Variety rules market for occasional vendors

Heath E Combs -- Furniture Today, August 13, 2012

Retailers in the Four Hands showroom liked the blue stone tops and reclaimed wood of the company’s Hughes occasional introduction.LAS VEGAS - Occasional and accent vendors played to their strengths during the recent Las Vegas Market.
     Hot looks here included soft-industrial styles, wire brushing, reclaimed wood, India-made looks, reptile wraps, chocolate finishes, mixed media and metal, among others.
     Four Hands did well with an expansion of its Hughes blue stone and reclaimed wood occasional pieces, with pine or iron bases and blue stone tops. Its Madison occasional tables with dark toasted walnut finish on poplar also were a hit, according to Cameron Cook, public relations manager.
     The company also drew attention with its Bina Brazilian hardwood occasional pieces, including a cylindrical table with a shagreen wrap around the sides and planked tops in peroba wood, Cook said. Buyers also liked Four Hands' Belmont curios, bunched for display here, in smoky gray metal with arched tops.
     Lane made a big push in occasional with Trio, offering six three-pack tables that retail at $299, said to Bruce Frenzel, who recently joined Broyhill and Lane in product and occasional merchandising roles.
     The groups include lifestyle looks in traditional and transitional styles that are inventoried in Tupelo, Miss. Frenzel said a goal is to have the pieces shipping by fall and on retail floors in time for upholstery shopping during Super Bowl season.
     Lane is working to increase its presence as a go-to occasional source, he said.
     Shown here under flags from around the world to emphasize its international design appeal, AICO/Amini Innovation Corp. continued to tell its Discoveries Accents story. Launched last year, the program has grown from 40 pieces to 140.
     Chuck Reilly, senior vice president of sales and marketing, said strong selling pieces in Discoveries included round foyer tables, about waist height, and nesting tables.
     Reilly said a popular approach among retailers has been to concentrate the accent pieces together in stores for a boutique or curiosity shop feel. He added that the company is stocking best selling pieces for quick shipping.
     Another notable look in occasional for AICO in Las Vegas was a seldom-seen curio fireplace unit.
     Coast-To-Coast Imports reported continued success with its Jadu Accents line from India. The strength of the program is that pieces are stocked in Memphis with shipping in a week or less, said Andy Stein, CEO.
     Stein said that while IndiaThis Carthage cocktail table from Stein World with stair step detail, birch solids and veneers and offset pull through drawers and glass top, is among the company’s current hot selling items at retail stores. is emerging as a furniture source, few suppliers are warehousing Indian goods in the U.S. The Coast-To-Coast warehousing program lets retailers avoid ordering containers from India, which isn't something most can afford or want to do at this point, he said.
     Emerald Home Furnishings emphasized its popular coordinated occasional and upholstery design approach in Las Vegas with two new groups, the traditional Wallingford European and the Urban Rustic, with wire-brushed ash topped with a soft white glaze. Wood trim on upholstery coordinates with the occasional sets.
     John Iasiello, vice president of wood products, said Emerald plans to expand its coordinating approach with future upholstery and occasional intros.
     Stein World had two emphases at market.
     One was continuing its partnership with Web tools developer MicroD to roll out the Stein World's online catalog, which retailers can link to with a hyperlink on their websites. Jack Johnson, senior vice president of sales and marketing, emphasized that consumers can't purchase off the Stein World website, but can see the company's broad product assortment available from retailers.
     In Las Vegas, the company also introduced its Camden Market brand, featuring 30 pieces in trendy, upscale lifestyle looks that ship from the company's Memphis warehouse. Target retail price points were $499 to $599 for cocktail tables and $2,999 for a five-piece dining group, Johnson said.