Bellini Modern Living, a wholesaler and distributor of modern Italian furniture based in Canada, is reporting a rise of up to 50 percent in sales of its ceramic dining tables since the introduction of a new mechanism that solves a key category challenge of how to extend the tables with heavy leaves.
The new mechanism, now featured in all of the company’s Italian ceramic extension tables, automatically lifts extra leaves hidden beneath a table into place with the pull of a lever.
“We changed to our new self-adjusting/self-leveling system because it is not only more attractive, but also incredibly easy to operate, both to lengthen and to close a table,” said Hossein Azimi, Chief Executive Officer of Bellini Modern Living. “Extending a table requires one person using one hand. There’s no heavy lifting of ceramic slabs necessary, or time spent finding someone to assist.Simply pull the lever, the table opens, and the leaves rise up into place. When you’re ready to return the table to its original size, push the lever inward and the leaves drop out of sight beneath the table.”
According to Azimi, with the addition of the new mechanism, sales of ceramic dining tables, already a significant niche for Bellini, have practically doubled. “Consumers are gravitating to Italian ceramic dining tables because they are so durable and easy-care, highly resistant to scratches and stains,” he said. “Our new, easy-to-use mechanism is simply another great selling point.”
Retailers, meanwhile, have been looking to Bellini Modern Living for quality ceramic dining products and a program designed to maximize their sales per square foot.
As part of its offering, the company offers dealers five different ceramic tops from which to choose and four different table bases, available in either metal or wood in various finishes, all with an emphasis on sculptural design. Whether stationary or extension designs, all stationary tables are available in three sizes: 79-, 87- and 95-inches and extension tables are 79- to 118-inches when extended. Cut from large slabs of Italian ceramics that closely resemble marble and natural stone in colors like Golden White, Capraia, Sahara Noir, and Sodalite Blue, the tabletops are smooth and the patterns realistic and seamless.
“This is what sets Italian ceramics apart,” said Frederik Winther, vice president of sales at Bellini Modern Living. “Slabs imported from Asia tend to be gray/dual and extremely uniform in pattern. They simply don’t have the same depth of color and pattern that Bellini offers. For that matter, Chinese slabs are not even available in large enough sizes to make production of some of our table designs even possible without seams.”
“Focused on beauty and technical performance, we’ve created a very successful program that allows a retailer to buy just one dining table as a sample for their store while offering their customers dozens of combinations in color and style,” Azimi said. “Available with coordinating sideboards and multiple dining chair options, our ceramic dining program works so well because of our commitment to inventory and quick delivery, which we believe is our greatest advantage across all of our collections. At all times, we are 95 percent in stock here in Toronto on everything we make. That helps our dealers maximize their return on investment and consistently delight their customers with fast delivery.”
