HFI Brands, Hotel Maison to end partnership

Gary Evans, Furniture Today -- Home Accents Today, 1/25/2012 4:53:33 PM

HFI Brands and Hotel Maison said they have agreed to go their separate ways to seek growth opportunities, and that HFI will no longer market the Hotel Maison brand.
HFI Brands will continue to sell Hotel Maison merchandise until its current inventory is cleared, according to a news release.
Hotel Maison sells upper-end case goods, upholstery and occasional pieces inspired by furnishings in luxury hotels around the world. At next week's Las Vegas Market, the line can be seen in World Market Center showrooms A-119 and A-109.
"We enjoyed our partnership with Hotel Maison and were excited by its initial success in the marketplace, and we know moving forward both companies will continue to enjoy further growth and success," said Steve McKee, president and CEO of HFI Brands. "HFI Brands is using this move as an opportunity to strengthen the business model we founded the company under, which is to market and sell leading brands that are looking to gain a new foothold in the furniture category."
According to McKee, HFI Brands will use the resources currently invested in the Hotel Maison brand to provide additional support and focus for its other brands, Barclay Butera Lifestyle and Lilly Pulitzer Home. The Butera line will be on display at the Las Vegas Market, also in showrooms A-119 and A-109.
"Barclay Butera Lifestyle and Lilly Pulitzer Home have given HFI Brands a strong base to grow and develop," he said. "We are considering additional new brands in the future as well."
Hotel Maison said recently that it was updating and streamlining its offerings to focus on a less traditional, more innovative look that will appeal to a broader demographic.
The company also said it is developing a Chic Boutique line that will include the same product categories as Hotel Maison but at opening price points that will make it more attractive for online and catalog sales, officials said. The Hotel Maison line will continue to focus on bricks and mortar stores.
As part of the changes, Hotel Maison will access new sourcing more focused on mid-level price points, and is seeking a partner that can grow with the company as it expands beyond bricks and mortar channels as well as internationally. The company said it also completed two licensing deals, one with Divatex for a new line of top-of-bed and bathroom products and a second with retailer Sleepy's and an unidentified bedding manufacturer for mattresses.