Evening star., 1936-06-13
HOME FURNISHING
DRIVE |SPLANNED
Campaign to Be Launched
at Furniture Mart
July 6.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

DpGCld1 OlopubS1l w 4AS StdA'
CHICAGO, June 13.-The home
furnishings industry will launch the
most impressive, concerted drive for
business in its history at the Amer
ican Furniture Mart's 25th semi
annual major market, opening July 6,
with every branch of the industry
contributing spectacular plans to the
general fireworks. Better styling, bet
ter merchandising and more real value
for each dollar the consumer invests
in furnishing his home, are promised
by the TOO manufacturers who will
unveil their new lines at "the greatest
furniture show on earth"
Retailers, cheered by the steadily
increasing volume of the past year
and alive to the possibilities offered
by the season just ahead, are expected
to provide the largest audience in
home furnishings history. with even
more stores represented than during
last January's record-breaking two
weeks market.
Reasons for the practically univer-
sal optimism within the industry are:
/. Improvement during first half
Of '36: On the basis of returns thus
far. most of the leading companies,
both manufacturing and retailing,
will show a larger volume for the
first half of '36 than during the same
period of last year-despite the fact
that 1885 was good year, compared
to its predecessors, and that business
was practically at a standstill during
several weeks earlier this year because
of the extremely cold weather The
economic dam that held up purchases
of home furnishings for more than
five years, if not broken, at least
weakening.
Expect Share of Bonus.
2. The bonus: That a fair share
of the bonus millions will go to fur
nishing, or refurnishing homes is
indicated by all surveys of what vet
erns intend to do with their money.
3. Residential construction: Home
building has been resumed and. al
though 1t is still too early for the
home furnishings industries to have
felt the full benefit of the re-birth
of this market, the opportunities for
large sales to home builders will be
increasingly important during coming
seasons. New homes have always
meant new furniture.
T. Better values: The industry this
year definitely has value-per- dollar
TO SELL Prices are much lower than
during the 1929-1930 era, yet the
general everage of home furnishings
merchandise is better styled and bet
ter constructed. One effect of the
depression has been to weed out the
less efficient operators and give the
business-now that a respectable
volume is again obtainable-to those
who can deliver extra value for each
dollar the public invests.
Price Trend Is Upward.
S. Prices: The price trend remains
gradually upward, with the rising
cost of raw materials and the larger
amounts that must be reserved for
taxes pushing prices toward slightly
higher levels.
With the economic background in
dicating a record market, the Fur
niture Mart is preparing to greet
buyers on July 6 with a show that
will cover every type of merchandise
in which they are interested. With
the growth of furniture stores into
home furnishings stores and the
added emphasis on ensemble buying,
the original furniture market" has
expanded into a six-ring circus, all
under one roof.