TUPELO, Miss. – The Tupelo Furniture Market has cancelled its fall edition, according to a local report.

“The decision to cancel the August 2021 market has been a very difficult one to make but taking everything into consideration that has been going on in the industry over the last year and a half, we felt this was the wisest choice for all involved,” Tupelo Furniture Market Chairman and CEO V.M. Cleveland told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

A re-arranged schedule this year for furniture shows in Las Vegas and High Point made for a very crowded slate of trade events for retailers and vendors in spring and summer months. Las Vegas Market had postponed its January show until April, the same month as a massively attended High Point Premarket. The High Point Market followed in June, and the Las Vegas summer show is set for Aug. 22-26.

Tupelo already had cancelled its Winter 2021 furniture market due to disruption in exhibitors’ product and sample development, along with worries about travel and large group gatherings.

A date has not been scheduled for the 2022 Winter Tupelo Furniture Market, which tentatively will take place in January and February.

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TUPELO, Miss. – The Tupelo Furniture Market has cancelled its Jan. 7-10, 2021, winter edition because of COVID-19-related challenges and government restrictions.

“The cancellation of the January market has been an incredibly difficult decision to make. We feel this is the best course of action given the current circumstances,” said Tupelo Furniture Market Chairman and CEO V.M. Cleveland in a release. “With the increasing number of cases, we felt that for the safety of our exhibitors, attendees and staff, we really had no choice but to cancel. My prayer is that we all stay healthy and safe and once the pandemic is over, we can return to a normal way of business.”

In a phone call, Cleveland added that disruption in exhibitors’ product and sample development, along with worries about travel and large group gatherings, created a concern that many vendors and buyers would not participate in a January show.

No word was available on possible rescheduling of the winter furniture show in Tupelo.

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TUPELO, Miss. – Wood furniture resource Seven Wonders Furniture will be moving to a new space at the Jan. 10-13 Tupelo Furniture Market that is more than double the size of its previous location.

The company is showing in a nearly 7,000-square-foot space in Building 6, space 6032. It previously occupied an estimated 2,500-plus square-foot space in Building 5, space 5220.

The new space allows the company to show a larger assortment of new and inline product across multiple categories including bedroom, dining room and occasional furniture as well as an upholstery line that includes sofas and chairs.

At the market, Seven Wonders will show about 160 SKUs, the majority of which are new pieces, said Tammy Saldana, general manager.

Customers can also access the company’s product line via an online catalog, which the company has expanded greatly in the past year to showcase the depth of its line.

During the show, the company will also offer complimentary catered food and cocktails from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

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TUPELO, Miss. — Tupelo Furniture Market spotlights bedding at its winter show, set for Jan. 10-13, 2019.

A number of bedding industry exhibitors are lined up for the January show, including Serta/Simmons/BeautyRest, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, Corsicana, Englander, Symbol, Sleeptronic, Bed Boss, Capital Bedding, W Silver Products, Bedding Technology Inds., Mlily of MS, Serenity Sleep and Heritage Sleep Concepts.

New to the Tupelo market is Park Place Corp, showing in building 4, space 4026.

Serta/Simmons/BeautyRest has announced plans to have the biggest product launch ever. “More than 80% of new product lines will be introduced at Tupelo market,” said Scott Montague, senior director of sales.

Top of the bed company VCNY Home will be previewing its new line at a private showing for retailers on Nov. 28-29 in space 4426. Its full line will be available at January market.

W Silver Products, a long-time exhibitor of the Tupelo Furniture Market, has taken a new showroom in building 6, space 6232.

“Tupelo Market, being the first market of the year, offer buyers and exhibitors an opportunity to launch new products and discover new trends,” said V.M. Cleveland, owner and CEO of the Tupelo Furniture Market. “Within furniture, there’ll be attention on case goods, upholstery, lighting, rugs and accessories, as well as mattresses.”

To register or for additional information about the Tupelo Furniture Market, visit www.tupelofurnituremarket.com or call (662) 842-4442.

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TUPELO, Miss. – The Tupelo Furniture Market has announced dates for its biannual markets through 2020, retaining its January and August timing.

The 2019 market dates are Thursday, Jan. 10 through Sunday, Jan. 13, for the winter edition and Thursday, Aug. 15, through Sunday, Aug. 18 for the summer market.

While coinciding with the January 2019 Atlanta market, Tupelo Furniture Market stated that it is willing to work in advance with exhibitors that will be exhibiting at both shows to make these dates work. Tupelo Market January 2020 dates do not coincide with the Atlanta Market dates, as they have shifted to the third week of January and will be the week prior to the Atlanta Market.

