by Home News Now rounds up some key highlights based on what we saw throughout the week
HIGH POINT — What some feared might be a bust of a market ended up leaving plenty of people in the industry uplifted and pleased with attendance and interest in new product.
In typical market fashion, there was plenty of product to see in case goods and upholstery and even bedding with the return of some well-known brands to High Point.
The mix ranged from new whole-home collections and line extensions to new categories, innovations and styles not to mention new licensing initiatives.
And unlike some previous markets even right after the pandemic, buyers wanted to do more than just look. They also appear open to buy, as most inventories have lowered across the industry and many were eager for new placements on their floors.
Here’s a roundup of some of what caught our eye throughout the market.
Product innovations:
+ Avalon Furniture showcased its Tech Stand nightstands, which feature a triple wireless charging element through a portal on the top of the unit that charges an iPhone, an Apple watch and airpods. It also features USB A and USB C chargers on the back as well as undermount lighting at the base of the unit. This is an advancement from the previous iteration which had a charging station for the phone on the top along with the lighting and USB ports. The Tech Stand feature is on any new nightstands introduced starting with the April market and is also available container direct and through the Houston warehouse while the original version is available by direct container.
“We gave dealers a choice — do you want the Tech Stand or do you want the regular (phone charging nightstand),” said Mike Bradshaw, president of Avalon Furniture. “It’s the same price. And overwhelmingly most dealers wanted the Tech Stand.”
+ As part of its substantial 120-piece introduction this market, Sarreid showed the latest iterations of its popular Jupe table collection. This relaunch included several new tables featuring an innovative construction and materials story that includes updated materials such as extruded aluminum that decreases the weight of the table by 30% when compared with the former wood-on-wood mechanism. The aluminum not only makes the tables lighter but also helps ensure a smoother assembly and expandability feature, the company noted.
+ Lifestyle Enterprise entered the massage chair category this market with its new Zen Wave division. The models, which were introduced as part of a test launch in April and expanded this market, include features such as zero gravity, heat therapy, whole body air pressure and touch-screen controls to customize your massage experience. In addition, they offer wireless charging and an extendable footrest.
+ Cozzia also showcased its Quantum massage chairs in multiple colors at market. First launched in April, they include a host of advance technologies that include more than 60 real-life massage techniques and 27 high-pressure sensors to construct a precise 3D mapping of a user’s body for a premium massage experience. They also feature advanced leg and foot care with heated air compression, foot reflexology, 3D wraparound heated knee massage and a footrest that massages and stretches the ankle and leg for improved circulation and movement. In addition, they feature ergonomic airbag support for an enhanced massage of the hips, thighs and the pelvic area, while the enhanced support improves posture and relieves lower back pain.
“This is by far and away our largest launch ever,” said Bob Bruns, president of Cozzia USA. “It’s got technology that is more advanced than any other massage chair in the market and it has placed better than any other chair we have ever launched by six to eight X.”
+ Kuka Home introduced a range of innovative fabrics that incorporate Nanobionic technology, which it described as “a soft coating comprised of a blend of minerals that is applied to any type of fabric, developed to increase energy, everyday performance and enhance wellness for better recovery.” These minerals, which are applied to the back of the fabric, work with body heat within the first few minutes of contact to release infrared energy back into the body, penetrating up to 2 inches of clothing. “Our introduction of Nanobionic-infused fabrics is a testament to our commitment to pioneering products that not only promise comfort but actively contribute to the well-being of our customers,” said Matt Harrison, president of Kuka Home North America.
Merchandising excellence
+ Bernards continued its whole-home offering of bedroom, dining, occasional and upholstery, creating entire room scenes in each major segment, including the living room. The collections included its 50-piece Calia collection, which is part of the company’s new Apex by Bernards brand that it launched earlier this year with high-style looks that appeal to both retailers and the design trade. Its second collection was the 70-piece Tarrington, a casual lifestyle collection that falls under the Bernards brand and features American heritage design influences.
“We are really bringing a designer aesthetic to this price point. The goal is to provide a real high value perception product at middle market price points, for retail,” Micah Swick, president, told Home News Now, adding that the concept is also resonating with designers. “Are we growing in that area? Absolutely, but our goal is to take care of brick-and-mortar retailers. That is 100% of our focus and we are giving them an opportunity to really differentiate their product and to provide a high perceived value product at a very reasonable price.”
+ Hooker Furnishings showcased its Collected Living by HF concept, tying together new and inline products from across its mix that includes Hooker Furniture in case goods and upholstery, M in designer-centric wood furniture and upholstery, Bradington-Young and HF Custom in domestic upholstery, Sunset West in outdoor and Bobo Intriguing Objects in accents and lighting. These products were displayed in coastal and lakeside lifestyle settings that illustrate the versatility of the designs and mix of materials story used throughout.
“We have had a lot of customers not even realize that is not new product,” Jeremy Hoff, chief executive officer told Home News Now. “They walk in and they say is this new? And it is because we are showing all of our different brands.”
The company plans to update this concept at future markets with a mix of more new product that showcases the company’s design talent, led by Caroline Hipple, chief creative officer.
