Design or performance-driven, outdoor vendors targeted ‘unique’ buyer

HIGH POINT — Outdoor manufacturers only represented a small sliver of the brands represented at the just-concluded High Point Market, but despite their relatively smaller numbers, the event plays a central role in the strategies of the companies who showed here.

The casual furnishings brands that showed up to High Point did so because they are targeting buyers that they simply cannot reach at other markets, including those dedicated to the category. For many, it is just as much about attracting eyes and foot traffic as it is about sales.

For some, showing at High Point is about reaching the designers, letting them see and discuss the product as they formulate ideas for projects. For others, contract business is a key part of their strategy for the market.

Telling a story

The type of product on offer seems to be the key differentiator that indicates which strategy a given brand will take: Manufacturers offering products in high-end woods are heavily focused on designers, while more performance oriented brands are targeting both contract and full-line retail.

Jensen Outdoor, which showed a selection of its most popular products from a high-traffic location on the first floor of Interhall, views High Point both as a way both to generate leads and to hone in on the high-consideration design buyer.

“Sales have been about what we expected, but we have generated tons of new leads from the foot traffic here in the International Home Furnishings Center,” President Eric Parsons told Furniture Today.

“For us, this market is about showing our product and getting folks thinking about it ahead of the casual shows. From that perspective, we see the leads and sales generated here as a bonus on top of what we do at casual.”

Chief Marketing Officer Philip Crowe added the relationship-building with the design community is something that High Point uniquely makes possible.

“It’s a relationship building process just like with retailers, but designers have different needs and different timelines. The ability to discuss COM and apply it to their orders is also huge,” he said.

Jensen’s Mix lounge chair, which had pride of place in their showroom, is an example of a design-forward and COM-focused offering that underpins this strategy.

Mixed materials appeal

Summer Classics is another design-focused brand, but one that offers many of its pieces in multiple materials to cast the widest net possible. Its Savannah collection is offered in both powder-coated aluminum and teak, and the company says it has generated interest across different categories of buyer.

Moving toward the performance-focused end of the spectrum, Telescope Casual showcased a collection in High Point skewing toward materials like aluminum-plastic hybrids and marine-grate polymer.

This doesn’t mean that it lacked interest from designers, according to National Sales Manager Matt Pasani. It just use a different strategy to attract this buyer, in addition to targeting designers who might be working with commercial contracts.

“Our traffic has been probably 80% designers,” he observed.

“This market tends to be a little more designer than the spring market. But a lot of designers not only do residential retail orders, but they cross over commercially as well, so this is a great opportunity for us to meet some of those.”

Telescope’s Bazza collection, a 2025 intro shown in High Point, is an example of how the medium used in outdoor furniture speaks to the company’s strategy for drawing buyers.  It features a combination of MGP and aluminum.

“That story of using all plastic or a hybrid of aluminum and plastic is pretty prevalent throughout our showroom here in High Point,” Pisani said.

Leaning into lifestyle

One notable player in the casual furnishings space took an “all-of-the-above” approach to attracting the High Point buyer.

Sunset West, part of the Hooker Furnishings family of brands, showcased a major assortment of product from its showroom on the third floor of Showplace. Its approach is design-forward, with a mix of customizable materials on offer (such as commercial and residential grade foam in cushions) showing an equal nod to performance and versatility.

The upholstery on products such as the Cabo daybed tells a story that is elevated while still being down-to-earth, with oversized cushions and pillows.

Vice President of Marketing Aliena Klaus says that Sunset West’s overall strategy is to give buyers product with elevated silhouettes that does not dispense with the central use of outdoor furniture: to be lived in and used.

“We’ve got multiple collections and textures and materials, but everything we do is intended for lifestyle. Like what are you doing when you’re outside? You’re relaxing, or you’re entertaining, or you’re drinking,” Klaus said.

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