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CrossCheck Exhibiting at the Summer Las Vegas Market

Posted by Tom Lombardo | Thu, Jul 30, 2015 @ 10:32 AM

summer-las-vegas-market-10-yearsAre you ready for the Summer Las Vegas Market? North American Home Furnishings Association preferred vendor CrossCheck is and so is the industry!

Be sure to visit us at Booth 28 in the Retailer Resource Center to speak with home furnishings veteran, Charles Dortch III, about how CrossCheck can help you mitigate risk and increase sales.

In fact, this year’s Market, held August 2 – 6, looks like a game-changer for its producers.

It’s their tenth anniversary, for starters, so bring a party hat.

And they just announced that all eight of the biggest bedding manufacturers renewed their long-term commitments to the LVM -- and to the attendees who rely upon it for 300,000 square feet of inspirational experience.

That’s a nice vote of confidence, but bedding hardly scratches the surface of all the Market has to offer.

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Vendors in the luxury and upscale segment have experienced exponential growth there. Christopher Guy, Global Views, Phillips Collection and dozens of others will showcase the world’s finest fabrics, lighting, floor coverings, wall décor, accessories and, of course, furniture.

Over 2,000 manufacturers will present furniture ranging from whimsical juvenile stylings to the most elegant appointments for the most discriminating collector.

This year they’re taking out all the stops to make a truly memorable show.

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And among them will be utterly original offerings in the newly-expanded “temporary exhibitor” floor, which the Market created so up-and-coming manufacturers could reach the same professionals who buy from more mature competitors. More than five hundred will proffer their wares to enthusiastic participants.

Buyers Queuing Up

Positive economic news feeds the excitement.

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As industry commentator Jerry Epperson explained in a recent Furnishings Digest Newsletter, “Finally, after several false starts, the economy and housing are gaining momentum and, even better…the time has come for home furnishings to catch up.”

Not only does today’s homemaker have money to spend, homemakers with money have changed.

Sure, it’s true that last year Boomers accounted for forty percent of the money spent on lamps, thirty-five percent of what was spent on occasional tables, and so on.

But it’s also true that they are no longer your main market.

Generation X is coming up fast. Sixty-six million strong, their buying power increased 43% between 2012 and 2014.

And Millennials’ spending on furniture skyrocketed 142% between 2012 and last year.

That bodes very well for your industry’s near-term prospects.

New Markets, New Ways to Sell

According to the Furniture Today’s 2015 Consumer Buying Trends Survey, all three generations ranked “value” as their first consideration, which most would expect, especially when people are recovering from the recession.

“Quality and durability” came second, which most would also expect.

But third place, “style and design” lays down the justification for attending this year’s Market.

Even more inspiring may be the fact that today’s homemaker wants professional help – and gets it. In fact, Epperson estimates that sixty percent of today’s consumer market now employs designers.

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Today the esteemed term “tastemaker” applies to a much larger population, since so many designers will be making decisions for their clients at the LVM – and, more importantly, in showrooms like yours all across the country.

Designer Breakthrough

LVM has expanded right along with their business. To help designers capitalize upon every opportunity, they’re launching four new showrooms.

First, there’s the 90,000 square foot climate-controlled tent packed with vendors displaying “innovative and emerging gift and home décor” ideas.

Then there’s a quarter of a million square feet for outdoor furniture. And then there’s a new, permanent, floor for high-end textiles and accessories.

But you might want to organize your entire day around the fourth one: a brand new showroom for gourmet housewares and specialty food.

(If our Senior Vice President of Sales, Charles Dortch III, isn’t at our Booth [#28], he’s probably there.)

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All this innovation at the Market reflects a reviving and expanding market, and that could indicate that this year will be transformational for independent furniture stores.

Two years ago, seventy percent of the furniture sold in the U.S. was sold by ten percent of the furniture stores.

Industry analysts expect that ratio to change, mainly because today’s consumer doesn’t want to buy the same thing as everyone else.

This year, sales closed in your showroom will depend upon design and inspiration – and also upon some less obvious but equally significant considerations that we explain in our latest e-book, How to Sell Out Your Furniture Showroom and Warehouse by Year’s End.

To make sure your customer leaves with the pieces she wants, the e-book also includes three innovative closes. The nature of the sale has evolved, and all three of them can help you get an item into your customer’s home today.

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If you’re attending, you can ask Charles for a copy at Booth #28. Or you can download it now.

We’ve been serving furniture dealers for thirty years, and we’re excited to share the Las Vegas Market with you!

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Topics: Home Furnishings, Las Vegas Market (LVM), CrossCheck

Written by Tom Lombardo