Fairfax expands into bedroom, casual dining furniture

Will add more product in both categories at Las Vegas Market

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, November 4, 2009

Wedgeford Manor is among Fairfax Home Furnishing’s new bedroom suites. The traditional group is made from cherry veneers and hand-carved cherry solids and retails at $1,499 for five pieces.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Fairfax Home Furnishings has expanded beyond accent and occasional furniture with the introduction of its first four bedroom suites and four casual dining sets at last month's High Point Market.

It will add another dozen entries in each category at the Las Vegas Market, which opens Feb. 1.

Fairfax was formed about seven years ago as a division of South Sea Rattan Collection. South Sea Rattan sells a line of casual indoor/outdoor furniture, including some bedrooms made with woven materials such as wicker and rattan.

In October, industry veteran Joe Elmore joined Fairfax as director of sales, marketing and merchandising. He has been charged with expanding the company's wood product offerings.

"While the accents, wall décor and decorative pieces have been well received in the marketplace, expanding the product mix will make us that much more important," Elmore said.

With the new designs to be added in Las Vegas, the bedroom line will range in style from French country and British Colonial to urban casual, and will retail from $999 to $1,999 for five-piece sets. Each design also includes a media chest, which as a sixth piece will retail from $199 to $399.

The casual dining sets will retail from $499 to $999.

The products will be produced in southern China and Indonesia. Eventually, the company also plans to source in Malaysia and Vietnam.

Products will be shipped on full and mixed containers from overseas, and also will ship from the company's warehouses in Redlands, Calif., and Greensboro, N.C.

From time of order, full container shipments will arrive to the customer's door in 45 to 60 days and mixed containers in 30 to 40 days, Elmore said. Truckload customers ordering from the warehouses can expect to receive goods in seven to 10 days. The company offers next-day delivery to local customers in the vicinity of its warehouses.

"It's a full-service program, it's not just one or the other," Elmore said of the choice of container or warehouse shipments. "It's the best of both worlds."

He said the domestic warehouse option is a key part of Fairfax's strategy.

"What we have found is that the competition is either offering direct containers or local warehousing - very few are doing both," Elmore said. "We are following the lead of several of our Top 100 customers requesting and requiring that inventories be held in the U.S. to support quick-ship, bridge programs."

"We are providing a reason for our dealers to back up to our warehouses every day," he added. "It's a continuation of having the right products and the right programs and making the product available right now depending on what your buying patterns are."