RTA intros call out home office; better styling a touchstone at High Point

Discount Store News, April 1, 1997

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- Furniture manufacturers are responding with great exertion and creativity to the booming home office market with new ready-to-assemble products to debut at the International Home Furnishings Show, April 10 to 18 in High Point, N.C.

Workstations, desk and hutch units with full accessory options and better styling and finishes are leading the way.

"As more people are working at home, they want the furniture to look less institutional," said Kevin Sauder, vice president of sales and marketing, Sauder Woodworking. "They are using either a spare room or a section of a family room or bedroom, so they want more of a furniture look."

Mike Franks, director of marketing for O'Sullivan Industries, agreed. Looking toward the high end of discount store RTA price points, he said a new product called the Office Arena, priced to sell at $599, is finished on all sides, and suitable for any placement in a room. "We decided to bring it out of the corner as a freestanding L or other format workstation," Franks said.

The Office Arena is part of the Intelligent Designs brand, a collection that O'Sullivan introduced in January at the Housewares Show. Franks said response has been strong, even at price points considered rather luxurious for mass merchandisers. He said regional discounters in particular have expressed strong interest.

Bush Industries is unveiling a lateral file and three-drawer pedestal file to extend its Office Pro collection, said Dave Messinger, vice president of marketing and sales. But the centerpiece of its home office introductions is the swing-out office armoire in the Bordeaux collection. Designed with both working and off-hours in mind, the unit has panel doors that fold back for access but close up to conceal the work area for a neater appearance.

The Office Armoire also includes a CD-ROM system storage area and a swing-out work surface.

Home office is also a prime area for new introductions by Creative Interiors. Philip Miller, general manager of sales and marketing, said the home office segment will feature a variety of new collections in six finishes. He believes the pricing, with retails from $99 to $299, will hit the sweet spot where most discounters indicate they experience heavy demand.

A wide array of products will be unveiled beyond home office. Creative Interiors, which has expanded its showroom, has also upgraded its home entertainment selections. "We have 17 collections to introduce between the office and entertainment categories, with over 50 new items," Miller said.

Youth furniture is a major focus for O'Sullivan. Three new youth collections,

Harbors, New Worlds and an extension of the adult Scandinavian line, provide a range of decorating styles for this fast-growing category.

"Harbors is visually striking," Franks said. "It puts real style and fun into youth furniture." The cabinet section in one unit, finished in white and ocean blue, features sailboat-shaped pulls, while the desk support is an arched bridge.

The New Worlds collection combines green Shibori finish for doors with washed white plank cherry finish overall, giving an unusually tasteful, on-trend treatment for youth furniture.

Franks added that the Carmel Valley collection unveiled at the Housewares Show has received substantial enough placement to warrant a filling out of the line to 20 pieces. "It's our most broad-based, with retail price points from $69 to $299."

The line includes home entertainment, home office and some bedroom items. Driving the collection is updated Mission styling with medium oak finish.

Bush Industries is bringing out a major item in home entertainment, an armoire in the Bordeaux Collection that fits 35-in. TVs and fold-back panel doors.

Stuart Oram, vice president of marketing at Bush, said the Bordeaux line has been warmly received since its January debut. It gains distinction from the planked maple finish, wrought iron hardware and scalloped base features.