“It is very satisfying. I am really proud of the team,” Hoff added.
+ Lexington Home Brands continued its whole-home approach by showcasing upholstery and case goods as part of its collections. This included its Rendez Vous collection, which features updated traditional design elements across 25 wood pieces and several upholstery groups. Pieces made with walnut veneers are accented with rose gold hardware and honed Bulgari stone on case pieces and tables. Meanwhile its La Costa collection also has 25 wood pieces showcased with several upholstery groups. Its modern lines were softened with hickory veneers in a warm brown finish along with mixed media elements such as brushed satin gold bases on occasional table bases and marble on occasional tabletops for example.
+ Universal’s Modern collection featured about 60 new pieces made with sand-blasted oak veneers and oak solids in a medium brown Modern Sable finish and a sandy light brown finish called Modern Desert. Key design elements included rounded edges and geometrical 3D forms carved into the doors and drawer fronts of case pieces. Mixed media elements include pyrite on a cocktail table and travertine stone on the doors of a credenza, for example. Meanwhile, its modern Dwell collection features some 60 wood pieces made with lightly wire-brushed pine solids and veneers in three finishes including a light finish called River Rock, a medium brown called Boulder and a charcoal hue called Basalt. It too features mixed media elements such as inset glass, concrete and aluminum. Both collections also were shown in living room vignettes that featured both occasional and accent furniture alongside imported and domestic upholstery that is part of the company’s quick-ship program.
Small space living
+ AICO showed several new collections featuring both larger scale and smaller scale case goods developed for smaller apartments and condominiums. For example, its Portrait collection featured both larger and smaller nightstands as well as round and rectangular dining tables that seat larger and smaller parties. The larger round seats six comfortably while the smaller footprint seats four. The larger rectangular dining table seats 10-12, while the smaller version seats eight. There were also two different buffet sizes, one being around 72 inches and the other being around 60 inches long. Its Palladium collection also was shown with larger and smaller rectangular and round dining tables, addressing the needs of those in larger and smaller living spaces alike. Meanwhile, its Lotus Bay collection was shown in an 850-square-foot space meant to mimic a smaller home or apartment. It too features smaller pieces for both living, dining and bedroom.
+ HL Home Furnishings showed about 10 different sofas and chair frames that offer both flexibility and lower costs in terms of shipping. The company said that while these are “properly scaled at 77 1/2” it can fit 120 of them in a container, which achieves a $33.33 shipping cost per sofa based on current container rates of $4,000. They also can ship either UPS or FedEx as a small parcel and hit a $399 retail price point when shipped via container and a $499 retail out of the warehouse. Chairs are targeted to retail from $199 to $299. To meet the needs of consumers living in smaller homes and apartments, the company suggested selling a sofa and one or two chairs versus a more typical sofa, loveseat and chair combination. In addition, the company showed a few smaller scale dining sets with highly impervious tops that are targeted to retail at $699 for a table and four chairs.
+ Eichholtz also took some of its bestselling pieces and scaled them for apartment-sized dwellings. This approach addresses not only demand from its customer base of retailers and designers, but also is suited well for the floors of its own retail stores in places such as Miami, Los Angeles and Manhattan.
Licensing takes center stage
Licensed collections continued to draw interest at market. Below are several key examples:
+ Best Home Furnishings launched its Field & Stream Home collection, which featured about 25 individual styles of stationary and motion upholstery including sofas, sectionals and chairs. The mix is available in 70 fabrics designed specifically for the line, featuring an array of outdoors-inspired themes. “It’s been very well-received,” said Greg Sicard, vice president of sales and marketing at Best, noting that the company took orders at market that will begin production this coming week. “The early reaction has been very good.”
+ Legacy Classic | Modern introduced two licensed collections this market including its 60-piece Country Living Home collection. The updated traditional forms speak to today’s consumer and are available in multiple finish options, creating an estimated 200-plus individual silhouettes. It is expected to resonate with consumers around the country given the publication’s broad readership. In addition, the company unveiled a youth bedroom collection under the Trisha Yearwood Home brand that is designed after the Today’s Traditions collection, another licensing partnership with Legacy Classic | Modern.
+ Eichholtz unveiled about 60 new pieces in its licensed Met collection that include art, rugs, decorative accessories, accent and occasional furniture and upholstery. Designed based on historical pieces in the celebrated Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, this was a followup to its initial launch of about 90 pieces last October. The company said the response to the new items across furniture, lighting and accessories from dealers and designers at market was strong. Another feature that resonates among dealers and designers alike? Each item has a tag with a QR code that brings you to the Met website to talk about the inspiration for the piece. “It’s storytelling that makes the piece that much more special,” said Alyssa Zimerman, a communications consultant for the Eichholtz brand.
+ Magnussen Home showcased its second iteration of the Salt Life Home collection. It offered two collections that included Echo Isles, a bedroom, dining and occasional mix made with quartered white oak in a chipped white finish and a second bedroom-only collection called Windmill Harbour. The mix includes a range of price points with the starting priced laminate group, Windmill Harbour, offering beds around $399 to $499 and Echo Isles offering beds around $699 to $799 in queen.
