It’s been a slow build, but High Point Market is now becoming a destination for outdoor furnishings, with more companies than ever introducing the category or continuing their investment in it.
Furniture of America, Spectra Home, Arteriors, Bellini Modern Living, Hooker Furnishings — the list of full-line manufacturers expanding their outdoor collections goes on. While outdoor-specific manufacturers have mostly backed out of High Point, full-line manufacturers have moved in to fill the void.
Here are some of the trends you will see from full-line manufacturers this market and how they are shaping the category for full-line retailers and interior designers.
- Indoor/outdoor look. The look of indoor furniture outside is still a huge trend, and full-line manufacturers like Bernhardt, Lexington and Spectra have capitalized on it with collections that could be mistaken for indoor if not told otherwise. The style helps furniture blend seamlessly from room to room.
However, don’t think the outdoor look is out. Some companies want to keep their looks separate because there are consumers who want a distinction between the indoor and outdoor parts of their homes. That means there’s a market for people who want a more casual patio-style set.
- Built-in customers. Many full-line manufacturers have the advantage of selling their outdoor category to existing customers. They can help those retailers introduce the category to their stores with programs that get them what they need when they need it. After the bump that Covid gave the casual industry, retailers and manufacturers are working together to drive foot traffic and move product.
This has increased competition in the outdoor industry for obvious reasons, but it has also caused manufacturers everywhere to rethink what they’re doing and compete with innovative new products.
- Ending the high-end low-end dichotomy. When full-line manufacturers first entered the outdoor space in a meaningful way about eight years ago, a dichotomy of product formed. There was super high-end product and opening price point products, but the middle ground was mainly untouched.
That has been a sweet spot for full-line manufacturers who can hit that median price point — filling a gap left by outdoor-specific and lower price-point manufacturers. However, just because they have their piece of the pie doesn’t mean the high and low ends of the pricing spectrum are any less important to the industry. It’s as if the industry has balanced itself out.
- More mixing. Combinations of teak and aluminum, or sling and poly lumber, have taken a spotlight in the industry. Manufacturers have often paired different collections together, but the use of several materials in one collection is a trend that’s going to continue in High Point. Kingsley Bate, for example, is releasing its first lines that include aluminum. It previously only produced teak furniture.
The trend shows staying power, and it may even develop from a trend into something more permanent. Whatever happens, mixed materials are here to stay, and manufacturers are finding more and more creative ways to mix and match their collections.
With so many companies entering the category, do we have to worry about supply outpacing demand with so many companies in it now? Time will tell, but for now it seems everyone has a place in the market, and it’s growing dramatically as a result.
