Intellitek Adds Berkline To Furniture Link System

Furniture World Magazine

Intellitek Inc. announced that it has added The Berkline Corporation, a division of Lifestyle Furnishings International Ltd., to its Furniture Link video catalog system. Furniture Link is the furniture industry's leading on-line, interactive video catalog. It allows retailers to increase the variety of merchandise offered without increasing retail floor space. In addition, it provides up-to-date style, fabric, and program information, which can be downloaded nightly as an alternative to conventional communication. "After reviewing various video cataloging systems, we concluded that Intellitek has the most progressive, state-of-the-art system available," says Larry Smith, Berkline's vice president of marketing. Furniture Link communicates product information via direct broadcast satellite services. Smith says this feature will provide an important advantage to participating Berkline dealers. "Quick and accurate response is vital to the store and consumers in today's marketplace," he points out. The introduction of video cataloging is one of several strategic steps Berkline is taking to meet the changing needs of today's retailers and consumers, says Smith. "We're positioning Berkline and our participating dealers to improve the means through which consumers can be more confident in selecting the products, fabrics, and colors, they want. A paradigm shift is taking place. Consumers want increased empowerment to create products the way they want them," he explains, citing companies such as Gateway and Del computers, as well as Toyota, which allow consumers to custom-design their products. Intellitek's Furniture Link video catalog will help Berkline consumers "bring to life the product they have had a part in creating," Smith says. Intellitek now serves nearly 1,000 retailers through its Furniture Link network. "Our system houses the fabric and frame inventories of 24 leading upholstery manufacturers, making it the most comprehensive video catalog resource available to home furnishings retailers," says Intellitek founder and chief executive officer Jerry Schneider.