Big-screen TVs spur sales of consoles
By Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, November 16, 2009
HIGH POINT — Consoles have emerged as one of the top-selling categories in entertainment over the last several years.
Some furniture store owners attribute the growing popularity of consoles to the fact that consumers have become more comfortable with displaying their big-screen TVs prominently — rather than trying to hide them. In addition, they say, some consumers see entertainment consoles as more affordable than wall units, but with enough bells and whistles to meet their storage and style needs.
Here’s a roundup of some current hot sellers on retail floors.
What’s hot: Sligh’s Winchester entertainment console.
Key features: This console features hardwood solids and veneers, adjustable wood shelves, interchangeable wood or cloth speaker panels, two-tier media drawers, inlaid and hinged center doors, surge suppressor with five electrical outlets, satellite television cord and cable attachment, concealed remote control (Smart Eye) access, floor levelers and heat escapement.
Why it’s selling: “We have definitely seen a switch to consoles,” said Lori Stengren, buyer for Honquest in Barrington, Ill. “The large, multi-piece wall units — there are still consumers that want that, but we are really seeing a great (surge) in just plain consoles.”
Stengren said that when flat-panel televisions first came along, consumers weren’t sure how they wanted to store them. “Initially, they wanted to store them behind doors, (because it) used to be they’d want to make them go away. Then, they became kind of a status symbol. And I think now people are more accustomed to the size and shape and simplicity of the console — and having the television out in the open.”
Stengren said Sligh’s Winchester television console does particularly well for Honquest. The retailer sells the unit for $1,835, but typically has incentives that reduce its price. “It’s a piece that we have a hard time keeping in stock. For us in the heart of the Midwest, it’s just a good-looking traditional piece of furniture,” Stengren said.
What’s hot: Tresanti by Twin-Star’s Beaumont console.
Key features: The Beaumont console is constructed of birch veneers and poplar solids with an Empire Cherry finish. It features adjustable shelves, beveled and tempered wood-framed glass doors and pass-through holes for wire management and ventilation.
Why it’s selling: Kevin Irving, senior buyer at Braintree, Mass.-based Cardi’s Furniture, said his company is having lots of success with entertainment consoles in the $299 to $499 price range. Cardi’s sells the Beaumont console from Tresanti for $299 and in that price range items must have enough appeal to move at a high sales volume.
“I think people are spending so much on TVs and looking for a simple way to house them,” Irving said. “People are not as willing to part with dollars.”
What’s hot: Sunny Designs’ Sedona Rustic Oak console.
Key features: The Sedona console is crafted of select knotty oak solids and veneers with a warm distressed finish.
Why it’s selling: Brett Hiatt, a buyer for Salt Lake City-based R.C. Willey Home Furnishings, said the Sedona console does well in mountainous regions because of its rustic oak look. Consumers also like the size and function of the console, which includes pull-out media storage for DVDs and interchangeable speaker panel options, he added. R.C. Willey’s starting price point for the piece is $599.
Mike Smith, owner of Willits Furniture Center, Willits, Calif., said the use of slate accents also adds to the Sedona console’s popularity. “I think it gives it a little more character and texture instead of just all-wood. People like that 'rustic-ness’ to it,” Smith said.
The Sedona Rustic Oak console is offered in several sizes and models, with prices that range from $499 to $899 at Willits.
“Certainly, the console concept is what’s selling,” Smith added.
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