HIGH POINT — Retailers are giving case goods suppliers at least three major challenges this market: Develop stylish clean-lined transitional or casual contemporary product and/or updated traditional looks that resonate with the consumer, offer the best possible prices, and get the goods on retail floors ASAP.
 West Bros. Furniture’s Imperial View dining room is among the many scaled-down case goods collections at market. It is made with maple solids and is shown in a clear brown finish called Saratoga. |
Suppliers who meet those criteria say they have been rewarded with solid commitments and orders, despite low attendance.
A case in point is SLF, which is showing nine bedrooms in its new SLF Direct program that features three-piece groups in transitional, contemporary and traditional footprints priced as low as $999, compared with SLF's typical range of $1,299 to $2,499. Based on the response thus far, it expects to cut at least 80% of the groups.
"We just hit the right price point and styling at a time when the customer needed it," said SLF President Greg Noe. "In looking at the market, we picked segments we felt there was opportunity in."
At least four of the groups are in production and should hit retail by mid-July.
Hooker Furniture also is sharpening its price points. Its new Envision program offers nine bedrooms at a $1,995 retail price point for four-piece sets, which the company says is at least 25% below its usual pricing. Based on dealer commitments and orders, the company plans to cut all nine groups.
Dealers like the prices and the largely transitional nature of the designs. They also like the scaling, which is tailored to smaller homes.
"Some retailers that we haven't done business with in years have come in and ordered it," said Bruce Cohenour, senior vice president of national accounts and business development. "Our dealers are looking for solutions and we offered it to them."
A.R.T. Furniture is seeing commitments and orders for its A.R.T. II Generations program, which offers four-piece bedrooms priced from $1,799 to $1,999, compared to a more typical $2,499 to $2,999 price range for four-piece groups. Based on commitments and orders, the company expects to cut all four groups.
The same program offers two formal dining sets priced at $999 for a table and four chairs, compared to a more typical $1,999 for an A.R.T. set.
These and other vendors say the sharpened prices result from the largely clean-lined and in some cases scaled-down nature of the groups. Companies such as West Bros. and Aspenhome also are offering scaled-down looks.
Exhibitors say retailers also like new functional features, including hidden jewelry storage behind mirrors, touch lighting in nightstands and electrical outlets in servers and nightstands. These and other features are available in collections at vendors including Hooker, Aspenhome, A.R.T. and Hekman.
While companies are working to sharpen prices, they aren't abandoning the better and best parts of their lines.
A case in point is Hooker, which is receiving strong reaction on Kinston, a casual contemporary 75-piece case goods collection built off a successful home office program, made with bamboo veneers and hardwood solid frames in a contrasting dark finish. It has a panel bed priced at $999 and a revolving mirrored lingerie chest set to retail at $1,099.
Pulaski says it is doing well with new transitional and updated traditional bedroom groups priced at $1,999. However, its most successful group is a European traditional bedroom called Edinburgh, with a four-piece targeted to retail at $3,499.
"It's got to look like a lot more than it is (priced at)," said Page Wilson, vice president of sales and marketing. "It doesn't necessarily mean being cheap."
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