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Americans are adding holiday-themed decor to their dining rooms
and family rooms and even their kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
In recent years, American homeowners have changed their approach to Christmas décor. Whereas once indoor décor was confined to the living room — primarily to the Christmas tree and the mantel — now it’s unmistakably Christmastime in every room of the house.
Observers cite a number of reasons for this change in approach. First and foremost may be the general increase in enthusiasm for Christmas as a decorating holiday. Today’s decorating aficionados simply do not want to stop hanging garland just because they have reached the living room archway.
Also, many general home décor companies,
recognizing the popularity and profit potential of the holiday, have debuted Christmas versions
of general home products in almost every
subcategory of home décor and home
accessories — from cheese spreaders to sofa
pillows. Such items not only add a note of seasonal
festivity to the home, they’re also utilitarian, making them all the more appealing to holiday shoppers.
Decor, not Decorations
Katrina Stevenson, marketing coordinator for Demdaco, notes that Americans are entertaining more during the holidays and that this fact has affected the way they approach Christmas décor. Holiday hostesses, says Stevenson, want centerpieces, serving pieces, seasonal candles and other items that will add a festive air to the party even after guests finish admiring the living room tree and migrate to other rooms — chiefly the family room and dining room — as the party progresses.
Lisa Marie Paul, vice president of merchandise for Pacific Rim Import Corp., says today’s holiday decorators like holiday items that they can coordinate with their everyday décor, and they also like products that are applicable to the entire winter decorating season, as opposed to just Christmas day. She cites as an example of these trends the popularity of the firm’s Yuletide Carolers. “They can be added to a fireplace hearth starting in early November and extend through the end of the year. The colorations are very ‘home friendly’ — dressed in warm browns, sage greens, and burgundy [so] the caroler family can add seasonal character to a room for two months.”
Leslie Hermanson, product development manager for Mr. Christmas/Gold Label, believes that a number of her firm’s products have benefited from shoppers’ desire for holiday products that can also adapt to a home’s everyday décor. Symphony Surprise, a musical clock offered by the firm’s Gold Label division, is among the items that can be both a Christmas and everyday piece. Its musical bears are dressed in red — which can be Christmassy, but is not necessarily — and it offers a choice of Christmas carols and classic melodies.
Quality is Selling Point
Suppliers say the profusion of holiday-themed products in so many categories from decorative pillows to picture frames is partly driven by retailers’ need to offer unique products that their customers will not see elsewhere. Steve Bolia, director of sales and marketing for Studio Vertu, which makes kitchen items such as holiday coasters and trivets, says his firm’s introduction of Christmas products into its home accessories line was spurred by independent retailers’ requests for products that would not be found in Wal-Mart’s aisles.
And, say suppliers, they are finding that when customers do find something special, they are not daunted by price. “There is not much price resistance in our market,” notes Linda Simpson, vice president of product development for Silvestri, Inc. “People are willing to spend for beautiful things.” She recommends that retailers emphasize the link between Christmas décor and general home décor by cross merchandising these categories in their stores.
Suppliers also note that consumers view utilitarian products such as holiday-themed clocks, soaps, serving dishes, lamps, candles and tablecloths as
economical choices even when the
ticket price is relatively high. The feeling, say suppliers, is that one is buying a functional item one can actually use and simultaneously adding a festive touch to one’s home décor.
Holiday products for the home’s public rooms — the
living room, kitchen and dining room — have probably seen the most growth in recent years but the rest of the home has also been Christmasized,” say observers.
Midwest spokesperson Shelli Lissick notes that children’s rooms are getting special treatment; second trees, Advent calendars and other decorations are becoming popular
additions to children’s bedrooms. Dan Loughman, chief executive officer of Roman, Inc., notes that decorative nightlights are particularly popular items for children’s rooms currently, with consumers acquiring new styles each season.
Even the bathroom is Christmasized in many homes. Christy Mathurin, associate marketing manager for Crabtree & Evelyn, notes that consumers start asking for the firm’s Christmas-themed soaps as early as September.
The living room mantel continues to be a focal point for holiday décor as a backdrop for holiday sculptures, figurines and occasional pieces, but
vendors say the selling point for such pieces is no longer their value as
collectibles as it once might have
been, but rather their quality and
decorative appeal.
Amy Shaneyfelt, marketing and promotions supervisor for Prizm, Inc., explains that the concept of “collectibles” has lost favor over the years but that there is still a market for
high-quality pieces.
Consumers, she says, no longer run out and buy just because an artist has debuted a new piece. Instead, they tell retailers, “I only buy ones I like.” It is, says Shaneyfelt, a more sensible approach. She reports that Prizm has had success in recent seasons with larger, higher-end pieces such as its 2006 Midnight Hour, which retails for about $475. Another recent success for the firm has been Peggy Abrams’ Christmas Wanderers collection. The firm has teamed with other licensees of Abrams’ art such as SC Christmas and Ne’Qwa Art to market the designer’s art. “This is a first for us,” says Shaneyfelt of the cross promotion.
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