Dealers say Bo Concept approach customized, inexpensive and stylish
Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, March 31, 2003
Portland, Ore. — A clean, contemporary and affordable product line supported by a retail display and marketing program seems to be attracting stores to the Bo Concept gallery format from Club 8.
According to two of the new Bo Concept retailers, the program should appeal to consumers because the simple yet stylish look is easily customized while also inexpensive.
David Haleston, owner of Hip in Portland, has dedicated 4,000 square feet of his store to a Bo Concept studio. Haleston has been selling goods from Danish manufacturer Club 8 since he opened six years ago, but the new studio — with distinctive wood floors, white block walls, custom lighting and coordinated accessories — "clarifies their product and their statement. It delivers the right message for their product," he said.
That message should appeal to young consumers looking for a distinctive yet attainable look, Haleston said.
"The purpose of working with this product is to simplify your life and your surroundings," he said. "Ultimately the effect of that is a more comfortable place to live."
Although Portland isn't a big contemporary market, the Bo Concept line can adapt comfortably to softer, more transitional settings, Haleston said. "In Portland, we're able to integrate what would otherwise be a very contemporary piece into some rather old homes."
In New York, Foremost Furniture has installed a Bo Concept studio in 1,500 square feet. Richard Broderson, vice president, said it was an easy decision to go with the line.
"The customer I attract expects a lot of choices, and my sales staff is accustomed to giving them what they want," he said. "This line can do that, and it's perfect for my Manhattan customer who is both space and style conscious. The looks are upper end looks that we're familiar with from Italy and other places."
Broderson said he's also been pleased with the sales training and other forms of support Club 8 has provided. "My people were very receptive to the individual training they provided," he said.
Foremost is near a Club 8 distribution center in New Jersey, which allows Broderson to cut down on his inventory.
"It's one of the cleanest things that I do," he said. "No muss and no fuss. It's like a dream."
Haleston draws product from the Club 8 distribution center outside Kansas City and gets delivery times of three or four weeks out of Kansas City and eight weeks from Denmark.
"But it's the product that sells," he said. "As this concept has matured, they've added a lot of product, item pieces that help us complete a room. They're the most coordinated manufacturer of product I've ever seen. They know who they want to be, and they're very clear and helpful in helping their dealers understand where they're headed."
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