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Occasional Intros Take Cues from Neighbors

Heath E Combs -- Furniture Today, August 16, 2011

These Foundry nesting tables from Powell Co. feature a throwback industrial-influenced style with a neoclassic, slightly postmodern look.LAS VEGAS - Introductions in the occasional category this week will depend in a large part on what else is happening elsewhere in the living room.
     At Broyhill and Flexsteel, motion upholstery is determining the direction of occasional introductions, while at Jofran, matching occasional groups to entertainment units is major focus.
     Mixed materials continue to be a major story in occasional and accent pieces, especially for suppliers like Four Hands and Magnussen Home.
     At Broyhill Furniture, the occasional table focus is contemporary styling with slightly lower heights - to marry with new upholstery, which has lower seat heights, according to Fran Scheller, go to market director, case goods.
     She said Broyhill is doing well at retail with packages of occasional pieces partnered with upholstery groups at a special price. "Bundling occasional with appropriate upholstery gives retailers a solution to make them more successful and hopefully ring a bigger ticket with consumers," Scheller said.
     For individual pieces at retail, the current sweet spot for a cocktail table for Broyhill is $299, she said.
     Anna Ogden, senior buyer at Four Hands, said this market's introductions further delve into a diverse mix of materials.
     That includes rebar, reclaimed teak, stainless steel, aluminum, iron and reclaimed shipping pallets, in addition to crunchy velvets inspired by 1970s-era drapery, she said.
     One new group is a European brand named d-Bodhi that Four Hands is distributing in all of North America and exclusively in the United States. Ogden said the d-Bodhi pieces have an edgy urban, street art-influenced feel with vintage look. Pieces are accented with touches like faded paint, warm honey-colored wood, burnished metal, nail studs, burnished iron drawers and doors, and brushed iron frames with reclaimed teak on sides and shelves.
     The company will also have several George Nelsoninspired mid-century modern influenced accents and occasional tables, Ogden said.
     She said materials are the big factor in today's eclectic and piece-driven introductions at the company. Historic design periods can be repeated, but a good response depends often on materials that give those familiar periods an updated and modern feel, she added.
     Jofran will introduce a new program in occasional that ties three new media units to matching cocktail, end and chair side tables, said Bob Roy, CEO.
     Roy said few suppliers are warehousing occasional and entertainment together in Asia. Jofran's program allows those products to be mixed on containers, along with casual dining, from the Vietnam warehouse.
     The company says the program will allow retailers to buy occasional at container cost from the warehouse. Most pieces have a retail of $399 for a media piece, $299 for a cocktail table and $199 for end and chair side tables.
     Roy said what differentiates the introduction is that when entertainment pieces "match" occasional they are often are very basic - like a sofa table with two shelves that will technically work as a media piece. The pieces Jofran is introducing this week were designed as media pieces to match occasional, he said.
     At Martin Home Furnishings, most of the company's occasional table introductions this market tie into existing entertainment pieces, mainly successful groups from April, said David King, vice president of sales and marketing. Martin is placing more emphasis on the occasional category and hitting a $299 to $349 retail price for a cocktail table, King said.
     Almost all of Martin's dozen new occasional tables this week are out of Mexico, he said. The company plans to expand its occasional program again in High Point, this time with many introductions from Asia, he said.
     The Mexico factory continues to be a selling point for Martin, King said, because it enables retailers to get quick shipping and good values without having to buy containers. For retailers who can't get the velocity to tie up dollars in containers, but need supply on a regular basis, the factory can help them manage inventory more efficiently, he said.
     At Powell, the accent introduction is a little heavier than usual for the summer Las Vegas show with 25 accent SKUS, according to David Horvath, vice president of merchandising.
     The company is emphasizing availability with pieces it has already ordered that include hall trees, chair side tables, coat racks, plant stands, small bookcases and hall consoles. Retailers can get the pieces quickly from the company's warehouses.
     Out of the warehouse, pricing for items will open at $39 retail for a few accent tables and coat racks and range to $599 for some larger consoles, Horvath said.
     While styles run the gamut, Horvath said one of the most distinctive is Foundry, in a throwback industrial influenced style with a neoclassic, slightly postmodern look.
     While more promotional prices are peppered into those intros, retailers are looking for value at other price points as well, Horvath said. That value proposition includes touches Powell is offering like a hand-broken glass treatment on some pieces, hand painting, storage and space-saving features.
     "We're not seeing people going after the opening price point as much. They're looking for value right now. We're seeing some of our larger scale pieces moving a little better than they have in the past," Horvath said.
     Chip Piekenbrock, director of marketing for Flexsteel, said lift-top and castered occasional groups that complement modular upholstery and motion recliners are the biggest draw for retailers in the category. That's due in part to the flexibility of the room they're often used in, he said.
     "It used to be the old family room; some people called it the great room, now it's really become the media room. They're either working, or watching movies, or they're watching sports. It's just become so much greater a part of their life," Piekenbrock said.
     The company will show groups it introduced in High Point here, since many buyers haven't seen them, and many of the groups are already on their way from overseas factories, he said.
     The three lift-top collections getting a focus here are Robertson, a traditional group; Town Square, with slate and a Mediterranean influence; and Arbor, a transitional group.
     Another group that has done well recently is Four Corners, with acid-stained concrete tops on tables inspired by materials used in kitchens and flooring, outlined by a metal frame for a modern flair, Piekenbrock said.
     He added that retailers continue to embrace walnut veneers because of the contemporary look.
     Flexsteel's cocktail tables typically hit a $399 price point with or without casters, he added.
     Magnussen is focusing on smaller-scale cocktail tables this market, as well as contemporary styles and mixed media wood and glass, metal and stone groups, according to Nathan Cressman, vice president of merchandising and marketing.
     Among the many new collections are the Ormond with ash veneer and glass inserts, with fluid shaping; the Cascade group with glass tops and pasture stone bases; the Bellinger group with ash veneer and metal details; and the Allister with slate inserts.
     Cocktail tables priced at $299 are doing well at retail, he said. Product flow, value and selection are the major focus for retailers currently and retailers still are aiming to minimize their inventory risk, Cressman said.

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