Bassett Furniture’s new concept store aligns with its forward-facing strategy
CONCORD, N.C. — When a customer enters a Bassett Furniture concept store or showroom and says, “Wow, this is Bassett?”, the inquisitive exclamation is music to the ears of the company’s principals.
Although the more than 100-year-old company is a legacy entity in the furniture world, Bassett leadership has its sights fixed on the future, and the new Bassett retail experience is ushering in a forward-facing era of business where synergies between designers, retailers and consumers create new market opportunities for all involved.
Nick Gee is the senior vice president for corporate retail at Bassett Furniture. In an exclusive interview with Furniture Today at the new concept store in Concord, N.C., Gee explained how the new retail environment underscores the company’s vision of what’s next.
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“Design is important for us, and we know consumers these days are looking for the full shopping experience,” said Gee. “They don’t want to just buy a sofa. They want to create a feel in their living room. And our new concept store lends itself to that.”
Gee explained that the Bassett concept stores offer consumers an expansive choice of features, options, fabrics and leathers for upholstered pieces through the True Custom program. Within the store, furniture vignettes are presented in curated lifestyle settings, offering touch-and-feel product experiences centered around an in-store design center defined by a signature blue exterior. In the design studio, consumers can develop their own signature looks by working with Bassett design representatives to create custom furniture and then take advantage of the convenience of a retailer transaction, all against the backdrop of fresh silhouettes, functionality and materials.
“What I like to say and what I hear a lot is that this is not your grandparents’ Bassett,” said Gee. “You know, we’ve been manufacturing furniture since 1902, but the evolution over the past few years lends itself more to a modern casual feel. As you look around the store, you can see that, and it really does fit the lifestyle of consumers and how they’re decorating their spaces today. So what you may have thought of Bassett before, we’re different.”
The new Bassett look is attributable in part to Anne Spilman Souter, creative director, interior designer and fourth generation in the family business. Souter’s design sensibilities are evident on the floor, said Gee, who added that the product refresh blends the best of Bassett strengths with a new design aesthetic that is capturing consumer attention.
“It’s been fun to watch the evolution really over the past five years with our product line. Anne has really brought a fresh perspective for us and furniture design,” said Gee.
At the new Bassett concept stores as well as the legacy Bassett retail stores, the goal is to meet consumer expectations in a HGTV-era of design access, Gee said. He noted that the ease of obtaining design-centric information encourages consumers to make their homes their own, but many want a guiding voice to help create cohesion out of what can easily turn into interior chaos.
“I think the expectation of a consumer and the experience they want to have in a furniture store are options, especially after watching these shows and makeovers on TV,” Gee said. “They want to be able to go in and choose things for their lifestyle, their personalities. And I think the options allow that: We can fit your space however you want it. It’s their space; it’s their design. We’re here to guide them through that process.”
