All experts agree that during these tumultuous times, even more creativity is needed to reach and motivate consumers.
Jean François Michaud, Market CEO

2008 Canadian Home Furnishings Market Trends Center

The Canadian Home Furnishings Market (CHFM) announced today that it has sold out all exhibitor space for the Winter market set for January 10-13, 2009.

Market officials say 400 exhibitors will gather at Mississauga's International Centre near Toronto to introduce a host of new products. The market is expected to draw nearly 10,000 visitors.

"We live in difficult times where solidifying our actions, consolidating our gains and continuing to renew ourselves as an industry has become indispensable," said Jean François Michaud, Market CEO. "All experts agree that during these tumultuous times, even more creativity is needed to reach and motivate consumers.”

Michaud believes consumers still value quality over price. He says the best way to attract consumers is to focus on product quality, customization, functionality and environment.

The Canadian Home Furnishings Market is deeply rooted in the Canadian marketplace. It offers a variety of furniture designed specifically for Canadian consumers, including: collections for every room in the house, juvenile and accent furniture, lighting, decorative accessories, as well as mattresses and bedding in a wide variety of styles. And with a growing trend toward diversified offers, retailers can find anything and everything they need for their stores at this year's Market.

In addition to its other activities, this year's Market features a conference and a training seminar offering insight for show visitors.

Sunday January 11, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Conference: The Gender Intelligent Retailer by Joanne Thomas Yaccato.
Although women are astute consumers who control 80% of dollars spent on consumer goods, they generally feel neglected by companies and not taken seriously as consumers. For Joanne Thomas Yaccato, the best way to reach women is to put their interests at the epicenter of business strategies. As a seasoned lecturer, Ms. Yaccato will help Market retailers better understand the female demographic, revealing, among other things, the different ways to create an environment where women will want to shop and spend their money—not to mention rant and rave about to all of their friends.

President and founder of the Toronto consulting firm The Thomas Yaccato Group - Corporate Canada's Gender Lens, Joanne Thomas Yaccato is also a renowned writer in the business sector.

Monday, January 12 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Training seminar: A Better Way to Sell a Mattress by Gerry Morris
Early on in his career, Gerry Morris wondered: "Why does a product as simple as a mattress require so much sales training?” He soon realized that the problem was not with the product itself, but rather the customer's attitude when buying a mattress. Gerry Morris's approach presents new ideas and new concepts that change perspectives and stimulate creativity by calling upon imagination and intuition—and not the memorization of sales techniques. This informative training seminar promotes a customized approach to every customer, helping retailers make better sales, more often.

Over the past 20 years, Gerry Morris has trained thousands of mattress representatives and now crisscrosses North America to present his training seminars and workshops. He is also the author of Spring Training and Sell More Beds Guaranteed!