La-Z-Boy Moves Outdoors

January 7, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Furniture on January 2007 La-Z-Boy has teamed up with Brown Jordan International to create its first line of luxury outdoor furniture.

Through a licensing agreement, Brown Jordan will design, manufacture and market the products under the La-Z-Boy brand name. The collection is set to debut in Sam’s Clubs in the U.S. and Mexico this month, and the companies plan to expand to other retailers in the future.

“For 80 years La-Z-Boy has been focused on providing a wide selection of comfortable and quality furniture for the home’s interior. Bringing these same attributes to outdoor furniture is a natural extension for the La-Z-Boy brand,” said Jennifer Sievertsen, vice president of brand marketing for La- Z-Boy. “We are proud to partner with BJI on this venture given their reputation as the premier outdoor furniture designer and manufacturer. We are very excited about the designs debuting in January as well as the future of this category for our company.”

As part of the initial product launch, BJI will introduce the first fully functional recliner intended for outdoor use. Following its January debut at Sam’s Clubs, the companies will collaborate to identify and evaluate opportunities to offer the collection through additional distribution outlets.

“A partnership of this magnitude with La-Z-Boy was extremely compelling to BJI,” said Chris Carmicle, BJI’s president, national accounts and direct imports division. “Research confirms La-Z-Boy is by far one of the most recognized consumer brands in the furniture industry and is consistently ranked as one of the 10 best home brands overall. The recent shift towards outdoor comfort in the furniture market made this partnership very timely. La-Z-Boy is synonymous with comfort as well as quality, value and style. These factors coupled with the consistent performance BJI is celebrated for will create a unique offering that will help our customers further grow their business.”