RTA is high point of show; show-goers will be treated to some new pieces for home office and entertainment-storage use - Home Furnishings Market show; ready-to-assemble furniture - HomeMarket Trends supplement

Discount Store News, Oct 16, 1989

RTA is High Point of Show

Many ready-to-assemble furniture vendors planning to attend the International Home Furnishings Market, High Point, N.C., on Oct. 19 to 27, said they would offer show-goers a handful of new furniture pieces, mostly geared toward home office and entertainment/storage use. New ensembles, for the most part, are being held behind closed doors and shown only to "key accounts."

The trend toward upscaled RTA furniture for warehouse specialty outlets and traditional department stores will continue to evolve. Units with sharper styling and pricier tickets are not replacing the mass merchant lines, but have been developed to supplement the promotional offerings.

Soundesign

Jersey City, N.J.-based Soundesign will unveil six additions to its line of entertainment pieces for traditional mass market retailers at the High Point show. A home office desk geared toward the specialty home office market, will also be introduced, said Ben Levy, director, RTA furniture division. The pieces will be available in either oak or walnut; a few of the sku's will be produced in both finishes. All of the furniture will retail for under $100, with the starting price point at $39.99.

Charleswood

The new Whitmore Collection by Charleswood, St. Louis, Mo., will be shown this month in High Point. Six to eight units will be brought to the upcoming show, according to Joanne Waers, director of sales and marketing. Included in the collection are a telephone stand, a TV/VCR cart, two bookcases and a secretary. Whitmore styling features a framed base and crown and brass plated hardware. The line is priced to retail from $24.99 to $129.99.

Armstrong

David Brown, marketing manager of RTA furniture at Armstrong RTA, Lancaster, Pa., will formally introduce several pieces that had been kept in the back room at the July housewares show in Chicago. The pieces include a deluxe home office desk and a two-door storage cabinet.

Fournier

Twelve new furniture pieces will be added to Fournier's Fireside Collection including home office pieces, cocktail and end tables, wall units and occasional pieces. The collection is geared toward the department, furniture and home office warehouse stores. About six new home office sku's in Fournier's promotional line will also be introduced by the Minneapolis-based manufacturer.

Bush Industries

Bush Industries, Jamestown, N.Y., will bring to market the three pieces it showed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The three pieces - a home entertainment center, a TV/VCR cart and an audio cabinet - represent the first items in its Innovations Collection. The collection is being manufactured in both a black finish and a light Champagne Oak finish.

O'Sullivan Industries

Tom O'Sullivan, national sales manager at O'Sullivan Industries, Lamra, Mo., said that the company is currently working on four separate projects and is still finalizing which of these will be shown at the High Point show. He is certain that one collection of three pieces will be introduced but was reluctant to discuss details regarding the styling and finish. The three items are an entertainment center, a room divider and a TV/VCR cart.

Rose Hill Furniture

Diamond Tough is the trademarked name of a new surface being applied to Rose Hill Furniture's tables, according to Billy Hughes Jr., vice president of marketing at the Okolona, Miss., firm. He believes the finish offers his customers a high-end look while keeping to prices that are at the lower end of the RTA spectrum. Diamond Tough is a low pressure laminate that will make the table-tops more mar-resistant.

Sauder

According to Gene Metz, vice president of sales and marketing for Sauder, headquartered in Archbold, Ohio, the company will be showing its autumn oak Princeton Collection at the High Point show for the first time. The four items include a curio cabinet and a gun cabinet, both with a suggested retail price of $199.95; a library cabinet with doors at $119.95; and a library cabinet without doors at $99.95.

Southern Wood

David Paper, president of Southern Wood Products, explained that his Sparta, Tenn.-based company would not be operating its booth during the furniture market show this month, because he expects to "take a different approach" toward the event in the future.

Royal Creations

Two new lines with an upgraded style, finish and price will be shown by Royal Creations at their High Point showroom this month, said Laura Riegsecker, director of development. While she said the company is waiting until the first days of the show to disclose the nature of the new lines, she said that some of the new products are geared toward the home office club field while others continue to be oriented for typical discount store outlets. In the past, most Royal furniture has been priced at or below the $99 level. Last year's success with a $149 upgraded entertainment piece prompted the vendor to experiment more with higher-quality and higher-ticket lines, Riegsecker noted. The highest priced piece of the 18 sku's is $169, (taking into consideration a lower mark-up at clubs, she said).