Microfiber magic
Fresh textures, patterns add pizzazz to new designs
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, January 30, 2005
High Point — Consumers have fallen in love with microfiber upholstery covers, and it appears the relationship will be long-lasting.
Since coming on strong a few years ago, microfiber — that soft but tough fabric made from tiny synthetic fibers that mimics suede — has been going full blast. Upholstery makers say it will be a long time before it wanes, despite the fact the first wave already has washed down from the high end to the low.
Producers in the middle price points and above have relinquished the original sueded approach to the lower-price suppliers, turning to new looks and innovations coming from the fabric mills to distinguish their lines from the rest. Most have found those new looks in patterns, textures, even in multi-applications using both sides of the fabric. That's where most upholstery makers think their future will be if they're going to be part of a growing "performance" fabric business.
"Suede, that's a $399, $499, $599 retail business," said Paul Peters, president of Cochrane Furniture's upholstery division. "We're a $799, $899, $999 house, so we've just got to be careful that we don't look overly similar to the promotional houses. Suede is definitely a promotional treatment now."
Performance a plus
The characteristics of microfiber have led to its increasing popularity, according to several upholstery executives. The fact that it's extremely durable and easy to clean hasn't gone unnoticed with the kids-and-pets crowd. And it's being lumped into the performance category with brands such as Sunbrella and Crypton.
"What I really think is happening is that leather is forcing the fabric category to somehow add the value of performance," said Peters. "The mills at Showtime seemed to be real interested in it. People are trying to get into that category. We think it's a winner for the consumer, and we better do more of it, not less."
Keith Feuerhaken, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Alan White, said, "I was amazed at how many people shopping Showtime were using microdenier. Microdenier products have really exploded on the scene. Now that people have such a positive feeling about it, the industry is bringing more and more alternatives to the consumer."
He added, "The other thing I saw at Showtime in the traditional sueded materials was that, just when you thought prices couldn't go lower after the tariffs were removed, there's even some lower prices. I just had to shake my head. I don't think there's another shoe that can drop."
Sueded microfibers have dropped from $7 to $8 a yard three years ago to about half that today. Ben Nielsen, president of Cambridge of California, said a company recently offered him a microfiber for $2.95.
"So there's no bottom to it," Nielsen said. "But this is our industry. We are good at prostituting a good thing. We think price is everything. That's where we differ from the car industry. We need to realize that people don't just buy price; they buy quality and other things."
"I think there's always going to be suede, just like there's always going to be some chenille," said Bob Eller, vice president of sales and marketing for Los Angeles-based Richter Mfg. "What people are asking now is, 'How's that going to evolve into the next thing?'"
Enhancing the appeal
The next thing, according to Eller, is to make upholstery surfaces more visually appealing. So Richter is offering microfibers with longer naps, one called Shaggy; the other, with a shorter nap, called Teddy since it resembles the bear. "I see a lot of interest on the part of retailers," he said.
Jack Arthur, vice president of merchandising for Norwalk, said consumer awareness has propelled microfibers into becoming "the poster child" for performance fabrics. "Consumers are getting to expect more of a performance story from fabrics," he said, noting that triggered Norwalk into establishing a subset of its fabric selection call Performance Plus.
"Microfibers are a big part of that," he said, as the company keeps ramping up its program, in part because the diversity of applications keeps drawing customers. "A few years ago, microfiber was synonymous with faux suede," Arthur said. "But there are (mills) doing microfiber stories now in other kinds of construction."
Norwalk, for instance, is using a new woven Persian rug design. "You could not tell until you got your hands on it that it was a print," he said.
"The interesting thing is that the yardage we carry on microfibers just keeps growing and growing," said Allison McCall, merchandise manager for Clayton Marcus. "When you add up all the colors we have, it's one of our top fabrics."
Even before consumers knew about the durability and cleanability of microfiber, the public was lapping it up because "they liked it," said McCall. "I think that story is out there more than it has ever been, and people are asking for it that way. I think the innovations that mills are doing on microfiber are helping it, not just the prints but the patterned goods. I'm thinking that microfibers haven't peaked yet."
The new textures and color palettes in today's microfibers are also allowing manufacturers to move in different style directions.
"For manufacturers who are more transitional as opposed to contemporary, microfibers are becoming increasingly important as they become more sophisticated and more suitable, and address, for the first time, transitional styling," said Lee Fautsch, national sales manager for Flexsteel. "This story has not played out at all."
Hardly anybody thinks that microfiber is being purchased as a substitute for leather.
"I don't think there's a lot of cross-selling between fabric and leather," said Fautsch. "The leather customer wants leather, is looking for leather, and will buy leather. The same is typically true of the fabric consumer."
New colors
Meanwhile, the microfiber color palette is changing. Alan White's Feuerhaken sees colors softening. Cochrane's Peters said chocolates and reds "seem to be the two colors that really seem to be working," with spicier reds coming on.
Norwalk's Arthur believes "colors have gentled a bit this season" with spa blue-green colors combined with chocolate. And McCall said the neutrals are still selling well for Clayton Marcus, plus red, "which is selling as well as any color out there."
Neutrals also have been good for Richter, but colors growing in popularity include "some nice hues of blue, some brighter ones like oranges, and some spicier tones," said Eller. "One of the beauties of microfiber is that it lends itself to just about any palette," he said. "You can dye it any color. That's been part of its beauty — the ability to sell up and down in the price point range."
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