Joan Gunin
AT THE MARKET — Motion upholstery manufacturers say the summer heat could be keeping some customers away from


this market, but they’re expecting a new wave of interest when Building B opens for the January show.

Still, many West Coast retailers are using Las Vegas as a key resource and are limiting their visits to High Point to once a year, said Phil Cooper, vice president of marketing and merchandising for Barcalounger.
“We’ve had a major presence on the West Coast so Las Vegas is … extremely important,” he said.

This market, Barcalounger is promoting the its new Wayne Phillips West Coast Warehouse Program, which kicks off in September and will keep the company from having to ship across the country to Western retailers, Cooper said. The inaugural program, a partner to a similar program based in Rocky Mount, N.C, features a club chair assortment, targeting $799 retail. 

Some retailers have shied away from Las Vegas because of the 110-degree temperatures as well as timing, said Sheldon Lubin, president of El Ran. “The market should be held a month earlier or later. Retail is slow so dealers are vacationing now,” he said.

“This January, we’ll have another shot at retailers coming from the East and generating interest,” he added.
At Flexsteel, Mark Hedden, director of sales and marketing and western regional sales manager, said the company is showing its High Point best sellers here. One that is doing well is the Graham, a motion sofa dressed in microfiber that was tweaked a bit from its High Point debut in back and pitch. At 90 inches, “It is very large and very soft,” Hedden said.

Motion upholstery manufacturers are finding success with a variety of covers here, including a microfiber at Flexsteel that mimics nubuck, a synthetic leather at Coaster and a synthetic bycast at Barcalounger.

Dutailier has a new proprietary line of glider rockers and ottomans featuring a hidden mechanism on a skirt-free frame, said Dominique Godbout, vice president of marketing.

“This is a good place to be,” she said. “We have opened up new accounts in the West.”

Aspenhome is adding motorized components to its Liverpool upholstered accent chair and others. “It provides ease of use and is well worth the investment,” said Marketing Manager Renee Loper.

At the Sands Expo Center, Catnapper, which has found success with its Cuddler and Commodore models, is offering a trimmed-down microfiber dual recliner here “at a hot price point,” said Don Hunter, senior vice president of major accounts. He said the Triple Crown, at $999 retail, “keeps the momentum going with a dual recliner, but with broader appeal.”