An analysis of home furnishings retailers' use of furniture markets

Furniture markets, a type of trade show, are highly important to both manufacturers and retail buyers in the furniture industry. Decisions made at United States markets will determine distribution, pricing, and production of furniture products. Furniture manufacturers are thought to use markets to make fashion statements, collect information for new product offerings, and expose products to the media. However, little information regarding retailers' use of these markets is available to assist manufacturers. The present study was conducted to increase our knowledge of how United States furniture retailers utilize furniture markets. Specifically, the study used a nationwide survey to examine markets held in six cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, High Point, NC, and Tupelo, MS. Results from more than 1,200 respondents indicate that furniture retailers have a variety of both buying and nonbuying objectives. Additionally, retailers reported varying levels of interest in the six major markets. These results have important implications for the objectives that furniture manufacturers should have for their furniture market attendance. Also, United States furniture retailer respondents report varying interest levels among the major furniture markets, thus implying that manufacturers should rethink the choice of markets at which to show their products.