April High Point Market draws 47,168 buyers
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, May 5, 2008
High Point — Despite an industry sales slump that has caused numerous bankruptcies and going-out-of-business sales, buyer registrations at the most recent High Point market were essentially even with last spring's event.
Data compiled by the High Point Market Authority shows that 47,168 buyers registered for the most recent market, compared with 47,109 in the spring of 2007.
Of that number, 4,139 were first-time buyers, and another 2,081 were buyers who had not attended the High Point market in at least two years.
In addition, 1,739 were international buyers — almost double the number who registered last spring, the Market Authority said.
"These numbers tell us that our marketing efforts are working and that buyers across the industry are responding positively to all of the improvements that have been implemented throughout the past two years," said Market Authority President Brian Casey.
One of the groups targeted by those marketing efforts is designers, and Casey pointed out that 15,595 designers registered — an increase of 4,542 from spring 2007.
Total registrations were pegged at 82,095, including exhibitors, sales representatives, suppliers and other market guests. A comparative total for spring 2007 wasn't available at press time, but Casey said there was a decline in registrations from exhibitors and sales personnel.
