HIGH POINT — Natuzzi’s Reimagined Gallery program announced last fall is starting to gain traction around the globe, with 113 retailers signing up globally, including 21 in the U.S. and Canada.

This represents about 121 gallery locations in development worldwide, with 29 in the U.S. and Canada, Codrin Coroama, chief wholesale officer, told Home News Now.

In North America, the company has updated 12 of its existing galleries thus far, with another 18 currently in the development process.

Since the program was first announced, the company has made some tweaks, including to the sizes. Initially, for example, they were in 1,200-, 2,000- and 3,200-square-foot sizes, representing small, medium and large. They have since been expanded slightly to 1,300, 2,200 and 3,500 square feet in size.

Coroama said that 2,200 square feet, which features about 10 room settings, has been the most popular size. The cost of this footprint is $48,000, which includes products and display systems that are delivered to the retailer and ready to place on the floor. By comparison, the 1,300-square-foot gallery offers six room settings and is available at $30,000, while the large gallery offers 20 room settings and starts at $82,000.

He added that the company has enhanced the merchandising aspect of the galleries with new products that include its Natuzzi Editions Houston New Generation Zero Gravity collection and the Roma, a sofa with an adjustable armrest and backrests and standard and extra-deep-seating options.

“Both models were introduced at the April High Point Market and received fantastic feedback, thanks to their Italian-inspired design and innovative features,” Coroama said.

Another new offering that can be showcased in the gallery footprint is what he described as the concept of Space Performance, which offers room-set options tailored to the needs of the retailer.

“The classic room set focuses on space efficiency, while the power-pad room set emphasizes versatility, functionality and customization, inspiring consumers’ creative expression,” Coroama said.

He also noted that on July 1, gallery partners will have access to a digital marketing platform that is “designed to amplify their marketing campaigns across digital channels.”

“This platform will be integrated with Natuzzi’s marketing planner and digital content database, providing support to drive local engagement and ultimately boost sales,” he said.

Retailers and their customers can also look at products on the Natuzzi website, where a number of custom configurations, fabrics and leathers are available, allowing them to pick and choose the look and design footprint they want. Upholstered beds also are available in multiple configurations and fabrics, also shown in detail on the website.

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MONROE, Mich. — From La-Z-Boy’s latest earnings call for its fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended April 27, it’s clear that retail development — both new store openings and acquisitions — remains a core part its strategy moving forward.   

Of course, none of this is new given the number of stores the company has in place currently. But it appears to be positioning itself for even further growth in the months and years ahead.  For example, during its latest earnings call, company President and CEO Melinda D. Whittington noted that the brand is looking to have about 400 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries over the next several years, up from 355 at the end of its latest fiscal year.

The 355, which is up six locations from the prior year, brings the number of total company owned stores to 187, including the six new store openings and 11 acquisitions during the full year, including the acquisition of a two-store independent network in Florida during the quarter. And in May, she said, the company also signed an agreement to acquire an additional one-store market from an independent dealer in the Midwest that’s set to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025.

Bob Lucian, senior vice president and chief financial officer, noted that the company plans to open 12-15 new stores — separate of any acquisitions — mostly in the second half of the year as part of a planned $70 million to $80 million in capital expenditures during the fiscal year, which he noted “includes land and building investments and stores to maintain the growth of our retail network.”

Obviously, the company is bullish on its store network during a time when furniture retail is struggling amid an environment of high interest rates that are hampering existing home sales, combined with consumers tightening their belts with high-dollar purchases.

During the call, Whittington noted that while total written sales for company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries were up 1% for the quarter, written same-store sales for the entire network of 355 stores were down 3% for the quarter compared to the prior year and down 2% for the entire year. But she also noted that this performance is still better than the industry overall “against a backdrop of 8% industry contraction” during the quarter and down 6% for the year “as our significant outperformance versus the market persisted throughout the year.”

“Despite ongoing challenging traffic trends, our stores continued to execute very well, with higher conversions, higher ticket and design sales partially mitigating the traffic headwinds,” she noted.

In addition, the company now owns 53% of the stores in the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries network for the first time in its history. Of course, some of this has to do with the acquisition of stores from independent dealers looking to get out of the business during this ongoing period of malaise. Perhaps company ownership will improve the performance of these locations as things start to turn around, but that largely depends on support from the economy.

