La-Z-Boy Web Site Builds Store Traffic: Site Visitors are Customizing Furniture and Mapping Routes to Stores

Furniture World Magazine

Visitors to the recently redesigned La-Z-Boy Web site, www.lazboy.com, used the unique La-Z-Boy Screen Test Internet Catalog to customize more than 5 million sofas, recliners, chairs, modular furniture and sleep sofas since December, the company reported. More than 110,000 visitors used the site’s advanced Dealer Locator function to get a map and street directions to a dealer near them, during the same period. Consumers are spending more time on the site because of these functions, as the average visit duration has increased to 18 minutes. "The new tools on our Web site are designed to provide information that impacts decision-making factors, like fabric options, frame styles and furniture dimensions," said Kevin R. Wixted, director of marketing for La-Z-Boy. "After gathering information on ‘lazboy.com,’ consumers can walk into a La-Z-Boy dealer armed with knowledge and better prepared to make purchasing decisions." Given the success of the in-store La-Z-Boy Screen Test® video catalog system, adapting the concept to the Web environment was a natural transition. The La-Z-Boy Screen Test Internet Catalog enables consumers to create and view more than 100 styles of La-Z-Boy furniture in more than 1,000 different fabrics and leathers. No other furniture manufacturer or marketer offers this feature on its Web site. The Dealer Locator search engine is zip code driven and produces a list of dealers within a 25-mile radius of the zip code used for the search. It also provides maps, street directions and hyperlinks to individual retail stores, including La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® and La-Z-Boy In-Store Gallery sites "The strong response we’re getting to the redesigned Web site mirrors the very positive feedback we’re getting to our new national advertising campaign and is, overall, a testament to the power of the La-Z-Boy brand," said Wixted. "People are going to the site because they know and trust La-Z-Boy. And they’re staying on the site for longer periods of time because they’re finding useful tools, great information and the sense of fun and history that are La-Z-Boy trademarks." The company also reported that the total number of hits logged on the site since December is approximately 43 million. Additionally, more than 300,000 "unique" or first-time visitors have logged onto the site since January. Headquartered in Monroe, Mich., La-Z-Boy is the nation’s largest single manufacturer of upholstered furniture and the world’s leading producer of reclining chairs. The company manufactures a full line of products for the living room and family room, including the company’s world-famous recliners, reclining sofas and love seats, sleep sofas, modular furniture and leather upholstery, as well as stationary sofas, love seats and chairs. It is a division of La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB), the nation’s largest furniture manufacturer.