by Line aims to offer a better quality story than other promotional upholstery, domestic or import
HIGH POINT — Upholstery resource Flair Enterprises is looking to add a new level of value for its customers with a new stationary upholstery line sourced in Vietnam.
Earlier this year, the division of Minhas Furniture Group launched the imported line at the January Las Vegas Market where it opened some new West Coast accounts. It reshowed them in High Point where it gained additional interest, commitments and orders.
Thus far, the line includes 10 groups featuring a mix of sofas, loveseats and chairs as well as sectionals with an 83-inch sofa retailing around $399 and a 90-inch version retailing around $599. Sectionals are targeted to retail around $999.
In addition, the line offers swivel chairs with bucket-style seating that are targeted to retail around $249.
Mark Price, recently named vice president of sales and marketing, said the import line include sofas that are cased with padded backs and sides, something he said is not typically offered in promotional upholstery.
In addition, the seats and backs also are zippered and reversible, something that Price said is not normally seen in opening price points.
“The landed price for the Vietnam upholstery is considerably less than anything we or any other domestic producer even at today’s current freight rates offer on opening price points,” Price said, noting that even at $399, there is a 45%-50% margin for dealers. “The $599 price point is critical as well and the 90-inch sofas in the collection are far and away a better product at that level.”
Recent additions to the line have begun shipping and are expected to hit retail before Labor Day, Price said, noting that they feature fabrics from its cut-and-sew resource in China that are shipped directly to the Vietnam supplier.
In addition, Price noted that the combination of overseas fabrics and production of the line is where the company expects to provide the most compelling value in the market, offering a more superior quality story than some of the more promotional imported KD upholstery that hits similar price points.
“This is where we have an advantage,” he told Home News Now. “This is going to be the game changer.”
And following the strong response both in Las Vegas and High Point, the company is looking to double the mix during the summer Las Vegas Market with between 10 and 15 more groups offered at similar price points.
The company also is offering an imported stationary leather line featuring a dozen upholstery groups produced in Malaysia that debuted in January and was reshown at the April market. Those groups, which feature 100% leather construction and no splits or leather match, were expected to hit retail floors in time for Memorial Day, Price noted.
“We’ve already gotten some majors on board with both of them,” he said.
The imported upholstery lines are in addition to the imported motion upholstery lines that the company has offered for a number of years, in addition to its imported line of bedroom, dining, occasional and home entertainment furniture.
The company also continues to offer a domestic line of custom upholstery, which is produced at its plant in Robbins, North Carolina, as well as in its plant in Calgary, Alberta.
