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Lexington Grows Tommy Bahama Outdoor
July 17,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on July 18, 2012
Lexington Home Brands will debut its Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living during the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago.
Lexington announced the expansion of its license with Tommy Bahama into outdoor furniture in December.
The new assortment will include seven complete lifestyle collections, consisting of deep seating and sectionals, outdoor dining, bistro tables and bars, fire pits and occasional tables. Lexington launched the initial Tommy Bahama indoor home furnishings collection in April 2000, and has built that business into among the most successful and recognized brands in the category.
The Tommy Bahama brand is iconic, with designs and a lifestyle message that have proven highly effective in attracting the aspirational consumer, said Phil Haney, president and CEO of Lexington Home Brands. The Outdoor Living category is a natural extension for Lexington. We have a keen understanding of the brand and lifestyle, and will leverage our design and
marketing expertise to create a unique experience at retail. A key element to our success with Tommy Bahama indoor designs has been the concept of bringing the outdoors inside. It seems somewhat intuitive, therefore, that it would work with equal impact in the opposite direction.
Due to the scope of the initial offering, Lexington will launch the new Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living program in Chicago at a 22,000-square-foot venue one mile from the Merchandise Mart, home of the Casual Market. The facility, Venue One, is located at 1044 West Randolph St. across from Oprahs Harpo Studios.
Lexington will be operating continuous town car service to and from Venue One from 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 through 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.
Recognizing that the launch of a marquee program like Tommy Bahama represents a unique opportunity, we chose an outside venue to in order to maximize the impact and scale of the initial presentation for our dealers, Haney said. "We will open Venue on Wednesday, Sept. 19 to accommodate both existing and new dealers who may not have anticipated an outside venue for the launch. As we do with our High Point showroom, which is outside the IHFC complex, we will make the transportation a pleasure for our dealers.
Key points of differentiation in the Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living program include exceptional design, validated by the success of the Tommy Bahama indoor collections; and a best-in-class assortment of unique outdoor fabrics and trims. A custom presentation unit that will be the centerpiece of the display in Chicago features 200 hanging fabrics, high-impact graphics and program information, and 30 designer correlation boards to inspire consumer with juried selections.
A third point of differentiation will be that every SKU in the program will be stocked in Lexingtons distribution complex in North Carolina for immediate delivery. Dealers will no longer be required to assume the inventory risk of container orders, although container pricing will be available for stocking dealers. This component of the program will be significant for smaller dealers and designers who lack the ability to flow large container orders.
The Outdoor Living category has experienced dramatic growth over the last several years as consumers have chosen to invest in larger and more sophisticated outdoor living spaces, said Jim Burke, senior vice president of sales at Lexington. Consumers want a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor. They expect continuity in design, brands and quality. Their willingness to invest in outdoor spaces often rivals their propensity to invest in the interior of their homes. This represents a unique opportunity for a brand like Tommy Bahama, which is known for exceptional styling and quality.
Given the phenomenal success that Lexington Home Brands has demonstrated in their lifestyle designs for indoor product, the decision to expand our relationship to include the Outdoor Living category was one that felt very appropriate, said Chrisann Furciato, vice president of licensing for Tommy Bahama. When it comes to interpreting the relaxed sophisticated style of Tommy Bahama in the home, Lexington totally gets it.