Curios display fresh touches
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, July 12, 2004
High Point — Summer typically is a slow time for luxury accents, but curio makers are generating interest through fresh styles and sharp prices.
Resources say retail sales, with the exception of Memorial Day weekend, have been soft since the April market. Still, some companies are finding ways to boost sales.
Philip Miller, chairman and CEO of Howard Miller, said while retailers have been reporting level business for the past couple of months, his sales were up in April and May for both the floor clock and collector's cabinet lines.
Collector's cabinets are a very strong niche now for Ello Furniture, said President Lothar Molton, with between 30 and 40 pieces in the line.
This year's sales are similar to 2003 for M&W Curios, perhaps a little better, said co-owner Brenda Miller.
Curio sales are up in 2004 for Peters-Revington, said Dan Kendrick, vice president of merchandising. The company introduced four groups at the April market. The line has 40 to 45 silhouettes, with a few available in multiple finishes. The total SKU count is between 60 and 70 items.
Most cabinets are traditionally styled in solid oak or cherry, Kendrick said. In October, Peters-Revington will introduce more-casual models to broaden the line.
Briton Furniture has been importing into the United States for only four years, so the company continues to grow each year, said Jim Gregory, executive vice president. Sales in 2003 were up 20% over 2002, and were growing in the first quarter of 2004, he said. "But business has been tough in the second quarter this year," he added.
Briton brought out two new curio cabinets in April — one cottage and one contemporary in a matte black finish — but the major emphasis was on a line of pub tables and barstools to match its best-selling curios.
Sales have improved in 2004 for Leick Furniture. Business hasn't been explosive, but Leick has a double-digit increase so far over last year, said CEO Gregory Leick.
The company reinvented its curio lineup to dip into prices it didn't reach before, he said. A year ago, the hot price points were $999 and $1,099. This year, Leick is doing strong business with models between $599 and $799.
Retailers are selling more cabinets at the lower prices, and the extra turns are making up for the price drop.
Over the past year, the category has focused on popular price points with less emphasis on step-ups than previously, said Howard Miller's Miller. The consumer still values the nicer features, but just doesn't feel he or she can afford to pay more for them, he said.
As a result, at the past two High Point markets Howard Miller has introduced cabinets that reflect better value: lower prices, but with the typical Howard Miller features.
That has meant less profit for the manufacturer, Miller said. In other categories, companies have moved more toward imports, but there isn't as much to gain by moving production overseas in curios. The company operates a Chinese plant to supply its Hekman division, but collector's cabinets will continue to be built in the United States, he said.
Because Leick also has domestic production, the company can offer custom finishes that imports can't match. While stained finishes continue to do well, Leick was surprised that the black painted No. 5974 curio with sliding door was a top seller at the April market. The paint covers the natural grain of the solid-wood surfaces, which typically has been a strong selling point.
While Leick and Howard Miller found success targeting lower prices, Philip Reinisch went in the opposite direction at the April market.
"The bulk ... was targeted at the highest end of our line, with a lot of look," said CEO Stan Reinisch.
The company continues to offer some lower-priced goods, Reinisch said. But taller and wider pieces are selling well now, as well as pieces with two-way sliding glass doors.
Years ago, the typical collector's cabinet was around six feet tall, said Reinisch. In more recent times, the mean height has been a little taller at 76 inches, not including any pediment that would stick up farther. Now the line is taller, with more cabinets between 80 inches and 84 inches, with a mean height of 80 inches.
Reinisch said $999 is the most targeted price range; some cabinets are as low as $799, with others retailing well up to $1,499 or $1,599.
Traditional curios are Pulaski's core business and continue to do well, but lifestyle and urban models also are important, said Jim Kelly, executive vice president of product development and marketing. Cherry and oak in traditional colors will always be important, but white paints and darker Merlot stains also sell.
Mantel curios (60 inches high) have a place in the home because of their small size, said Kelly, while striking veneers also draw attention, such as maple burls on a new oval cabinet.
Pulaski's patented sliding door design continues to be the top feature, and the company is warning competitors that it will protect its patent.
Glober Fine Metal Furniture usually has a few new curios each year, but didn't offer any new models at the April market.
Instead, the company focused on developing its first bedroom furniture line, said John Glowacki, vice president. The new goods were such a hit that Glober should have expanded into this niche years ago, he said.
A top performer at Glober now is a curio with hidden storage on the bottom. Borrowing from a china/hutch piece, the cabinet has glass doors on top as well as glass shelves and overhead lighting. The base has two doors, behind which the owner can store items that aren't to be displayed, said Glowaki. The new curio cabinet retails for about $1,500.
