All the Reps are at the High Point Market and they go into a lot of meetings with the executive staff. I have heard from a couple (in different furniture companies) that the raw material pipeline costs are stressing the furniture makers so badly they will have no choice but to raise prices around year's end. Shipping costs have gone up fourfold, lumber costs have risen, the supply chain increases are putting a lot of pressure on margins.

While this is rumor at this point - what affects one affects all. It's a good time to plan your purchases now and put your orders in on things the next two months. I have no idea of what these increases will be, probably on the order of 5 % to 9 % however.

Hooker Furniture just put a 2.5% increase on all their pieces last week due to transport cost increases, so its definitely coming. That didn't even include the cost of materials to produce the goods, that was strictly a container ship fee.

You heard it here, first!