Office sources score with downsized products
By Jay McIntosh -- Furniture Today, September 21, 2009
LAS VEGAS — Smaller was better for many home office furniture sources showing at market here, which did well with product that is tailored to fit the downsized needs — and budgets — of consumers.
Also getting a good reaction were pieces that are versatile and flexible enough to be configured for the various space and technology needs of consumers.
Retailers saw plenty of new home office products here as vendors continued to adapt to the changing marketplace. Several sources said the executive desk group, once the king of the home office scene with its multi-thousand-dollar ticket, is losing its crown to the smaller configurations at lower price points.
Winners Only did well with Solutions, a line of about 60 SKUs that can be configured into a variety of options, ranging from a small desk to an L-shaped group. CEO Sheue-Wen Lee calls it a “semi-custom combo.”
One factor behind the Solutions concept is that today, office furniture “doesn't go in the office only” and may wind up in a living room or bedroom, she said. Some Solutions pieces match the company's bedroom groups.
Martin Home Furnishings had a hit with a number of home office items that are functional, but also smaller and more flexible than the traditional executive office configuration.
“In the past 12 months, the whole executive office business has tapered down,” said Karl Eulberg, vice president of sales and marketing.
Martin responded this market with a number of versatile pieces, such as desks that have pull-out laptop trays and returns, pieces with casters that make them easy to move, and cabinets with fold-down work surfaces — today's version of the 18th-century secretary. When folded, the cabinets are just 30 inches wide and 18 inches deep.
Some new four-piece L-shaped configurations also are flexible, with the retailer able to sell the consumer only what's needed, said Eulberg. Popular retail price points for full configurations are $999 to $1,499.
Not every company in Las Vegas switched to small configurations, however. Parker House did well with several new Office Suites, an adaptation of its popular library walls. They have the usual shelves and cabinets but also an attached desk that extends perpendicular to the wall, with laptop drawers on each side to enable more than one person to work at the same time.
Parker House President Chris Lupo said company has taken “proven winners” in its library walls and adapted them to small office/home office use. He said retail pricing for the Office Suites is $2,500 to $3,999.
The company also continues to offer library walls with executive desks, suitable for a nice home office or commercial use.
Ready-to-assemble specialist Bush Inds. brought out a line called my/space by Bush Furniture, which includes products that are “scalable” to small and large homes. CEO James Sherbert said in a statement that it was designed for “an underserved market that included a range of consumers from video gamers to dorm and apartment dwellers, aspiring entrepreneurs to frugal homemakers.”
Home office remains a strong category for Riverside Furniture, said Chad Silver, regional sales vice president. While L-shaped configurations remain popular, the company also has added more desks suited for laptop computers — about the size of a writing desk, but with features to accommodate laptops and other new technology. A popular price point is $450 to $499.
“As older people move into smaller places, they don't need the big desk,” said Silver. “It's not just the younger generation.”
Like other companies here, contemporary specialist Zuo Modern said it offered good values to lure buyers, as well as free delivery on market purchases. Willie Diaz, a sales representative, said the delivery deal was popular with retailers. “People want a value,” he said.
Zuo's most popular office product here was the Leader chair in a new fabric. Its strongest price points for chairs have been $149 to $199 retail.
Sligh reported strong dealer interest in its new Loft 102 concept of home office and home entertainment furniture. The group includes 18 SKUs of Louis Philippe-style pieces, including 12 new smaller scale executive desks, file cabinets credenzas and bookcases. Dealers particularly liked the smaller scale of the pieces, including 54- and 64-inch desks retailing at $849 and $1,149, respectively.
Buyers also liked the finishes and the Louis Philippe styling, which hasn't had a major presence in home office category, according to Chairman Rob Sligh.
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