Information
Landmark: High Point Furniture MarketCity: High Point
Country: USA North Carolina
Continent: North America
High Point Furniture Market, High Point, USA North Carolina, North America
Overview
Twice a year, High Point, North Carolina hosts the High Point Furniture Market-the world’s largest home furnishings trade show-drawing buyers, manufacturers, designers, and industry pros from around the globe, all weaving through endless halls of polished wood and soft upholstery.Founded in 1909, the market evolved from a modest regional fair into a global showcase that helped shape the furniture and interior design world, securing High Point’s reputation as the “Furniture Capital of the World.” Its roots stretch to the late 1800s, when the town’s first workshops filled the air with the scent of freshly cut oak.Because of where the city sits, the surrounding hills offered plenty of pine and oak, drawing the first furniture makers to set up shop.With the Southern Railway and other new transport links rolling through town, High Point quickly grew into a bustling center for furniture production.In 1909, the first official Southern Furniture Market opened its doors, marking the start of a place where makers and buyers could shake hands over polished oak tables.The industry’s rise fueled the market’s boom, marked by the towering Southern Furniture Exposition Building in 1921 and, decades later, the sleek Wrenn Wing added in 1950.These buildings offered much-needed showroom space for exhibitors and made room for the growing wave of buyers streaming in from all over the country.Over the decades, the High Point Furniture Market grew at a staggering pace, spreading across more space and drawing buyers from far beyond U. S. borders, until its halls buzzed with voices in a dozen languages.The market kept pace with shifting trends and industry demands, adding more showroom space and weaving in sleek new designs and the latest tech.Today, the High Point Furniture Market fills more than 11 million square feet of showroom space, a sprawling event that seems to stretch past rows of gleaming tables and plush chairs as far as you can see.Spread across roughly 180 buildings citywide-from century-old brick halls to gleaming glass towers-it’s a vast urban trade show you won’t find anywhere else.Around 2,000 companies fill the market, each unveiling fresh ideas in home furnishings, décor, and design-rows of bright lamps, soft fabrics, and sleek tables catching the eye at every turn.Each market week draws 70,000 to 80,000 people-retail buyers, interior designers, architects, manufacturers, wholesalers, and media-from more than 100 countries, filling the halls with a buzz of voices in dozens of accents.The showrooms showcase everything from bedroom and dining sets to plush upholstery, sleek lighting, outdoor lounges, rugs underfoot, and polished kitchen cabinetry.You’ll also find home office desks, commercial pieces, and hardware displays.Key stops in the market include the International Home Furnishings Center, the Showplace, Market Square, and a range of specialized halls, each spotlighting its own corner of the home furnishings world.The High Point Furniture Market powers the economy, driving business for the city and rippling across North Carolina-every showroom and bustling street tells the story.Studies show the market pumps billions into the economy every year, from bustling street vendors to high-rise office deals.A study from Duke University found the market generates about $6.7 billion in economic output and keeps more than 42,000 people working in fields from manufacturing and retail to logistics and hospitality-everything from loading docks to hotel front desks.The market brings in substantial tax revenue for state and local governments, helping fund public services and improve infrastructure like roads and community centers across the region.High Point, known as the furniture capital, pulls in investors, fresh ideas, and skilled makers from across the globe, from Berlin designers to artisans sanding oak in small workshops.Market Experience and Operations: The High Point Furniture Market runs as a trade-only event, closed to the general public and open solely to verified industry pros-retail buyers, interior designers, manufacturers, architects, even media reps strolling past rows of polished wood and fabric swatches.Because it’s exclusive, buyers get to work directly with manufacturers and wholesalers-previewing new collections before anyone else, striking their own deals, and building lasting business ties over a handshake and fresh coffee.During market weeks, the city hums with energy-showrooms buzz with staff, pop-up exhibits appear overnight, and the air fills with chatter from networking events, seminars, and gleaming product launches.The market isn’t just a place to sell goods-it’s where trends take shape, ideas get shared, and businesses come together, often over the scent of fresh coffee drifting through the aisles.Once the official market wraps up, local shops often put their showroom pieces-like a leather armchair with faint scuffs on the arm-for sale, giving shoppers a chance to snag quality furniture at a bargain.While the market rules High Point’s calendar, the city has plenty to see-especially if you’re into furniture and design.Stop by Furnitureland South, the world’s largest furniture store, where rows of polished wood tables stretch as far as you can see.Towering 38 feet high, the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers stands as a proud landmark, a bold nod to High Point’s deep-rooted furniture heritage.Congdon Yards buzzes with life, home to art galleries, boutique shops, cozy cafés, and events that fill the air with music and chatter.The Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum is a hands-on space where kids can explore colorful, educational exhibits and learn through play.You’ll find plenty of places to eat here, with flavors ranging from smoky Southern barbecue to sleek, modern dishes.The High Point Furniture Market takes place twice a year-usually in April and October-and each show runs for about five days, with bustling aisles and the scent of fresh wood in the air.Buyers and exhibitors from across the globe gather at these events to preview upcoming furniture collections and place their orders, running their hands over smooth wood finishes and fresh fabric swatches.The market typically runs in late April for the Spring event-think April 25 to 29, when the air smells faintly of fresh paint-and again in late October for the Fall show, around the same dates.The High Point Furniture Market isn’t just another trade fair; it’s a cornerstone of the global furniture world.For more than a hundred years, it’s blended tradition with fresh ideas and fueled economies, still setting the tone for furniture styles and forging business ties from New York to Tokyo.With its sheer size, sway over the industry, and hefty economic pull, the market anchors High Point’s identity and shapes the global home furnishings scene-right down to the bustling showroom floors.For anyone in furniture design, manufacturing, retail, or interior décor, it’s still the must-attend event-the kind where you can run your hand over a newly finished oak table and feel the craft in it.