For Whittington, the growth of the store footprint makes sense moving forward.

“We see meaningful opportunity to expand the company-owned portion of the network through new store growth and acquisitions,” she said, adding, “These store acquisitions are immediately accretive to our profitability, allowing the company to benefit from integrated wholesale and retail margins.”

She also noted that growing the company-owned store network is important “as it enables the brand to control the end-to-end consumer experience and leverage the strength of our vertically integrated model.”

Another benefit in the company-owned store approach? It also helps guide product development.

“We continue to shift organizational decision-making to be more consumer-centric while also leveraging a data-driven approach,” Whittington said, adding, “This is enabling us to develop more consumer-relevant, on-trend upholstered furniture, particularly in the motion and reclining categories where we are a market leader.”

Of course, this consumer-driven approach is not just beneficial to the development of upholstery and recliners, but also wood categories such as occasional, along with bedroom and dining furniture offered by its sister brands.

The success of this growth initiative also obviously depends on a number of factors, ranging from interest rates and housing sales to the consumers’ willingness to return to spending more on the home. Yet despite these uncertainties, Whittington was optimistic about the company’s strategy, not just in its retail store footprint, but also how it is serving consumers in the market overall, ranging from the agility of its supply chain to product development initiatives.

“We know there are consumers out there still investing in their home, even in a challenging economy, and we believe we are disproportionately capturing them,” she said. “But if I were to step back and say ‘what is the biggest pivot for us as a total enterprise?’ It’s really this focus on driving our own company-owned retail and the reason for that is two-fold. We can control that brand experience for the consumer end-to-end. We can avail ourselves of the data from that consumer by interacting with them directly, and from a financial standpoint, we can take advantage of that integrated margin of owning the entire chain, from pieces of fabric and steel all the way to putting that product in the consumer’s home. And we believe that’s good for the consumer, and that’s good for our financials as well. So really, I would call continuing to expand our reach of our own retail probably the No. 1 biggest driver.”

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Schumacher, who left his executive post at HFA at the end of May, recently posted on his LinkedIn page that he had joined the board of the lifestyle retailer.

In his post, he noted, “For years I have admired R&B’s commitment to their team, customers, sustainability and social responsibility. Their recent designation as a B Corp, which means Room & Board meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, is a testament to the culture they have built.”

He also noted that in April, the company transitioned into a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which gives its 1,100 employees a financial stake in the organization.

“The new board of directors is tasked with providing strategic direction and financial oversight for the company during this time,” Schumacher said. “I can’t express how honored and humbled I am to become part of the Room & Board team.”

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“Independent furniture stores selling Meridian have seen increased traffic with younger customers coming in to furnish their living space with more contemporary pieces,” said Michael Rosilio, president of Meridian Furniture. “Social media has made it possible to reach customers that otherwise might not have known about us.”

Best Buy Furniture, located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a three-store traditional brick-and-mortar chain that features the brand, promoted through leading influencers and a strong social media presence. According to Best Buy Furniture Chief Executive Jordan Lulu, Meridian Furniture, which offers top quality, trendy furniture with unique designs, has been a go-to partner, especially when targeting celebrity influencers.

“Not only were the product styles what they wanted, but the price points were unbelievable,” said Lulu. “Meridian gives us the designer looks influencers and celebrities want for half the price. We’ve done a lot of work on influencing. We had never seen such a big increase in sales before posting on social media and running ads on Instagram, Facebook and Google, and we do all that in-house. And it helps that Meridian has the overall aesthetic, appeal, and packaging that young consumers love.”

Influencers well-known to the TikTok generation such as “Food God,” formerly known as Jonathan Cheban, who made appearances on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” and YouTube star Jake Paul have taken to Instagram and TikTok to share their homes being furnished by Best Buy Furniture, and Lulu has furnished homes for free in exchange for social media posts. Part of why the 26-year-old’s marketing approach is successful is because he’s connecting with influencers that millennials and Gen Z are interested in. So far, Best Buy Furniture has garnered over 174,000 followers across all social media platforms, with at least one social media influencer—Ed Bassmaster—who pranked salespeople on the floor garnering more than a million views.

