Motion, Entertainment Seating on Hot Streak
Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, August 25, 2011
Klaussner’s Shubert home theater seating collection, shown in an embossed vinyl cover with optional contrast stitching, features eight different pieces for either straight or curved seating rows, power motion and lighted cup holders. Retail price point: $799 per seat.
LAS VEGAS - Upholstery suppliers were happy campers at the recent Las Vegas Market with response to new offerings in home entertainment, recliners and motion furniture indicating those categories still offer the hottest products around.
Lane drew high marks for what has evolved into a category of "comfort" furniture, with nine new groups of home entertainment and a gamer chair set up in a separate showroom of 3,850 square feet.
The groups, mostly in bonded leather, were variations on contemporary in the $599 to $1,099 per seat price points, keyed to aficionados of TV, games and even the new generation of computeraided TV. Many of the seating groups have hidden storage and cup holders, power headrests, swivel tables for laptops that can be stored in the arm, and flashy armrest controls for motion that eliminate the remote wand, which appeals to consumers already savvy with iPad, iPod, laptop and smartphone technology.
"We've basically gone from two (groups) to 15," said Bo Morrison, director of recliners and home theater seating at Lane. Two of the new groups are small enough that four seats consume less than 10 feet, making a lot of seating available for smaller spaces.
Klaussner also was a bigger player in home entertainment this market with four new faux leather groups in the 
This new entrée in Lane’s home entertainment program includes power, adjustable headrest, hidden storage and other bells and whistles.
$799 to $999 price points, offered in eight configurations. Five more new groups are planned for High Point.
Klaussner also had a group of four new imported recliners in Vegas - one in bonded, two in fabric and one in microfiber - that can retail at $299.
"In today's economy, retailers need something to promote," said Bruce Sinning, vice president, merchandising for upholstery.
Flexsteel also launched a collection of imported recliners in nine styles that hit lower price points for the company, ranging from $499 to $599 in vinyl and leather. Lee Fautsch, vice president of residential upholstery, said the collection provides an advertising vehicle for retailers, who can use it to step customers up to higher price points.
Best Home Furnishings added bonded leather to inline products such as a sectional introduced earlier in High Point. In addition, the company added power to a small ladies' chair, also giving it a more contemporary look.
"Power's huge," said Greg Secard, director of sales.
Elite Home Theater Seating has had a showroom in the Las Vegas Design Center in Building A since May, but this was its first trade show here. It reported positive response to its line of home theater motion recliners, which retail at around $2,250 per chair for a synthetic leather version called silk leather. It also offers more expensive versions in top grain leather.
"All the traffic that is coming here are serious buyers," said Bobby Bala, operating manager. "Other trade shows have higher traffic, but not good quality."
Associate Editor Thomas Russell contributed to this story.
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