With the amount of full-line furniture manufacturers getting into outdoor, the category has never been so prevalent at High Point Market.
In fact, the word “casual,” which some felt was outdated, has become appropriate for the category in a new way. One of the biggest trends at the market was bringing indoor styles outside, and when that happens, the furniture can live anywhere the consumer desires.
Because of that, it’s no longer solely seen as patio furniture. It’s now truly casual furniture because it can be — and is being — used inside and out.
From Bernhardt to Sun Pan, Ashley and so many more, exhibitors noted that savvy retailers had made great progress in emptying their excess inventory and they came to market ready to place orders.
“We’ve seen a lot of energy and excitement for this market as smart and aggressive retailers have sold down their inventory,” says Andy Sokol, senior vice president of sales and merchandising for the outdoor category at Ashley. “Orders for 2024 are higher and retailers are excited to buy more and deeper. We introduced 23 intros for next year and expect growth.”
Bernhardt told Casual News Now that the company has seen an 84% increase in outdoor sales year over year, which is in no small part due to the multiple design awards the company’s collections have won.
Bernhardt is seeing grays fade out and warmer colors like beige and tan coming back in, which the company displayed on several of its collections, including its first foray into sling lounge chairs.
The company also debuted the Serena collection this market, which has a tight, on-trend woven pattern with rounded, soft edges available in both stationary and swivel options.
However, with all of the full-line manufacturers introducing outdoor, specialty manufacturers found ways to stand out amongst the crowd.
At Lane Venture, designer Celerie Kemble released two high-style new collections, Cleary and Brooks, and added six new frame colors to its arsenal.
Cleary takes inspiration from South Florida for the wavy edges of the woven piece, while Brooks is an extruded aluminum set made to look like wood grain. Both sets were shown with volcanic stone tables which the company says is better and more elegant than concrete.
The company also displayed its Bespoke custom program, which allows users to customize their choice of either four fully upholstered chairs or four aluminum frame chairs with different arms. Essentially, the customer can pick a depth, an arm, a leg and a fabric and have the complete customized piece sent to them in four to six weeks.
At Brown Jordan, we spoke with Ben Collins, the new division head for the flagship furniture brand, and he told us that his mission in his new role is to embrace the storied brand and talk about the heritage behind it.
In that vein, the company had its refreshed Sol Y Luna collection on display. It’s a re-creation of the Gazelle collection, originally created by designer Dan Johnson, which was made in bronze or wood. Only 150 of those pieces were ever made, so Brown Jordan brought it back in 20 powder-coated aluminum colors with optional seat pads.
Collins also said he wants to emphasize the customization capabilities that Brown Jordan can offer because everything is made in North America.
“We’re going to explore new ways to innovate while also continuing to do what we do well,” he said.
Chris Probst, president at Plank & Hide, says the company flipped two-thirds of its showroom to display 80 new products this market.
Marking one year since the company moved into its new space on Main Street in High Point and introduced the Elements collection, the company introduced a few new furniture lines and several additions to its extensive fire pit collection.
The fire pits have elevated looks with different table-top materials, and like the rest of Plank and Hide’s patented pieces, the tables pull out to expose the fire pit. Collections like Willow and Mirabel have contemporary looks in different materials like aluminum and wicker, each with subtle design elements that make them unique.
The Elements line, which the company started after acquiring 300 S. Main, is more value-driven. “We wanted to take this area of the business and make it less commodity-driven,” Probst explains. “The Elements line offers better quality and comfort at better prices.”
Overall, buyers and exhibitors seemed to be in good spirits during High Point Market while also cautiously preparing for what many expect will be a tough year ahead.