“We’re shifting a lot of our attention online, to our e-commerce website. Customers can purchase Meridian Furniture at any of the three Best Buy Furniture suburban locations, two in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and we can place an order and ship something directly to California or Missouri or Boston or any other city in the U.S. for really competitive pricing,” Lulu said. “It’s rare for manufacturers to give us that backend system and support to be able to cater to all these customers.” 

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Having been to Big Lots plenty of times in recent years, it’s my impression that the retailer has always offered strong values, including in its furniture mix.

The stores also are well organized, clean and thoughtfully merchandised across product segments. I’m guessing other stores outside the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina that’s home to High Point offer a similar experience.

Nonetheless, the economy, following a relatively strong holiday season for the retailer, hasn’t cooperated much at least during its fiscal first quarter ended May 4. Net sales were down 10.2% to $1.01 billion, from $1.12 billion the same period last year, driven largely by a 9.9% comparable sales decrease.

Now based on what we’re hearing in the furniture industry, that’s not a huge drop given some reports of year-to-date decreases topping 20% in the furniture sector. The declines no matter how large or small, are affecting just about everyone in the industry, from suppliers of hardware, equipment and raw materials to finished goods at the wholesale and retail level.

But Big Lots has been in a bind because it attracts value seekers across product categories. And many of these consumers are already struggling because of the cost of everyday expenses ranging from food and gas to utilities and health insurance. It’s why the lower-middle segment is probably suffering more than the upper middle and upper end of the business, where consumers tend to invest on things of value like furniture and other décor for their home.

But Big Lots appears to be headed toward even sharper values moving forward, including in the furniture segment. In its latest conference call, executives mentioned the term closeout more than a dozen times, noting that it is part of the extreme bargain positioning the company will continue to increase throughout the sales floor.

“The penetration of those extreme bargains is happening across all our categories,” noted President and CEO Bruce Thorn, adding, “We’re also seeing the extreme bargain penetration we have with our Broyhill and Real Living lines in upholstery actually go to positive comps…And that’s accelerating into Q2.”

Furniture remains the largest category by far, representing some 29% of sales in the first quarter, according to the company’s latest investor presentation. As seen in the illustration above, it also was the area that saw the lowest overall decline in sales — down 6% compared to seasonal, down 15%; soft home, down 11%; and food, down 10%, to cite a few key areas of the business.

But the term closeouts can have a negative impression in home furnishings, a fashion industry where customers tend to look for the latest styles albeit at value price points. Yet for the consumer who’s strapped for cash and seeking the best prices possible, the term closeout probably has huge appeal and thus could spur further interest and spending.

As Big Lots continues to sharpen its price point and value proposition, another consideration will be quality and durability. Appealing to families, particularly with its toy and seasonal departments, Big Lots’ durability story will be key as consumers likely spending hard-earned dollars won’t want to be replacing their newly acquired furniture anytime soon.

This is particularly true in upholstery, one of its strongest categories, yet one that also tends to get used and abused the most by kids and pets and, in some cases, adults, depending on what they’re doing in their living room.

So, at best, it’s going to be a balancing act that will involve several things, including price, but also the styling, construction and durability. This applies not just to indoor products, but also the outdoor category, where Big Lots also has a strong selection.

Yet during the call, Thorn indicated that the strategy already appears to be making headway, perhaps most notably in furniture — as seen in the strong comps — but other areas, too.

“We remain focused on managing through the current economic cycle by controlling our controllables,” he said. “Our operational initiatives to offer a large assortment of new and exciting extreme bargains, cut costs, and increase productivity, exceeded our targets in Q1. This enabled us to improve consumer perceptions about our brand and the value we offer and to deliver a year-over-year improvement in gross margin rate and operating expenses, despite the significant sales pressure this quarter.”

However, he noted there is room for improvement, which the company is pursuing through a stronger business model the retailer has created through five key actions that are expected to result in better results, most notably in the second half. These include 1) own bargains 2) communicate “unmistakable value” 3) increase store relevance 4) win customers for life through its omnichannel efforts and 5) drive productivity.

“We are confident that the five key actions are putting us on the right path to turn around our business, though we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” Thorn said.

