First Five La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® "Store Of Tomorrow" Concept Stores Open With Record-Breaking Sales

Furniture World Magazine

La-Z-Boy, the nation’s leading manufacturer of upholstered furniture, has announced the opening of five new "Store of Tomorrow" La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® since unveiling the concept at its biannual Furniture Galleries Dealer Conference held in Las Vegas, Nev., in June of this year. All stores have logged impressive sales in their first months of operation, in some cases exceeding $1 million in their opening month alone. The newly redesigned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries are in Sterling, Va.; Glendale, Ariz.; Woodlands, Texas; Springfield, Va. and Mission Valley, Calif. The sixth and seventh stores are scheduled to open in Fairfax, Va., and Oxnard, Calif., in December. Approximately 20 new stores are planned for 2002, along with numerous relocations of older sites. Another 25 new stores will be added in 2003. La-Z-Boy also plans to remodel approximately 15 to 20 existing La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries per year to incorporate the fresh look and features, until all stores reflect the new format. "The new store format is performing exceptionally well, as demonstrated by the high volume of traffic through the stores, extremely positive and complimentary customer feedback and initial sales that are actually exceeding our projections," said Kurt L. Darrow, president of La-Z-Boy Residential. "The ‘Store of Tomorrow,’ as we refer to it, represents the future of our proprietary dealer network. Based on the debuts of these first five stores, that future continues to be extremely bright." All future La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries will now follow the new format that features updated interior and exterior signage, a revamped design center, a fresh, contemporary look and a floor plan that draws customers into the store and is easy to navigate. "The new store is a huge hit with our customers," said Ed Breunig, owner of the Glendale, Ariz. store. "They love everything about it – the layout, the design center and, of course, the furniture. This is definitely a new direction for La-Z-Boy and judging by our customers’ reactions, it’s the right direction." The exterior of the store now bears the new contemporary logo currently being used in the company’s national advertising campaign, signaling the first of many changes consumers will find when they walk through the front doors. Inside, they will find a bigger showroom with higher ceilings. Average store size has increased from 13,500 square feet of showroom space to 15,500 square feet. At the highest points in the entrance and center of the store, the showroom ceiling soars to 13 feet, giving the space a very open, airy feel and making a strong visual impact. Notably, the new format centers around the Design Center, which has been moved to the middle of the store to emphasize custom order and design assistance offered at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. Also included in the design area is the La-Z-Boy Screen Test® video catalog system that allows customers the opportunity to design their own furniture by rendering any frame in their choice of hundreds of fabric and leather covers. Additionally, a fun, interactive and educational play area in the Design Center entertains children as their parents work with design consultants to create the rooms of their dreams. Making the shopping experience even more family-friendly, the new format features a wide circular pathway for easy navigation with children and strollers. Eye-catching signage guides shoppers through the store, directing them to the various galleries and providing meaningful information along the way. In keeping with the increased emphasis on design, the new La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries boast a dramatically expanded selection of decorative accents, including lamps, area rugs, wall art and accessories. The stores also feature the Hidden Treasures Collection by Hammary“, a selection of stylish and unique accent furniture including armoires, coffee tables, side tables, decorative chests and more. The La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries continue to be organized by gallery, including a Living Room Gallery, with stationary sofas, loveseats and chairs in every style category from traditional to contemporary; a Family Room Gallery, showcasing motion sofas and loveseats, and reclining chairs; a Leather Gallery, presenting an impressive array of leather finishes, textures, styles and colors; a new Sleep Sofa Gallery, which showcases the full line of sleep sofas offered, including the innovative Slumber Air‘ mattress system by La-Z-Boy“; and, of course, a Recliner Gallery that displays the full range of world famous La-Z-Boy reclining chairs "We are evolving to meet our customers’ changing needs," said Darrow. "Our continued growth and success depend on our ability to consistently meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. Early feedback indicates that the new store format more than delivers on that level." 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. It is a division of La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE, PCX: LZB), the nation’s largest furniture manufacturer.