Functionality tops youth wish list, survey finds
By Lisa Casinger -- Furniture Today, October 16, 2006
At The Market — What are families looking for in youth furniture? Functionality tops the list, according to a new survey by the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
The AHFA surveyed 500 families in the 10 days before market to learn their buying practices for youth furniture, the association's Jackie Hirschhaut said in announcing the results at Monday's market press breakfast.
Functionality was the top criterion for 24% of those surveyed, followed by price (18%), the child's wants or needs (15%) and size (11%). The survey also showed that most families get information about furniture from furniture stores (37%), the Internet (14%), family and friends (13%), magazines (8%) and newspapers (7%).
The breakfast also featured a panel discussing youth furniture, with Robin Campbell, manager of advertising and marketing services at Stanley Furniture; David Corbin, vice president of marketing at Pulaski; Jack Richardson, president of American Drew and Lea Inds.; Fran Scheller, merchandise manager of bedroom, dining, casual dining and youth at Broyhill; and Ken Smith, national director of the furniture industry practice for accounting and consulting firm BDO Seidman.
Smith said that while it "hasn't been a stellar year" for the industry as a whole and numbers indicate overall sales are flat, that's not true across the board. "Some companies are down 30% and others are up 20%," he said.
The manufacturers on the panel stressed the importance of market research, especially with youth furniture. Each company has done some form of consumer and demographic research to guide product development.
Customization and personalization are top concerns with kids and moms, and most every company on the panel offers a product that answers those concerns. MyHaven by Stanley's Young America division offers 20 finish options in colors like flamingo and grape, and Pulaski's new Build-A-Bear Workshop Home collection features interchangeable color panels, custom hardware and a plethora of SKUs.
Broyhill's research on the teen market revealed that while kids might go online to get their first look at products, the buying tends to be done at the mall. When it comes to their own rooms, kids not only are looking for bigger beds and workspaces, they're also looking at seating and entertainment options.
"About 80% of teens and tweens have TVs in their rooms but not computers, since parents are worried about the Internet," Scheller said. "This group doesn't necessarily want a desk but they want a workspace and they want floor cushions and upholstery in their rooms."
Richardson said Lea, a youth furniture specialist, is concentrating on building the brand by extending its merchandising with top-of-bed products.
"You can take a $299 bed and put $200 bedding on it and that grabs mom's attention," Richardson said. "It solves a problem and has a high-end look."
Lea also has an accessories-in-a-box program as another way to help shoppers complete the room they're striving for.
Overall, youth furniture is the fastest-growing case goods category, Richardson said, and both manufacturers and retailers have a lot to look forward to.
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