Function, fashion key at Nathan's

Dickson City, Pa.— Nathan's Furniture has been a staple in northeast Pennsylvania for about 70 years, and although it is a mainline store, youth gets plenty of attention.

Nathan's is a five-store chain, with two full-line furniture stores and three sleep shops that sell mattresses. Owner Ian Lipton runs the family business, and he is assisted by his son Eric, a vice president.

The main Nathan's store is in Hazleton, Pa., with others in Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming and Pottsville, Pa. The store's premiere youth department is in the 3,700-square-foot Dickson City sleep shop, where Nathan's has its largest La-Z-Boy Kidz gallery. At 1,700 square feet, the youth department takes up almost half of the store.

Along with furniture from Lea's La-Z-Boy Kidz line, Nathan's also sells youth furniture from manufacturers such as Vaughan, Barn Door and Young America.

Lipton, who shops for furniture and accessories in High Point, said he focuses on the three S's of children's bedroom furniture: sleep, storage and study. Lipton noted that kids rooms are typically small, so the furniture needs to be functional, maybe even more so than adult furniture. For example, desks need to do more than just hold a computer. "They should have space for books, awards and mementos," he said. Lipton looks for items where sleep and storage components are combined, such as captain's beds or bunks with storage or trundle space underneath.

A twin metal headboard and frame at Nathan's starts at the sharp retail price point of $199, and prices top out at about $999 for a loft bed. Lipton said that Lea's youth program of good/better/best ensures there is something for nearly everyone. Items in the good range are a moderate value but still offer style, he said, such as the metal headboards available in feminine colors such as white and pink.

In the Dickson City store, the youth department is set up in vignettes featuring 11 collections, and Lipton aimed for a boutique feel in the area. "It's open enough that it doesn't tend to be a maze," he said. "We create an intimacy, but allow customers to see four or five vignettes."

Several of the vignettes showcase two beds from one collection. "The bed tends to be the attraction," Lipton said.

Once customers choose that, they select the other pieces such as desks, hutches, chests and dressers.

The loft bed is becoming increasingly popular at Nathan's, with both parents and kids attracted to the functionality and options, such as storage space, built-in desks and bulletin boards. "It has a certain appeal that is unique," Lipton said.

A loft bed is an option in Lea's Jackson Creek collection, a top seller at the store. The group has a more casual look and is made of oak, a popular wood in northeast Pennsylvania. Lea's Summerset, a Victorian girls group with crystal drawer pulls and a corner unit, is also a strong seller.

Gay Kotch, general manager at Nathan's, helps merchandise the vignettes. She uses Southern Textiles to dress the beds and adds the finishing touches with accessories from companies such as CBK, Sadek, Anthony California and Harris Marcus. Kotch said she seeks out items that give the vignettes a bright and cheery look. Looks that can grow with a child are important, too, so no SpongeBob SquarePants, she said. "I try to get some longevity out of the look of the room," she explained.

Lipton said that merchandising the youth area requires that a person be up on current trends in colors and fashion. "There's nothing worse than a display that is dated," he said. He also feels that it's important for kids, especially teens, to feel that the store gets their style. "We want them to say 'I'm understood by this store,'" he said.

The La-Z-Boy Kidz gallery program offers store signage, point-of-purchase information and accessible catalog easels to help complete the vignettes and make shopping easier.

In addition to case goods, the store sells its accessories and mattresses from its Serta showroom, which is attached to the La-Z-Boy Kidz gallery. Nathan's stocks some of its merchandise in a 50,000-square-foot warehouse in Hazleton, Pa., and has a two-week delivery turnaround to the other stores.

The furniture store's local competitors include Raymore Flanigan and some independents. Lipton said the market in the area is holding steady in terms of population and is also growing older. But because many of those older people are grandparents who are buying for their grandchildren, Lipton said it's still important to grab consumers' attention. "It's an older market, but that leaves opportunities for those who choose to be aggressive," he said.

To attract customers, Nathan's uses a variety of advertising methods. Lipton said the company relies mainly on television advertising, and he noted that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area is the 51st-largest TV market in the country. The furniture store does some advertising in newspapers, but Lipton said that readership seems to be decreasing.

Nathan's also has a Web site that is run by furniturefan.com. Lipton said that because a Web site isn't valuable if it isn't current, he makes sure it is updated regularly. And while the site is an easy and quick way to see what's available, most customers end up visiting the stores to see the furniture up close. "People want to touch the product," he said.

Nathan's also does direct mailings to advertise special events being held at the store. With help from Lea, the store compiles a list of customers that fit certain demographics and sends them a flier about "mini-events" for kids. These promotions, usually held every quarter, include kid-friendly activities such as face painting, clowns, magicians and bike giveaways.

Once people are in the store, customer service is key, Lipton said. At any given time, there are usually one or two salespeople in the youth area, and all receive training from both Lea sales reps and Nathan's. Because children's rooms are typically smaller, Lipton said it is important for sales associates to know how to best fill that space and relay it to the customer. "They really do need to understand how to floorplan a bedroom," he said.

In addition to that, Lipton said he wants people to feel they can trust the advice they get at his stores, which means training the retail associates to work in a collaborative manner to win customers' trust.

"Merchandise only takes you so far," Lipton said. "Ultimately, it comes down to who you trust, (and) who's going to treat you fairly."

This collection from Lea Inds. can grow with a child through his teen years and provides plenty of storage and functionality.

This vignette, accessorized with stuffed animals and floral bedding, showcases a classic white girls' group.

Striped walls, a seashell lamp and blue bedding give this cottage look a beachy feel.

Nathan's Furniture often puts two beds from a collection in one vignette to show different looks. Store owner Ian Lipton said that loft beds are popular because of the available options, such as built-in desks and storage space.