Every year around his birthday, Kensington's owner Michael heads to High Point, North Carolina, instead of staying home in Northfield. He's done it for 42 years running, and this year, turning sixty-six, he's doing it again.What Is High Point MarketHigh Point Market is where furniture and accessory manufacturers from around the world show their new product lines. Michael describes it as "the heart, the lifeblood of the furniture industry," and the numbers back that up: the market spans more than 12 million square feet of furniture, carpets, and accessories.It's not open to the general public. It's a trade event, which means the people walking the floor are store owners and buyers deciding what will actually end up in showrooms like ours.Why Michael Goes Every YearMichael goes to find new products and pieces worth bringing back to the Kensington showroom. After 42 years of doing this, he still says he loves it and can't wait to discover what's new each trip. That's not a small thing in an industry that changes every season, with new fabrics, finishes, and styles introduced constantly.It also means the furniture on our floor in Northfield isn't chosen at random or picked purely off a wholesale catalog. It's selected in person, by someone who has spent four decades learning what holds up, what looks right, and what our customers in South Jersey and along the Shore actually want in their homes.What This Means for Kensington CustomersWhen Michael is away at High Point, it's because he's working, even on his birthday. The trip is part of how our family-run store decides what to carry next. New arrivals in the showroom often trace back to choices made on that market floor in North Carolina, months before they land on our floor in New Jersey.It's a small window into how a local furniture store stays current: not by sitting still, but by someone making the trip, year after year, to see what's new before it ever reaches a customer. Key takeaways Kensington's owner Michael has attended High Point Market for 42 consecutive years, always around his birthday. High Point Market is a trade event spanning more than 12 million square feet of furniture, carpet, and accessory displays. Michael personally selects new products at the market to bring back to the Kensington showroom in Northfield. The trip reflects how Kensington chooses what furniture to carry, based on in-person buying rather than catalog ordering alone. Questions people ask What is High Point Market? It's a trade show in High Point, North Carolina, where furniture and accessory manufacturers from around the world display new products for store owners and buyers. Why does Kensington's owner go to High Point every year? Michael goes to discover new furniture and accessories to bring back to the Kensington showroom, something he's done for 42 years. How big is High Point Market? Michael describes it as covering over 12 million square feet of furniture, carpets, and accessories. Is High Point Market open to the public? The transcript doesn't say, but Michael describes it as the place where furniture makers worldwide display new product to the trade.
