The fall session of High Point’s International Furniture Market is less than two weeks away, and organizers are hoping new product lines will give a boost to the industry.
Coming out of the pandemic has been difficult for many furniture makers. Going remote meant consumers were setting up home offices and spending more time at home.
Tammy Nagem, president and CEO of the High Point Market Authority, says those factors led to a spike in sales and production.
But now she says, people are spending their discretionary money elsewhere.
Nagem says she’s starting to see a positive change away from the early rush of the pandemic.
“Our manufacturers were just trying to get something on the floor that they could ship," she says. "And those conversations have shifted back to new product, which is really what this market is built on.”
A 2018 Duke University study reported that the twice-a-year market created over $6 billion of annual economic output for the region. The fall market is scheduled for October 14-18.