know where I will put everything in my small store?
2) I have a lot of H&M in inventory, clients have been asking for more fabric and less leather, so my focus was on more textile pieces this trip.
3) I won't floor the Your Way 2 in sofas, and I am one of several dealers declining to do so. Why? They are too big and too heavy. The sofas are over 400 lb, and are so heavy that two men struggle to get them into a home, they cannot be turned sideways to get through doorways due to weight and lack of grip points, are too heavy to go up and down stairways and most homes do not have wide enough door openings. (35" +). Yes, they are built solid, but that solid build adds weight. It really is a 4 man delivery, and I don't have trucks that can hold four people or that many guys available for delivery. So it requires two vehicles to go out on and four guys which means a double delivery charge and even then they struggle. Last one we did I went out on the delivery as the 4th man, and it was still hard. At age 67, I don't want to be on the delivery truck! Other makes are not built as heavy, and are often 50 to 75 pounds less because they are using thinner wood and less foam in the build. We have a Bradington Young one on order in the "200" series instead for that reason that is on the same chassis.
4) Century introduced a new sofa at Market based on the same Your Way 2 chassis and the same weight. I won't buy that one either!
5) We can build these as a sectional with a loveseat segment and then a single recliner to join at the end to make the sofa, but in Your Way 2 that breaks the streamlined back of the sofa into segments and you see the joinery. Plus the cost goes up about $ 2K as now we are building on two frames.
There are many dealers declining to buy these big monsters. We all think they are too bulky and heavy to deliver into the average home and they are hurting our delivery crews. H&M - as well as other companies that use this same frame - have to figure out a way to make these pieces lighter by 150 lb and also get the high back-side out of the piece so we can swing them through entryways. Management at H&M is well aware of these dealer complaints. I have suggested they try to have a detachable back, or have the motors and recliner units built on a separate chassis so we can bring them in as 2 piece units, but so far no one has figured out how to engineer all that. Or make the frames out of Carbon Fiber!
If you have double French Doors (or 36" single door opening) and a straight shot into a main floor room, it's do-able, but that's only about 10 % of homes.
The good news though is I did buy several recliners than the Your Way Series. H&M Royal in Remington Sapphire Burnished, and a Sadler in Remington Garnet Burnished, plus a new leather recliner from Taylor King that is large and roomy, also some new ones from B-Y I think people will really like.
No worries, I can see why you don't want to stock the your way 2. Sounds like a nightmare to deliver.
Still love the comfort and looks of the one we went to sit in at the factory - this is like the fish that got away. Might have snagged it if you got a good deal on it! :)
Hancock and Moore wrote more orders from Dealers this Market than they ever have in the history of the company, with 22% less attendance. Those dealers that showed up (like me) were there on a mission, not to visit and get free lunch. We see consumer demand is still strong for new furniture, know that our showrooms are emptying out, and if we order now there will probably be one to two more price increases by the time the pieces start arriving in the Spring/Summer of 2022. So the serious players went to High Point, the tire kickers stayed home.
Here's a new item from Hancock and Moore shown at market (I ordered one just as shown). This is the updated Austin High Back Sofa that they modernized with a boxes seat cushion, wedge foot, and smaller arm. It will be called the 6659-3 Cullen Sofa, shown in leather Rodin Rum (GR 2) leather. Ultra Down Seat and Back, "A" nail. All the comfort of the Austin and a leap forward from the 1980's styling of the 8038NB series,
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Hancock & Moore # 6498-21-L Newbury Bench w/hand lacing in Nile Croc Burnished leather (GR 5), Espresso wood finish. Ordered a pair of these at Market, will probably arrive in 2nd quarter 2022 as stock.
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Also ordered the chair in the background, which is the Hancock and Moore #6690-1 Macklin in Jessica Charles Fabric Rico-Driftwood, and all welts done in H&M leather Tilton Lager. Espresso wood finish
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I know I have not sat in the chair and you have but part of sitting in a chair is the chair capturing my attention and making me want to sit in it......it is a pretty chair, kind of like a Milan model with spiffy trim, seat and back with a swivel bottom. I don't think I would pay that kind of money for a Milan with War Paint on.....:D
Hancock and Moore introduced a new leather that is an embossed exotic and a GR 4 price, instead of the Grades 6 to 8 that most are, and called "Bogs Ocean". There are some other colorways as well.
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Like to have an exotic, statement chair but unsure how to put one together? Here's the build tag on this wonderful Boomerang chair using a GR 1 leather on the outside and Jessica Charles fabric on the inside. The Premium wood finish completes the look, and this model chair sits remarkably well in case you are wondering.
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Comfort - Comfort - Comfort. The H&M Toby Power Tilt Back chair with Ottoman. Long day at work and want to relax? Here's your huckleberry. I did order this combo for stock, as shown (Spring 2022 it will arrive)
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Blues are back, very popular right now. Personally I am glad to see the "it has to be neutral" trend of the past ten years winding down. Color is always fun. The Hancock and Moore Vivi Chair shown in leather Ingram Bayou.
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Century Furniture's # 1 selling King Size Bed. I like it, what do you think? All Century beds are made so solid, I think they could withstand a bomb blast.
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The Hancock and Moore / Jessica Charles / Maitland Smith showroom entrance. Can you believe this is only open to the trade and just for ten days a year? Five days in October, Five days in April.
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The Hancock and Moore Freya Chair in leather/fabric combo. Furniture *can* be fashion, and art. Don't be afraid to combine fabric and leather to create a look.
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Hancock and Moore's "Amity" chair model 6646 with ottoman, Shown in Tiburon Doe (Italian Full Top Grain Pull-up Leather) with Premium Rainer Finish
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Hancock and Moore "Amity" Sofa with Quilted Sides and Back. Tiburon Doe leather. Rainier Premium Finish.
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Taylor King's "Coleson" Sectional shown with their "Harvey" ottoman at the High Point Market.
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Taylor King's # L8518-01 "Menlo" leather chair - I ordered two of these for floor stock. Will arrive Spring / Summer 2022.
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Taylor King's # 1820-03 Jordan Sofa. Ordered (1) of these for a showroom sample to arrive Spring/Summer 2022.
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The Amity photos got my attention. The quilting on the sofa is really pretty and would also look really good on the chair. Plus I like the side table next to the Amity chair.
The side table is most likely a Maitland Smith. My camere ran out of juice by the time I got to Hancock and Moore, so the above were all the photos of their showroom that I have taken. Still have more Taylor King, Century and Bradington Young / Hooker to post as time allows.