HIGH POINT — Broyhill says its showroom designers are taking a different approach at next week's High Point Market, displaying furniture the way consumers actually like to buy it - as an integrated group with the case goods and upholstery designed to go together.
Broyhill’s new Urban Solutions collection includes this rectangular cocktail table with a metal frame and casters for easy mobility. The top surface features a glass treatment that adds a contemporary flair.
Aiming to reach younger Gen-X and Gen-Y consumers, the company also has built an 850-square-foot apartment inside its 80,000-square-foot showroom here. Called Studio US, the apartment showcases the company's new contemporary collection, Urban Solutions.
"Our move to lifestyle settings throughout the showroom is a huge undertaking that is all about helping our dealers better visualize the lifestyle and the inspiration behind the design," said Broyhill President Jeff Cook. "We are no longer segregating our design teams or our showroom display into isolated product categories as if the two do not relate to one another."
The new display approach stems from research the company commissioned earlier this year from the firm BASES. It is the first of several research initiatives Broyhill says it is using to help it link product design to consumer insights, preferences and trends.
"Instead of designing from the antiquated viewpoint of traditional, transitional, contemporary and so on, we are taking a fresh look at the buying trends by lifestyle instead of category to bridge the gap between design, showroom display and the marketplace," said Cook. "The showroom will be totally revamped, mixing case goods with upholstery, and selecting accessories, decor and messaging that is consistent with the lifestyles identified by our BASES research. Say goodbye to showing product by price, product category and style."
In all, Broyhill is showing seven settings here that incorporate its introductions of five new whole home groups, four casual dining groups with a new chair program, two bedrooms, several expanding dining room collections, six occasional groups, 18 upholstery silhouettes, three youth collections and five new frames for the Custom Colors Leather program.
With Urban Solutions in the Studio US space, the company said the product was designed by women and has functional features in a smaller scale that fit the typical urban apartment or condo.
"We have listened to our dealers and they have asked us to partner with them to reach out to these generations as they start buying their first real furniture. And that is precisely what we have done," Cook says. "They want their apartment to look and function like normal size, but in 600 to 800 square feet they can't accommodate standard-size furniture."
Studio US was designed with retail store display in mind, according to Broyhill. Constructed of inexpensive glass walls, the space includes a kitchen, bath, bedroom and open dining and living space. Details will be shared with retailers free of charge, including construction blueprints, product floor plans, paint colors and information on fixtures.
"Glass creates excitement by giving the attitude of space without blocking the view," said Michael Foster, Broyhill vice president merchandising - case goods. "We are setting the tone for how product should be presented to consumers living in today's average-size condo or apartment. It is our truest expression of a whole home collection."
Broyhill’s new Urban Solutions collection includes this rectangular cocktail table with a metal frame and casters for easy mobility. The top surface features a glass treatment that adds a contemporary flair.
Aiming to reach younger Gen-X and Gen-Y consumers, the company also has built an 850-square-foot apartment inside its 80,000-square-foot showroom here. Called Studio US, the apartment showcases the company's new contemporary collection, Urban Solutions.
"Our move to lifestyle settings throughout the showroom is a huge undertaking that is all about helping our dealers better visualize the lifestyle and the inspiration behind the design," said Broyhill President Jeff Cook. "We are no longer segregating our design teams or our showroom display into isolated product categories as if the two do not relate to one another."
The new display approach stems from research the company commissioned earlier this year from the firm BASES. It is the first of several research initiatives Broyhill says it is using to help it link product design to consumer insights, preferences and trends.
"Instead of designing from the antiquated viewpoint of traditional, transitional, contemporary and so on, we are taking a fresh look at the buying trends by lifestyle instead of category to bridge the gap between design, showroom display and the marketplace," said Cook. "The showroom will be totally revamped, mixing case goods with upholstery, and selecting accessories, decor and messaging that is consistent with the lifestyles identified by our BASES research. Say goodbye to showing product by price, product category and style."
In all, Broyhill is showing seven settings here that incorporate its introductions of five new whole home groups, four casual dining groups with a new chair program, two bedrooms, several expanding dining room collections, six occasional groups, 18 upholstery silhouettes, three youth collections and five new frames for the Custom Colors Leather program.
With Urban Solutions in the Studio US space, the company said the product was designed by women and has functional features in a smaller scale that fit the typical urban apartment or condo.
"We have listened to our dealers and they have asked us to partner with them to reach out to these generations as they start buying their first real furniture. And that is precisely what we have done," Cook says. "They want their apartment to look and function like normal size, but in 600 to 800 square feet they can't accommodate standard-size furniture."
Studio US was designed with retail store display in mind, according to Broyhill. Constructed of inexpensive glass walls, the space includes a kitchen, bath, bedroom and open dining and living space. Details will be shared with retailers free of charge, including construction blueprints, product floor plans, paint colors and information on fixtures.
"Glass creates excitement by giving the attitude of space without blocking the view," said Michael Foster, Broyhill vice president merchandising - case goods. "We are setting the tone for how product should be presented to consumers living in today's average-size condo or apartment. It is our truest expression of a whole home collection."
