HIGH POINT — First Tuesday may have emerged in response to the coronavirus pandemic putting the kibosh on doing business at large tradeshow gatherings, but it still has legs as in-person furniture markets open back up.
As expected, the event drew few retailers in July’s edition, which came on the heels of both June High Point Market and the July 4 holiday sales weekend. Exhibitors expect dealer participation to pick up a notch at this week’s First Tuesday, and several have new goods on hand.
More than that, though, First Tuesday never was about sheer numbers; rather, it’s about quality time with face-to-face meetings among upper management on the retail and vendor sides to talk business in a way they can’t at regular markets.
It’s also a natural fit for a number of large exhibitors, especially those with High Point-based management, who look to get more ROI on the dollars spent on permanent showrooms here.
They’re also the ones who went beyond merely opening their doors for First Tuesday. These companies and their representatives were proactive in letting customers know what they had on tap for the event and set appointments vs. relying on walk-in traffic, which always was minimal and not the point at all.
Several First Tuesday exhibitors offered their take on how the event has evolved as part of their business plan. In practice, not a lot has changed for most in their approach.
Mitigating uncertainty
Upholstery vendor Manwah USA CEO Guy Ray was the driving force behind the development of First Tuesday, which he conceived as creating a critical mass of open showrooms — often with new product on display — in order to attract retailers for socially distanced business discussions as the industry navigated the pandemic.
While there’s some return to normalcy in terms of physical markets, companies showing at First Tuesday believe uncertainty about the Delta variant and in particular supply chain issues maintains the event’s relevance to retailers.
The 70137 sectional in white leather is a First Tuesday debut in August for Manwah’s Cheers division.
Manwah has 15 appointments with key customers lined up this week, “and we’re happy with that,” said Manwah USA Director of Corporate Communications Kevin Castellani.
“We always said this will go on as long as the industry needs it,” he said. “I think although we’re coming back to normal, there’s still uncertainty not only from a health perspective with Delta, but also with what’s going on in the supply chain.
“I think vendors have a need more than ever for a chance to sit down with retailers, with upper management participating,” Castellani continued. “Our First Tuesday appointments run three hours, and we’ve never had that at markets.
“Our retailers need to understand what we’re doing to deal with the problems of getting product. We’re a global supplier, not just a Vietnam supplier, and having a plant shut down in Vietnam doesn’t mean we can’t shift product to China. First Tuesday was created to mitigate uncertainty, and that need has not diminished.”
Sticking with the plan
First Tuesday dealer attendance might ebb and flow, but full-line vendor Klaussner Home Furnishings remains consistent with its approach to the event, which ties into an overall strategy of making its showroom available year round. Vice President of Marketing Len Burke said it’s not “all about First Tuesday.”
“Our approach hasn’t changed. Our showroom is set up 12 months a year, and we’ll see retailers whenever they want to come,” Burke said. Even in months where dealer interest is light, Klaussner will be there.
“We’re also using this time to do more than visit with customers,” he said. “We’re having strategic meetings internally. This is a working showroom; we have reps coming in to get more working knowledge.”
This week Klaussner is launching Ashburn, which also comes in a sectional version, as an addition to its Leather Distinctions line.
Klaussner also has stayed consistent with its commitment to introduce new product each month. This week, the company will launch Ashburn, an addition to its Leather Distinctions line comprising sofa and sectional versions retailing for $1,499 and $3,499 respectively.
Shown in KHF’s “Hopkins” leathers, the casual modern pieces feature raised T-shaped back cushions, lofty seats, knife-edge seams and flared track arms. Low, corner-hugging feet add to the low-profile silhouettes.
This bright modern sectional is new in Kuka Home’s showroom this week at First Tuesday.
Upholstery resource Kuka Home North America is another vendor utilizing its High Point showroom for dealer visits year-round, so its First Tuesday presence is a given there, too. And it also will have new goods on hand.
“We consider ourselves an open showroom 24-7 regardless of what’s going on in the world,” said Matt Harrison, president. “I don’t think our approach has changed much at all: We’ll be offering new product whether it’s First Tuesday, regular market or Premarket. I think it’s a great event, and whenever a customer comes to town, you have to be there.”
It’s a similar story at case goods importer Crown Mark.
“We want to utilize the opportunities we can to meet with new and existing customers,” said Jason Blalock, sales and marketing executive at Crown Mark. “We’ll be talking about what we have in the warehouse and on the water.”
In addition, Crown Mark’s bedding partner, Eclipse, will be on hand with factory representation, and juvenile and bunk bed resource Danto will be on display. Blalock said dealer interest in First Tuesday continues.
“We’ve had a number of retailers who’ve asked if we’ll be open and if they can come by,” he said.
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August 02, 2021 at 05:33PM
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