SoHo Today honors Hooker, R.C. Willey with new awards
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 3, 2002
GREENSBORO, N.C. — GREENSBORO, N.C. — SoHo Today will honor manufacturer Hooker Furniture and Top 100 retailer R.C. Willey with the first Impact Awards at the third annual SoHo conference, March 21-22 at the Sheraton at Four Seasons Hotel here.
The awards recognize leading industry players for their impact on the small office/home office segment in the past year.
"These two companies have taken a lead role in moving the SOHO category forward during 2001," said Gary James, editor of SoHo Today, a supplement to Furniture/Today. "They both developed innovative merchandising programs that reach out to consumers and boost sales."
Hooker, a force in home office for years, rolled out a mini-gallery program called SmartWorks at the April market. The presentations, covering either 400 or 800 square feet, feature seven to 14 of Hooker's home office systems, supported by signage, kiosks and take-home information.
SmartWorks dealers receive priority delivery and sales training in the SOHO category. Nearly 400 retailers participate, including Havertys, Benchmark, Carson Pirie Scott, Kittle's, Breuners, Klingman, Mathis Bros. and Star.
To help drive traffic into stores, Hooker sponsored a National Home Office SmartWorks sale. Hooker also sent e-mails to thousands of prospects, inviting them to enter a drawing to win a Hooker computer cabinet.
The company last year remerchandised its modular program based on input from consumer focus groups, adding access openings to all desk units to accommodate internal wiring, increasing the depth to provide greater work surfaces for large monitors, and enlarging desk widths to provide a wider keyboard area.
For Salt Lake City-based R.C. Willey, home office has emerged as a fast-growing category. At its Henderson store outside Las Vegas, which opened in October, it doubled the size of its home office display. The 11-store retailer also gave the department a more prominent position, and provided training programs for salespeople.
R.C. Willey offers a broad, good-better-best SOHO assortment. Key vendors of assembled product include Aspen, Orman Grubb, Martin and Thornwood; in ready to assemble, Sauder, Bush and O'Sullivan.
The company goes head-to-head with office superstores in the office chair segment, with a deep lineup from sources such as Office Star and HealthStyle.
The SoHo Today conference, "Strategies for Growth," will feature a keynote address by City Furniture's Keith Koenig and three panel discussions involving top furniture stores, RTA specialists and mid-market office furniture dealers. Store design consultant Connie Post also will speak.
For information on attending, e-mail Kathy Humble at khumble@cahners.com or call her at (336) 605-1066.
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