Agio adds to Reserve Program

Staff -- Casual Living, 8/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Specialty retailers at last month's premarket in Chicago were the first to see the major changes Agio has planned for its Reserve Program, including increased collections to customized options.

The Reserve Program will expand from 14 collections to 16 collections this year, said Doug Peppler, Agio's vice president of specialty retail. Agio also will add five new collections and three sets will be discontinued. Deep seating continues to grow, and many of Agio's most popular collections will return with additional deep seating components from which to choose, Peppler said.

Next, comes Agio's new flexibility to mix and match and pick or choose more combinations of fabrics and finishes on selected Reserve Program collections. "We realize that what works in one area of the country won't necessarily work in another," Peppler said. "We're glad to be able to customize more orders for 2008."

Peppler said the company will stock much deeper while simultaneously committing to having the product available year-round. These changes will increase the appeal of Agio lines to some merchants, especially Southern retailers and others who cater to contra-seasonal shoppers, he said.

"No question this will make Agio much more important in Southern and 'snow bird' states," Peppler said. "We want to be able to service these retailers, and going forward, we expect to be warehousing the Reserve Program 12 months a year."

According to Peppler, in-stock shipping from Agio Reserved Program stock will ship within two weeks from the Orient, or about four to six weeks until the order is received in the United States.

"Agio sees the Reserve Program as a way for retailers to offer unbelievable value with terrific quality," Peppler said. "We put this in place initially to serve better the smaller, single store retailer, but we were surprised to see how many of the larger retailers are also buying into the program."