Creativity lifts occasional
Fresh materials, style and function generate excitement
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, December 29, 2002
Occasional furniture producers are battling a slow economy through creative materials, style and function.
Mixed media continues to rule the category, according to manufacturers like Bassett, Broyhill, Butler Specialty, Collezione Europa, Hammary, Klaussner, Lexington, Standard, Stein World and Universal. Popular materials include a variety of woods, glass, metal and stone. Organic materials — such as wicker, rattan, leather and bamboo (either split or crushed) — also are doing well.
Storage capacity is a key feature, according to Hammary, Klaussner, Lexington, Magnussen Home, The Platt Collections, Standard, Stanley, Stein World and Universal.
And style continues to be a key driver of sales — especially when the occasional goes with upholstered goods or home entertainment — for Broyhill, Butler Specialty, Collezione Europa, Hammary, Klaussner, Lane, Universal and others.
Value holds the key
The biggest thing happening in occasional furniture today is value, according to Andy Stein, president of Stein World.
With the state of the economy, consumers do not want to spend a lot of money, Stein said. A complete remodeling is being put off until later, but consumers can still change the look of a room with one or two low-priced accent pieces.
Prices are more competitive than ever because so many vendors have jumped into occasional, said Stephen Giles, vice president of merchandising for Universal. For example, more upholstery companies are importing tables, he added, with hot price points running around $199 and $299.
Klaussner is doing well with occasional tables at $249 and $299, according to Darren York, product development and sales manager for occasional, while Standard has found success with promotional three-pack groups at $199.
Hot products right now for Broyhill are occasional pieces with matching, wood-trimmed upholstery. According to Don Essenberg, vice president of merchandising for imported case goods, there is more perceived value for upholstery when the occasional coordinates, because it makes it easier to decorate a room. Sun-drenched, tropical resort-type designs and ornately styled traditional are both doing well in whole-room applications, he added.
At Lane, good growth is being generated in occasional through a "completing the room" concept," said Ray Allori, vice president of wood merchandising. "We got a very strong reaction from retailers since it allows customers to get a look that coordinates tables and entertainment centers with their upholstery without making them get into the master bedroom and dining."
"Upholstery drives the occasional business," said Universal's Giles, adding that microfiber and leather are hot right now. To accompany microfibers, Universal is designing lighter scaled, transitional tables; for leather, mixed media does well.
Hammary is doing more and more with casual contemporary, also following a trend in upholstery, said President John Labarowski.
The trend has influenced Klaussner, too, which has been emphasizing contemporary tables with straighter lines and simplified looks, said York.
Stanley greatly expanded its home entertainment program at the April High Point market and has been bringing out more matching tables as well, according to Kelly Cain, senior vice president and product manager of home office and home entertainment. The company introduced five groups in October, pushing its total to 15.
Mixing it up
The popularity of mixed media shows no signs of letting up.
"Mixed media is big," said Don Mecke, Standard vice president, including stone, glass, wood and metal combinations. "It's really been a big category for us this year." Standard's sales were up about 18% this year, he said, and occasional is "significantly up" over that.
Fossilized stone and marble continue to do well on chests and consoles, but also are appearing on many occasional tables like Stein World's Wellington collection. Granite and marble add a lot of look to any piece, even promotional goods, Stein said.
Fossilized stone has been such a big hit for Butler Specialty that the company has been looking to add it to more pieces — both as a top and in other applications, said Dan Sumner, vice president of sales and marketing.
Oak continues to be a regional finish for Butler, Sumner said, and isn't doing as well in some areas. However, cherry and painted finishes are performing quite well.
Hand-painted accents and cases are doing well at Hammary, too, as are mixed media goods that go well with leather. The Hidden Treasures collection includes such items as well as novelty pieces like a motorcycle table and an alligator table.
"It's an easy purchase for the customer," said Labarowski. "Everyone wants something different. It becomes a conversation piece."
Contemporary metal and glass tables are a calling card of Collezione Europa, but the emphasis is shifting to slightly larger sizes. Three-pack groups retailing for about $199 have been 24by48 inches, but retailers are becoming increasingly interested in the larger 28by50-inch size. Other hot occasional pieces include pedestals, plant stands and bars. Painted items seem to be slowing down.
Exotic woods, organic looks
The market is saturated with overly carved Asian hardwoods, and consumers are moving toward cleaner lines with more emphasis on shape and finishing, said Martin Gardner, Bassett merchandising manager. While simpler styles are selling well, standard woods are taking a backseat to more exotic species and organic materials, he said.
Bassett is having good success with hall chests and taller hall consoles, he added.
Woven leather was a popular material for Lexington Home Brands at the October High Point market, according to Rick Hendrix, director of merchandising for seating and casual furniture. One hot item was a woven leather cube with padded top that can be used as an end table or as pull-up seating.
"For a long time, we hadn't been happy with our occasional sales," said Hendrix. But a retooling of the line brought new sales, especially in soft contemporary and transitional styles. In addition to mixed media, Lexington's contrasting finishes — such as a walnut stained finish combined with a rub-through paint — have been doing well.
Klaussner's occasional success has been mainly in two categories, said York. One is transitional styling, using materials like wood, metal and glass. The other is in function, with drawers and doors providing storage, and casters and lift-top tables offering motion.
Homeowners spend a lot of time in the family room, and furniture is expected to serve multiple functions, said York. They want cocktail tables that provide places to store remote controls and magazines and space on which to play cards and eat snacks.
Motion and storage
Function becomes especially important with motion upholstery, York said. With recliners and reclining sofas, room must be given for the footrest to swing out. Some tables have casters to roll out of the way, while others have a lift top that brings the top surface closer, while keeping the base out of way.
Hamilton & Spill also does a lot of business in lift-top tables. One Northern customer spends much of his advertising dollars on marketing lift-top tables and has developed strong sales in this niche, said Rick Verjee, executive vice president. Others doing well in lift-top tables are Hammary and Lane.
"Storage is key," said Universal's Giles. "Every piece we do has some type of storage."
Vertical storage is gaining importance, said Jeff Cook, president and chief executive officer of Magnussen Home. Storage cocktail and end tables can give homeowners more places to put things without taking up any more square footage, he explained.
Demand for function is leading retailers to try some innovative arrangements in room design, noted Standard's Mecke. Rather than showing the typical two end tables, some stores are mixing in tables that have casters or drawers or magazine shelves. Cabinet cocktail tables are also big, he said.
Stein World does about 70% of its business in some sort of chest that gives storage space, said James Franks, systems administrator. Top sellers include bombé chests that have plenty of storage combined with lots of look as well as multifunctional pieces like a chest that can be used as a wine bar.
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