Entertainment on the rise
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, April 19, 2004
HIGH POINT — Wide-screen televisions are no longer just an emerging market, but represent the current state of the art as well as the future of home video.
That certainly is driving the design direction of entertainment cabinets on display at the April market here.
One of the stronger furniture categories because of the changing shape of new TVs, new entertainment walls and television stands are wider, shallower and lower than in previous versions.
And they are certainly abundant here as more and more manufacturers look to capitalize on a growth opportunity.
Digital TV sales in a variety of formats — rear projection, plasma and digital light processing — are soaring, growing 56% in 2003 over 2002 with more than 4 million units sold.
The Consumer Electronics Assn. is projecting more major growth this year, with nearly 6 million digital TVs expected to be sold. Direct-view cathode-ray tubes still sell in big numbers, but they also are moving rapidly toward the wide-screen format.
"Digital TVs continue to be the hottest thing in consumer electronics," said Hank Long, senior vice president of merchandising for Hooker Furniture. "You can get a high-definition, 50-inch model for about $3,000, while a true plasma set will cost about twice that much."
While prices are expected to fall, many consumers are making their purchases now, he said.
This obviously is having a major impact on entertainment furniture. At a minimum, the larger sets require a wider surface for storage, which is why buyers are seeing an explosion of consoles or credenzas at this market.
These wide stands seem to be replacing entertainment centers or armoires because the new screens are so wide that doors are becoming less practical. The credenzas accommodate wide-screen DLP models, which come in tabletop models with giant screens measuring up to 70 inches diagonally, and they also have shelves below for audio and video components as well as media storage.
At the larger end of the spectrum, multi-piece walls have been a strong performer at retail, and quite a few manufacturers are showing new styles and designs for these big-ticket models.
Although furniture producers just a few months ago were concerned the plethora of new TV models was making the furniture purchase too complicated for many consumers, they seem to have settled on a basic three- or four-piece configuration. The three-piece version includes two piers and a bridge, while the four-piece includes those as well as a center console.
Among the fresh ideas that buyers might want to review here are the concave models introduced by Signature Seay and by Riley Holliday.
The Signature Seay walls create a sweeping inward curve that will work nicely with the kidney-shaped sofas that upholstery makers are offering for home theater seating. The Riley Holliday model is a corner unit with a concave shape that is just different enough that it might inspire consumers.
Imports from the likes of Universal, Orleans and Holland House continue to play a powerful role in all this, creating by-the-ton values that will undoubtedly force domestic prices down as well.
Although entertainment is a strong-selling category, producers are under pressure to hit or match lower price points. For instance, Hooker has four TV consoles at the new low price point of $999. Promotional importers are offering full walls that also hit that retail price point.
For domestic factories that don't want to get involved in a price war, massive scaling and grand design help justify higher price points. At middle and upper price points, look to Hekman, Hooker, Sligh and Stanley for this type of product.
Stanley has expanded its line of ultra-tall walls — 102 inches — for great rooms with soaring ceilings, and Sligh has added even more in the way of functional features to its entertainment lineup.
For the ultra-high end market, Wood Bros. has developed some new cabinets with mechanized plasma-monitor lifts in English Tudor style, and for the contemporary market, Creative Elegance has some new modern designs.
At the starter end of the market, the ready-to-assemble specialists are not ready to cede any territory, and their focus on big-box retailers forces them to renew their designs frequently.
Bush, looking to reassure its customer base following its recent Chapter 11 filing, is making entertainment a priority this spring, and RTA buyers also will want to take a good look at extensive offerings from Concordia, Sauder Woodworking and Gusdorf.
