We really try to work with our customers and if they tell us they're looking for something specific which we don't have on the floor, we go to our sources at the Mart to find what they're looking for, or a suitable alternative. Millie Lax of Leeazanne especially has a huge range. The Mart system is good. The International Centre's General Manager, Gail Bernstein, has 23 years with the Mart. There's a greater sense of personal style and expectation.
Many more people look upon furnishings as a visual extension of themselves.
The Mart's trade showrooms have become even more important to manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The showrooms are neutral territory where the consumer can get advice with no pressure. Dealing with a representative of the manufacturer, they can talk with a real expert about features and benefits, what makes a piece worth the money, just as one would about a car at an automotive show. The unique situation we have at the Mart, an ingathering of manufacturers in a trade showroom complex, has not proved economically feasible elsewhere. We have a huge advantage over other Marts with more than 100 events running at the Centre annually.