By Mark Seavy 

Foot traffic was lighter at the High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina this week as increased tariffs loom. At the event, suppliers found retailers to be cautious but also curious. 

While the exact amount of tariffs being implemented by the U.S. government is still being determined (10% is already being applied), retailers were reticent to commit to purchase orders. However, coming off a year in which sales declined, they were also seeking innovation. 

That innovation could be found in products like Lifestyle Enterprise’s “sofa in a box,” a category that has gained currency alongside the “bed in a box” concept that has been embraced by consumers. Creativity could also be found in the licensing deals on display at the market. 

Hooker Furniture, for example, will formally introduce its licensed Margaritaville collection of indoor and outdoor furniture targeting residential, hospitality, and commercial markets at High Point Market in October.  

Hemingway Ltd., meanwhile, is expanding the Ernest Hemingway brand beyond longtime licensee Lane Furniture (outdoor firepit lounge set, aluminum glass-top coffee and cocktail tables, and other products) to include Mackenzie Dow (case goods), Charleston Forge (ottomans as well as end, drink, and cocktail tables) and McKinley Leather (upholstery).  

Newly launched Level Up Group is bringing back Serta Simmons Bedding’s Simmons and Beautyrest brands for upholstery, targeting motion and stationary furniture. And country music star Trisha Yearwood launched a new Harmony furniture collection with Legacy Classic, the second since it replaced Klaussner Home Furnishings as licensee.  

“I think you have to try to do different things, bold things,” said Becky Li, President of lighting supplier WAC Group, which sells under its own WAC Lighting, Modern Forms, and Schonbek brands and is planning to increase wholesale prices 15% to offset the potential tariff impact. “And not be afraid to test the market.” 

In addition to testing established brands, furniture and lighting suppliers were also leaning into interior designers for licensing. Kuka Home is readying upholstered furniture with designer Becki Owens, who has 2.3 million followers on Instagram and separate licensing agreements with Surya (rugs) and Abbyson Home (dresser, nightstand, dining table).  

Design studio Post Company, meanwhile, partnered with the Idaho Wood brand for architectural lighting, including table lamps, and Hudson Valley Lighting paired with interior designer Courtney Bishop on a collection of 14 lighting designs. 

And while retailers were focused on seeking out new designs and products, many strategies will shift depending on what ultimately happens in terms of tariffs.  

When it comes to wood furniture, the concern is less around exports from China (which has a proposed 145% tariff) and more about items coming from Vietnam (where the proposed tariff is 46%), according to industry executives. Vietnam has a more than 50% market share in the production of wood furniture, said Douglas Bassett, President of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture. Vietnam, he said, has a trade deficit with the U.S. in that it exported $135 billion while importing $13 billion in 2024. 

“The [tariff] extension that has been announced has left the dealers and importers in a pickle,” Bassett said. “The dealers are very hesitant to buy anything because they don’t know what the price will be for goods that won’t ship until late summer or fall, after the tariff announcements are made. A lot of dealers believe that Vietnam will end up with a significant tariff number.”