Gautier Launches In-Store Galleries As Part Of New Retail Partnering Program

Furniture World Magazine

In a move designed to further strengthen its position in the U.S. market, Gautier, the French manufacturer of contemporary bedroom, living room, and home office furniture, is rolling out a new gallery program in selected retail stores. The first gallery opened in December at Baby Love in Sunrise, Florida. Comprising 500 square feet of the juvenile specialty store, Baby Love's Gautier gallery features a wood floor and distinctive wood frame facade around its perimeter, with galvanized piping connecting the center sections and the company logo featured prominently on the nine-foot tall comer supports. Semi-opaque screens separate the five individual vignettes, while allowing customers to easily see through to the next furniture grouping. "Baby Love had already been doing a healthy business with our products, but now, with the gallery concept, our furniture is attracting even more attention," says Bill Sheehan, Gautier's U.S. sales manager. "We're delighted to have the enhanced position and space in the store, and based on initial results, we feel confident it will provide a win-win situation for the store and for us." Adds Ed Wall, manager of Baby Love, "We've had a great relationship with Gautier for 14 years now, but we're already seeing an increase in our Gautier business because of the gallery -and I think that's just the beginning. The display is very impressive and does an unbelievable job of promoting the product; it really attracts attention and entices customers to come in and look at the furniture. We're very glad to be the first to incorporate their gallery concept into our store." Gautier is aiming for potential 20 to 25 galleries in 2001, as one facet of its new retail partner program. Reflecting a fresh philosophy and more aggressive approach to the U.S. market, the partner program involves a number of goals, including enhanced service, sharper pricing, and improved support to participating retail customers. "Gautier has been selling in the United States for nearly 20 years, and we are proud of our reputation for quality and style," says Jose Gosselin, CEO and vice president of Gautier USA. "But we know we can do more, and under our new private ownership, we believe we can be even more responsive to retailers' needs and offer even better service and better prices to our customers. That is our new philosophy and approach to the business: We don't just want a customer, we want a partner." As the program becomes established, Gautier is lining up appropriate retail partners nationwide, offering a number of entitlements and benefits in exchange for a specific volume commitment from retailers. A gallery is one option available to partners, to which Gautier makes its own commitment through shared costs and assistance in design and installation of the gallery facade, window signage, and other components. Partner retailers can also use funds from the program's advertising allowance to help offset the cost of the gallery. "Any retailer that is already doing a good business with Gautier would be a candidate for our partner program and for an in-store gallery," notes Sheehan. "If the store already has five or seven vignettes on the floor, the gallery serves to put those vignettes in the spotlight, which can only lead to stronger sales."