Leggett & Platt showcases revamped Fashion Bed line
Time：2019-01-29 10:42:21 Share：
Leggett & Platt’s Consumer Products Division has completed a major product overhaul in its Fashion Bed Group brand that presents the most successful and on-trend items in the line, while dropping others.
This process, which began around October and continued through the end of the year, affected every segment of the line, ranging from upholstered and metal beds to daybeds, wood and metal beds as well as beds in its Fashion Kids youth segment.
According to division President Jay Thompson, the process resulted in a line that features on-trend and core classic styles, a number of which also have proven to be among the top performers.
The revamping of the line offers clarity to Leggett’s mid-December 8K filing stating that the Fashion Bed Group segment - which supplies both ornamental beds and bed frames - was narrowing product offerings: "Our Fashion Bed and Home Furniture businesses have underperformed expectations in recent quarters, primarily from weaker demand and higher raw materials costs. Accordingly, we are exiting low margin business, reducing operating costs and eliminating excess capacity.”
Despite the dire announcement – which touches on the reduction in work force at the company’s Linwood, N.C., and Georgetown, Ky, plants that produce traditional and adjustable bed frames respectively – it was clear from the company’s presentation here at the Las Vegas Market that the ornamental beds segment is alive and well thanks to the consolidation of the line.
According to Jessika Toro, category manager for Fashion Beds, the line has been pared down from 144 styles to about 75, a nearly 50% reduction. This reduction touched every product category from headboard only styles to fully upholstered beds, metal beds, day beds and youth beds.
Fashion Kids, for example had 12 styles. In its showroom here, there were two distinct youth styles, including the feminine Kaylin bed and the Rylan bed in five color options. However, there also are many adult bed styles offered in twin and full sizes, reflecting girls’ and boys’ – not to mention parents’ – preferences to more sophisticated, mature looking beds for their rooms.
“A lot of youth styles that do well mimic adult styles,” Toro noted.
Toro noted that, as before, the line represents a variety of price points, thus representing a good, better, best offering. As the line is sold in multiple channels, this essentially provides dealers and consumers a one-stop shop for on-trend footprints, both at brick and mortar and online.
She also noted that the company eventually will introduce new styles to the marketplace. But it is first moving current inventory, a process that will be followed by a further evaluation of the selection from a style and price standpoint to ensure it remains competitive in the marketplace.
