Down Lite adds quilts to lineup

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/7/2002 12:00:00 AM

MASON, OH —

After establishing its presence in the basic bedding world with an extensive line of down comforters, duvets, blankets and pillows under its own and private labels, Down Lite is now offering a line of down quilts.

"We are venturing into quilts filled with down," said Bob Altbaier, executive vp. "They're sort of an in-between category when it comes to bedding. We like to think of them as a bridge category between top-of-bed and down commodity products."

All of the quilt shells, which are made in China, feature a 100 percent cotton construction, patchwork top and white backing and are filled with European down. In order to accommodate the down, Down Lite has also added an extra layer of down-proof fabric inside the quilt. Twin, full/queen and king sizes are offered but with larger specifications than standard quilts. A twin is sized at 68" x 90", a full/queen at 92" x 96" and a king at 110" x 96". Retail price points range anywhere between $99 and $149. The company is targeting department stores, catalogers and specialty stores.

"We see it as an upscale quilt, but not as a replacement for a down comforter," Altbaier said. "It's more of a companion to down-filled bedding and comforters." He added that the quilt business is cyclical and this seems to be an upcycle.

"We wanted to have upscale patchwork quilts, only we wanted to put a down handle on them," Altbaier said.