The number of higher volume furniture retailers that have registered for the Tupelo Furniture Market has increased substantially in recent events.  This spring's high-profile furniture trade event, which has been in operation for 29 years, will again open for business officially February 25 and will end February 28.  According to market officials, a new and highly targeted approach to cultivating relationships with top producing retailers has paid dividends.

"Mississippi manufacturing companies ship more upholstered furniture than any other state in the country and the state ranks third in the U.S. in total shipments of all household furniture," said Kevin J. Seddon, president of the Tupelo Furniture Market.  "Many major retailers from the furniture industry have attended the Tupelo market since the event's inception for this reason, and one key focus for us is to bring them all back as well as add to the list."

"With more than a month before the market begins, more than 6,000 furniture retailers have already pre-registered and we attribute this in large part to our extensive marketing efforts," Seddon continued. "We employ direct mail, e-marketing, telemarketing, print and web advertising, as well as an aggressive digital, direct marketing campaign.  New digital marketing opportunities such as web targeting, Facebook ad feeds and "pay-per-click" search engine ads have allowed us to deliver our message to more potential customers than ever."

The result, according to Seddon, has been an upturn in new buyers from throughout the United States.  In fact, just some of the top retailers that have already registered for the Tupelo event include Art Van, Badcock Home Furniture, Bob's Discount Furniture, Big Lots, Cowboy Maloney's, Gardner White Furniture, Big Bob's Outlet, B.F. Myers, Grand Home Furnishings, HOBO, Miskelly Furniture, Nunn Company, Rooms To Go, Spencer Dufresne Group, Furniture Bonanza, Freed's, Steinhafels, Wayfair, Weir's Furniture, Variety Wholesalers, Slumberland, HOM Furniture, FFO Home, Levenson, Inc., Home Furniture, Unbeatablesales.com, Kraai, WA Akins, Colfax Furniture & Mattress, Great American Home Store, American Wholesale and thousands more.

According to Debbie Henry, Tupelo's director of exhibit sales, the buyers attending the Tupelo Market now are different than those that exhibited ten or even five years ago.  "It's clear that the companies that showcase product in Tupelo now offer a range of products from the lower-end to the higher-end of the price spectrum," said Henry.  "We offer just as much promotional furniture and upholstery as we have in the past; however, now we also lead the way in mattresses and bedding, rustic furniture, and we recently launched a design center within our facility for residential designers."

Examples of Henry's reference of diversity in price points and product is evident based on the products sold by exhibitors.  91% offer promotional/medium, 54% of Tupelo's exhibiting companies offer furniture at promotional only, 37% offer medium/high, 32% offer medium, and more than 10% offer product in the high-end price point.  In addition, more than 44 bedding and mattress companies and 35 rustic and outdoor-related companies fill a large portion of the 2.5 million square foot convention facility.

"The companies exhibiting in Tupelo are broad and deep and so are the size and type of furniture retail buyers, said Katie Kimbrell, director of buyer recruitment.  "We offer opportunities for the large volume buyer, the designer or high-end product buyer, and most-definitely, we have amazing options for smaller operators to incentivize them to attend Tupelo's market."

*This article was published on prnewswire.com