Boyd Specialty Sleep to Offer Furniture Brands-Licensed Line
Thomas Russell — Furniture Today – 05/14/13
Furniture Brands International has entered into a licensing agreement that will allow Boyd Specialty Sleep to market mattresses and other sleep products under several of FBI’s well-known brands. Boyd will offer sleep products under the Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville and Drexel Heritage. The products will cover a range of styles and medium to “ultra-premium” retail price points, officials said.
The Thomasville licensing rights are for air beds and latex mattresses, while the other agreements cover non-innerspring products ranging from mattresses and pillows to toppers and adjustable bed bases, the companies said. This is believed to be the first licensing arrangement to sell bedding products under the Broyhill, Lane and Drexel Heritage brands. In the past, Thomasville has had a co-branded mattress line with Simmons for sale in its Thomasville stores and galleries and currently sells Kingsdown mattresses in those venues.
Denny Boyd, Boyd Specialty Sleep’s president, said the new licensed lines will be promoted to retailers and consumers through a variety of Internet marketing campaigns and social media platforms. The first Boyd Specialty Sleep FBI introductions will debut at the summer Las Vegas Market, July 29-August 2. They will include air and latex bedding collections under the Thomasville brand and foam and gel bedding collections under the Broyhill brand. Boyd said it will launch mattresses and various sleep accessories under the Lane and Drexel Heritage brands at subsequent markets.
“The Broyhill, Lane, Drexel Heritage and Thomasville names represent iconic brands that resonate extremely well with affluent customers in the 25-to-64 age range,” Boyd said in a statement. “These revered brands transfer seamlessly to the mattress and sleep accessories category and speak to consumers who are interested in a quality night’s sleep. We are confident the combination of our high quality offering under these well-recognized furniture brand names on mattresses, top of bed products and adjustable bed frames will greatly enhance the shopping experience and elevate the concept of a ‘total sleep experience’ in the consumer’s mind.”
“Boyd Specialty Sleep is a well-respected leader and a pioneer of innovative sleep products in the industry,” added Mark Wiltshire, president of Furniture Brands’ special markets division. “They have a shared commitment to successfully develop each branded collection to reflect the positioning and heritage of each of our brands, and we are very excited to have them as a new licensing partner.”