Sectional sensations
Motion sources stir good growth with stylish, functional, sectionals
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, July 31, 2006
High Point — Sectionals are becoming an active category for motion, as sources work to instill these configurations with a greater sense of flair, flexibility and personal choice.
Not to be confused with home theater seating, motion sectionals do not typically boast cupholders or consoles. Rather, the emphasis is on comfort and flexibility.
A once-popular look now seeing rebirth in the motion sectional category is the sofa plus loveseat plus wedge combination. This configuration features a wedge connecting the sofa and loveseat, with all four arms intact. Berkline, Franklin and PeopLoungers are among the sources offering this look.
"Consumers want either comfort or style and it's tough to get both," said Eric Vollmer, advertising coordinator of Best Home Furnishings. "A motion sectional combines the style of a stationary sofa plus the mechanisms of a recliner."
Mississippi-based Franklin offers sectional consumers three distinct programs: standard sectionals, the sofa plus loveseat plus wedge combination and a new modular program.
According to Chuck Tidwell, Franklin's vice president of merchandising and product development, many producers position sectionals as a commodity, geared to an opening price point.
"Sectionals still drive the business because of price and can offer better value," Tidwell said. But, he added, most of these models are sold as left-hand-facing reclining sectionals, leaving little flexibility in terms of reversibility or movement.
In Tidwell's opinion, the real benefits of sectionals lie in modular groupings, allowing the consumer to build a product tailored to any room in terms of size and scale — at a higher price point.
Franklin's modular program, Options, features individual pieces that hook together with interlocking metal brackets.
"You have unlimited options and the capability of building price points," Tidwell said. Consumers typically buy five or six connectable pieces, he said, configured as sofa/loveseat, sectional or pit.
Another benefit of the program, Tidwell added, is that it offers a high degree of flexibility without requiring a lot of SKUs.
Franklin's third category of sectionals — the sofa plus loveseat plus wedge combination— offers consumers the option of purchasing each item separately or as a group. The combo's design also gives consumers "mirror-image capability," allowing them to switch pieces, Tidwell said.
"The pitfall of sectionals is favoring one direction," he said, but this strategy allows for reversibility in "switching to left- or right-hand facing."
Franklin's three-piece combos are typically priced between its standard sectionals and the modular program, he added. Pricing for each category is based on the number of pieces and specific configurations.
Enhancing the eye appeal
Gentry Long, vice president of motion for Lane Home Furnishings, said the casual aspect of motion sectionals has high appeal with today's consumers.
"They look good, sit comfortably, and have the added feature of a reclining mechanism," he said. "Our motion business has been good over the years because we typically try to do things that are visually appealing."
Lane aims to make its motion sectionals attractive to both stationary and motion consumers.
"The effect we're going for is, 'And, oh, by the, way it happens to recline,' " Long said.
For the shopper looking for stationary, who happens to stumble upon motion, "It's an added benefit, a reason to buy," he said. "Motion may be price sensitive but once a consumer realizes the benefits, he is willing to pay more to have it."
Lane's sectionals feature a steel superstructure and break down into three separate single units for easy maneuverability. Bolts are then screwed to the back for stability. "The only piece we have that cannot be broken down is a sofa-sleeper," Long said.
At California-based Omnia, motion sectionals represent a big percentage of business, said Murray Eastern, director of sales and marketing. The sectional category is evenly split between motion and stationary.
Eastern takes issue with the suggestion that one needs a big house for a sectional. Omnia has done well with small-scale metro sectionals that take up less space than a sofa and a loveseat.
"It's flexibility in terms of sizing and that's what we offer," he said. "The footprint (with end tables) is smaller and takes up less space."
Omnia's sectionals are built on chair rails with removable backs for easy delivery, he said.
Based on its success in stationary, Omnia has upgraded two best-selling sectional models into motion. The configurations feature a chaise on one side and reclining motion on the other — while still sporting the same underscaled look of their stationary cousins.
Offering consumers choices
Motion sectionals offer greater versatility than entertainment seating, offering more individual choice in seating configurations, said Jennifer Springer, vice president of design for PeopLoungers.
PeopLoungers aims to distinguish itself from the competition by incorporating a variety of gadgets in its motion sectionals. "We're working harder to stay ahead by making them unique," Springer said.
The company's motion sectionals include such features as removable chrome cupholders and storage arms, she said, giving salespeople some "extras" to pitch to prospective buyers.
But PeopLoungers has shied away from electronically controlled seating in favor of manual handles.
"We don't think our customer wants to pay extra for motorized, so we have inside pull handles," Springer said.
At the Tupelo market, PeopLoungers will introduce two sectionals that include a wider console and pullout drawer — to accommodate DVDs and CDs — plus a seven-inch-deep hinged magazine tray hidden under an arm pad.
As with Franklin, PeopLoungers also offers three SKUs consisting of a two-armed sofa, loveseat and wedge combination. These configurations retail from $1,699 to $1,899.
At Elite Leather, which caters to a more affluent consumer, the company aims to make its designs "very clean" so they do not appear like motion, said Gabrielle Galardo, vice president of marketing. "The only difference between our motion and our stationary frames from the outside is that the backs on the motion frames are built slightly higher (acting as a headrest).
"All the electronic switches and handles are hidden inside, and the mechanisms are motorized, not manual. We keep everything hidden to retain an uncluttered look."
Berkline had success at the April market in High Point with its Matching Sectional program, geared to offering consumers a lot of choice.
"We're focusing on offering upholstery seating styles that have multiple SKUs," said Bruce Sinning, Berkline's merchandising vice president. "The concept allows each style to be configured in many different ways, which honors the fact that consumers are demanding more flexibility."
All of Berkline's new sectionals and modulars are matched to its upholstery groups, Sinning added, "which means we're offering consumers more choices regarding how they can arrange a room. They can go as basic as sofa-loveseat-recliner, or choose a modular approach from our wide range of matching pieces."
Berkline also is enjoying success with its Super Wedge — a wedge seat that fits between two armed seating pieces, such as a sofa or loveseat.
"Consumers can create a seamless, sectional effect," he said. "It's an additional sale that delivers a lot of look from a modest investment."
Berkline also has developed a group of modular products with extra-wide seating. The 30-inch-wide seat is an improvement over the usual 22.5-inch seat, in comfort as well as how one physically sits on the piece.
"I call them 'Extra Comfortable'," Sinning said, "because the extra-wide seat gives you a better ride, you sink in deeper, and you can sit much more casually."
Berkline's sectional configurations range from $1,999 to $4,000 retail for certain all-leather groups.
