Occasional sources' efforts pay off
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 5, 2006
Las Vegas — Occasional and accent furniture sources offered a mix of new product, promotions and price points to lure customers into their showrooms here. Based on initial reactions, the efforts paid off.
Bailey Street Trading had a promotion in November that awarded free airline tickets to dealers that placed orders before the holiday season. The company flew around 35 people to the Las Vegas show last week, where it introduced 26 pieces in its occasional and accent furniture line.
At midweek, the company had a 26% increase in written orders from July, said CEO Greg Waylock. The winter show drew "key people" that were missing at the July market, he said.
"There has been a lot of word-of-mouth coming not from the World Market Center, but from retailers. I think that has had a big impact," he said.
Broyhill Furniture launched several occasional groups here and added to its existing line. A key strategy was to offer a mix of styles and new finishes at lower price points. New cocktail tables mostly fell within the $199 to $249 retail range, a price aimed at matching the company's values in upholstery.
"Our values in upholstery make us not want to overprice occasional," said Brenda Dillon, Broyhill's merchandise manager for occasional. "You have to be consumer-based in your thinking. The price relationship has to make sense."
She said order-writing was strong early in the market cycle.
Magnussen Home Furnishings had a half dozen new occasional groups with cocktail tables priced mostly in the $249 range, and 14 new accent pieces.
Ultimate Accents had 22 new pieces this market, more than double the nine it introduced in July, and made some changes to existing product. The pieces helped spur strong traffic and order-writing activity, said Ray Steele, vice president of sales.
Steele said some buyers might have stayed in town for the Super Bowl, helping drive traffic into the showroom all week.
During the market's first full day, accent specialist Powell Co. said it had double the number of dealers in its showroom than on the July market's opening day. It also received more written orders on new and existing product, said Sean Slack, executive vice president of marketing and merchandising.
Powell offered nine new SKUs in occasional, including an eclectic antique black accent table with a reverse-painted glass top and an adjustable-height game table with four benches, retailing for $1,000.
Accent specialist Stein World reported strong order writing, even though it had no introductions. The company will consider launching new product at the next July show, said David MacIntosh, chief operating officer.
Universal Furniture had several new occasional pieces, including two cocktail tables and a bar imported from the Philippines. But the company limited its introductions, realizing it would draw many West Coast dealers not familiar with the existing line.
"This show, for us, still is a regional market, where those dealers who didn't come to High Point can see what we brought out in High Point," said Stephen Giles, senior vice president of merchandising.
Company officials said it is too early to say whether they'll use Las Vegas as an introduction market. For now, it is using the Las Vegas introductions in effect as a premarket for High Point.
"Right now, High Point is the major introduction market," Giles said.
-
New product, promos stir accent action
Feb 19, 2006 -
New product, promos stir accent action
Feb 1, 2006
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
