A lot of leather is around, yet the exhibition has not been on fire. Such are the first ambivalent messages sent by High Point Market, the US décor and upholstery fair that takes place in North Carolina twice a year. Let’s talk about materials to begin with: at the fair, started on April 14 and just concluded (on April 18), around 2,000 exhibitors presented several models upholstered with leather. Some participants tell us that also manufacturers traditionally most keen on this kind of fabric have presented, for this collection, variously colored and widely processed leather. The bad news comes from visitors though: the exhibition organizers were expecting 75,000 retailers. This spring edition, which traditionally goes moderate with regard to leather upholstery, proved to be rather average in the end; likewise, the purchase trend was not positive. Why? Suppositions are multiple. On the one hand, the US fair schedule tends to be overbooked: High Point Market falls too close to other similar exhibition events. On the other hand, also the US political situation is affecting the business: in fact, in the latest months, commercial instability, pumped up by Trump’s decisions, scared off final consumers apparently.
Good news and bad news from High Point Market: much leather is around, though US market goes moderate
