Manufacturers went into Casual Market Atlanta knowing that buyers are still working through inventory and many are waiting to buy until September. But that didn’t stop them from bringing out fresh new products to match the positive energy of new showrooms and a new location at AmericasMart.
Andmore CEO Bob Maricich tells Casual News Now that the market was a success before opening day, as the sixth floor of Building 1 — which this market held a few temporary exhibitors that couldn’t fit on floor 7 — has enough commitment that it may be converted into a whole permanent floor next market, with Floors 7 and 8 becoming home to the temporaries.
“We always had a feeling that co-locating the casual show with our big gift show would be beneficial in terms of more buyers,” Maricich says. “We tallied 800 people registered in the furniture category who hadn’t been to Atlanta before.”
According to Andmore’s data, people who booked in their hotel blocks stayed at the market an average of four days, which Maricich says means they had a few days to explore other categories in their time there, which is good for every business involved.
“The large gathering of casual industry members highlighted that markets are more than just buyers and sellers,” he says. “They’re learning experiences, job fairs, networking opportunities and more.”
Fresh collections
Christy Peterson, national sales manager at Sunvilla, says the company brought only new furniture products to market because they wanted to show retailers they are dedicated to providing exciting looks.
In addition to all-new outdoor dining, seating and loungers, Sunvilla’s parent company, Yotrio, also showcased products from Suntek that you don’t normally see at markets: battery-powered lawn maintenance tools housed in a solar-powered tool shed, a “pop-up” outdoor sunroom and a fully automatic gazebo — all three controlled by the Suntek app.
The tools come in a standalone shed with solar panels that can charge the batteries. Under the shed was an example of the freestanding deck systems Suntek offers as well.
The pop-up outdoor room was front and center at Suntek, as it features an all-aluminum frame with real glass windows and a retractable awning, and it’s easy for a consumer to build.
While Peterson says no one was sure how retailers would react, she says the response has been overwhelmingly positive and buyers are excited to see something so unique.
“We want to help retailers create a whole outdoor living store, and that can now include gazebos, pop-up rooms and more,” she adds.
America’s Backyards launched two new brands — Ideal Living and Casa — and introduced 32 new lines this market.
CEO John Hunt says the Ideal Living line consists of the company’s cast aluminum outdoor furniture and Casa is the aluminum wicker collection.
At market, styles in each line ranged from modern to transitional, featuring materials like rope.
Ebel also brought a fair amount of new products and focused on its sustainability story this market.
Ecoweave, the company’s signature sustainable product, is made from plastic water bottles that are removed from the ocean. Eight million pieces of plastic enter our ocean each year, and by 2050 we will have more plastic in our oceans than fish, the company says.
This initiative reinforces out commitment to environmental responsibility,” says Ebel National Sales Manager Mark Bottemiller. “Fifty percent of all the company’s weaves are made from recycled material.”
The company also touched on a trend that many others took advantage of as well: cushionless seating.
While Ebel, Mamagreen and Sunset West all had products without thick cushions, some of them did feature cushions built under weave or fabric.
For example, Mamagreen’s new padded cushionless chairs have water-repellent reinforced cushions so the water simply slides off — as opposed to reticulated foam where water goes through the seat. They made the option available on their bestselling Bondi Adirondack.
“Today, people want as much ease as possible when it comes to outdoor,” says William Kruzel, luxury brand specialist at Mamagreen.
Speaking of easy maintenance, Veranda by Foremost Group introduced a revolutionary material that Jim Sica, senior vice president, says could change the outdoor game.
Neuwood is a bio synthetic wood derived from biomolecular research and engineering. It looks, feels and behaves uncannily like wood, but it’s actually plastic. However, it remedies the maintenance problems associated with teak outdoor furnishings and mitigates the environmental issues associated with the outdoor industry.
“Neuwood has been extremely well received at this show,” Sica says. “For those who want the look of teak but without the upkeep, this offers them a beautiful option that looks and feels just like wood.”
Homecrest brought a few new innovative products as well, including its hybrid cushion, which is unveiled on its new Urban and Jaxon collections.
For the hybrid cushions, the back cushions use highly resilient furniture-grade foam wrapped in a moisture-resistant ticking, while the seat cushions have regular furniture-grade foam wrapped in the same ticking. Because the ticking is glued and not sewn, it prevents any water from entering.
In addition, the company introduced a new frame color, Indigo, and was highlighting its signature DreamCore technology in its Anthem collection. These cushions use highly resilient foam to ensure durability, elasticity and longevity.
In terms of color trends, Summer Classic and Outdoor Interiors were capitalizing on the popularity of black and white in the industry, with black frames on seating and ivory tabletops that pair well with nautical rope.
“Black is back,” says Bew White, CEO of Summer Classics.
Market happenings
In addition to the new venue, the industry had a lot to celebrate this year.
The ICFA celebrated 65 years of supporting the casual industry with a birthday bash on the first night of market. The organization also held the prestigious ICFA Awards Gala at the Georgia Aquarium, in which:
- Kathy Juckett was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of service at Telescope Furniture.
- Village Green Home & Garden of Rockford, Illinois, won in the single-store category of the Apollo Award; winner in the multi-store category was Gasper Home & Garden Showplace in Richboro, Pennsylvania.
- The 2023 “Best of Show” award went to Bernhardt Exteriors for its Milos-Cyprus Table Group, which also received the Lilly Award in the Outdoor Furniture category.
- Sunvilla’s Powered Market Umbrella received the “Lilly” award in the Outdoor Accents category.
- Lloyd Flanders was named Manufacturer of the Year.
- Charlie Smith of La Quinta, California, who represents O.W. Lee, Hanamint, TUUCI, Gloster and Quality Works, won Sales Representative of the Year.
- Ana Hartman of Treasure Garden was selected as the 2023 Mia Nault Award recipient.
- Jessica Salisbury was named the first recipient of the Dudley K. Flanders Senior Leadership Award.
At other parts of the market, Frankford celebrated 125 years with a party and a toast by CEO Marc Kaufman, Telescope flew in family members to honor Juckett on her award, and nearly every showroom celebrated openings with a ribbon cutting and party.
Overall, spirits were high at the Casual Market. And though the industry is in a strange in-between where no one is quite sure what to expect for the coming year, everyone is supporting one another to make sure the industry as a whole succeeds.
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