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HFI Brands, Hotel Maison to end partnership

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, January 30, 2012

DALLAS - HFI Brands and Hotel Maison said they have agreed to go their separate ways to seek growth opportunities, and that HFI will no longer market the Hotel Maison brand.
     HFI Brands will continue to sell Hotel Maison merchandise until its current inventory is cleared, according to a news release. HFI also sells the Barclay Butera Lifestyle and Lilly Pulitzer Home brands.
     Hotel Maison sells upper end case goods, upholstery and occasional pieces inspired by furnishings in luxury hotels around the world. Meanwhile, Hotel Maison also has announced it plans to expand by launching with a new opening price point collection called Chic Boutique, which the company says will appeal to a broader demographic and will be attractive to online and catalog retailers.
     "Two years ago when we first created Hotel Maison, we set out to offer designer product at affordable product. While we are extremely proud of the line, we were missing a hipper clientele that seeks the Hotel Maison aesthetic," said Kim Salmela, the company's president and chief creative officer.
     At this week's Las Vegas Market, the Hotel Maison and HFI's Barclay Butera lines can be seen in World Market Center showrooms A-119 and A-109.
     The company said it will access new sourcing focused on more mid-level price points. Officials said they are seeking a partner that can grow with the company as it expands beyond bricks and mortar channels as well as internationally.
     "The world has changed and the furniture business needs to change with it," said Judy George, a principal in the company. "They are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions. As such, we are moving in new directions with new sourcing, new distribution strategies and an aggressive social media marketing push."
     The company said it has completed two licensing deals, one with Divatex for a new line of top-of-bed and bathroom products and a second with retailer Sleepy's and an unidentified bedding manufacturer for mattresses.
     HFI Brands, meanwhile, said it will use the resources currently invested in the Hotel Maison brand to provide additional support and focus for its Barclay Butera and Lilly Pulitzer brands.
     "We enjoyed our partnership with Hotel Maison and were excited by its initial success in the marketplace, and we know moving forward both companies will continue to enjoy further growth and success," said Steve McKee, president and CEO of HFI Brands. "HFI Brands is using this move as an opportunity to strengthen the business model we founded the company under, which is to market and sell leading brands that are looking to gain a new foothold in the furniture category."
     McKee said the company also is considering "additional new brands in the future as well."

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HFI Brands, Hotel Maison to end partnership

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