Clint Engel — Furniture Today,
\nRezon8 Living opens new showroom<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d When former Studio RTA owner Paul Reitzin opened the doors to retailer Rezon8 Living this spring, the venture reflected a wealth of planning, investment and industry experience.<\/p>\n
Earthy California colors warm the 10,000-square-foot contemporary store. Throughout the small but airy space, consumers see the retailer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s knack for sharp accessorization and display \u00e2\u20ac\u201d signs of the seasoned management team behind the new player.
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The concrete pathway through the showroom, stained a rich espresso brown, and the lighting hanging from wide, round, contemporary fixtures, have garnered almost as many wows from shoppers as the vignettes of living room, bedroom, dining room home office and other furniture.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We wanted to create something, where when you walk in it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like a breath of fresh air,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Reitzin, president and owner of Rezon8 Living and parent company Inzane.<\/p>\n
His plans include opening more stores in major metro markets and building strong e-commerce and catalog businesses, with the goal of a combined $70 million or so in annual sales within three years.<\/p>\n
Reitzin said he has built the team and infrastructure to take the venture to $100 million in sales. At his former business, Studio RTA, which was sold to Sauder Woodworking in 2003, it took him 25 years to reach that point, he said. With Rezon8, the 50-year-old Reitzin said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t wait that long.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Rezon8 Living is supported by Reitzin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Avenue Six Studios, a photography studio just beyond its back wall that has been pumping out quality images and marketing materials for both the store and its e-commerce Web site at rezon8living.com.<\/p>\n
The site has been online since June and has generated orders from around the country \u00e2\u20ac\u201d New York, Chicago,<\/p>\n
Miami, Philadelphia. The company has invested in software\/hardware that helps consumers load pages fast, navigate the site easily, and zoom in on product details with great clarity.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Technology, technology, technology,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Reitzin. He believes the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s willingness to invest in high tech is one of the things that will separate Rezon8 from the competition as it goes after its target consumer \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the 70 million people who make up Generation Y.<\/p>\n
These are young consumers, Reitzin said, who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t afraid of buying furn iture online and who appreciate contemporary design at medium prices.<\/p>\n
The text in Rezon8 Living\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first four-page color insert, distributed to about 300,000 households through the Los Angeles Times, reflects the retailer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s marketing direction. It takes a shot at some of its higher-end competitors, touting \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the de-snobification of great design.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really a niche in the middle,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reitzin said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be Pottery Barn or West Elm.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0But the store is a step up in scale, design and price from Ikea, he said, adding that consumers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153want warm, cozy and big\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d at least bigger than some of the furniture he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seen at Ikea. He also said the store is doing a good job courting interior designers with discounts and other enticements.<\/p>\n
The store in Van Nuys, off Interstate 405, has more than 40 key suppliers, including Moroni, Zocalo, Star
\nt, chair and ottoman by Diva with an Avenue Six Ellis cocktail table.
\n International, Sitcom and Palliser\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Casana and EQ3 lines, with a sprinkling of imported upholstery from Avenue Six, also owned by Reitzin. All upholstery meets California\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tough flammability standards, even what Rezon8 ships to other states.<\/p>\n
All furniture is branded Rezon8 Living. Sofas range from $699 to $4,000 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d for a leather sectional \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but the bulk of sofa sales are at $1,200 to $2,000.<\/p>\n
In addition to opening stores in prime contemporary markets and targeting consumers online, Rezon8 plans to launch a thick color catalog next spring.<\/p>\n
The first store here is a testing ground, and despite a tough business climate for furniture, sales have met expectations, Reitzin said. He wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t disclose sales but said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had fantastic response.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Some 20% of consumers shopping the store are leaving with $1,000 or more in merchandise, including rugs, vases, even architecture-oriented books.<\/p>\n
Reitzin said there are seven big U.S. contemporary markets \u00e2\u20ac\u201d New York, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Miami,<\/p>\n
San Francisco and Los Angeles \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and he plans to open stores in all of them eventually. Next year, the company probably will open two units in Los Angeles before pushing into other markets, starting on the West Coast.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the e-commerce business has grown fast, said Vice President Steve Harris. He said he hopes the ratio of Web-to-store business eventually will work out to 100-to-1, but said 4-to-1 is probably more realistic.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re set up to sell anywhere in the country, one piece at a time,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said, noting that sales are backed by a third-party delivery and warehouse company with 22 locations across the nation.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
As with the photography studio, Reitzin invested millions in infrastructure to make sure the e-commerce experience was second to none. In cyberspace, Rezon8 is able to show a lot more furniture than in the bricks-and-mortar store \u00e2\u20ac\u201d at least twice as many items on average, and many times more than that when you throw in color and finish options.<\/p>\n
Consumers can even choose from music selections to listen to while visiting the site, everything from Gil T\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Broken Ambers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to Stolen Identity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argentina.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d They also can take a video tour of the Los Angeles showroom, and read design tips from stylist Basia, who happens to be Reitzin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wife and associate, Barbara Reitzin.<\/p>\n
