Ray Allegrezza — Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT — Largo International is here with its most new collections ever, a major upholstery launch,

an expanded showroom and a new strategy that will focus on the Largo brand instead of Jaclyn Smith, the company’s spokesperson since 2002.

Largo will not renew its licensing agreement with Smith, which runs through April, said company President Glenn Wakefield.

Since 2002, Largo has hitched its star to TV and movie star Smith to help the company move from a supplier of metal beds to a case goods source offering bedroom, casual and formal dining collections.

“Back then, it seemed everyone was looking offshore to source, and the result quickly become a market flooded with me-too products,” said Wakefield.

To help differentiate Largo product, Wakefield signed a five-year licensing deal with Smith.

“She did a wonderful job on our behalf,” he said. “But the industry, especially the retail sector, has changed since 2002. Now, more than ever, the store is becoming the brand. As a result, I believe the best brand partners we can have are our retailers.”

He stressed that Largo will  honor its contract with Smith, which runs through the end of April. “We had a great run working directly with Jaclyn. She has been a terrific ambassador for Largo,” Wakefield said.
Smith’s other affiliations include rugs from Dalyn, mattresses from King Koil and upholstery from Hickory Hill.

Speaking of recent changes in the industry, Wakefield said, “While consumers and retailers alike are looking for better design and good quality, price is still a consideration.

“By not having to pay a royalty, which can range from 2% to 5% or higher, a supplier can reinvest those dollars into the product and into the pricing structure,” he said.

Buyers visiting Largo’s Center Theater Tower showroom at this week’s High Point Furniture Market  may see some Jaclyn Smith product, but most of the new furniture, including the new upholstery line, will be marketed under the Largo brand.

Largo’s upholstery launch includes 20 groups, each consisting of a sofa, loveseat, chair, ottoman and matching occasional pieces.

The groups, which feature both fabrics and a mix of fabric and leather, can retail from $599 to $1,299.
“About two-thirds of the new upholstery line is being made here in the United States, which will help us supply our dealers in a timely manner,” Wakefield said.

The company also is showing 13 bedroom suites slated to retail from $1,500 to $3,000. Most embrace traditional designs, but a number are in transitional styling.

Largo also has a number of casual dining collections, with a similar mix of traditional and transitional styles, at retail price points ranging from $499 to $799.

Rounding out the presentation is a group of Asian-made metal beds and daybeds that can retail from $199 to $399.

To accommodate the new collections, Largo has added 10,000 square feet to its show space here, giving it a total of 30,000 square feet and taking up the entire fifth floor of the Center Theater Tower.