Design expert Kristan Cunningham to work with Raymour & Flanigan

Will help furniture retailer connect with consumers

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, January 13, 2009

Kristan Cunningham

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. —- Raymour & Flanigan has partnered with design expert and television personality Kristan Cunningham to develop programs that inform and educate consumers on solutions to decorating dilemmas.

Under the exclusive arrangement, Cunningham, known for her regular appearances on the "Rachael Ray" show and HGTV's "Design on a Dime," will offer design suggestions and work with the Top 100 company to develop materials that will show customers rooms they can create with Raymour & Flanigan furniture and accessories.

She will also work with the retailer's marketing team and use co-developed tools to advise and instruct Raymour's sales teams.

Cunningham's design suggestions already are available through style guide brochures at the Liverpool, N.Y.-based retailer's 86 showrooms, in direct mail pieces and in multipage inserts in consumer magazines. Future plans include webinars and columns on Raymour & Flanigan's Web site - RaymourFlanigan.com - design books and other materials

The company didn't release the financial terms of the arrangement.

In a press release Raymour & Flanigan said the new program was inspired by customers' requests for design advice and is designed "to enhance the customer shopping experience, making it less stressful, while working to increase customers' confidence in their ability to put together a room that reflects their individual style."

"Especially in this economic environment, we have an obligation to improve the confidence of those who are in the market for new furniture," said Lisa King, the retailer's senior vice president of marketing.

"Our goal is to make free and useful decorating advice from a professional, credible designer like Kristan, widely available to our valued customers so the whole shopping and decorating process is exciting and easy. Her fun and affordable ideas will teach customers how to ‘take over their room's makeover."

Cunningham will also work with Raymour to keep consumers up to speed on new design trends and seasonal ideas.