Coaster merges 2 divisions
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 22, 2010
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. —
Case goods and upholstery importer Coaster has merged its office furniture division under its main residential line.
The change means that the office product will be shown and marketed with residential case goods shown in company showrooms and catalogs.
Previously, the office furniture division, created in 2004, had a separate catalog and primarily was shown at the NeoCon contract furniture show in Chicago. It includes some 150 active SKUs ranging from executive desks and credenza/hutch units to bookcases, conference tables and L- and U-shaped office configurations.
The office line was shown for the first time alongside the residential mix at the February Las Vegas Market.
Items in the line included several executive desks retailing around $999, shown alongside companion pieces such as bookcases and credenza/hutch units. Also shown were several smaller scale glass-top configurations with full extension pull-out trays, retailing from $199 to $229.
Coaster said it decided to merge the commercial and residential lines largely because 60% of its office furniture dealers also carry residential furniture. The change means those customers and others can order residential and office products from the same catalog and also can order and track shipments for both lines on the same Web site.
“It just makes it more convenient,” said Toby Konetzny, Coaster's marketing director. “We found that most office furniture dealers also sold residential so this allows us to streamline the process.”
As part of the transition, Coaster also has named Dace Lipscomb as a product manager specializing in office furniture. He has overseen the office furniture division on a contract basis since its inception and has since been involved in its product development and marketing.
The office and residential lines will be shown together at High Point and Las Vegas markets. Coaster will continue to show the office line at NeoCon, alongside a sampling of residential products.
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Coaster merges two furniture divisions
Feb 22, 2010
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