Universal opts for luxury home display at Expo Mueble to target upscale stores
By Powell Slaughter -- Furniture Today, February 24, 2002
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Case goods resource Universal Furniture took a novel approach to its inaugural participation in Expo Mueble, supplementing a small booth at the show with display in a 10,000-square-foot luxury home about 10 minutes' drive away.
There, Universal showed six dining rooms, five bedrooms and several occasional groups, including product from its flagship Home Colours by Alexander Julian line. All merchandise was from Lacquercraft, the Chinese factory that now owns Universal.
The home belongs to a friend of Universal's Mexico sales representative, Robert Davidoff. The owner was out of town and let Universal rent the house for the show.
"It gave us room to spread out for a good presentation, and a very nice ambience," said Joe Keveryn, vice president and national sales manager for Universal.
The approach also allowed the company to concentrate on Mexican retailers who can take advantage of its direct container shipments from China. Invited retailers rode a van to and from the main show.
"There are 100 million people here in Mexico, and a good portion of them are quite affluent, and we're targeting the retailers who serve that market," Keveryn said. "By bringing the containers in directly, retailers' landed cost is 25% less than buying our product out of the United States."
Universal will open a warehouse by mid-year in Guadalajara, the base for Davidoff and the company's Latin American sales manager, Gabriel Marquez.
Universal decided it needed to do something out of the ordinary to kick off its big push in Mexico.
"So many dealers had not seen the new Universal," Keveryn said. "Bringing them to this home was so much better than selling off photos."
| Keveryn |
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