Cantoni to open 2nd Southern Calif. store
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, July 14, 2002
LOS ANGELES — Cantoni will open a second Southern California store here this fall, expanding its reach in a market that has been good to the upscale contemporary furniture specialist.
The store at 420 North La Brea Ave. will be the retailer's smallest at 10,000 square feet. While it's not far from Cantoni's 25,000-square-foot Irvine, Calif., store, it should significantly cut the drive time for central L.A.-area consumers, said Michael Wilkov, president and founder.
"It was a natural move for us to expand our operation on the West Coast," Wilkov said. "We've been in Irvine over two years now. We have established a presence. We have our infrastructure set up to handle more stores."
Other furniture stores in the La Brea neighborhood include Metropolis, Linders and Rapport, which Wilkov said should lead to "a lot of synergy."
The Dallas-based retailer, with stores there and in Houston, had sales last year of $25 million to $30 million, according to a Furniture/ Today estimate. Wilkov said the company is on track for more than $30 million this year, including sales from its two designer showrooms in Houston and Dallas.
The La Brea store will be about half the size of Cantoni's typical showroom footprint of 20,000 to 25,000 square feet. Also, the leased space under renovation is part of a row of street storefronts, whereas Cantoni stores typically are stand-alone locations.
Abramson/Teiger Architects of Culver City, Calif., will design and construct the showroom.
The interior design will be more minimal than at other Cantoni stores, Wilcox said. Materials used will including open wood rafters on the ceilings, and glass, stone and steel to create a visually dynamic and dramatic concept.
Storefront colors will be more neutral than at the other locations. For the façade, the architects have created a three-dimensional massing of buildings for a billboard effect over the entrance.
"It's going to be a very appealing, very cool look," Wilkov said.
Cantoni likes to give its furniture room to breathe, and it will hold to that philosophy, despite the store's smaller size. That means the retailer will have to be selective.
The lineup also will be adjusted because of distribution issues in the new territory, but will still feature such key suppliers as American Leather, Excelsior and Dellarobbia. The store also will carry an exclusive line of imported goods in its Cantoni collection, part of a continuing effort to develop Cantoni as the main brand.
The store will be serviced by the retailer's Irvine warehouse.
Wilkov would not disclose Cantoni's investment in the store, or projected revenues.
Richard Pabon, Cantoni's vice president of West Coast operations, said Los Angeles consumers will be able to select design consultants who fit their personality and tastes by reviewing the designer bios and portfolios on the retailer's Web site.
-
Cantoni brightens L.A. scene
Jan 26, 2003 -
Cantoni enters Atlanta with Innovations buy
Apr 13, 2003
Featured Company
-
Wright Labels
Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