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HIGH POINT — A former executive with Crate & Barrel, RH and Williams Sonoma has acquired antique reproduction specialist GJ Styles from GJ Styles Holdings Inc.

Doug Diemoz closed on the purchase of the company on Friday. Officials did not reveal a purchase price or other terms of the agreement, but noted that the deal represents an acquisition of non-real estate assets that include inventory and intellectual property.

Diemoz also has taken over the leases of the company’s showroom and distribution center in High Point.

Formerly known as G&J Styles, the company produces a line of reproduction dining and occasional furniture, as well as accent furniture, desks and storage pieces.

It was founded in 1985 by Glyn and Jill Styles in Leominster, a town in the county of Herefordshire, England, in 1985. It moved to High Point in 1997 to help fill the demand for antique reproductions in the United States.

In 2008, it entered a joint venture partnership with its primary vendor, Halo Asia, which created Halo Styles, according to the company website. In January 2014, Glyn Styles purchased the company from its partners at Halo but the company continues to distribute Halo products in the U.S. at GJ Styles.

The company website went on to note that the company has a permanent showroom in High Point, which houses its corporate offices. These locations are open year round to retailers and designers.

Diemoz is the chief executive officer, co-founder and executive chairman of the former Fairfield, California-based upholstery manufacturer Made and Modern, which Diemoz told Home News Now closed this past fall.

Before this, he was president of Pier 1 for a short period and prior to this was chief executive officer of Crate & Barrel and chief development officer of RH.

He also previously was senior vice president of financial operations and vice president of finance and director of finance at Williams-Sonoma.

 “I have been blessed to grow up with great brands, leaders and colleagues, and I am excited to meet all our customers and bring everything I’ve learned over my decades in the industry to help them grow and achieve their goals,” Diemoz said. “It has been a privilege to get to know Glyn and the team through this process and I am honored to be leading the next chapter of GJ Styles to build upon the incredible foundation laid before me.”

The company said that GJ Styles will continue in its current distribution center, showroom and corporate office. It also noted that all current staff are being retained in their existing roles.

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This is the first Ashley retail location opening for Goffena Furniture, which is a third-generation-family-owned business. The Troy store will employ about 17 people. Ashley, the largest furniture store brand in North America and one of the world’s bestselling home furnishing brands, has more than 1,100 locations worldwide. 

“We are thrilled to bring Ashley, the largest furniture retailer in North America, to Troy,” said Drew Goffena, Goffena Furniture senior vice president. “It’s amazing that we get to bring quality, stylish home furnishings with the hometown family feel of Goffena Furniture to the Troy community.” 

The new store will feature Ashley’s 7.0 store concept, a design approach that allows customers to experience a simplified, bright and open floor plan. The showroom will feature complete lifestyle vignettes, down to the final detail of lighting, rugs and wall art. Product categories include bedroom, dining room, upholstery, leather, occasional tables, home office, youth bedroom, recliners, mattresses and accessories. The store also has a new Ashley mattress gallery, featuring Ashley Sleep, Tempur-Pedic and Purple mattresses. 

The new store’s hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m. Follow @ashleyofficial on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with promotions and events. 

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The early reaction to Hickory Chair’s Hable Outdoor collections has inspired designers to extend the aesthetic of interior living spaces into client’s outdoor living spaces. While these four collections are available as stand-alone groupings, designers have discovered their strength as they were designed to mix perfectly together. The ability to select items from the Aswan Teak, Yara Woven and Ibis Metal collections will allow designers to create personalized outdoor living spaces for their clients.

“I was given complete creative freedom to design these outdoor collections,” Hable said. “This comes from a mutual trust between our companies and an alignment of vision for the future. Being at the heart of the collection comes with several criteria that I tried to meet … classic shapes, timeless design, special and appropriate in many kinds of settings from gardens, back porches and pool sides that would appeal to the talented designers across the industry that look to Hickory Chair for inspiration. The reaction has been wonderful, and seeing images from their installations has been truly inspirational for me!”

The Haret and Ibis collections were crafted in metal, Aswan in teak and Yara in a synthetic weave with teak feet. They showcase not only the distinctiveness of the materials, but also the talent of the craftspeople that have handcrafted each piece. Distinctive finishes were created for each collection. The company will support this new category and collection with a robust assortment of Hickory Chair outdoor fabrics and a collaboration with Sunbrella with its Trivantage Fusion fabric program.

