HIGH POINT, N.C. — There's a lot to unpack when it comes to this year's High Point Furniture Market.
Trucks filled with furniture arrived outside store fronts Tuesday. Exhibitors are setting up their collections months later than usual as they prepare for a June spring market.
Market organizers delayed the 2021 market to allow more time for the COVID-19 vaccine roll out and for the industry to stabilize.
This year's market returns after the 2020 spring market was canceled and the fall market was adjusted.
It's a welcome return for High Point businesses.
"We're just excited to be having market here in High Point," Rodney MacRae said.
This will be MacRae's 16th furniture market working the front desk at Townhouse Inn on Main Street.
It still comes with challenges. A help wanted sign hangs at the Penny Path Cafe and Crepe Shop a few blocks away. Both businesses are two of many in need of workers as the pandemic slows down.
"I think that's going to be an ongoing challenge for a little bit longer," Miro Buzov said.
Buzov said he usually caters five to seven showrooms during market. This year, he only has the staff for one as demand picks up at his other location in Winston-Salem.
He said he started to see hiring challenges back in the fall, earlier than some Triad businesses noticed problems. He reduced hours at the High Point location, his least busy, to try to offset the costs.
"You have to have enough staff," Buzov said.
At Townhouse Inn, nearly all the rooms are booked up but MacRae said many of those reservations weren't made until the last week. He said most years, people reserve their rooms months ahead of market.
"It's been rather hectic," MacRae said, "A lot of people were waiting until the last minute to make reservations because a lot of people didn't know if they were gonna get vaccinated in time."
Masking will be required in the lobby and a rigorous cleaning schedule will continue to fight COVID-19 but they're two or three staff members short.
"In the hotel industry that can be a lot," MacRae said, "Everything still gets done but it takes extra time to get it done."
Buzov's biggest hope is that exhibitors are successful after cancelled and delayed markets last year.
"(I know) how expensive this is for individual companies to come here and show, so mainly what I'm hoping at this point is that these guys have more traffic and that more attendees come," Buzov said.
MacRae is encouraged by the turnout at premarket last month, which he said sold out the Inn too. He hopes it's a sign of good things to come.
"This is going to be a tell-all market on how things are going to be going from here on out," MacRae said.
The High Point Spring Furniture Market begins Saturday, June 5 and ends Wednesday, June 9.