La-Z-Boy has long had the reputation for producing the most comfortable lounge chairs on the planet. You cuddle up in one them and it almost hugs you.
Throughout the years, the company began producing furniture for the entire house and started opening stores to showcase the line.
La-Z-Boy announced the milestone opening of its 100th “new concept” store in Prescott Valley.
“We opened in Prescott because our market analysis shows a lot of customers were coming down from Prescott Valley to shop in Phoenix.” There was an absolute need there. We knew the Prescott market would be wonderful. They have a great need for good furniture up there,” said Jenifer Chandos, who does marketing and public relations for the company.
The store opened on Sept. 1 in the Crossroads Shopping Center, 5584 E. State Route 69 in Prescott Valley.
“It had a successful start. It is a business-friendly community. We have been welcomed with open arms,” said Chandos.
The new store employs about 15 people.
“We found the Prescott Valley is a very rapidly growing area,” Chandos said. “There is an influx of people moving there from California as well as the Phoenix area. There is a mix of retirees, second homes and the weather is really beautiful there. There needs to be a great quality furniture store.”
The company has been around for 89 years, but did not start selling sofas until the 1990s. Tables and accessories were added and furniture stores opened in the last 15 years.
“Now we are rebranding as La-Z-Boy Home Furnishing and Décor.
The new concept store embodies the La-Z-Boy ‘Live Life Comfortably’ tagline, with a shopping experience as comfortable as its furniture.
The store is laid out by lifestyle from contemporary to classic. In the design center, customers can choose furniture in any of La-Z-Boy’s more than 800 fabrics and more than 100 leathers. It also offers a large selection of home accents and accessories to help create a complete look.
In addition, there is a free design service on site for customers.
Julie Coleman, director of design for Arizona, has been working of La-Z-Boy for 20 years said help with decorating is not new. It has been going on for at least 18 years, she said.
“It came for people who think since they bought a new sofa and chair that their room is going to be nice. That is not always true. We came on board to make it simpler for the client to create an environment they are comfortable with,” she said. “We work with all budgets.”
And with the latest interactive technology, customers can see how the room would look before they buy it.
“It takes all the guess work out of doing design. It’s wonderful and free to customers,” Coleman said.
She said she sees the trend that tastes are lightening up in general. “People are busier. They just want more of a fresh feeling when they come home. They don’t want all the cleaning,” she said.
“What works for people now is comfortable furniture on which they can sit down with their phone or iPad.
“There are charging stations in the tables and ottomans give us storage.”
She said decorating these days is more in tune with real life.
In Prescott for example, customers like their decorating a little more natural. They like to reflect the outdoors indoors. They like a lot of leather and canyon colors, she said.
“Prescott maybe has a more rustic element, but it is lighter, right in between contemporary and traditional – we call transitional,” Coleman said. “People want to come home and relax. They want to have style, but not a lot of fluff. There are a lot of grays in the color palette, hardwood floors and bursts of color with area rugs. We still do a lot of rusty reds.”
Add a beautiful leather chair and artwork which gives the room flare, she said.
La-Z-Boy will continue to grow.
In fiscal 2014, the company announced its aggressive growth strategy, 4-4-5 – operating 400 stores, averaging $4 million each, over a 5-year time period. Halfway through the initiative, La-Z-Boy achieved the second “4,” generating $4 million in average sales per store. The company, along with its independent dealers, are opening new stores and remodeling others to maximize consumer access to their proven new concept format. La-Z-Boy expects to have about 120 new concept stores in the format by fiscal year end 2017.
To learn more, visit la-z-boy.com/locator or drop into the new Prescott Valley store. QCBN
By Patty McCormac, QCBN