Metal beds producers conservative with intros
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, October 14, 2001
HIGH POINT — HIGH POINT — Although no one is boasting about record-setting sales this year, metal bed producers say business has been surprisingly strong leading up to market.
Most say the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, will wind up being the strongest quarter this year — even though the quarter included several days when business all but ground to a halt following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
They say traffic-building items such as daybeds have been especially popular in recent months, as have twin beds and bunk beds, which usually find their way into a child's room.
"Our backlog is really healthy right now," said Darien Chung, national sales manager at Elliott's Designs. "Even before Sept. 11, our business was steady, and orders are starting to pick up again."
Chung and other executives say dealers are watching inventory levels very closely, and, as a result, items that are part of quick-ship programs seem to get the most attention.
"This will be the first High Point market where nearly all of our new items are already in stock for immediate delivery," said Dick Yargus, vice president of sales and marketing at Largo, who imports nearly all of its product line from Pacific Rim countries.
Largo, like most other metal bed producers and importers, is being conservative with product introductions at market. Most have opted, for example, to add a model or two to existing collections instead of unveiling entirely new collections.
"Business is not as good as we would like, but we are still pretty positive about things," said Amisco President Rejean Poitras. "Most of the majors (Top 100 retailers) are still doing fairly well."
Fashion Bed Group, the metal bed category's biggest distributor, also has seen its share of hard times this year, but President Ron Ainsworth said the company's ability to land several new accounts has provided a significant top-line boost. "It's not going to be a record, year, but it's not as bad as some of the reports I've been reading about other segments of the economy," he said.
Ainsworth said the loss of big accounts such as Homelife, which is being liquidated, has been largely offset by new programs at Sears and Mattress Discounters.
The Mattress Discounters program is a key element of a "strategic partnership" announced last month between the bedding retailer and Fashion Bed Group's parent company, Leggett & Platt.
Ainsworth's company will supply virtually all the headboards, footboards, daybeds and bunk beds in Mattress Discounters' approximately 300 stores. Other units will ship bed frames to the retail stores and mattress components to the retailer's three factories that make its private-label bedding.
A full range of prices
At market, Fashion Bed Group is focusing on price points of $199 to $399 with a variety of new daybeds, futons and wood bunk beds, while Elliott's Designs is unveiling a lineup of twin-side beds in the same price range.
The new Elliott's beds feature seven new finishes aimed at the juvenile furniture market.
High-end rival Wesley Allen is adding two twin-size beds to its juvenile furniture program, but the thrust of its market introductions are centered around five adult iron beds retailing for $899 to $1,199 in queen. Three of the new models are forged iron, which has been extremely popular at the upper end in recent years.
Also testing the high-end waters is contemporary specialist Comfort Designs, which has a $999 model featuring perforated headboard and footboard panels. Another entry at $699 in queen has an upholstered headboard.
Hickory At Home has a pair of new adult metal beds at $399 in queen, while Largo has no fewer than six new models at $399 to $599. One of Largo's entries is a brass-plated model and another has pewter plating.
Amisco, meanwhile, is continuing to expand its style offerings by adding a pair of adult beds with traditional styling and another with transitional styling. The company is targeting retail price points of $399 to $699 in queen.
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New At Market: Metal Beds
Sep 30, 2001
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