Motion dealers offer array of new products, special promotions
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, January 29, 2006
Las Vegas — Following a 2005 that was mediocre for many key players, producers of motion furniture and recliners are heading to their second Las Vegas furniture market intent on jump-starting 2006 with an array of new products and promotions.
Some producers are making no secret they are using this Vegas show as a de facto premarket for High Point, but many others are simply trying to rebound from a year that was anything but robust.
Producers said that early 2006 has shown some signs of life, but most are wary of sounding too optimistic.
"It does seem like business has improved a little bit since December, but there has been nothing dramatic," said Wayne Stephens, president of Barcalounger.
Don Hunter, senior vice president of major accounts at Catnapper, said he believes many retailers are having to replenish inventories that have become lean because of very conservative buying in the fall, when business was unusually slow in many markets.
"Now, they're in need of merchandise," he said. "And if you have a quick-ship program in place, that helps a lot."
Hunter said January "is starting out with a big bang" at Catnapper, and he's hoping a variety of market specials and new products at both Las Vegas and the Tupelo market in February will keep the sales momentum at a brisk pace.
"We're going to be loaded in Vegas," he said.
Jay Foscue, vice president of merchandising at Klaussner, said he's optimistic about the coming year because dealers largely have recovered from the "sticker shock" of last fall's price increases, which were driven by ever-higher raw materials costs.
"Orders are looking pretty good so far this year," said Foscue. "We're real optimistic."
He said the Las Vegas market will mark the unofficial start of Klaussner's revamped product development effort. Under that plan, products will be introduced throughout the year and not necessarily held back for major trade shows.
"We'll have a lot of new items in Vegas but, going forward, we'll bring products out when they're ready," Foscue said. "We won't hold them back until April just because there is a market coming up."
He and several other motion executives said they are expecting attendance at this week's Vegas show to be at least as strong as the inaugural market in July, when some showrooms were overwhelmed by crowds of buyers during the first two days of the event.
"We're expecting a good show," said Mark Hedden, merchandise manager for recliners at Flexsteel. "I think we're going to have a lot more people from the Midwest and the West than we did the last time."
Hedden said that, because attendance was poor at October's High Point market, many dealers also will be seeing the company's fall introductions for the first time.
Barcaloungers' Stephens said his company's World Market Center showroom may draw fewer dealers from the Southeast and the East Coast than in July, but said his sales force is reporting that attendance from dealers in the West is likely to increase.
"A lot of those people don't shop High Point anyway," he said of the Western dealers. "They quit coming to that market quite a while ago."
Executives said leather continues to drive business in both motion sofas and recliners, particularly for medium and upper-end goods. However, fabric covers still have an important role to play when merchandising any retail floor, producers said.
"Suede and padded suede obviously are doing well," said Jennifer Springer, vice president of design at Peop-Loungers. "But there is still a need for better chenilles ... and with the price on these chenilles being forced down, that allows us to be more competitive."
PeopLoungers, which is using the Las Vegas market to strengthen its recliner offerings at $299 to $599 retail, is one of several motion and recliner producers showing new product this week.
Catnapper, for example, has two new recliners and three new motion seating groups, while Best Home Furnishings is adding to its successful home theater seating lineup.
Best's newest home theater group, Showbiz, allows for multiple configurations since each reclining seat, loveseat and wedge ships individually.
Canadian producer El Ran, meanwhile, is stressing upper-end goods, with a motion sofa at $1,199 retail and a pair of high-leg recliners at $999 retail with all-leather covers, while Flexsteel's motion introductions include a sectional that matches a sofa that was successfully unveiled in High Point.
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