Bellino says ABC boutique doing well

By Andrea Lillo -- Home Textiles Today, 1/6/2003 12:00:00 AM

ROCHELLE PARK, NJ —

In mid-December, Bellino Fine Linens unveiled its first in-store boutique with ABC Carpet & Home, in the retailer's South Hackensack, NJ, location, and its performance so far has been terrific, said Arnaldo Miccoli, vp, sales and marketing.

In fact, in-store boutiques are something Bellino would like to do more of with other retailers, he said, "to make our presence more concentrated" in stores and to gain more real estate. The high-end Italian linen company sells mainly to high-end boutiques and better department stores.

The new 1,200-square-foot spot in ABC Carpet & Home's warehouse store highlights the company's top sellers, and Miccoli said it would continue to work with the retailer to explore other opportunities.

Last November, Bellino opened its first retail store/showroom, in a 3,000-square-foot space here on Legion Place, part of a standalone that also houses offices and warehouse.

The retail store, used as a laboratory to test product, has been "fantastic," Miccoli said, especially since customers only find out about it by word of mouth. All the products in the store have never been placed elsewhere, giving the company a good sense of what will work in the market, he said. The store will also have new merchandise about four to six times a year, he added.