One style doesn't fit all: Keeco develops regional bedding

By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 4/19/2004 12:00:00 AM

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. —

Keeco has started addressing regional bedding needs with a four-lifestyle collection it debuted at the recently held New York Home Textiles Market.

The four lifestyles in this new targeted collection include cottage, palm tropical, Southwest and lodge. There are about four to six patterns in each of the lifestyle groups.

Keeco also displayed an ethnically focused collection with bright colors, metallic yarns and a global contemporary look as part of a pattern called Rhythm.

"We found that there were some voids in the marketplace based on regional collections, according to what retailers are looking for in various parts of the country," said Jeff Jacobs, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Keeco.

Also featured in the showroom was a new invention by company president Leonard Kee, which allows customers to change the look of their beds with interchangeable snap-buttoned panels and matching shams. The collection, which has 12 new designs, is branded as Kris Kelly and features three templates: a center square panel, lattice panel and vertical layout.

The collection will be sold as $199.99 starter sets of a comforter with a design panel, shams and a bed ruffle. Expansion sets will range from $49.99 to $79.99 and feature one center panel and two shams.

Another new focus for Keeco will be solid-color sheeting in the 200- to 400-count range. The company is still in development on this product category in terms of palette, constructions, thread counts and embellishments, but tonal embroidery on hems and ease of care will definitely be featured in the mix.

"With quotas going away and the voids that exist in the marketplace right now, we started doing some research in the sheeting arena and believe we can help fill a real void," added Jacobs. "We see another opportunity for big volume items in light of the quota situation. We have been able to prove that we have really good logistics in place and relationships with manufacturing factories in Asia to be able to tackle this challenge."