Orders for residential furniture chop sharply in April, perhaps as a result of the move in dates for the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point that was held later in the month this year. 

The monthly Furniture Insights forecaster issued by the High Point accounting and consulting firm BDO Seidman, establish that furniture orders in April were down 13 percent compared to the same month last year, and off 26 percent as of March of this year. 

The study noted that this year’s spring market took place from April 27 to May 4, later than the April 14-21 dates in 2005. That meant that orders logged at the market most likely didn’t make it into the April figures this year. “We hope to see much improved May results,” the analysis said.