Rezon8 averages its delivery charges nationally to keep the cost reasonable, and usually delivers within two to four weeks of an order, Reitzin said.<\/p>\n
The catalog Rezon8 plans to launch next year will be a quarterly publication, again heavily supported by the\u00c2\u00a0 photography studio. Reitzen expects it will have staying power. Even with the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first four-page color circular, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We found consumers held onto it for weeks,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n
Although in business only a few months, Rezon8 Living has picked up some national exposure. The set designer for the highly rated TV show \u00e2\u20ac\u0153CSI: Miami\u00e2\u20ac\u009d bought items from the store to use during the upcoming season.<\/p>\n
Rezon8 sent out a press release that was picked up by Reuters, and even displayed in rotation for a week on a giant electronic news board in New York\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Time Square, showing one of the set director\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s selections and the headline: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcCSI: Miami\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 uncovers high fashion contemporary furniture at rezon8living.com.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
by Clint Engel<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Paul Reitzin and Steve Harris opened their Avenue Six Studios here about a year ago, intent on building a state-of-the-art photography studio to support Reitzin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Avenue Six furniture line and his retail plans.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0But a year later, the 15,000-square-foot studio just behind Reitzin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Rezon8 Living furniture store has become much more \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a profit center for the company, attracting everyone from furniture suppliers to reality TV producers to Hollywood stars.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0The reason? Even in this market \u00e2\u20ac\u201d minutes from Burbank, Hollywood and entertainment giants Warner Bros., Universal and Disney \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Avenue Six is larger and better equipped with new technologies than other studios, said Harris, who is vice president.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0Avenue Six Studios features a wide range of architectural room sets, window treatments, cityscapes, props and flooring options to replicate the looks of a variety of homes and offices. For furniture and accessory props, studio employees simply walk next door and pull from some 1,000 pieces on the Rezon8 showroom floor.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0There are studios within the studio, including a fully functional \u00e2\u20ac\u0153gourmet kitchen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for food and kitchen appliance photography. Then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cove\u00e2\u20ac\u009d set to shoot cars and other motorcraft.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0The studio already has attracted shoots for apparel and magazines with star subjects, including singer Jo Jo and Disney Channel \u00e2\u20ac\u0153High School Musical\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sensations Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Coming in here, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re blown away, because the studios they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re used to are holes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Reitzin.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0And this is all gravy for the furniture business. The main goal of Reitzin and Harris was to gain creative and quality control over marketing materials for Avenue Six furniture and Rezon8 Living \u00e2\u20ac\u201d something they longed for since their Studio RTA days. Reitzin owned the contemporary furniture importer before selling to Sauder Woodworking in 2003.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0While the company has outsourced warehouse and delivery services for Rezone8, they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to trust a third party with photography.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Trucks are trucks. Warehouses are warehouses,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reitzin said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is the kitchen. This is the brain. If\u00c2\u00a0 you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do things right in there, nothing is right.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0He said he has invested \u00e2\u20ac\u0153several millions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Avenue Six Studios, including $1 million on the lighting system alone.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0In addition to giving creative control, the studio also helps the company manage costs, and has proven to be a revenue generator, Harris said. It has been booked regularly by Hollywood, an auto seller and other users, including furniture suppliers such as Moroni, Z-Line, Elite, Kings Rattan and Omnia Leather.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0An average day of shooting starts at about $1,800 and can be higher, depending on the services used.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0On a recent Friday, Ben Frankel,\u00c2\u00a0 owner of imported case goods supplier Innova Furniture, was here shooting two new groups for a catalog and Web site. Frankel has known Reitzin for 25 years and was one of the studio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first customers.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The primary difference is that Paul, having been in the wholesale business for as long as he was, has some insight into what makes the process move faster,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Frankel said.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0He also praised the quality of Avenue Six Studio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s equipment, which eliminates problem with distortion when images are blown up for printing.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d say 90% of the time, I walk out of the studio with the polished product and images,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Frankel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Clint Engel — Furniture Today, Rezon8 Living opens new showroom LOS ANGELES \u00e2\u20ac\u201d When former Studio RTA owner Paul Reitzin opened the doors to retailer Rezon8 Living this spring, the venture reflected a wealth of planning, investment and industry experience. Earthy California colors warm the 10,000-square-foot contemporary store. Throughout the small but airy space, consumers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-furniture-indonesia-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4824\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indonesia-furniture.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}