It’s been a weird two years for High Point Market, to put it mildly. There was one cancellation (the first since WWII), one scaled-down edition last October, and one step toward business as usual after April’s Market was rescheduled for June. That brings us to this fall’s Market, which wrapped up just last week. For many attendees, it was a welcome return to some kind of normalcy, with events back on the calendar, parties in the mix, and the occasional passed hors d’oeuvre. But even as the Market experience felt more familiar, business conditions remained somewhat surreal, with prices rising, product in short supply, and lead times stretching into infinity.
“[A manufacturer] told me: ‘I’ve never gotten praised for having lead times that start with a ‘2,’ in the twenties of weeks,’” says Business of Home editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen.
On this episode of The Business of Home Podcast, Petersen and Retail Watch host Warren Shoulberg share with host Dennis Scully their takeaways from Fall Market. Topics include how designers can most effectively grapple with the interminable supply chain crisis; the surprising upsides to a Market that was short on new product; and what styles, shapes (and sizes) were trending in North Carolina.
Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This episode was sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Ben Soleimani.
Plus: We’re holding our first-ever listener survey! Tell us what you think of the show and enter to win a free BOH Insider membership.
Homepage photo: High Point Market Authority
