Smart sofas, new materials and an ambitious rebrand were the focus of La-Z-Boy UK’s stand at this year’s January Furniture Show.
The furniture manufacturer revealed three new collections at the event, with technology playing a key role in each of them. Wireless charging, heated seats, Bluetooth speakers, built-in spotlights and cooling cup holders were all features being showcased on the latest sofas to be released by the iconic recliner firm.
JFS was also the first opportunity for many retailers, buyers and visitors to see La-Z-Boy UK’s ambitious new rebrand – Long Live the Lazy – in action. The stand featured the new logo, branding assets and adverts, which are being rolled out across La-Z-Boy’s UK stockists.
The Long Live the Lazy campaign aims to celebrate taking time out to relax in comfort, reclaiming the concept of being lazy as a positive form of self-care. Visitors to the stand were also able to watch La-Z-Boy UK’s new television advert, which is currently being screened on Sky TV channels.
The advert highlights the importance of putting comfort first and aims to make La-Z-Boy the first brand consumers think of when they go shopping for furniture to help them relax and recline.
Welcome to the family
The three products being shown at JFS for the first time were Dixie, Mayfield and Williams. Dixie and Mayfield are both manufactured in the Far East, while Williams is made in La-Z-Boy UK’s factory in Colne, Lancashire, and forms part of its Made in Britain collections.
Dixie has a smart, contemporary design and blends comfort with technology. Sofas in the range come with the option of including a useful console unit with a storage box and hidden drawer where users can keep remote controls and other devices.
The console includes wireless charging, cooling cup holders and discreet spotlights which fold, providing extra light for reading and other activities. Dixie also has Bluetooth speakers, allowing people to enjoy their favourite tunes while they sit back in comfort.
Products in the Dixie collection come in a range of leather and fabric upholstery options and there is a choice of static, manual and power recline. Customers looking for an even more comfortable addition to their home can choose to add a power head tilt and lumbar support to the power recline models.
Mayfield has a more traditional style, but behind its classic appearance there is a modern twist. The power recline model comes with USB charging points and the option to include heated seats and a power head tilt.
For those who do not want all the bells and whistles, the product is available as a static model and as a manual recliner. As with Dixie, consumers can choose from a wide range of leather and fabric covers.
Mayfield was displayed at JFS in Roxy, a new fabric which has been released for 2024. Designed to feel like a supersoft alternative to suede, it comes in eight colours, including neutrals like stone, mocha, smoke and shadow, and a bolder orange colourway known as pumpkin.
The new UK-manufactured product, Williams, has a sleek, modern design with twin needle-stitch detailing. Customers can customise the product, with a number of different seating combinations available, including a 2.5-seater sofa, a compact alternative to a three-seater.
A console unit can be added to both the two- and 2.5-seater sofas, which adds wireless charging, USB and USB-C charging ports so people can recharge their devices as they unwind. The console also includes useful storage space for devices and other items, and cooling cup holders.
The collection is available in a wide choice of fabrics, including a new cover being released for 2024 called Mory, which comes in six different colourways. Another new fabric being shown for the first time at JFS was Palma, available in nine nature-inspired colours, including stone, charcoal, pine and olive green.
At last year’s JFS, La-Z-Boy launched a new fabric, Anivia, and a leather, Calda, which were designed to appeal to the budget-conscious consumer. Initially, these competitively priced upholstery options were only available on the Paris collection, but they can now be added to all the collections being sold in the UK.
This decision gives retailers more flexibility over price points and will make La-Z-Boy collections accessible to a wider range of consumers. Anivia is now available in eight colourways, designed to be practical and fit in well with any living room.
Calda has a smooth grain surface and a luxurious feel on a par with more premium finishes, says the manufacturer. It is now available in 16 different colourways, including bolder colours like aegean, marmalade and cranberry and subtler neutrals like oyster, bone china and beige.
Play on
This year’s JFS stand also included an NFL-themed area, celebrating the brand’s partnership with the American football league. La-Z-Boy UK is the official furniture partner of the NFL London Games, which sees major American football teams come over to Britain to play games in October.
Each year, La-Z-Boy runs NFL-themed competitions, and has provided VIP seating areas in the stadium where the winners can watch the matches from the comfort of one of the brand’s recliners.
In total there were 13 different La-Z-Boy UK collections on display at JFS. In addition to the new products, visitors were able to see Winchester, Georgina, Lennox, Baxter, Trent, Jones, Anderson, Paris, Vienna and Sloane.
