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NORWALK'S CAROLINE HIPPLE TELLS THE STORY BEHIND SYNERGISTIC COMPANY C COLLABORATION
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"This is a strategic collaboration. It's more than a license: It is unprecedented in this industry." -- Caroline Hipple, Norwalk Furniture
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HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Home furnishings suppliers and retailers continue to reap the rewards of cross-merchandising rugs with furniture in their showrooms and stores, but a collaboration between Norwalk Furniture and Company C which debuted at the October 2016 High Point Market, takes the concept to an entirely new level.
Marketed as Company C for Norwalk Furniture, the collection of 45 upholstered sofas, loveseats, ottomans and accent chairs will include a branded display of 75 signature fabrics for dealers. Although all Company C rugs are available in the program, samples of 19 patterns which have been specifically scaled to make the rug ottomans are also offered.
The Norwalk Furniture and Company C collaboration perfectly color matches area rugs, bedding, pillows and upholstery for easy decorating.
"This is a strategic collaboration; it's more than a license. It is really a strategic collaboration of like-minded skill sets coming together to provide more," Caroline Hipple, president of Norwalk told RugNews.com.
She attributes the program's success to the many synergies shared by both companies. "There is a synergy of our sales teams, our customers, and the collections. Buyers love that this makes it is so easy to put together beautiful rugs with beautiful upholstery, pillows, bedding and window treatments -- the complete soft home program from Company C. They have the accessories side and we have the upholstery side. Together, we can create a really color-saturated story professionally."
Inspirational vignettes coordinate Company C rugs with the new co-branded upholstered program, Company C for Norwalk Furniture.
Hipple explained that the synergy between herself and Chris and Walter Chapin, co-owners of Company C, dates back 15 years. She said the three sat down as strangers sharing a table for lunch at the Maison et Objet show in Paris and have been mutual admirers ever since.
Asked what prompted the new collaboration, Hipple said, "Their dealers were having a hard time coordinating upholstery with Company C's beautiful rugs and so Chris wanted to create a collection of upholstery that went with her rugs. Of course, we loved her beautiful rugs, so we said we'd do it. The response has been amazing.
Almost 20 Company C rugs are available as upholstered rug ottomans, offered to dealers with finish options in the Company C for Norwalk program.
NEW BRANDING
Hipple explained that Company C will no longer be selling furniture under its name alone: "Company C for Norwalk is the brand for furniture. They are buying from us for their website and their stores. And we will sell their furniture and rugs through our channels. This is unprecedented in this industry," she noted.
"We thrive on exciting the marketplace with our innovative and colorful designs," said Christine Chapin, co-founder and Colorful Living Officer for Company C. "It's very exciting to partner with the Norwalk team to create our new furniture collection right here in the USA, and to share our colorful lifestyle brand and design aesthetic with their family of dealers."
"By coordinating our products with those already offered by Company C, we are making it easy for dealers to put color to work and to sell a curated presentation of products in their stores," Hipple said.
"This is a way to learn to do incredible color that is guided by Chris's eye - you know her title is 'colorful living officer' - which is so amazing. She wanted us because we are well known for our comfort and our style. And we certainly have our way with color here at Norwalk, so it's very synergistic. And it's happy -- really kind of effervescent."
Company C for Norwalk's Orleans sofa and other upholstered pieces pick up colors from the hand-hooked 'Cream of the Crop' rug.
She says Market attendees responded to the program on three levels: "It's the color, it's the comfort, it's the people. It just feels right, it's effervescent because it works -- I don't know what else is in that recipe".
According to Hipple, rugs and other textile elements such as top of bed -- in addition to the upholstery "are what make the collaboration so special. Textiles bring life to homes. This lets anyone keep their color story going throughout the home -- it makes it easy to create a designer look."