New metal beds win applause from buyers
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
High Point — Metal beds vendors showed new styles and finishes at market here to raise the profile of the category, and said the effort paid off, despite slower traffic than a year ago.
Domestic producer and design leader Wesley Allen had an ambitious launch of 11 models in a host of styles, retailing from $549 to $1,199 .
At $549 retail is Sunset, an Asian-inspired contemporary style with the Chinese character for the "sun" figured into the head and footboard. At the high end is the $1,199 Windsor bed, a traditional style with updated features such as angled square tubing and British Colonial style castings and finials.
The one that got the best reaction from buyers was Harmony, a $799 French-style bed with fleur-de-lis shaped castings.
"It's easy to understand, and they see it for $800 from Wesley Allen and know it's a good product and a good value," said President Victor Sawan.
Traffic was light, Sawan said, with a 20% drop from last April. Still, it wasn't as bad as he expected, given the slow retail environment.
"You have to put your best foot forward," he said, noting Wesley Allen makes an extra effort to boost sales and interest in slow times.
Corsican, another domestic producer and design leader, reported strong dealer interest in a new canopy bed, a $3,950 retail model with oval panels on the head and footboard and a hand-painted floral design. Other features included scroll work on the canopy, basket turnings, and scroll work on the head and footboard.
Corsican also received strong interest on three new youth beds with a racecar theme on the headboards, said James Vacek, director of sales. He said buyers liked the custom approach to the new products, which are available in as many as 40 finishes.
Hooker Furniture showed five new metal beds, including one in its Glenhill case goods collection. Priced from $799 to $899 retail, the updated traditional bed has an antique bronze finish with gold highlights. Dealers liked the fact the bed's look ties in well with Hooker's case goods, officials said.
Hooker's new offerings are in addition to 12 existing metal beds. Kenneth Williams, vice president of merchandising, said, "It gives us such an opportunity, since we are a category-based company, to bring things together."
Neither Fashion Bed Group nor Powell Co., two other prominent players in metal beds, showed new adult models this market. Powell did have two new youth metal beds, both of which drew strong reaction from retailers, said Sean Slack, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing.
They were the Princess Emily, a $399 retail bed in a white finish with pink undertones, crown-shaped finials on the canopy and headboard, and four stationary carriage-type wheels. Powell's $249 Princess Rebecca canopy bed had crown-shaped finials and a soft silver finish.
Largo's two new metal beds were the Lisa, a traditional sleigh model at $399 retail, and the Diana, a $499 traditional featuring elegant scrollwork on the head and footboard and side rails. Both received strong reception from dealers, said Mike Bradshaw, vice president of product development.
