Jeff Linville — Furniture Today
More retailers expected to arrive today

TUPELO, Miss. — Opening Day at the Tupelo Furniture Market began slowly Wednesday but picked up in the afternoon.

Market officials moved the official opening day from Thursday to Wednesday this year. At midday Wednesday, exhibitors were concerned that they weren’t seeing many buyers, and some feared that the Las Vegas market last month had drastically cut the traffic here.

However, as the day progressed, more and more people arrived. The busiest time of the day was 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for occasional importer Ultimate Accents, said Vice President Ray Steele.

Even though the market changed its official opening day, many retailers stuck with their pattern of traveling Wednesday morning, said V.M. Cleveland, market board chairman. Those buyers began to arrive in the afternoon and evening, he said, adding that today could be the busiest day for registrations.