Ottomans, pillows and chairs, oh my! Today’s consumers are looking for their own style of home furnishings options in one of the more categories out there, but they aren’t always adept at visualizing how leathers, fabrics and even trim options or finishes can work together.
Bradington-Young has rolled out a solution for that. The brainchild of the company’s Director of Merchandising Cheryl Sigmon, you might have seen the debut of the Luxury Accents program in the Bradington-Young showroom this past High Point Market. Started as a small custom ottoman program at spring High Point Market this year, Luxury Accents was expanded to include pillows, swivel chairs, club chairs and settees alongside an expanded ottoman program to showcase the company’s customization capabilities. The new ottoman program, for example, has been expanded to 12 pieces, showcasing three shapes, two sizes, smooth or tufted tops, and optional casters.
“We’ve always had these customized options, but this is the first time we’ve developed a concerted effort to visually demonstrate them in our showroom,” says Sigmon. “Accent pieces are a great way to do this in a very small footprint, and our retailers can maximize their ROI and increase their average sales ticket by including some of these jewelry pieces on their retail floor.”
It’s a colorful world
The leather and fabric combinations cover a wide range of colors, details and hand on the pieces, from suedes to snakeskin detailing and more, creating an experience for retailers at market that they can then pass on to their customers.
The combinations on display are designed to assist dealers and retailers in showcasing Bradington-Young’s customization options in a way that would be easier for the consumer to understand. For retailers, the program can be duplicated, and depending on space, can have a contracted or expanded footprint.
“The pillows are a great way to demonstrate creative cover combinations in a small footprint without having to take up the room that would be needed for ottomans and chairs,” Sigmon adds. “This same concept can be used on the retail floor.”
Sigmon’s goal with this new merchandising approach for custom product was to find what works for the retailers and showcase a new perspective they may not have considered before.
“These accent pieces are a great way to add pops of color and texture,” she notes. “The program is fun because you can see what you can do with leather,” which can be an intimidating material to work in. “We’re teaching our retailers and designers to not be afraid of leather’s possibilities,” she adds. “This is a way to have more fun with accent pieces.”
It also showcases the vast customization options Bradington-Young offers from a simple border color change to pairing patterns, colors, grains and materials. “There’s really such a wide range, depending on how much you want to customize,” says Sigmon, with up to nine custom finishes, choice of leg style including casters, luxury accents and product style.
While the Luxury Accents program was put in place to get the retailers and designers to see the company in a different way, says Sigmon, it’s been a really enjoyable journey for her as well. “This is the most fun I’ve had planning a market presentation.” Imagine how much fun it would be on the retail floor.
