Lazzaro Leather Takes Fresh Approach to Millennial Market
Furniture World News Desk on
4/19/2017
Lazzaro Leather's Berkeley Collection in Cocoa Brompton Leather
Lazzaro Leather announced that it will introduce a variety of creative, fashion-forward groups at the April 22-26 High Point Market designed with Millennials in mind.
The new offerings on display in the International Home Furnishing Center’s Commerce wing, Space C-1003 include Berkeley, an eclectic seating group that combines a sumptuous contemporary sofa in a vintage Cocoa Brompton leather with a rustic wood arm chair in fabric. The group also features a coordinating loveseat, accent chair and ottoman.
“Berkeley is aimed at an overlooked subset of Millennials who have paid off their college debt, are progressing in their careers and are totally comfortable with paying $2,000 for a unique leather sofa,” said Lauri Cryan, Lazzaro Leather’s president. “This group of young people expresses itself through expensive distressed jeans and lavish tattoos, and they like furnishings that give them the same room for personal expression. They don’t care if the pieces exactly match the rest of their room as long as they have individual character and quality.”
Recognizing that many Millennials live in urban settings with less space to work with, Lazzaro Leather also is expanding its assortment of “Apartment Living” seating at the April market. Among its introductions in this category is a new contemporary sofa, chair, ottoman and loveseat group called Hayden that’s distinguished by big, broad arms and bench seat surfaces. The group will be shown two ways: in a bright Tangerine leather, for consumers who want to go bold; and in a vintage Mocha leather, which leans transitional.
“Showing this group in two very different covers will give our buyers a good sense for just how versatile this design is,” said Cryan. “Depending on the leather, Hayden can swing modern or more traditional, appealing to two distinct audiences.”
Another introduction that Lazzaro is excited about this market is Vitra, a seating group inspired by Cryan’s recent visit to the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. “While touring the museum, I saw an amazing sofa suspended in the air by two massive logs. Our new Vitra group captures that buoyant feeling, but with a more streamlined design that features a framed, solid-wood base instead of raw timber.”
Shown in a Buckskin leather, Lazzaro’s Vitra model positions the seating surface on a base of walnut finished in a cherry tone. “It’s a striking design that should draw a lot of attention,” Cryan said.
This market, Lazzaro Leather also is expanding its occasional lineup. Introductions include a pencil-leg end table group with walnut wood inlays, and a glass-topped table group in metal with a stainless steel or champagne finish.
“We’ve always been well known for our steamer trunks and bars but our occasional table business also continues to grow,” said Cryan. “We’ve never done glass tables before and, when combined with metal, it’s a sleek look that goes perfectly well with leather.”
Lazzaro Leather also will be adding several new pieces to its licensed Metropolitan Home program this market. They include a new apartment-sized chair-and-a-half and chaise for the Antonio collection — a contemporary model featuring an elegant, stainless steel base, leather support strapping on seats and arms and stylish yet functional buckles that attach the cushions to the frames. A new bright white leather also is being added to the collection.
In addition, Lazzaro is adding a new studio-sized sectional to Metropolitan Home’s Cooper collection. Modern, casual and sophisticated, the Cooper collection features a solid birch base with ash veneer and a chunky, oversized arm design.
“Our Metropolitan Home program, now a year old, has been gaining more and more attention at retail,” said Cryan. “We expect those gains to continue this year as we expand the line with exciting new designs.”
While the last quarter of 2016 was tough for much of the furniture industry, 2017 is off to a good start for Lazzaro Leather, according to Cryan. “Retail activity is picking up, and retailers will be coming to market looking for fresh products to build on that momentum.”
To give retailers a jump start, Lazzaro Leather will have its new goods available for shipment in time for summer sales, Cryan added. “Our October introductions began hitting stores in January, several months earlier than usual, and we’re aiming to get our April introductions out early as well.”
The Lazzaro Leather line is available on a direct-container basis from the company’s China facilities, or in smaller quantities from its High Point warehouse. Also available from the High Point warehouse is Lazzaro’s LEA line, an assortment of accent items that can be direct shipped via UPS to consumers within 24 hours. The LEA program is being expanded this market with a new good-better-best line of adjustable beds. Lazzaro has teamed up with Americanstar Mattress for a range of mattresses to accompany the beds.
“LEA offers retailers a high-value, one-stop-shop source for popular furniture items,” said Cryan. “Since service is an issue with so many adjustable beds, we’re filling a void in this category by offering a focused line that’s very customer service-oriented.”
At market, Lazzaro Leather also will update retailers on several other initiatives. They include a new feature on its website that makes it easier for retailers to check inventory. In addition, Lazzaro is completing the implementation of a new ERP system that will accelerate order processing and shipping. The new system goes live May 1.
“The new ERP system will enable us to be much more responsive to our customers,” said Cryan. “We’ll be able to provide retailers with faster, more accurate information on product availability, and the ordering and credit processes will become much more efficient.”
Lazzaro Leather exhibits during the April High Point Market in the International Home Furnishing Center’s Commerce wing, Space C-1003.
About Lazzaro Leather: Lazzaro Leather is the exclusive distributor for the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica of Guangdong Lazzaro Sunton Leather Goods, a 26-year-old leather tannery and quality furniture manufacturer located in Shunde, China. The frames of Lazzaro's upholstered furniture and other furnishings are constructed of kiln-dried birch hardwood indigenous to the Shunde area that is virtually knot free and bolted for stability. Lazzaro uses only 100 percent U.S. cowhide in its tannery - covers that are known for being larger and having fewer defects. Lazzaro offers solid-color leathers with a slight waxy hand for its more contemporary designs as well as vintage antiqued leather finishes for more traditional models. Since the company tans its own hides, it is able to monitor the quality in all facets of the tanning process to ensure consistency as well as quality finishes.