In 2020 the winter market will be held Jan. 9-12. The summer event will be Aug. 13-16.

“Our goal, at the Tupelo Furniture Market is to work together for the betterment of all the customers we serve, both our exhibitors and retailers,” said Tupelo Market owner and CEO V.M. Cleveland.

According to the company, the confirmation of dates follows extensive review of exhibitor and retail scheduling, timing requirements and preferences, and sustains Tupelo Furniture Market’s longstanding goal to choose the best dates for the industry overall.

“The new January dates allow everyone time to return from the holidays and retailers a first access to in-stock merchandise so they can refill their depleted inventories,” Cleveland said.

For more information on the Tupelo Furniture Market, visit tupelofurnituremarket.com or call Debbie Henry at (662) 842-4442. Dates are subject to change.

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TUPELO, Miss. — Tupelo Furniture Market is adding more than 30 new exhibitors in time for the Aug. 16-19 show, as well as several exhibitors relocated and expanding their spaces.

With Elements International’s purchase of Largo International, the company will be showing the combined selection of product in building 6, space 6030.

New exhibitors for the summer show include: Bed Boss, Cohasset Gift & Garden, Computer Services Company, Crave Candles, Elements International, Farmhouse Paints, Fleet Mattress, Golden Rugs, Heritage Sleep Concepts, Home Source, Lux Lighting, Price 3 Sales, Renin Corp, Sell More Mattresses, Silk and Willow Design Studio, True Seating, Upholstery Shop, Blackberry Bottom, Green Country Décor, Kingway, Lionel Land, Magnolia Soap & Bath Company, Mattress Atlanta, Philip Reinisch, Picture Mississippi, Rustic Décor, Satterfield Pottery, Southern Belle Originals, Southern Boy Primitives, Southern Sisters Gourmet, The Cotton Sak, VCNY Home, Kana Bed, Tupelo Tool & Die, Open-To-Buy, Old Things New and Rusty South Farm Designs.

Six companies are expanding their spaces: Age of Industry, Brazil Furniture, Monday Company, Rizzy Home, Suede and Washington Furniture.

Operating since 1987, Tupelo Furniture Market is a regional event where exhibitors offer specials and incentives that buyers can only get in Tupelo. Some 500 brands will participate from throughout the U.S.

For more information on the Tupelo Furniture Market, visit www.tupelofurnituremarket.com or call (662) 842-4442.

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NEWBURGH, Ind. – Display cabinet and home entertainment specialist Philip Reinisch Company is returning to the Aug. 16-19 Tupelo Furniture Market after a 12-year absence.

The company is showing in an 1,800-square-foot space in TB 6, space 6214. Its space will feature about 45 SKUs including items from the April High Point Market and inline bestsellers including display cabinets, accent cabinets and home entertainment units.

The company pulled out of Tupelo about 12 years ago and decided to show at the Las Vegas Market, which it occupied for about two and a half years. It also has exhibited at the High Point Market over the years, but since pulling out of Las Vegas it has focused exclusively on the High Point Market.

“You bring out product four times a year, and retailers often aren’t getting the product into their stores until after market or sometimes two markets after that,” said David Urbanick, vice president of merchandising and marketing. “For us, it was about consolidating expenses and putting it back into the product and giving support for our dealers. Markets don’t always do that. They are a great expense.”

He said the company decided to return to Tupelo after deciding it could service buyers there with in-stock goods they can get within weeks after market out of its Saint Anthony, Ind., warehouse.

“There seems to be a resurgence with Tupelo,” he said, noting that buyers there often always looking for first-time-seen product. “It is a good writing market, and we are always in stock in our warehouse for immediate shipment. Dealers who come to Tupelo are interested in purchasing it right there, and we can ship it within two weeks to 30 days and get it on their floors.”

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TUPELO, Miss. – Computer Services Technology, which offers business operations software to the furniture industry, will make its Tupelo Furniture Market debut at the Aug. 16-19 show.

Market officials said this week that the company will show for the first time at the market in building TB 6, Space 6031.

The Mobile, Ala.-based company described its menu of services to include complete furniture software to handle accounts receivable, inventory management, accounting, human resources, marketing and advertising and other business functions.

It also said it works with three major credit services including Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Other services, it offers include a built in database management system, a Smart System application designed for retail stores and tech support available to handle issues with computers, accessories, peripheral devices and more.

For more information on the company visit, www.smartcsc.com

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ECRU, Miss. — A fire destroyed part of the American Furniture Manufacturing plant here today, heavily damaging the warehouse and shipping areas of the facility. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.

