by Consumers seeing the line at retail have requested additional finish and color options available through John Thomas Select program
HIGH POINT — When John Thomas Furniture launched its licensed Margaritaville collection this past spring, the program sought to engage fans of the tropical lifestyle brand.
It offered a selection of casual dining and occasional table sets featuring Margaritaville custom art applied to the tops of dining, cocktail and accent tables that are finished overseas in two colors, Chalk and Soft Gray.
Both finishes are still available through its quick-ship program that offers a three-week turnaround time. Dining and accent chairs also are available in four unique Margaritaville fabrics. The frames are finished overseas in the two original colors and the fabrics are applied to those frames domestically.
But in offering the Margaritaville line at retail stores this past spring and early summer, the company learned that consumers wanted and were willing to pay more for something in its arsenal that wasn’t originally available through the program — its custom finishes and fabrics.
For years, the company has been offering custom finishes and fabrics domestically through its John Thomas Select program, which offers 48 custom finishes and more than 60 fabric options.
When consumers saw these finishes on panels and swatches near other John Thomas products on retail floors, they started to ask if they could get similar options on the Margaritaville product. The answer, of course, was yes as it gave customers just what they wanted, while also potentially increasing sales.
It’s now a competitive edge that takes the licensed line to the next level through its unique business model: the ability to bring in whitewood parts from Vietnam and apply custom finishes and fabrics domestically to frames that also are assembled in the High Point area.
Bryan Sprinkles, vice president of sales and development, told Home News Now that the original finishes are still selling well on the six dining sets, three occasional groupings and about eight accent tables available in the program.
“But we are selling well beyond that,” he added, noting that about 50% of sales are in the original finishes compared to 50% in the custom finishes.
He added that while the custom finishes may cost a little extra, “It doesn’t seem to be a deterrent. I feel like those pieces almost are like conversation pieces for the home. Being that consumers are so passionate about the brand, they are willing to go to the full extent they can to make it fit. … We didn’t quite expect it, but we welcomed it anyway.”
He said this evolution of the product also is a testament to the ability of the salesperson to tell a story and communicate different aspects of the John Thomas line to the consumer such as the Select program.
“Consumers will point you in the right direction if you pay attention to what they are asking for,” Sprinkles said. “They are asking for something different than we originally intended, but that’s OK — we will follow that lead. Fortunately, we were able to pivot in order to accommodate the Margaritaville brand with anything we can produce.”
At the recently concluded High Point Market, the company showcased some of the pieces in the custom finishes available through the Select program. Dealers too are pleased with the opportunities this creates for additional interest in and sales of the line.
“With our initial introductions we definitely went with a safe bet with white, but the consumer who is passionate about the brand, they lean toward the splashes of colors and fabrics,” Sprinkles added. “Whatever that combination may be to fit into their home and their lifestyle, they seem to lean into it pretty hard and are willing to have some fun with it.”
