Molding a market: ergonomically designed chairs are at the cutting edge of design and comfort - sales of office chairs at office supply warehouse stores - Home Office Marketing

Discount Store News, Jan 8, 1990 by Laura Liebeck

Molding a Market

Ergonomically designed chairs are at the cutting edge of design and comfort

Office seating sold through office supply superstores is expected to rise substantially in future years, fueled by sales of upgraded chairs and better technology.

Also, recent proposed local and state legislation governing minimum requirements for chairs and other office equipment could spark further sales, especially in ergonomically designed models.

Ergonomics, the adaptation of the workplace to the worker, or in this case, the chair to the worker, is gaining momentum in the mass market and starting to become a factor, albeit a small one, for some superstore retailers.

Ergonomically designed chairs are at the cutting edge in design, and many attributes of these models are being applied to basic seating. Several office supplies retailers are convinced that ergonomics will be important to the chair business in the near future.

Chairs "are no longer a seat with a base," said Brad Tukey, president and ceo of HQ Office Supplies Warehouse, Long Beach, Calif., noting the many chair styles available today, especially the advent of ergonomics.

Basic seating is not the thing anymore," said Rusty Wood, vice president, merchandising at BizMart, the 25-unit office supplies superstore in Cleveland. "Ergonomics is much more popular today and will be a good category to expand."

Ergonomically designed chairs account for eight of BizMart's 20 chair sku's, an increase of four sku's in the last three months.

By the end of this year, Wood said he probably will add another one or two sku's ergonomically designed models at the upper end of the price scale to meet the demand for better quality and more comfortable chairs.

HQ, with 13 stores, is about two months into a test of two ergonomic chairs and finding the addition successful, said George Pursglove, vp and general merchandise manager. Sales of ergonomics aren't big yet for HQ but as sales move in that direction, inventories will be adjusted, Pursglove said. Additional sku's with lumbar support and comfort features are selling well for the retailer.

Office Max, with 13 stores, also offers two sku's in ergonomic models plus two executive-grade chairs with lumbar features, said Michael Feuer, president. Ergonomics is not a major part of Office Max's chair business either right now but it is catching on.

What ergonomics portends for the office chair business is higher quality chairs and advancing prices.

The point of ergonomics is that the chair adjusts to the worker through a variety of features including height and lumbar support. These features, plus others such as a swivel seat, contoured seat and back, five-leg base, substantial padding and articulation--both the seat and back move with the sitter--make a chair more comfortable.

Manufacturers are doing their best to drive the business toward upgraded chairs.

Office Star Products, Pomona, Calif., has been working on new chair entries for the budget chair market at price points in the $200 and $300 range that concentrate on quality, comfort and articulation, said John Hendrix, national sales manager.

Globe Business Furniture, Hendersonville, Tenn., in the next two months will debut two chair series that offer more functions to specifically address the demand for more comfort, styles and functions to meet the needs of computer operators, said Danny Skeen, national sales manager.

The climbing interest in ergonomics is associated with the rapid rise of office automation, particularly computer video display terminals. Workers assigned to these tasks more frequently complain of fatigue and injury--back, neck and wrist problems--from sitting too long in chairs not suited for their task.

To counter that, several local and state governments are now requiring some employers to provide VDT operators with office equipment that reduces work-related injuries, a move that could drive the office chair business to new heights. Certainly, legislative changes will impact what businesses buy and what superstores sell.

Currently, several governmental authorities are mandating that computer operators be furnished with "user adjustable workstations and chairs."

Suffolk County, N.Y., was the first jurisdiction in the nation to put such legislation on the books. Other governmental bodies are following Suffolk's lead, including New York City and the New Jersey.

In many cases, legislation mandates that VDT operators be supplied with an adjustable chair that has an upholstered seat and backrest that meets specific compression standards. The chair must swivel and contain five legs for maximum stability.

While many of these chairs can be purchased for under $100 at retail, with the most popular price at between $69 and $89, many cost as much at $199 to $400, depending on features, and are helping to push up the average cost of a chair sold at retail.

Ergonomics isn't the only factor swelling the now $3 billion retail office chair business which attributes 16 percent of the sales to superstores, according to the National Office Products Association. Upgrades of all kinds are substantial contributors.