Performance fabrics add zip to upholstery sales

What is performance fabric? That’s a tough question to answer quickly. There’s no carved-in-stone definition because there is such a variety of performance properties in today’s fabrics and different properties are more crucial in some applications than in others. For example, durability is more important in motion furniture for the family room, light-fastness is key for outdoor furniture, and anti-microbial properties may matter more in warm, damp regions. And if spills are an ongoing cause of concern, then just knowing that water- and oil-based liquids will bead up on the surface while you grab a napkin can make a consumer feel better about a fabric choice. For upholstery manufacturers then, performance can fall anywhere on a continuum from a simple durability story to a highly engineered product that is touted as impervious to liquid, bacteria, mold, mildew, stains, sunlight and bleach. Above all, however, for upholstery manufacturers willing to invest in effective marketing, performance fabric is a hot buzz phrase that is paying off in sales.

The performance fabric category, while an obvious choice for manufacturers of outdoor furniture, continues to gain importance for residential indoor furniture producers like Lazar Inds. and La-Z-Boy. Even Ethan Allen, which doesn’t sell married fabrics and frames since everything is custom ordered, has seen growth in performance fabrics. Jane Roberts, director of upholstery merchandising, says that many of the company’s top-selling fabrics are performance-related.

“We’re looking for ways to market performance fabrics better,” Roberts said. “Each mill has different performance characteristics, which makes a mixed marketing message for a retailer or manufacturer selling product from several mills.”

Commitment is key

Upholstery manufacturer Lazar Inds is a strong believer in the future of high-performance fabrics, creating a special designation for the performance fabrics in its line last year - Living Proof. “Performance fabrics get more important all the time,” said Cathy Smith, Lazar’s marketing director. The company has developed training for its sales force to take directly to retail sales associates as well as a point-of-sale brochure that gives the consumer further information about what to expect from a performance fabric and how to treat specific stains. In addition, durable hangtags are provided that identify the fabrics and give detailed cleaning instructions.

“We do feel that they are fabrics that stand up to the wear of everyday life,” said Smith. “And kid-proof, dog-proof, spill-proof fabrics are what women today are looking for.”

Apparent value

Paula Hoyas, director of upholstery merchandising at La-Z-Boy, agrees that the added value of performance fabric is growing at the retail level. “It’s uncommon to find a fabric that doesn’t have a performance story, especially since there are so many microdenier suedes in the market now,” she said. Performance fabrics are a great tool for sales associates and make a strong story at retail, especially for consumers who are apprehensive, either because of children, or because a room gets heavy traffic or is used for entertaining, Hoyas added. “The consumer will spend more and be more likely to get the color she wants if she buys a performance fabric.” “Worry and apprehension are negatives that can be eliminated by the use of performance fabric. That’s what (makes it) so great - it adds such value for the consumer.” According to Hoyas, the industry hasn’t done a good job of explainng the benefits of performance fabrics. “We always work to get the details right and the explanation correct, but it’s not easy because the fabrics are all different in some way, and we don’t want icons and labels and directions stuck all over every swatch,” Hoyas said. “Some are just durable - like the suedes - and others are more extreme, like the ones that are cleanable with bleach. Of course, after-treatment is still critical at retail, but it’s good to have a bit of extra protection.”

Smith has a different take on aftermarket fabric protections. “We feel aftermarket spray is not a good idea,” she said. “In the first place, you have no control over how it’s applied. When you leave it up to the retailer to apply it, you don’t know if it’s a highly trained person with the skills needed to do it right, or even if the chemicals have been mixed properly.” In addition, Smith added, mills typically ‘won’t touch anything that’s been treated after market. We want to hold our mills accountable for quality so we can all be part of a team effort to make fabric more valuable to the consumer.” And finally, she said, “aftermarket treatments don’t last forever. They wear off. “So, to be a Living Proof fabric at Lazar, any treatment must be mill-applied during the manufacturing or finishing process, or it must be an inherent quality of the fabric.”

Lazar Inds has 145 SKUs in its Living Proof program currently and Smith said she will be shopping across all price points at the July Showtime fabric show in High Point to expand the program. “Right now we are concentrated in the $4.95 to $7.95 range on solids, so we will be looking for a wider range of price points so we can bring in more patterns and coordinates with the same criteria.” “Anything we can do to help educate retailers understand the benefits of high-performance fabrics and the difference between microdeniers and the other types will help the industry as a whole,” Smith said.

Source: Furniture Today