Bobby Dalheim //Senior Editor of Case Goods and Global Sourcing//April 13, 2024
HIGH POINT – Modern made-in-Italy furniture supplier Bellini Modern Living is hoping to help jumpstart business for buyers this week at High Point Market with two new cost-savings programs.
One, a new special Elite container program, will reduce freight costs for buyers by 10%. Bellini has secured an agreement with its primary Italian factory, which the company says will streamline the transportation process directly from the factory floor in Italy to its Toronto warehouse.
“The program addresses the shipping and supply chain challenges everyone faces now,” said Hossein Azimi, CEO. “Our mission is to extend a helping hand to our dealers by committing a portion of our margins.
“Basically, everyone wins,” he said. “It hopefully will generate extra business for our factory, which in turn will help its suppliers. It helps us generate business, as well as our buyers. Finally, those cost savings can be passed on to consumers.”
Any Italian-made product, which includes leather upholstery, motion sectionals and all case goods, are featured in the program. Generally, upholstery will be the choice, Azimi said, as it’s bigger and bulkier.
“It’s aggressive for container business,” he said. “Buyers can get one of our premium leather sofas for $1,100.”
A second Platinum program is reserved for buyers who carry four to five groupings of Bellini products on their store floors. Those buyers will get a 5% discount on all items, as well as access to two additional 5%-off sales events per year. They’ll get 10% off all floor samples twice a year. Finally, if they wish, they can be tagged and featured in Bellini’s advertising.
“It’s not a gallery program, and we don’t dictate anything,” Azimi said. “It’s designed to get the ball rolling. We want to recognize our loyal retail partners with additional benefits. It can provide valuable incentives to help dealers in one of the toughest retail markets we have seen in a long time.”
On the product side, the company highlighted its new made-in-Italy outdoor line, as well as new upholstery and five new groupings of dining chairs. Dining chairs are stocked in Toronto in four colors.
Ceramic dining was also expanded, with five new ceramic tabletops being added. Ceramic dining has become a significant niche for Bellini, the company said. It credits its success to retailers being able to maximize their sales per square foot, as they can offer dozens of custom combinations of tops and bases while only showing a single sample on their floors.
