Youth sources draw crowd
By Jane Kitchen -- Furniture Today, February 5, 2006
Las Vegas — Youth furniture vendors here were pleased with a bustling market, with most reporting brisk business and good retailer attendance.
While new product at this first winter market was somewhat limited, most suppliers had at least one introduction, and several used Vegas as a jumping-off point to enter the juvenile category.
Entertainment and home office manufacturer Legends launched a Legends Kids line, with five groups in popular styles and finishes. Beds include a bookcase headboard or panel headboard in twin and full, and prices are the same across all five groups — designed to make shopping easier for both the retailer and the consumer.
The key to the new youth division, said Marketing Director Tim Donk, is a display that allows a retailer to display one vignette along with a "five-drawer island" showing a single piece from the other four groups.
"It's been phenomenally received," said Donk. "With the merchandising concept of maximizing space, we're thinking this could be some of the highest dollars per square foot for retailers."
Intercontinental Furniture, a Brazilian case goods manufacturer, brought several youth groups for its first U.S. show, including Pickwick and Pine Classics.
Other youth veterans showed up at market with new looks in tried-and-true styles. Comfortable cottage looks and feminine girls' white groups continue to dominate the category, with new interpretations from companies such as Berg, My Room, Good Cos., Emerald and Standard.
Good Cos.' Dollhouse group, in a Buttermilk finish with blush highlighting, features details like hand-painted flower motifs, beadwork and the look of satin windows in key signature pieces. Vice President of Sales Darrell Verdeck said the collection was the hit of the show.
My Room and Standard launched groups with decidedly feminine four-poster beds as their centerpieces. My Room's Mirabella collection also includes a feminine crib and changer, and Standard's Angelina group features hand carvings and silver-tipped accents.
Berg's new Celeste collection in a distressed cream finish is a classic cottage group, but with unique touches like a high bed and a clean-lined vanity.
Dakota Kidz brought its new Urban View collection to market, available in all of the domestic manufacturer's 25 color options, including its latest Buttercup Yellow, Robin's Egg Blue and Bubblegum Pink.
"It's been a terrific market for us — traffic has been really good," said President Todd Block. "We came here with no expectations, but we've been very surprised and very pleased. We've opened up quite a lot of new accounts."
Powell Co. moved up its April youth introduction for this market, bringing in the striking black metal Z Bedroom group in time to show it along with a new bedroom-in-a-box concept for youth. Z Bedroom has subtle Z-shaped elements throughout, metal drawer pulls and tempered acrylic tops.
Many manufacturers said they were pleased with traffic, including John Boyd Designs and Vermont Precision.
"Last market, we saw a lot of people and opened a lot of new accounts, but they were primarily from the West Coast," said Ted Weber, sales manager for Vermont Precision. "This market, there's more of a balance of people from all over."
At the temporary spaces in Mandalay Bay, manufacturers were also pleased.
"We've had almost as many people visit us in the first day here than in all of High Point," said Edward Assile, CEO at Opus Designs.
Tracia Fernkas, communications manager with University Loft, also showing at the Mandalay Bay, also said it had been a good market.
"We had a tremendous first day.... Traffic was really good, and it's people we wouldn't see in High Point," she said. "People from California, Washington, Oregon, Vancouver — they won't travel that far (to High Point)."
Steve Benidt, director of sales for Sunset Trading, also said traffic was good at Mandalay. "It was either extreme, though," he said, "either the biggest of the big or the smallest of the small."
Benidt also said much of the traffic was from retailers that weren't relevant for the case goods manufacturer — interior decorators, gift shops and e-tailers. "At High Point, you used to get an across-the-board mix," said Benidt. "Here, there's no one in the middle."
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Youth sources draw crowds
Feb 19, 2006
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