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As one of the last domestic producers of casual furniture serving the mass market, Plantation Patterns is recognized for offering stylish, superior products and world-class customer service.
By
SHARON SANDERS
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| Customers looking for versatility are attracted to the Nottingham collection, which features ottomans that nest under the coffee table. |
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| The comfy Devan collection is one of several groups that appeal to customers looking for seating for small spaces. |
Plantation Patterns, a division of Birmingham, Ala.-based Meadowcraft, is one of the leading domestic producers of casual outdoor furniture and is the largest manufacturer of outdoor wrought-iron furniture in the United States. The company designs, manufactures and distributes a variety of outdoor and indoor wrought-iron consumer products, including furniture, accessories, outdoor cushions and umbrellas. Plantation Patterns has successfully carved out a niche with mass-market retailers, providing them with high-quality, fashion-forward products popular with all types of consumers. Patio & Hearth Products Report recently spent some time with Tim LeRoy, senior executive vice president of sales, to see how Plantation Patterns is staying in touch with consumers as the outdoor-living industry continues to change and grow.
PHPR: How has Plantation Patterns managed to stay successful in the crowded outdoor-furniture market?
A: Being one of the last domestic producers of casual furniture in the United States that deals with the mass market, we've managed to find a spot for our company by making sure we build a quality product, ship it on time and back it up with world-class customer service. Lately, with the growing popularity of outdoor living, we've also been trying to lead the market in design and presentation. We haven't always done this, so it's a bit of a different direction for us. There are two basic facts when it comes to selling furniture today: everybody wants nice things and color sells. If you look at everything we're doing, it really boils down to those two simple things. With the ability that our mass customers allow (due to the margin structures they work on and the efficient way they distribute product), we're able to offer a stylish set of outdoor furniture that reaches a segment of customers that we haven't been able to reach in the past.
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Tim LeRoy, senior executive vice president of sales, Plantation Patterns |
PHPR: What is unique about Plantation Patterns, compared with the competition?
A: I had one buyer tell me that one thing about our furniture is that we design furniture to fit people and to be pretty, not to fit in containers. Although we're conscious about being freight efficient when it makes sense, it's not our priority. Retailers and consumers traditionally see wrought iron as welded, heavy and solid, and we're committed to living up to that expectation. When you start putting screws and bolts in furniture so it can fit into a container, you affect the value equation, and you're less likely to be successful.
PHPR: What grabs consumers' attention when they are shopping for outdoor furniture?
A: People are spending more than ever on casual furniture because outdoor spaces have become an extension of one's home. Casual furniture is a 90-percent female-driven purchase. I think that this consumer is looking for pretty things that are different from the neighbors' things. A retailer has about 45 seconds to catch her attention, so you need the complete package: color, style, design and comfort. It all goes together and forms part of the buying decision. I think price is an element too, but eye appeal and seat appeal are the primary factors.
PHPR: What changes have you made in your product offerings to meet consumer demands?
A: Like the rest of the industry, we've migrated away from being 100-percent focused on dining. Five- and seven-piece dining doesn't drive the business anymore: consumers are using their decks and patios as casual-conversation areas. Plantation Patterns is focusing its efforts on creating pieces that encourage conversation—like our 10-piece gathering/dining set that sits a little higher than traditional dining—as well as on deep seating and chat. We're also designing small sets that are specifically designed for small spaces like urban balconies. We offer ottomans that nest under a coffee table when they're not being used and scaled-down furniture that is not just decorative, but truly comfortable.
PHPR: How has Plantation Patterns managed to marry quality, design and affordability in its furniture?
A: I don't think quality has anything to do with price. A customer who buys a $399 group has the same quality expectations as somebody who buys a $1,599 group. All four legs have to hit the ground, it has to sit level, it can't have sharp burrs in the welds and it needs to be stable. I don't believe those things change in consumers' minds, no matter how much they pay. The only place you can drive volume today is in design, functionality, presentation and selling the dream of a beautiful outdoor space.
PHPR: What Plantation Patterns pieces/collections have consistently been favorites with consumers?
A: Our successful pieces have a few things in common, one being comfort. We have always done well with action chairs, spring rockers, thick cushions and deep seating. The second is color. Consumers want the warm, homey feeling rich colors bring to an outdoor space. They want to pick up the living room and move it outside, and colors can help make that happen. Consumers have also accepted the fact that everything doesn't have to match; it just needs to coordinate. They're creating their own collections by mixing fabrics and frame styles, and by adding personality with throw pillows. Our furniture is not custom, but there is enough versatility for people to customize furniture for their spaces.
PHPR: Your products are sold primarily to mass merchants. How does your distribution play into your success in the marketplace?
A: Plantation Patterns has always been a brand that has been marketed specifically to the mass market. We don't necessarily have a stock line of furniture that we sell out of a catalog. All of our furniture is specifically designed and built around our mass customers' forecasts and the programs that we put together with them. This is what sets us apart as a leader in the industry. The other side of our business, Meadowcraft, has a catalog that caters specifically to specialty retailers, and it does quite well, but they are two completely different businesses.
PHPR: What has changed the most in the outdoor-living industry over the past six years?
A: The consumer: consumers are more accepting of the whole concept of outdoor living as an extension of your home and are willing to consider higher price points than ever before. I've been in this business for 16 years and never dreamed that $999, $1,499 and $1,899 were going to be a mass price points. Five years ago, only specialty retailers could charge those prices.
PHPR: What emerging trends do you see?
A: There are so many I don't know where to start. The biggest trend I'm seeing is that the line between outdoor dining and conversation is becoming more muted. Decks and patios are truly becoming outdoor family rooms. Anything that lends itself to conversation is going to be big. There is a trend toward folded or curved sofas, which are more comfortable because you don't have to strain your neck in order to have eye contact during conversations. We're introducing a set next year that is a chat table with four sofas around it, seating eight people comfortably. I think it's going to do really well because people don't want to sit straight up in dining chairs anymore.
PHPR: How does Plantation Patterns plan to grow its business as consumer interest in outdoor living grows?
A: We're not leaving our roots when it comes to the basics. We plan to do what we've been doing all along: ship on time, build a quality product and do the right thing for our customers. We will also push innovation and push our own boundaries when it comes to what consumers will and won't accept in colorations, fabrics, design and price. In that respect, we're not the Plantation Patterns that we were 25 to 30 years ago; we are so much more.
PHPR: Do you think that the popularity of outdoor living will continue to grow at the current pace?
A: Without a doubt, it will continue. It's a chaotic world out there, and people want to be safe and comfortable in their own homes. Having an outdoor room is like having a second family room where one can take time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. I don't see that changing any time soon.
PHPR November/December 2007
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