Posts Tagged ‘nc home decor’

Las Vegas Market puts more emphasis on ‘green’

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

One Good Guide will highlight sustainable products

Heath E. Combs — Furniture Today

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Market will continue emphasizing sustainability with new green initiatives at the next show, which runs Feb. 1-5 at the World Market Center.

The market’s One Good World program will expand to include a supplier locator called One Good Guide, to help buyers find legitimate sustainable products at the event. These exhibitors will be listed in a special section of the market directory.

Companies interested in being listed will be vetted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Applications will require declarations about materials usage, transportation, wood sourcing, VOC emissions and foams used in upholstery cushioning. Exhibitors must also show and offer sustainable products at market and not merely have them as available options, the WMC said.

In addition to the listing, participants will receive window decals and showroom signage to call attention to their status, along with additional online marketing and public relations support.

WMC officials also said they plan to announce a “sustainability leadership congress” in early 2010 with representatives from government, environmental groups, manufacturers, retailers, interior designers and consumer media focused on wood sourcing.

“The green economy is not coming fast – it is already here,” said WMC President and CEO Bob Maricich. “Being ‘green’ is more than a principle and more than a trend; it is a sound business practice. Taking proactive actions to respect our environment is now a business reality and increasingly critical to our industry.”

At the February market, WMC also will offer seminars on eco-issues, including an interior design symposium with participants including HGTV’s Angelo Surmelis and brand icon Kathy Ireland.

The market also is hosting the SFC’s GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training, a six-hour exam course for accreditation. The WMC also offered the course in February 2009.

For more information about participating in One Good Guide, exhibitors should contact the Sustainable Furnishings Council at (919) 967-1137 or e-mail susan@sustainablefurnishings.org.

Options popular in upholstered furniture

Monday, January 4th, 2010

At least a half-dozen upholstery suppliers are rolling out DIY (design it yourself) upholstery programs this week that allow consumers to insert their own personalities and style into sofas and chairs. And Bassett is offering a second generation of customization, having introduced its first DIY collection several years ago.

  The B212 Multiples sofa from Broyhill can be given a completely different look with the substitution of backs, arms, legs, cushions and other options.

If the choice of hundreds of fabrics wasn’t enough, manufacturers are now allowing consumers to select everything from arm, leg and back styles to cushion construction, length (from
Texas long to apartment short) and details like fringes and welting.

Dixon Bartlett, a principal with Carolyn Hipple in HB2 Resources, a consulting firm working for Norwalk Custom Furniture, indicated the reason for the DIY proliferation is to give consumers many reasons not to say no.

“The consumer loves (to) make it her own,” he said.

Besides 850 fabrics, Norwalk’s Variations collection provides six basic frames and every configuration one can think of – including even a wood base and various shapes of legs.

“Why the concepts works for dealers is that it provides them with the most productive square footage,” Bartlett said. Dealers can place one frame on the floor and sell a variety of configurations, he said.

Broyhill’s DIY collection, called Multiples, includes a variety of leg, arm, and back choices along with various lengths and 275 pillow fabrics.

“Consumers want to personalize their living rooms across many income levels,” said Paul Peters, vice president of upholstery. “Multiples allows them to create the perfect piece to fit their space at affordable price points, and gives them the confidence that they’ve made the right choice with their investment.

“Since it is a custom story, it also allows for a retail footprint with a minimal inventory commitment,” he added.

Peters said Broyhill is launching the line to offer consumers choice, and also confidence.

“Offering a focused custom story from a trusted brand removes anxiety in the consumer’s decision process. It also benefits our dealers by offering further applications of the special fabric choices they already offer,” he said.

While DIY groups require less inventory, keeping up with a ton of SKUs required to support the program has kept some vendors from similar introductions. That hasn’t frightened Rowe, which is introducing a Suit Yourself customization program this market in its Clayton Marcus division.
Options include 11 wood finishes and 750 fabrics, or use of the customer’s own material.

Saverio Mancina, Rowe’s director of communications, said a computerized manufacturing system that once provided the company with a nightmare of inventory foul-ups is now running smoothly.

“It’s working brilliantly to our advantage,” said Mancina. “We feel Suit Yourself reduces the obstacle to buying.”

Source: www.highpointmarket.org

www.HowardsFurnitureandDecoratratingCenter.com

Broyhill Launches WOW Sales Strategy

Monday, January 4th, 2010

LENOIR, N.C. — Case goods and upholstery resource Broyhill is set to launch a sales strategy it calls “WOW,” which is aimed at improving relationships with retail customers through a variety of merchandising, promotion and pricing initiatives.

The WOW strategy eventually will be rolled out by all brands owned by Broyhill’s parent Furniture Brands International, according to company officials.

“Broyhill is the perfect place to launch this strategy at the brand level,” said Ralph Scozzafava, FBI’s chairman and CEO. “Broyhill’s customer base ranges from single location independent dealers to national accounts. The consultative, fact-based sales approach that is the foundation of the WOW strategy works with customers at every level, and we maximize the upside leverage of this proven sales strategy by starting with Broyhill.”

The strategy consists of three core elements, which the company describes as Win at the Store, Own the Customer, and Work Together.

Mark Stephens, formerly vice president of national accounts at Furniture Brands, will shift to Broyhill to lead the sales team there.

“Mark has been the point person for rolling out the WOW strategy to Furniture Brands’ five national account teams, and their early success has been impressive,” said Broyhill President Jeff Cook. “It just made great sense to leverage his knowledge and experience to lead the Broyhill sales team in implementing the WOW strategy.”

Stephens is replacing Don Webb, who is leaving Broyhill to return to the West Coast to pursue other business interests in the furniture industry.

In addition to Broyhill, FBI’s key brands include Lane, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Maitland-Smith and Thomasville.

 

Source: www.highpointmarket.org

www.HowardsFurnitureandDecoratratingCenter.com