Happy Harrogate – the buzz is back!
The Flooring Show stormed back into business with one of the most most successful shows in recent years, with full attendance and a buoyant atmosphere among visitors and exhibitors.
After two years of Covid and last year’s event sadly compromised by closing a day for the Queen’s funeral, the trade relished the opportunity to get back to normal and the only complaints were that the aisle were so packed on days one and two that it was difficult to move through the halls – and at one point it was rumoured that visitors’ lanyard badges had run out on the reception desk. Good problems to have!
Organisers Ocean Media had worked tirelessly to bring over 400 brands together and generate visitor interest with key features such as a wool trends hub, an LVT Pavilion, an extensive demo zone and the ever popular fitter of the year competition.
Exhibitors responded with a high quality of stand design and a plethora of new product launches to make the trip really worthwhile for visitors.
Market commentary
We always take the temperature of the market at the show as the trade enters its all-important fourth quarter but this task was a tough one this year as the upbeat atmosphere belies the uncertainty many major suppliers feel about current condition and consumer confidence.
After the rollercoaster period of the pandemic, most suppliers and retailers will reckon to be up overall over the years since the start of 2020, boosted by the stay-at-home investment in interiors that exploded in 2021-2.
But 2023 has been difficult to call. After a sluggish start to the year that persisted for the first half, July and August were busier than usual for most suppliers – helped by the lousy summer that kept consumers indoors and restrained them from investing in garden furniture (some suppliers of which hit insolvency during the Summer).
September has started slowly and the issues of high interest rates , the end of cheap mortgage deals and uncertainty about winter fuel bills mean analysts are reluctant to predict sales performance as the cost-of living crisis drags on.
But the flooring industry has proven its resilience in great style in recent times and is investing in its future. Competitive new offers, added value trade-up ranges and exciting new designs to catch consumers attention are coming in thick and fast and our reviews of the happenings at Harrogate and a full round up in our next edition will demonstrate!
Watch this space!....
