Harden Furniture Inks 40th Harden Home Studio Deal

July 22, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Display on July 2007 Harden Furniture, McConnellsville, N.Y., has signed up Johnson Interiors & More of Oceanside, Calif., for the 40th installation of Harden Home Studio, the full-line high-end vendor’s retail merchandising program.

Harden Home Studio debuted at the April 2006 High Point Market after a successful five-month test run with three Harden customers, including Gallahan’s Furniture of Fredericksburg, Va.; The Woods at Colts Neck, N.J.; and Interiors in Lancaster, Pa. Twenty-five dealers were targeted for 2006 installations at the time of the launch, with an additional 25 anticipated for 2007.

According to the company, Harden Home Studio has increased sales of Harden’s furnishings by an average of 33 percent in stores compared with the year prior to the installation. The concept, which clearly presents consumers with a multitude of finish, hardware, cushion, fabric and other options, is based on research conducted by Al Wight of Strategic Decisions Inc., and was designed by retail expert Martin Roberts of GRID2.

“Harden came up with an idea to differentiate themselves from the imported products that have no options,” said Rex Maynard, president and owner, Maynard’s Home Furnishings in Belton, S.C., and one of Harden Home Studio’s top retail performers. “The customer gets the message that they can build what they want.”

The five top-performing Harden Home Studio dealers to date are: Pasadena Furniture, Pasadena, Md.; Kensington Furniture, Kensington, Conn.; Maynards, Belton, S.C.; Great Lakes, Holland, Mich.; and Parker Furniture, Beaverton, Or.

Johnson Interiors & More plans a late summer installation of the Harden retail merchandising program.