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D&WC: Please give a detailed
description of your company and its history.
Doug Barr: Kensington is a new marketing
arm in the United States for Turnils, NA located in Suwanee, GA. Turnils
Group headquarters are based in Alingsas, Sweden, where they have been
producing products for the international window coverings market since
1952.
After producing and distributing components to independent window coverings
fabricators for a number of years, it was decided that a more program-oriented
approach was needed to keep up with the changing market conditions. Focus
groups were conducted and it was determined that independent retailers
and design specialists saw value in a new brand that was not available
to the 800-numbers and big box stores. They also asked for a more manageable
sample package.
Kensington offers 11 product categories with a reduced assortment, but
still offering the best-selling colors and styles. All of the sample books
are sized similarly and feature the same look, which is carried over to
other merchandising materials creating a complete collection.
D&WC: What products do you handle
today?
Barr: We offer 11 product categories:
1. Honeycomb shades
2. Wood blinds
3. Alternative wood blinds
4. Woven woods
5. Window shadings—vertical and horizontal
6. Roman shades
7. Pleated shades
8. Roller shades
9. Louvered arches
10. Vertical blinds
11. Aluminum blinds
D&WC: Who are your customers?
What parts of the country do you service?
Barr: We currently have four fabricators:
Krohn’s Window Coverings in Colorado; Texton, Inc. in Texas; Bamboo
Abbott Florida Corp. in Florida; and Oxford House, Inc. in Indiana.
We service the entire United States, but some geographic areas are covered
better than others.
D&WC: Where do you see the company
five years from now? Are there additional areas within the industry that
you would like to get involved in?
Barr: Our goal is to have 15 full-line
fabricators, nationwide dealer distribution and to move toward consumer
advertising.
We have plans to develop and add unique and differentiated products to
the line, but our main approach will be developing dealers to their fullest
sales potentials.
D&WC: What best describes your
niche in the marketplace?
Barr: Our niche is our exclusivity
to dealers, streamlined sampling and true retail pricing. This uniquely
packaged program was designed specifically for the independent retailer
and design specialist.
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Kensington Window Expressions
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1327 Northbrook Pkwy., Ste. 41
Suwanee, GA 30024
(770) 995-2221
(866) 259-2233
Fax: (770) 995-2240
E-mail: info@artforwindows.com |
D&WC: What are some of the key factors
involved in your growth and success?
Barr: The key factors that contribute
to our growth and success are our ability to get our message out to dealers
and the quality of the products and marketing materials that we offer.
D&WC: What are your strengths
in the marketplace?
Barr: Our main strengths are our wide
product basket, which includes a large SKU offering and our functional
and stylish products.
D&WC: What distinguishes you
from the competition?
Barr: Kensington’s exclusivity
to dealers and design professionals is our main point of differentiation.
Kensington products are available only through authorized dealers and
designers, which they purchase from licensed Kensington independent fabricators.
Kensington also offers a more manageable sampling package that creates
the look of a collection. Kensington offers dealers a broad selection
of 11 product categories with a reduced assortment of SKUs, but featuring
the best-selling styles and colors. Also, all of Kensington’s sample
books come in the same size with a uniform look that is repeated in the
display materials.
Finally, Kensington offers true retail pricing, which eliminates the pricing
games. The dealer can honestly sell to the consumer and know his cost
is 50 percent of the selling price.
D&WC: How do you educate your
customers?
Barr: We have had great success with
dealer seminars, offering product training and selling tips to the dealer.
Kensington is a consumer brand that exclusively supports dealers and designers.
We know we must make the dealers successful as that is our only means
of support and distribution. We have to help dealers reach their fullest
potential.
D&WC: Do you work through distributors
or sell direct to the retailer?
Barr: We operate a full-line, exclusive
fabricator network that sells directly to the retail dealers and designers.
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