Larry Thomas
AT THE MARKET — Temperatures approaching 110 degrees didn’t deter buyers from making their appointed rounds Monday as the


third edition of the Las Vegas Market opened its doors.

Traffic was brisk throughout the day, particularly in the World Market Center building, but most exhibitors said buyer attendance clearly was below the opening day of the January market.

Despite the dropoff, escalators, elevators and halls remained crowded and lines formed at the registration desks of a number of showrooms — an unheard-of sight at other furniture markets.

“Traffic is good, but we expected it to be good,” said Dave Pinamonti, vice president of sales at Broyhill. “The retailers are here to do business. We are not getting tire kickers.”

Scott Cohen, executive vice president at Coaster, said he has been pleasantly surprised by the number of designers in attendance.

“We are not only enjoying good traffic, but we are seeing a very balanced mix of dealers of all types and sizes,” Cohen said.

Exhibitors said the vast majority of opening-day buyers were from stores west of the Rockies. Dealers from the Midwest and East apparently stayed home in droves, they said.

“Most of our East Coast sales representatives didn’t even come because so few of their customers said they were coming,” said David Ballard, president of case goods importer Primo Designs.

Magnussen Home President Jeff Cook agreed, but said he’s expecting a big spike in traffic at the January 2014 market, when the WMC’s second building will open.

“I think there is a high concentration of West Coast people here now, but we think that will change at the next market,” Cook said.

In addition to the lack of buyers from east of the Rockies, exhibitors said they believe generally sluggish business conditions and a retail inventory glut also have contributed to the attendance decline.
However, sluggish business may be helping some exhibitors, since retailers are more willing to try new products and new resources when business is tough.

“Even with the economy being what it is, we are experiencing strong double-digit growth for the first seven months of the year,” said Charlie Nobile, executive vice president at Coaster.

The mood wasn’t quite as upbeat at the two other market venues that were open Monday — the WMC’s Pavilions and the Sands Expo Center, where the competing Las Vegas Furniture Show is open through Wednesday.

Exhibitors said the weather probably was a factor is keeping traffic down at the Pavilions, which were uncomfortably warm all day despite air conditioners running at high speed.

Randy Chrisley, president of Universal Furniture, said at midday that he was “not overwhelmed” with the day’s activity, but said it was too early to predict the final traffic outcome.

Ed Marshall, president of case goods resource Orleans, agreed with Chrisley’s assessment, noting that traffic in the Pavilions could increase later in the week as buyers wrap up visits to WMC exhibitors.

“But we know that a lot of people just aren’t coming,” Marshall said. “Some of our biggest accounts have told us they are not going to be here.”

Traffic was described as light to moderate at the Sands, where about 30 exhibitors had temporary showrooms.

The Sands event opened Sunday, one day before the WMC, but exhibitors said their spaces were busy only for the first two to three hours of the day.

“Our West Coast reps really worked hard to get people here … and our traffic has been steady,” said Don Hunter, senior vice president of major accounts at upholstery resource Catnapper, showing at the Sands.
“But I think a lot of people did not understand that this place was open Sunday,” he said.

Additional temporary exhibits are open today at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is part of the WMC-sponsored market.

* Staff Writer Jeff Linville, Senior Editor Gary Evans and Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza contributed to this story.