HIGH POINT — When Universal Furniture unveiled its 75-piece new Coastal Living collection — Getaway — two weeks ago, it was presented in a way that most buyers typically see collections: In various highly decorated vignettes in its High Point showroom.
As part of its commitment to be market ready, Universal had the full collection on display including upholstery and wood pieces that it is now offering as part of its whole-home approach.
The only problem was that Premarket was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19. Thus, no retailers showed up to see the product. Even more challenging, the planned market a month later in April was also delayed as much as a month and a half later in early June.
But Universal had a plan in place that serves as an example of how companies are managing in tough times and under almost unprecedented circumstances.
The company said it plans to use a digital platform that includes email, social media and a landing page complete with a video to showcase the collection to its customers.
"It's really going to be a blended approach in terms of what we do through email, social media and the web and PR," said Neil MacKenzie, director of marketing.
The digital approach is important as retailers not only have closed their doors temporarily, but also are discouraging in-person visits from sales reps and other company officials.
The company is no stranger to the use of digital tools to showcase new product. It has used them in its youth line which eventually merged into its Spaces concept of smaller scale case goods, including bedroom for guest and second bedrooms, not to mention kids' rooms.
Having experience in this digital realm the company actually planned this approach before the cancelation and postponement of market events, MacKenzie noted, not after.
This takes its digital strategy to another level, serving almost as a B2C model but instead aimed at retailers. The landing page in particular, which is set to launch around the third week of April just before what would have been the April market, will have a video tour that serves as a virtual walk through of the collection. In addition, this will offer dealers the ability to add favorites and shop the collection online, all the time also giving them the ability to reach out to reps for more information.
"It is really treating everyone as if they are a B2C customer and giving them the tools to react accordingly," MacKenzie said.
The company also plans to use Instagram live from its High Point showroom, which will provide customers another chance to see the collection and ask questions.
The second collection in its licensed Coastal Living line, Getaway is casual in nature, made with radiate pine veneers and solids, and available in five finishes, including two core finishes, a lightly wire-brushed pine tone called Sea Oat and a white finish called Sand Dollar.
There is also a Cerulean Blue accent finish, a half-brown/half-black tone called Mussel and an antique weathered white called Egret.
The collection has five beds and five dining tables, offering a mix of options for the retail floor and consumers' homes. These include a $999 panel bed in the Sea Oat finish featuring a contemporized louvered headboard and a bed featuring woven rattan on the headboard, footboard and side rails retailing at $1,999.
There is also a fully upholstered bed available in twin to king sizes and a $999 canopy bed in the Sand Dollar finish featuring a removable canopy.
On the dining side, there is a trestle dining table that extends to 124 inches with two leaves, seating 10; a round dining with a faceted base and surface in pencil rattan featuring a glass top that retails at $1,499 and a leg table retailing at $1,399 to name three of the key configurations.
Along with natural woven materials, also seen on the base of a tray top cocktail and the doors of select case pieces, Getaway features other mixed media elements such as Lucite bases on accent tables and desks and quartz surfaces seen on nightstands and credenzas, giving a modern look and feel to the otherwise cottage-inspired forms and finishes.
Among the living room selection is a nine-and-a- half-foot wide entertainment wall featuring pier bookcase units and contemporized louvered doors. The collection also features glass-door, metal frame display cabinets shown in the Cerulean Blue finish. These can be shown individually or bunched.
Jeff Scheffer, president and CEO of Universal Furniture, said the company made a presentation to the sales force on the collection before Premarket. He noted the initial reaction has been strong enough that the company will not wait to do the initial cutting. Thus, he expects it to hit retail some late in the third quarter or early fourth quarter, which is typical for a collection launched in the spring.
In the meantime, the company will offer its customers plenty of opportunity to shop the collection through digital and social media channels. The sales force also has been given printed and digital packets of imagery for the collection as well as finish panels.
"They will still have those tools," MacKenzie said, adding, "We want to be prepared for when things return to normal."
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