I just happened to run across your message on your trip to NC. If you are still planning on heading to High Point to let your mother shop for furniture, do you know if she has scoped out where she wants to go? As a resident of High Point, I have a couple of suggestions. First be aware that your time frame is only 1 week before the semi-annual Furniture Market, and will be in the midst of PreMarket, the downtown area will be extremely busy with trucks unloading/uncrating furniture for the showrooms (which by the way are not are open to the public, only to buyers for furniture stores). Whereas sometimes of the year, you may find some bargains in the downtown area of "showroom samples" etc, this will not be the time. Major shopping will still be available, but your best bets are probably the mega public "showrooms" like Furnitureland South or Boyles, which conveniently are located right across from each other on Business I85 between High Point and Greensboro. While these outlets, discount retail maybe 20-25% (which isn't much in my book) and may be much better than you can get in NYC, real bargain shopping for furniture probably would take several days, and pre-research about brands etc you are interested in and then finding who has the best deals on those brands. For a first trip one or the other of the 2 stores I mentioned will probably last your mother 2-3+ hours and give her an idea of what is available as well as some catalogs to take home.
Hope this helps.
Cindi