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May 29th, 2010 at 07:00am
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The 4th annual Midwest Furniture Show hosted by the Midwest Furniture Club will be held in Schaumberg, Illinois on August 11 and 12. Because the venue has became so popular, this year’s show will feature over 66,000 square feet of space. Currently, there are over 25 new vendors that are on the 2010 waiting list.
Current president and co-founder of the show, Geoff Weed, said that the timing of the show should benefit retailers that attend. “Coming the week after the Las Vegas Market is a blessing for our attendees. Our retailers will have the opportunity to see all the new introductions and manufacturer initiatives fresh from Las Vegas and begin planning for the all-important fourth quarter.”
The show has consistently grown since it’s launch in 2007. In 2009, there were over 700 retailers that attended. The majority of those attendees came from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. But, retailers came from as far as Vermont, Florida and Toronto. The show serves a wide variety of retailers from across the Midwest, especially in Chicago which is the third largest furniture market in the nation.
If you are interested in more information about the Midwest Furniture Show you can contact the shows coordinator, Michael Moore at 708-642-4235. You can also get more information at the club’s website at www.midwestfurnitureclub.com.
By slone
April 24th, 2010 at 07:00am
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The home office arena at High Point Market saw a noticeable trend toward smaller office furniture. Retailers were focusing on smaller desks that are more suitable for laptops. Some of the most popular models had laminate or glass tops, or were a combination of solid woods and veneers. The popular models were those that can be shipped flat.
Coaster saw success with several new models featuring metal frames and glass top surfaces with functional features like pull out laptop trays. They also reported a strong interest in new desks that have frosted, or white glass tops in a L-shaped design. And, a $199 ready to assemble desk that has a flip top that reveals a power pack with electric sockets and network plugs.
Among some of Linon’s most popular products was a eight piece group made of solid pine. The group includes an L-shaped desk, corner unit, bookcase and file cabinet. With many people downsizing and choosing to work at home, smaller home office furniture is high in demand.
By slone
April 23rd, 2010 at 07:00am
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Mattress retailers got to sample a wide array of sleep sets at the recent High Point Market. Bedding has began to show a comeback and retailers are hoping to keep their sales rising in the coming months. Some producers reported that traffic started out light, but picked up significantly as the market progressed with some high quality buyers.
Bedding producers however have been hit with some unwelcome news. Price hikes are inevitable for major raw materials and they’re not quite sure how they’re going to respond. They are sure that they don’t want to put a halt on the projected comeback bedding appears to be making.
By slone
April 22nd, 2010 at 07:00am
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Brian Casey, Market Authority President said that this week’s High Point Market has been the best out of all four years of his tenure. He stated that the market had turned a corner by dispelling the negative attitudes that have prevailed.
“As I visited with exhibitors and buyers, I could not believe the groundswell of enthusiasm,” he said during a presentation to the Market Authority Board. “I think it has turned 180 degrees (and) we have established ourselves as the leading market for home furnishings.”
Casey attended his very first market in 2006 and recalled that many of the exhibitors and buyers were very upset with how the event was being ran. He noted that the Market Authority staff had taken a lot of abuse from some of the attendees about problems such as parking and price gouging by the local hotels.
By slone
September 28th, 2009 at 07:00am
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A new furniture store will soon be opening in the Portland, Oregon area. Mor Furniture For Less will be opening a 46,000 square foot store sometime in October. The Top 100 company has taken over the space that was previously the George Smith Appliance Warehouse.
Rick Haux, company chairman said that one of the reasons they decided to open a store in that location was because of the other stores that are in proximity to the bustling metro Portland area. The report stated that the store will be the first one that Mor’s has in the state. But, according to the company’s website, Mor Furniture For Less also operates a Bedroom Superstore in Portland.
Earlier in the year, a 32,000 square foot store was opened in Murrieta, California at the former Wickes Furniture location. The company had 15 stores last year that are spread over seven Western and Pacific Northwest states and generated an estimated $223.1 million last year.
By slone
May 16th, 2009 at 07:00am
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The amount of injuries caused by falling furniture has drastically risen. While it might just sound like a really bad joke, over 14,000 people are injured each year from falling furniture in the United States alone.
Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy went over the records for injuries caused by furniture that had fell, or tipped over for a period of 18 years. Their research found that this type of injury has increased about 40 percent.
Most of the reported injuries were children that were from the age of 6 and younger. The injuries most commonly involved televisions, many of which were placed on furniture that wasn’t made to hold a television set. In some cases, the children had pulled furniture over on top of them, or furniture tipping over when it had been bumped into.
In any case, the study has caused questions to be raised as to whether or not the home furnishings industry is taking enough steps to make furniture more safe. While some items such as shelves and entertainment centers can often be secured to a wall, there are many items that just can’t be completely child proofed.
There are things that parents can do to make their homes much safer for young children. Shelves, dressers and chests can be secured to the wall with simple brackets. Never place items like televisions on unstable furniture and don’t put childrens toys or books on a shelf that is too high for them to easily reach.
By slone