Nautica augments licensing mix

NEW YORK — In an effort to increase its presence in the home textiles marketplace, Nautica Home has expanded the scope of some of its licensing agreements while at the same time adding entirely new ones.

All of the new items were introduced during last month's New York Home Textiles Market and could be seen in Nautica Home's showroom here at 295 Fifth Ave.

"Now is a very exciting time for Nautica Home at retail," said Christopher Heyn, president of Nautica Apparel, Inc. "During the recent home textiles market, we introduced several new product extensions that met with very positive responses from the buyers."

Leading off the expansion is Nautica's license with Louisville, KY-based Louisville Bedding. Previously, only basic mattress pads and pillows were available, but the license has been greatly expanded to now include a full range of visco-elastic foam pillows and mattress pads, solid-color and reversible down comforters. Several classes of comforter are now being offered; the J-Class reversible in solids and prints, the Bridge reversible in colorblocks and yarn dyes, the J-Class functional, the Bridge functional and the Stateroom functional.

J-Class represents Nautica's opening price points, while Bridge is the designer label's mid-tier offering and Stateroom represents the highest level.

The J-Class reversible solid color, print and functional down comforters all have a 240-count, 100 percent cotton cover and 500 fill power white down fill. Retail prices range from $135 for a 25-ounce full/queen size.

The Bridge reversible colorblocks and yarn dye comforters possess the same qualities as the J-Class, but are heavier in weight at 28 ounces. Retail prices range from $200 for a full/queen. The Bridge functional comforters have a 260-count cover and include 35 ounces of fill, also for $200 at retail. Stateroom functional have a 310-count, 100 percent cotton cover with 40 ounces of 600 fill power white goose down. An 86" x 90" full queen is retail priced at $350.

Fort Mill, SC-based Springs Industries has also joined the Nautica team with an offering of solid sheets and bath rugs.

The sheets are offered in two different constructions, a 280-count, 100 percent Egyptian cotton, under the J-Class segment, and a dobby 350-count, 100 percent Supima cotton. The J-Class sheets are offered in a wide palette of 20 colors while the dobby is available in eight colors. Open stock retail price points for the J-Class range from $39.99 for a queen, while prices for the dobby offering range from $54.99.

"With the introduction of our solid-color sheet program at 280-count and 350-count, I feel that we are really offering the consumer the maximum in flexibility. Our concept from the beginning for home has been an apparel approach — very eclectic. It's really about incorporating apparel fabrications and ideas into bedding. Solid-color sheets are just another component to the bedding wardrobe," Heyn said.

The bath rug line is available in eight variations and with the exception of one, all are reversible. The opening price point offering, the solid, is 100 percent nylon in eight colors and three sizes. The smallest size, 21" x 34", starts things off at $19.99, while the 24" x 40" is $29.99 and the 27" x 45" is $34.99. The gradation plaid rugs are cotton reversible plaid also in eight colors. A 20" x 36" size is $29.99. The J-Class stripe rug is offered in a slightly different palette, also of eight colors, and is priced the same. The Horizon, Windowpane Plaid, Windowpane, solid loop and solid chenille rugs are all also priced at $29.99.

Also among the ranks of those companies expanding the scope of their license are soft tabletop manufacturer Elrene, based here, and the San Francisco-based American Pacific Home. Leading off from Elrene is a line of outdoor table linens, in five styles and made from 100 percent cotton, retail priced at $34 for a 60" x 84" and $54 for a 90-in. round. Retailing at $27 for a set of four is a collection of solid-color ribbed placemat and napkin settings in the established Cruise and Cambridge patterns.

American Pacific, which also manufactures the Nautica Home line of bedding, is expanding its soft window offerings to include a line of coordinated window to Nautica's free-standing duvet cover collection. Fifteen designs are offered in fabrications including cotton twill, line, wool and silk in rod pocket and tab top configurations. A cotton twill panel is offered at $35 retail, while a linen/cotton hobnail hits the market at $80 retail.

"We decided to expand our offerings beyond collection coordinated window treatments to standalone designs as well. The Nautica customer has been asking for this for a while, so we are responding to their needs," Heyn said.