ITA Webinar Says Home Business Booms But Lead-times Also Lengthen
March 10, 2021
ITA Virtual Roundtable
HIGH POINT, NC—Fabric buyers at the retail, jobber, and manufacturing levels have had a difficult time adjusting to the demands created by the Pandemic.
This was the general feeling of the Zoom webinar (March 9) staged by Carrie Dillion, Managing Director of International Textile Alliance which presents Showtime twice annually. The consensus of the buyers is that business is booming right now in the home furnishings industry, but a shortage of furniture components and long lead-times make it impossible to supply consumer demand. “We can’t get the product out fast enough,” says Lindsey Josepayt, director of design and marketing for United Fabrics, a jobber.
In spite of the challenges facing all home furnishings companies, at least one manufacturer, “C.R. Laine has produced double-digit growth for each of the last eight years,” says Holly Blalock, Vice President, Merchandising for that manufacturer. There is a general feeling that the six-nine-month backlogs in the furniture business will shorten in the months ahead. “The level of business is not sustainable,” Davis says.
With the new dates of Showtime scheduled for May 16-19, the panel of buyers have mixed feelings about attending in the world of Covid but they all agreed that Showtime was the place to be as a fabric buyer in the USA. “I crave the textile marathon of Showtime,” Blalock says.
Her counterpart at Southern Motion, Jennifer Davis says she hasn’t been to Asia in 18 months to shop fabrics and still relies on domestic resources for 70 percent of the fabric she sources.
Retail buyers Kate Foster and Katie Laughridge, President of Nell Hill say they cannot get products as fast as they used to. “We. Can’t keep pillows in stock,” Laughridge states.
This was the general feeling of the Zoom webinar (March 9) staged by Carrie Dillion, Managing Director of International Textile Alliance which presents Showtime twice annually. The consensus of the buyers is that business is booming right now in the home furnishings industry, but a shortage of furniture components and long lead-times make it impossible to supply consumer demand. “We can’t get the product out fast enough,” says Lindsey Josepayt, director of design and marketing for United Fabrics, a jobber.
In spite of the challenges facing all home furnishings companies, at least one manufacturer, “C.R. Laine has produced double-digit growth for each of the last eight years,” says Holly Blalock, Vice President, Merchandising for that manufacturer. There is a general feeling that the six-nine-month backlogs in the furniture business will shorten in the months ahead. “The level of business is not sustainable,” Davis says.
With the new dates of Showtime scheduled for May 16-19, the panel of buyers have mixed feelings about attending in the world of Covid but they all agreed that Showtime was the place to be as a fabric buyer in the USA. “I crave the textile marathon of Showtime,” Blalock says.
Her counterpart at Southern Motion, Jennifer Davis says she hasn’t been to Asia in 18 months to shop fabrics and still relies on domestic resources for 70 percent of the fabric she sources.
Retail buyers Kate Foster and Katie Laughridge, President of Nell Hill say they cannot get products as fast as they used to. “We. Can’t keep pillows in stock,” Laughridge states.
