International Home Furnishings Market General Statistics

Furniture World Magazine

The International Home Furnishings Market is the largest wholesale home furnishings market in the world. It is where more than 2,300 home furnishings manufacturers permanently display the largest assortment of home furnishings in the world. The Market is the time when retail home furnishings dealers, architects and interior designers representing more than 60 distinct channels of distribution. Participants come from more than 105 of the world's 192 countries including attendance from all 50 U.S. states. They come to view and to buy at wholesale the finished goods manufactured by the exhibitors. The Market is open only to the trade, not to the general public. The Market is where major manufacturers of casegoods, upholstery, decorative accessories, lighting, rugs, and bedding introduce new merchandise twice annually. The Market uses more than 8 million square feet or 720,000 square meters of permanent exhibit space. More than 160 buildings are devoted exclusively to the display of home furnishings. The Market offers the retail dealer access to the complete line of more manufacturers than can be found anywhere in the world. The International Home Furnishings Market is held each April and each October in North Carolina. There are concentrations of showroom facilities in High Point and Thomasville. Showrooms are located in these cities in major for lease space buildings, showrooms at the manufacturer's factory, or in free standing showrooms located throughout the Market area. The surrounding communities provide the necessary support facilities such as hotel/motel accommodations, restaurants, transportation, etc., which are required to facilitate the movement of thousands of Market participants. The International Home Furnishings Market is sponsored by the International Home Furnishings Marketing Association with offices in High Point, North Carolina. From 1909 until 1989 The Market was called the Southern Furniture Market.