Vanguard Furniture Reinvents Custom Casegoods
Furniture World News Desk on
10/19/2016
Vanguard furniture recently announced its “Make it Yours” Bedroom program. This platform has been in test market for nearly a year with acclamation from both consumers and retailers alike. It allows the end customer to be the designer, potentially disrupting the way casegoods are sold at retail.
The launch is supported with a full complement of POS materials including a state of the art “visualizer” that allows consumers to design their own furniture and see it a rendering of it come to life immediately. 10 basic case options are offered with more than 1 million permutations on each.
Andy Bray, Vanguard’s president said, “this is one of those exciting launches because it delights both the dealer and the customer. Make it Yours is a program designed to engage customers with design associates. It’s a conversation starter that enhances a highly personalized shopping experience. But it also has the potential to significantly increase a retailer’s profitability. Literally, 15 million permutations can be shown in less than 10 square feet making this the highest GM ROI of anything on the floor. It also provides our upper end dealers and designers with yet another way to differentiate themselves from mass retailers and provides a trigger for higher margin purchases.”
“But nothing makes sense unless it sells at retail,” he added. “The end-consumer has to see this as something compelling and desirable. We are confident she will. Aside from an expertly crafted case, she receives the psychological benefits of uniqueness, self-expression and personalization at a cost no more expensive than other cases of comparable style, materials and quality.”
Conceptually, the program is pretty simple: The process begins by choosing one of 10 basic sizes from a simple nightstand to a grand 6-drawer dresser. Next, she picks from among seven stylish bases. Some of the legs even include brass ferules. What really defines the overall look is a choice of 13 distinctive drawer faces, from classic to modern. Next, she applies the jewelry by choosing from among 20 unique pieces of hardware—each available in three finishes for a total 60 different options. Finally she chooses a finish including hundreds of standard, stain or paint finishes, artisan finishes and premium leaf finishes. She can even make it a combination finish with contrasting drawers, doors, tops and panels or face styles. She can further embellish the look with options such as highlight striping, patterned striping shadowing and different sheen or distress levels.
While conceptually simple, it is logistically very complex. It is made possible only through Vanguard’s ingenious manufacturing processes and state-of-the-art finishing capabilities that allow it to build and finish cases cost-effectively one at a time. It takes about 6 weeks from the time it’s ordered to the time it is available for delivery to the end customer’s home.
More about Vanguard Furniture: Vanguard Furniture is a manufacturer and marketer of case goods and upholstery. It is a family held company, employing 575 associates and operates out of six manufacturing buildings in Hickory, North Carolina, and a 40,000 square foot showroom in High Point, NC and its newest manufacturing location in Hillsville, Virginia. Its mission is to lead home furnishings in style, value and service with a vision to enrich lives through custom-crafted furniture. Vanguard is a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council and its green initiatives include recycling 95% of all post manufacturing waste; recycling paper, fabric scraps, metal, wood scrap, plastic and corrugated products. The showroom is located at 301 N Hamilton St, in High Point. For more information, see
www.vanguardfurniture.com