The fire started early this morning, a little after 7 a.m., and supervisors on the scene attempted to put it out. When the fire got out of control, fire departments were called in with three responding to the blaze. Smoke from the scene could be seen by attendees at the Tupelo Furniture Market 25 miles away.

President Randy Spak told Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin that the company lost all its finished goods in the fire. He said that approximately 35% of the 1 million-square-foot facility suffered damage, almost exclusively in the warehouse area.

Motion upholstery production was untouched and could potentially resume as early as Monday, Spak said.

Vice President of Operations Cole Wiygul told Furniture Today the company may be able to resume stationary upholstery production within two weeks.

The company is currently assessing the damage to its cut-and-sew kits. The fire was contained prior to reaching the company’s inventory of kits. Wiygul said he expects the majority to still be usable.

“We have a lot of key raw materials that were not burned, and we are in the process of assessing that,” he told Furniture Today.

This is the second fire at the facility in the past 10 years, the last one occurring in 2008. After the 2008 fire, the company installed a series of fire walls, which Spak says he believes were instrumental in limiting the damage in this incident.

Video shot by Furniture Today of the fire at the finishing goods area of the facility:

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TUPELO, Miss. — Cautious optimism marked the opening of the Tupelo Furniture Market here yesterday as many who expected economic conditions to deliver a strong 2017 said it instead turned into a challenge and that little has changed.

Despite the recent passage of a massive tax reform package, which has been touted as a potential stimulus to the economy, expectations from attendees at this market were cautious and uncertain.

“I believe it’s too early to tell because at this point I don’t think everybody understands the ramifications,” said Randy Spak, president of American Furniture Manufacturing. “It will take a year probably before the full impact is understood. I don’t think we know enough yet to understand the ins and outs of what it all means.”

Even those who professed some measure of optimism were adopting a wait-and-see attitude, which was aptly summed up by Jay Johnson, vice president of product development at Largo.

“In general, I believe it’s going to be a plus. The consumer’s confidence is going to grow because of the extra income, but I think that’s something we’ll see down the road. That’s not going to happen right away.”

There was a distinct change in tone here from the optimism that characterized the opening of the 2017 market season, where many expressed the belief that post-election relief coupled with the type of economic conditions that typically produce solid furniture sales would deliver a year of strong industry growth. Instead, many noted, the year turned into a struggle to keep business moving in a positive direction.

“In general, there is the same euphoria this year about the first quarter as there was last year. It was expected to create a big first quarter but didn’t,” said Anthony Teague, senior vice president of sales/merchandising at Jackson Catnapper. “This year we think the first quarter will be the same; it’s going to be a fight. We’re focused on more placements, better training for our dealers, delivering more features and benefits, hitting better price points and faster delivery. That was true at the end of last year, and we don’t see anything magical about the calendar change.”

As for the market itself, attendance was up over last January’s event, according to Tupelo Market Chairman V.M. Cleveland. “We’ve had a good number of Top 100 buyers here the first two days. This continues to be a strong regional market throughout the Southeast, and we’re also seeing good attendance from the Midwest and even the Northeast.”

This is the second year since the market shifted its dates into January, a move intended to give its core dealer base the opportunity to get goods in-stock and floored in time for tax season, a key time for promotional furniture sales. The move, according to some exhibitors, appears to be working.

”I do think the earlier date of Tupelo allows retailers to get items in stock and on the floor where they have an opportunity to retail for tax season,”said Don Hunter, national accounts coordinator for Med-Lift. “Last year, tax season was essentially non-existent, so this should be a better year.”

Jim Sumpter, regional vice president England Furniture, a division of La-Z-Boy noted that the company has enjoyed growing traffic in each of the three years since it officially began exhibiting here. “It’s been good for us; the traffic has been steady,” Sumpter said. “We’ve added some new accounts and gotten some new prospects. It’s a good regional market, and the dealer base in these states doesn’t come to High Point.”

United Furniture Inds. held a ribbon cutting here yesterday for its new Lane Home Furnishings showroom, an event that drew Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton, along with a number of Tupelo city officials. Located adjacent to United’s Simmons showroom, the new Lane home here showed solid traffic throughout the morning and Jay Quimby, executive vice president of sales, indicated the company would soon be making additional major announcements related to the brand. He noted that the company was coming off a record fourth quarter in 2017 and a record year overall.

Prior to the opening day dinner, the market presented its Buyer Appreciation Award to Scott Bowman of Zak’s Home Furnishings headquartered in Johnson, Tenn. Founded in 1969 by Nile and Billie Bowman, the retailer is now run by Scott and his wife Jennifer, with the third generation of the family business, Scott’s daughter now taking a part-time role at the company while attending school.

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