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Casual dining buyers seek fresh ways to stir excitement

By Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, January 27, 2008

Las Vegas — Tim Harris, president and owner of Knoxville Wholesale in Tennessee, can sum up why he's attending this week's Las Vegas Market in one word — introductions.

Harris said he'll stay his usual three nights. He'll hit new vendors. And he expects big things from some of his key sources as well.

"We've been told by Broyhill, Lexington and Ashley that they're all going to have some of the biggest introductions they've ever had. That's kind of setting the tone and we want to stay ahead of the curve," he said.

Harris added that as product resources make way for new items that can stimulate sales, this market also could be a good place to pick up closeouts.

"We have a clearance center. There's more available to buy there than we can hold. The normal operations have to be staying on the cutting edge. Obviously, everything is changing so fast you have to stay abreast of what is happening," Harris said.

This week's market will feature more emerging contemporary styles and a few rustic eco-friendly looks.

Crystal Nguyen, vice president of product development and marketing at solid-wood importer A-America, says she's seeing growing demand for more rustic and artisan styles and also more clean, simple-line furniture.

She also is looking for a bigger focus on natural organic wood grains and play on surface textures. Functions and storage features that serve as organizational tools will be offered, as will more mixed media — such as combining metals with wood, leather with wood or natural slates and stone surfaces with wood.

Nguyen said this week she expects high numbers of West Coast buyers and some key Midwest and East Coast accounts.

Dealers at this week's market will either be after more promotional cost and price-point driven product or they will be seek better-quality product that relies more on features and benefits, she said.

"I think dealers are trying to be positive and forge on for the best but are watching their expenses and protecting their margins to be safe," Nguyen said.

She added that A-America is working hard and trying fresh design ideas while maintaining its construction integrity.

"We hope for the best and prepare to succeed.... We become true partners with our dealers to help them get traffic through the doors and give them products that will make them margin instead of costing them margin," Nguyen said.

The company is hoping to draw retailers with a new mixable container program out of its Malaysia warehouse for faster lead time and with a wider assortment.

A-America is introducing a Vintage Oak collection with heavily turned legs and extreme curves with an antique finish this week.

Sales forces need motivation, and new and exciting intros and sellable values should help breathe excitement at the retail level, Nguyen said. Casual dining vendors will do well to help remove the fears of buying by providing better service, lead time, quality, value and design at each market, she said.

At Douglas, the company hopes to draw in retailers with hard-to-beat specials, said Mike Cohen, vice president sales, West.

Douglas plans to draw buyers in with special market prices, he said, and interesting new upholstery introductions.

"Like every market, they're going to be looking for discounts. But we're hoping they'll also look outside of the box and look to make some more money, with uniqueness and storytelling with respect to the customers. Stuff they can show that customers can't go to every other showroom and see," Cohen said.

Jofran CEO Bob Roy said the company is looking for another very positive show this week and said aggressive selling will be key to drumming up business.

"I think retailers in general will be looking for promotable product so they can be more aggressive than ever in the marketplace," Roy said.

APA Marketing's Entrée Casual Dining arm also is expecting a busy week, said Rich Serlin, vice president of sales and marketing.

"We haven't experienced a market that is not strong here," he said. "Our dealers haven't had a poor end of year. It was pretty good, but not sensational."

Serlin said he has seen the industry's current cycle before and he is banking on new looks to help retailers kick-start business. With dealers letting their inventories dwindle, they'll be looking for ways to draw in and motivate consumers by filling the empty spots with good product, he said.

"In times like these the dealers are going to make a move. They want something really fresh that stimulates them and hopefully the consumer. We have a remarkable amount of new goods," Serlin said.

The company plans to be very aggressive with pricing and keep its retail floor space this year, he said. He said the company is counting on its fresh designs to compete in a difficult retail environment and is staying away from commodty looks.

"We don't want to fight that battle. Companies that come out with something that causes the retailer to open up their pocketbook, those are the guys that will do well," Serlin said.

Introductions on the dining side are probably heavier than on the Encore Home Entertainment side of parent APA this market, Serlin said.

The company has some fresh contemporary looks that Serlin hopes will draw attention, including the Pengrove group in ash solids and veneers.

"We've worked especially hard on new product for this show," Serlin said. "It's personal to us. Our company has gone through the me-too kind of thing, the farmhouse kind of thing. One of the partners viewed that we would become more important if we did more aggressive work in design."

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