Forrester Research has conducted a study that shows 78 percent of furniture shoppers are researching their purchases online prior to making a decision. Often, once they've found an item of interest, their next step is to call or email either the retail location or manufacturer that has the item they are interested in purchasing. So here’s the question for retailers with a web presence: How many of those calls are your sales consultants or service reps turning into sales or dealer leads?

Click here for the full story

Heads up trend-types! Women In The Home Industries Today (WITHIT), the premiere international organization dedicated to the support and development of female professionals in the home industries, is extending early registration discounts for its upcoming Education Conference exclusively for High Point Market e-Newsletter readers.

Click here for the full story

Fall Market attendees can book their hotel rooms through the High Point Market website via the following link: www.highpointmarket.org/hotels. Simply click on “request a room,” enter your exact arrival and departure dates, and click “search.” All hotels that are available, for those dates, will appear. Then, just follow the prompts.

The discounted sub-block rooms secured by the High Point Market Authority are booking very quickly so we urge all Market-goers to take advantage of these special offers. Some restrictions and minimum-night stays apply, and discounted rates will be available until July 31, 2008 or until sold-out. Make plans now to join us for Fall Market, October 20-26, 2008. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact Dawn Smith, Director of Market Services, at 800/874-6492 or 336/869-1000, ext. 231.

Book your hotel rooms today

“One of the most disturbing trends I’m seeing at retail is a sameness in the product being offered. From the discount promotional stores to the high end, I’m finding very similar looks. It’s important to remember that consumers shop for design more than quality; they just don’t understand why two pieces with a similar look might have a price difference of, say, $1000. When business is tough, retailers have to show their customers something they haven’t seen before; you can’t get by with the same merchandise that worked last year, or products that can be found in a multitude of outlets. That’s why it’s so important to come to the High Point Market. If you can’t find something different in High Point, it probably doesn’t exist.”

- Jerry Epperson, Furniture Industry Analyst, Principal, Mann, Armistead & Epperson, Ltd.

More than 85,000 registrants
More than 2000 Exhibitors
110 Countries Represented
Tens of Thousands of New Product Introductions

Fall 2008 Market Dates: October 20 - 26

High Point Market Authority •  101 South Main Street •  High Point, NC 27260