Entertainment in bright spotlight
Savvy retailers aim to meet growing demand for creative furniture solutions
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, March 14, 2004
High Point — High Point— The excitement in the marketplace over home theater is palpable. Many consumers are experiencing TV envy, a condition that has inspired them to buy big-screen TVs, surround-sound systems and other components in record numbers, numbers that are expected to rise or at least maintain at healthy levels for several years.
As the New York Times described in a recent feature article, many movie enthusiasts have redefined the expression "dinner and a movie," replacing a restaurant visit and a trip to the movie theater with a home meal with friends and an in-home screening. With the stunning video screens and sublime speakers now available, true home theater is attainable not just for well-heeled hobbyists but for any of us who can get credit approval from a store like Best Buy.
But the enthusiasm over home theater dwindles when the discussion turns to furniture. The whiz-bang of the sound and the screen tend to dominate the discussion. For instance, that same New York Times feature that described the trend toward large-scale home theaters mentioned furniture only in passing with terms like "the living room couch," "a plush sofa" and "reclining seats."
An entertainment essential
Even if furniture is just a footnote, it's still essential to the home theater experience. Some big screens may not require stands or cabinets, but the components almost always need a resting place as well as something that hides the wires and cables. And it's difficult to enjoy a movie or a game without a comfortable seat.
Whether furniture gets the respect and recognition it deserves as part of the home theater experience doesn't really matter. Many, many consumers will recognize that they need furniture while they are shopping for electronics or once they get the new equipment in their homes.
And quite a few furniture retailers report that entertainment furniture is a strong category, with a recent increase in requests for information about cases and wall systems that support the new shape of television screens.
"There are so many different TVs now that the customer seems to be in a bit of a quandary as to what furniture to get," said MaryLou Tyler, buyer for HOM Furniture, a 12-store chain based in Coon Rapids, Minn.
Retailers in other corners of the country share similar assessments: "It's a little confusing lately because of the new screen configurations," said Giff Gates, president of Gates Home Furnishings in Grants Pass, Ore.
According to Gates, some consumers seem to be delaying their purchases because of that confusion. Nonetheless, entertainment is still an active furniture category that's outpacing many others on store floors. Among the retailers questioned for this article who said they make a priority of the category, entertainment centers, home theater walls and television stands represent from 7% to 10% of total sales.
"It seems like lately the walls are starting to pick up and move," Gates said. "Some of these walls are getting pretty cool with the adjustable piers, and the imports have helped make it a better value."
With plasma televisions and other thin-profile sets picking up market momentum, consumers are looking for furniture solutions for a large appliance with which they have little experience. They've seen these sets wall-mounted in commercials, but they aren't sure that's what they want to do in their homes, said Russ Daily, president of the Scan International, a contemporary chain based in Rockville, Md.
Stands fill the bill
"Fortunately, Americans don't like to drill holes in their walls, and they worry about the weight," Daily said. "You can plan for it if you are building new, but in existing homes, people are looking for stands."
At Kloss Furniture Interiors in Highland, Ill., a large commitment to entertainment is paying off with steady sales and large tickets. With 15 walls and 20 other entertainment armoires on display, the store is well positioned as a one-stop shop in the category, said Michele Lynn, merchandise manager.
Kloss integrates entertainment cabinetry with its upholstery displays, which is the way the pieces are used in a home. That means the department is spread around the store, but it also doesn't chew up huge chunks of space, either, Lynn said.
Bringing displays to life
For a number of retailers, walls are the hot number in entertainment, a trend that creates another display issue. Empty, these units can look depressingly cavernous.
At Bay Furniture, a six-store chain outside Chicago, the company uses props but also tries to keep a television running in at least one display.
"We show it with a 60-inch TV," said Larry Kozer, merchandise manager. "That helps keep the guy's attention, and shows them how it could look in their home."
As plasma TVs become more of a mainstream product, Lynn and other merchants said they expect they will need to step up their sales training. The evolution of furniture may not be as rapid as with electronics, but it's under way.
"I don't know that we've seen plasma as a huge influence at this point in time," said Hershel Alpert, president of Alpert's in Seekonk, Mass. "I think we will, but not yet. There's no question that with HDTV coming in, the move to larger and larger screens is going to be more of a factor. We're going to have to adapt to that."
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