The term Haret can be translated as the cabin at the heart of the forest, the caretaker and the center of things. This term is the perfect name for the largest of the Hable outdoor collections. Hand cast in aluminum and then powder coated in a choice of two
finishes, the lyrical lines of the product are contrasted by a unique fretwork pattern that creates a charming pattern on the
seat and back of seating pieces and the tops of the tables. The fret motif was designed exclusively for this collection.

The gentle scallop of the top rail was intended to provide a beautiful swaying motion to the back of the chair that follows the arc of the arms and the saber legs of the Haret collection. The series was thoughtfully designed to be elegant and beautiful even when its cushions are stored. Finished in Cloud White or Smoke Gray, its subtly silky surface is the finishing touch that seals its grace. The company also offers custom finishes on these two metal collections.

The Ibis collection is named for an Egyptian bird with a distinctive long curved beak that has been idolized from ancient times. Inspired from Susan’s travels to Egypt by hieroglyphics depicting birds with its long lines and beaks, the Ibis bird was revered for its dramatic features and its non-confrontational demeanor. Known as a symbol of integrity and balance, the Ibis collection reflects these attributes.

The Ibis collection’s graceful forms blend beautifully into nature. Crafted in metal, the Ibis collection is standard in an antiqued Verdigris finish. At Casual Market, a second finish, Cloud White, will be introduced for the Ibis collection.

The southern Egyptian city of Aswan is an ancient city located along the Nile River. It is arid, exotic and is considered the “Egyptian Paradise.” Known as one of the sunniest places on Earth, it is the inspiration for the new Aswan collection. Solid teak was chosen as its
textural Driftwood finish is reminiscent of the arid desert and the sound icons left from antiquity.

“Outdoor teak furniture will naturally develop a gray tone, and the grain will become more open over time,” Hable said. “I wanted to develop a finish that would already have this coloration and texture to enjoy. Each Aswan teak piece will naturally age like the standing statues and obelisks that have stood the test of time.”

Susan’s intention for the Yara Woven collection was to design a woven pattern that would be completely sculpted by weaving a beautiful woven pattern with recycled synthetic cane on each piece by hand. Artisans start the process with one corner of the powder-coated aluminum frame and weave the cane like a basket until the end is tied off.

“The Graystone color of the synthetic woven material was inspired by my travel to Sea Ranch, California, where homes and buildings are designed to melt into the landscape,” she said. “Thoughtfully designed, the feet on the Yara sofa and loveseat are made from teak finished in the Aswan Teak finish.

“Warmth and a light breeze are some of my favorite things as a new season begins,” she added. “It is new growth, warm sunshine, and first light walks to survey new buds, leaves and even weeds that bring joy to my heart and purpose as I touch my paintbrush to canvas. It is not by chance that the lines of our unique outdoor designs mirror the natural world. Each collection has elements that reflect the pleasure in outdoor living. I believe that people will naturally linger longer in our thoughtfully designed furniture.”

Our employees are focused on making the finest indoor and now outdoor furnishings in the marketplace for our loyal clientele and their clients,” said Laura Holland, vice president of marketing at Hickory Chair. “Expanding into the outdoor category is a natural progression for our company. We believe that we have once again revealed the incredible talent, collaboration and vision our Hickory Chair family has not only for today, but the future.”

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HIGH POINT — Universal Furniture has hired industry veteran Rick Lovegrove as vice president of upholstery, a new position devoted to the enhancement and growth of the company’s domestic and import upholstery business.

Lovegrove comes to the company from Four Hands, where he has worked for the past decade, most recently as president of upholstery and before that as vice president, product services group and upholstery.

Before that he worked at upholstery manufacturer G. Romano for more than 18 years, both as vice president of design and creative director and brand manager.

In his new position, he reports to Universal President Sean O’Connor, who started the upholstery business for the company around 2015 and who has since handled the development/merchandising responsibilities alongside Shannon Lookabill, vice president of product development. In addition to its import upholstery line produced in Vietnam, the company expanded into domestic upholstery when it acquired Southern Upholstery in 2019. The company said the acquisition allowed Universal to develop its domestic upholstery operations in 2020.

