Arrow Home goes in new direction

ANAHEIM, CA — Arrow Industries is ready to start flying above the radar. The 22-year-old importer/manufacturer is coming into the October market with a new marketing image, a relatively new team and a new product focus.

Now going to market as Arrow Home Fashions, a division of Arrow Industries, the company has worked this year to build out from its roots in poly/cotton bed-in-a-bag and comforter ensembles. Earlier this year it consolidated operations from four facilities in the Anaheim area into one 200,000-square-foot complex, where the company manufactures its own fiberfill, runs 22 quilting machines and houses cut-and-sew.

"We really see a window opening under better price points, some of which are going pretty high," said Bob Allen, who co-founded the company along with John Elliott. "There's a void at $199 price point. We have the team and the quality control experience to be a specialized vendor in that area."

"We're chasing moderate," said Rich Sperber, vp, sales and marketing, who noted that the upcoming market will provide the first full representation of Arrow's strategy. Sperber is one of several new hires brought in over the past year to help propel the new business initiative.

Arrow now is more product development-oriented, whether tapping its U.S. facility or through its manufacturing alliances in China, Pakistan and India. "We have tremendous bench strength," Sperber said.

Since then, Arrow Home has assorted its business into three categories: a new oversized and overfilled collection called Montecito; a "generously" sized collection called Embarcadero; and a casual lifestyle collection called Malibu Palm. Each collection is available in fully accessorized comforter sets or bed-in-a-bag.

Montecito, the company's top of the line, consists of a 110" x 96" comforter in king, with chenille and jacquard designs on the top of the bed, with trims, padded shams and split corner skirts. Coordinating sheets are 250-count with 15-inch drop. Retails are $199.99 for comforter sets.

Embarcadero comforters are 90" x 92" in queen, with top constructions of yarn-dyed jacquard, piece-dyed jacquard and chenilles. The line includes corded or branded trim, padded shams and split skirts with a 15-inch drop. Retail is $99.99 on comforter sets and $179.99 on bed-in-a-bag.

Malibu Palms also offers a 90" x 92" comforter in queen, with designs that echo "a Pottery Barn-style" casual living motif. Constructions include waffleweave, duck cloth and denim. Retail is $99.99 on a comforter set and $179.99 on bed-in-a-bag.

Arrow is also upgrading its core Laguna Shores poly/cotton business, which includes comforter sets and bed-in-a-bag in counts ranging from muslin to 200 blends. Also new are a 200-count, all-cotton line of bed-in-a- bag, over-sized and over-filled with deeper drops, and bonus sheet sets — solid or print — in 180- and 200-count. Retails in the step-up poly/cotton program will run from $49.99 to $129.99.

"We're going for this new look in the poly/cotton area because we can really upscale those looks at a value," Allen said. "We feel we're ahead of the game."