Parker James opened its first U.S. stand-alone showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in time for the ICFA Preview Show™in July. In addition, Zuo Modern Contemporary opened a new showroom—a space about twice the size of its former space—in the Merchandise Mart. These companies cross over several product categories (including outdoor furniture, fabrics, lighting, and accessories) and further enhance the casualfurnishings offerings available to attendees of the Preview Show and the Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™.

Harold Hudson, president of Parker James, says, “With the opening of the new showroom, Parker James is excited to have our own identity within the Chicago Merchandise Mart. For the past 10 years, Parker James was displayed inside the Summer Classics showroom, and since our business model is different from [that of ] Summer Classics, we needed to have our own space. The Chicago Merchandise Mart allows us a forum to display our products, and it has assembled a great team to help us achieve that objective.”

Luis Ruesga, CEO of Zuo, says, “It has been clear to us that if we wanted to be part of the casual-furniture industry, we needed to have a presence at the Merchandise Mart, and that is why, four years ago, we exhibited for the first time at the Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market. Our success at the market prompted us to open a permanent showroom the following year; for the Preview Show, we expanded to a premium location on the 15th floor, where we had enough space to show our entire collection. Our goal for this year is to grow by 30%, and we know the only way to reach our goal is by expanding our space. We are very excited about this new opportunity.”