What is the role of health and wellness in the case goods segment? - Furniture Today

What is the role of health and wellness in the case goods segment? – Furniture Today

February 15, 2022
7:26 pm

Dave Adams, director of marketing
BDI
When it comes to the safety of our products, this is something that we take very seriously. To young eyes, furniture — and shelving in particular — looks like a playground, not furniture.
Since 2015, BDI has included integrated TV safety straps into all of our media furniture. Attached to the rear of the cabinet, these straps are designed to be screwed into the back of the TV to minimize the risk of toppling. In addition, all of our shelving units include hardware that allows the user to secure the shelving to the wall, eliminating the risk of accidents.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issues numerous reports each year on safety standards and precautions that should be taken with consumer products, especially those that may harm children. Since Jan. 1, three of such reports have already been issued, and just in November 2021, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate with amended language that encourages design innovation by furniture manufacturers.
According to the CPSC, a child is sent to the emergency department every 60 minutes following a furniture tip-over incident, and one to two children die every month. The STURDY Act was reintroduced to help finalize a mandatory stability standard to help prevent tip-over incidents involving dressers and other clothing storage furniture.
Tim Newlin, vice president of product management
Flexsteel
We are members of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which is a great industry group for tracking all relevant regulations for health and safety in home furnishings products. Anti-tip if very important in case goods as is finishes. Fabric and foam would be the items in soft seating we also pay attention to.
Christopher Phillips, director of marketing
Legacy Classic Furniture
Safety and compliance with state and federal standards are always on the top-of-mind of Legacy. Our compliance officer, Mike Lazorchick, is extremely involved with the AHFA and ASTM International in the ever-evolving furniture safety and standards, including tip-over.
Legacy and Samson Marketing helped develop and are members on the UL Verified Program, where UL verifies the tip-over testing reports generated each production run for bedroom case pieces.
Anti-tipping has been an industry-wide issue for several years. Legacy not only provides anti-tipping hardware and instructions on all case pieces regardless of height, but we also include a safety hang tag applied to the front of cases at the factory level to clearly inform retailers and consumers of this added safety benefit. As an added step, we offer anti-tipping hardware at no charge to our customers through our parts department.
Legacy includes product labels on each item that state the item is TSCA compliant and includes a Prop 65 warning. We print the TSCA, Prop 65 warnings and certificate of compliance websites on our product cartons.
In addition, we include anti-tilt and other safety/compliance information on our website under each product description. Our factories are required to follow and maintain rigid safety requirements and keep all documentation up to date. Legacy also posts each factories’ certificate of compliance on our websites for full transparency.
Garth Robinson, vice president of sales
Theodore Alexander
Tip-overs are most top of mind. We do tip tests on all product and have warning labels in all drawers.
Dave Adams, director of marketing
BDI
At BDI, we take safety seriously and communicate this thoroughly before and after the sale with marketing materials and brochures that are sent with our products.
Communication is key for any safety or health concerns consumers may face today. Manufacturers that are not making this information easily and readily available to consumers may find their brand subject to backlash — or worse — possible litigation, should their products be involved in a safety incident with consumers.
Plus, with information readily available at consumers’ fingertips today, manufacturers who fail to relay important safety information on their websites or in their product materials may find consumers addressing it through reviews and social media.
For BDI, our standing desks have become an increasingly important segment of our office business as consumers have become more aware of the health benefits of adding variety to their workday. They started to gain popularity in corporate settings, but with the WFH revolution, they have come to prominence in homes as well in ways that we didn’t expect.
This has become more important due to the various pandemic-related lapses, including poor diet and lack of exercise that have plagued American consumers for the past two years. Consumers are therefore looking for ways to safely and easily adopt healthier practices throughout the day that don’t increase their exposure to COVID-19.
Manufacturers will have a leg up with consumers if they can convey how their products support a healthier lifestyle. But it’s also important to note that manufacturers must be careful not to make any exaggerated claims that can’t be backed by studies and testing. Otherwise, they open up a lot of potential trouble in the court of public opinion, or actual court.
Tim Newlin, vice president of product management
Flexsteel
It is important from a compliance perspective to communicate, but it is also something that consumers today care about and that influences their buying decisions and how they feel about brands.
We use our website as the main vehicle to provide this information. We also provide anti-tip kits and appropriate consumer facing information for certain products through hand tags and assembly instructions.
This is a much bigger marketing push today. Our soft seating category has a great comfort and ergonomic story around wellbeing. We use zero-gravity mechanisms in some of our motion products which supports health and wellness also. Convenient functions like integrated USB charging, touch sensors for lighting, and thoughtful design also enhances the way we live and interact with products that create comfort and ease within the home. All of this contributes to the consumers wellbeing.
Christopher Phillips, director of marketing
Legacy Classic Furniture
Safety information is a vital part of marketing our products to retailers and consumers, especially with youth furniture. Legacy always meets or exceeds required standards set for the furniture industry and promotes this on our marketing materials, website and within/on products and packaging.
While Legacy’s products are tested for safety and that information communicated to retailers and consumers, our furniture is not necessarily produced or promoted as part of a “healthy lifestyle.”
Garth Robinson, vice president of sales
Theodore Alexander
It is important, consumers expect the top brands to do their due diligence to ensure their products are safe. One accident can be very harmful to a brand, let alone the injured consumer.
Wellness is not as definable. Some consumers see wellness as a style category, think more organic, while others see it as a type of furniture, ie. massage chairs, organic mattresses, etc. It is important to promote wellness as long as you are honest and are true to the meaning.
Robert Dalheim, senior editor of case goods and global sourcing, has been writing about the woodworking industry and business news since 2015. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with degrees in journalism and political science. Contact Bobby at rdalheim@furnituretoday.com or by calling (336) 605-3815.