Ray Allegrezza
HIGH POINT — Premarket, the traditional soft opening for the upcoming High Point Market, opened softer than usual yesterday.


While the lights were on in a number of showrooms, buyer attendance continued to dwindle, as has been the trend for the past few years.

Magnussen Home Furnishings only saw a handful of buyers on Monday. However, according to President Jeff Cook, the company was not expecting hordes of retailers and saw every account that had made an appointment. “In addition, we visited with Keith Koenig of City Furniture, who was not scheduled to come by,” Cook said.

Hooker Furniture, meanwhile, reported steady traffic most of Monday and said it expects to see about 20 accounts during premarket. Other manufacturers, including Stanley, Pennsylvania House and Hammary, said that traffic was slightly slower than in years past.

Even so, a number of key retailers including Rooms To Go, Wickes, Star Furniture, Baer’s, City Furniture and W.S. Badcock are all shopping here this week.

Some manufacturers said that even though they might see fewer retailers, premarket is still a valuable dry run before market, giving company personnel and sales representatives a chance to critique product before its October debut.

Premarket traditionally takes place about four weeks before the High Point Market, which officially opens Oct. 16.