by Registrations among large retailers were down 1% from April, based on figures as of late Tuesday
HIGH POINT — Overall registrations for the October High Point Market were 3% above the spring market, according to stats reported to the High Point Market Authority Board of Directors on Wednesday morning
The figures were as of the end of day Tuesday, representing an up to the minute window of buyer activity during a challenging time for the industry as a whole as interest rates and other inflationary pressures are limiting demand for furniture and other high cost products.
The HPMA reported that buyer company registrations are 2% above spring. This includes 1,200 new buyer companies that qualified and registered for market including retailers, interior designers, e-commerce platforms and others. Meanwhile, international buyer registrations were up 3% from the same period.
What tempered actual attendance were registrations among large retailers, which were down 1% from the spring.
“Overall we are pleased to see more positives in the numbers, in that buyers continue to utilize High Point as a resource,” said Ashley Grigg, HPMA vice president, strategic growth and marketing.
She also noted that the HPMA has been proactive in reducing incoming calls to the office by mid to high-double digits, as customer service team members call buyers ahead of market to provide assistance.
“This frees up our customer team to be able to do that outreach as needed,” she said, noting this involves calling buyers who might need help planning for market. “We are able to have longer conversations on the phone if someone has a lot of questions.”
The organization also said its website has been a useful tool in communicating important information about market. Compared with the spring of this year, it saw an 8% increase in active users and a 9% increase in new users as well as an 18% increase in direct traffic.
“And while the exhibitor directory portion of our site remains the most active, our events page saw a 41% increase in traffic this market,” Grigg said. “Kudos to the exhibitors and the brands who are really understanding the type of education that draws buyer traffic into their showrooms. We certainly see their response to that.”
HPMA President and CEO Tammy Covington noted that market also continues to be an educational resource for local students and educators. She noted that the Superintendent of Guilford County Schools Whitney Oakley was in town Tuesday with her cabinet. In addition to having their regular monthly meeting in the HPMA offices, Covington said, they also received a tour of the market.
Covington also applauded Jane Dagmi, managing director of HPxD, for her efforts to help educate teachers and students about the market.
“I think it is great that High Point By Design has taken that on,” she said, adding, “We need these students to look at our industry as somewhere that they want to be. We need more young people interested (in the industry.)”
On a final note, Terry Venable, senior vice president of operations and finance, provided an update on the HPMA’s new offices at 115 S. Hamilton. He said the building is expected to be completed in early April and that the HPMA will occupy about 20,000 square feet on the third floor.
“That is pretty close to April,” he said, adding “It is a pretty short window, but we are optimistic. It will house not only our offices, but it will house much of the services we provide to our market guests in that space.”
This includes the international buyer center, the media and press center along with various educational services for buyers.
“It will be a place where our market guests can come and get some more intense and dedicated help and support as they try to figure out market and make a plan and figure out what showrooms they need to be at,” Venable said. “We will have a lot of staff in that space to work with buyers.”
While the HPMA plans to offer these various services there in time for the April 2027 market, he said it does not plan to actually move its offices until the summer.
“We are excited about the opportunity,” Venable said. “It will give us a home base and a headquarters like we’ve never had before. It will really be a game changer for us and allow us to do so many more things and to work more closely with our buyers, let them know who we are and how we can support them when they come to market.”