The company said that Lovegrove will collaborate closely with O’Connor and Lookabill to “drive strategic initiatives and innovation within Universal Furniture’s designs. Together, they aim to capitalize on emerging trends, enhance product offerings and reinforce Universal Furniture’s position as a whole home leader in the furniture marketplace.”

Universal said that Lovegrove’s leadership role at Four Hands expanded the category into the “largest product segment at the company. With a career distinguished by domestic and imported furniture expertise, Lovegrove brings a unique skill set to Universal Furniture, poised to drive innovation and growth within the upholstery segment.”

“The upholstery business at Universal has been a focal point in our growth strategy, aimed at expanding design appeal and growing sales,” O’Connor said. “The rapid expansion of this division necessitated the creation of this role, and Rick’s extensive industry experience positions him perfectly to lead and further accelerate our momentum.”

“Rick’s proven track record in scaling businesses within the furniture sector aligns with our vision for Universal Furniture’s future,” O’Connor added. “His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to innovate and meet the evolving demands of our customers.”

Lovegrove said he looks forward to this next step in his industry career.

“I am truly excited to join the Universal team,” he said. “The growth of the brand over the last couple of years has been exciting to witness, and I can’t wait to build and scale the next generation of the upholstery business.” 

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DALLAS — Upholstery manufacturer American Leather, known for its innovation and superior product engineering, has evolved to include a design program for retailers. The Shop-in-Shop concept highlights design and lifestyle elements of its motion and stationary lines. The concept debuted in 2023 and currently has five locations in operation with another 10 in the works.

“The Shop-in-Shop concept is where American Leather’s unique story unfolds, and consumers are met with the true brand personality within a retail store,” said Ashley Fothergill, creative director for American Leather. “The vignettes are customizable and span up to 2,000 square feet to provide retailers with options that work best within their space.” He continued, “Shop-in-Shop can also be thought of as a service American Leather provides to make custom product design easy.”

The Shop-in-Shop footprint also features a design center, filled with top-quality leather and fabric options that customers can touch and feel, as well as arm and leg customization options to showcase the endless possibilities of the brand. For the finishing touch, customers can choose between a wide range of metal and wood finishes.

Aside from the Shop-in-Shop design center, customers can customize pieces for their own homes by using the draping tool on American Leather’s website to see a 3D rendering. Users can shop by fabric, color, patterns and more to create and visualize their dream piece. Once customers have chosen a combination, they can print out the spec sheet and use the online locator to be directed to the nearest dealer.

Carrie Cox, director of brand experience for American Leather, works closely with each retailer partner to design custom Shop-in-Shop vignettes that will appeal to the regional customers’ aesthetic and style preferences. Cox thoughtfully selects the materials that work best in those markets, whether that is showcasing popular bison leather in Colorado or colorful yet durable fabrics in Florida.

One indicator of success is modern furniture retailer Cantoni, which recently rebranded its store in Dallas featuring an American Leather Shop-in-Shop experience and sales increased by 50%. The American Leather x Cantoni partnership is a long-standing one with American Leather being featured throughout the luxury chain. “What is different about how we have approached this particular collaboration was that we were looking to create an environment that houses a more complete array of our products, beyond motion, with examples of our stationary and conversational pieces,” Fothergill said. He added, “The assortment reflects all that American Leather is capable of but in a way that beautifully balances our brand’s DNA with the contemporary aesthetic Cantoni is renowned for.” 

Two additional Cantoni locations in Houston and Atlanta are in progress with the goal of completion before the end of 2024. Other Shop-in-Shop concepts are planned for other locations across the U.S. including in Atlanta, New York, Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, Seattle and Dallas.

“I think the success we have seen has come about via thinking outside the box a little and we credit Cantoni for allowing us to do so. We removed SKUs from the floor giving the product more space to breathe and more room for the client to interact with the product. We have developed vignettes that help to provide the client with a sense of how American Leather would work in their home.”

Fothergill added, “These projects harness the partnerships that have long been the backbone of the American Leather business, with retailers and American Leather sharing both the experience and the ‘lift’ but in a way that reflects the strengths of each.”

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