La-Z-Boy Opens 300th La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® Store

Furniture World Magazine

While many furniture retailers struggle in the current economic climate, La-Z-Boy continues to thrive and grow. The nation’s leading manufacturer of upholstered furniture boasts the fastest growing network of proprietary furniture stores in the nation, thanks in part to its style-focused new store format unveiled last year. Now, the company is celebrating the grand opening of its 300th La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® store. “Much of our recent growth is due to the new prototype format we introduced earlier this year, as these stores have significantly increased the sales posted by the former Furniture Galleries format,” said Gerald L. Kiser, president and chief executive officer of La-Z-Boy Incorporated. “This success shows that we are giving customers the style and quality they want and expect from La-Z-Boy. The new store format caters to the needs of our customers with a wide selection of furniture, professional design assistance and an inviting store environment that is as comfortable as our furniture.” The latest addition to the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network is a 15,500-square-foot store located at 6828 Pear Tree Lane in Peoria, Ill. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries showcase the entire selection of La-Z-Boy furniture offerings, including the company’s world-famous recliners, along with motion sofas, sleep sofas, modular furniture, stationary sofas and chairs, and leather upholstery. Among the latest introductions are Faith Popcorn’s Cocooning Chairs™ by La-Z-Boy®. These stylish recliners are designed specifically to fit a woman’s body and lifestyle. Organized in “galleries” – including a Living Room Gallery, Family Room Gallery, Sleep Sofa Gallery, Leather Gallery, and, of course, a Recliner Gallery – the furniture at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores is displayed in vignettes complete with occasional and accent furnishings by La-Z-Boy subsidiaries Hammary® and Kincaid®, along with a dramatic selection of decorative accents, including lamps, area rugs, wall art and accessories, all available for sale. “The idea is to inspire consumers and provide them with ideas that they can apply in their own homes,” said Sande Hilst, owner of the Peoria La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. “The style, quality and comfort of La-Z-Boy furniture combined with the design expertise and customer service we provide make an easy, enjoyable furniture shopping experience for any customer.” Every La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries is built around the La-Z-Boy Design Center, which is staffed by design consultants and was created to provide customers with inspiration, answers and helpful assistance. Included in the design area is the La-Z-Boy Screen Test® video catalog system that allows customers to design their own furniture by rendering any La-Z-Boy product in their choice of hundreds of fabric and leather covers. “Emphasizing design and style, the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries exemplify our direction for the future of La-Z-Boy,” said Darrow. “By providing our customers with design assistance and an enjoyable shopping experience, we are going beyond offering exceptional products by giving them complete solutions for their homes.” Making the shopping experience even more family-friendly, these store feature 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. And, there is even a fun, interactive and educational play area in the Design Center to entertain children while parents work with the store design consultants to create the rooms of their dreams. Headquartered in Monroe, Mich., La-Z-Boy is the nation’s largest 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.