Hancock and Moore Market Updates 2008

Lots of cool new stuff on the Hancock and Moore front. Many of these updates you won't see in the stores until January, but I thought I'd give a heads up on them:

Town and Country Program. Big changes coming in January. Lots more items added, including fabric pieces. Looks like they will almost double the depth of this promotion. I do not have a list of the frames or leathers, only got a quick look at the pre-press pamphlet. Sure to give the competition fits when they see it.

New Leathers: Some very exciting new Class I and Class II leathers. Remarkable colors, great hand. Going to be several weeks until the new swatches are available. H&M is moving away from hides sourced from China, and all the new leathers are from South America, New Zealand, and Italy.

New Items: Boy, did they roll out a lot of new frames this market. Must be close to 75 - 80 brand new items, and 90% of them look great. Photos are shot of them, but they won't be on the web or catalog supplement for at least another 60 days. Nothing too crazy, most are good, solid designs that look very usable, but are still unique.

Pricing: Looks stable, no price increases on the horizon that I can say are going to happen.

Duane,
Are there any new benches with backs and arms in the new offerings (something like an entry bench)?

Thanks

There may very well be. I had all of two minutes with the pre-press photocopied booklet and it was loaded with a lot of new product. It won't be out for another 6 weeks or so, look for it in January 2009.

Duane are they going to be adding any modern/contemporary peices?

I am planning to order an Austin High Back Chair and ottoman once i find the right color. I had originally planned to go with promo Town and Country line, finished leather, but changed my mind after reading about China and the finishing process. Should I wait until January and check out the new leathers? I am leaning now towards an analine leather since they are from Europe. Would it be a good idea to wait until January to order? Will the Town and County leathers be from Europe, not China? If so, i could go back to my original plan and order a T & C at a lower price? I am looking at leathers today, so I may just fall in love with an analine leather, find the right color, and go for it. Jsut curious if the T & C line will have leathers from Europe, thus safer, if i wait until next year to make my purchase.

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Originally Posted by Odd I/O

Duane are they going to be adding any modern/contemporary peices?

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Yes, there are some really nice looking modern pieces coming out, I was very impressed with the spectrum of new items and the designs. They will most likely be on the H&M web site before the new intro dealer catalogs land.

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Originally Posted by casey

I am planning to order an Austin High Back Chair and ottoman once i find the right color. I had originally planned to go with promo Town and Country line, finished leather, but changed my mind after reading about China and the finishing process. Should I wait until January and check out the new leathers? I am leaning now towards an analine leather since they are from Europe. Would it be a good idea to wait until January to order? Will the Town and County leathers be from Europe, not China? If so, i could go back to my original plan and order a T & C at a lower price? I am looking at leathers today, so I may just fall in love with an analine leather, find the right color, and go for it. Jsut curious if the T & C line will have leathers from Europe, thus safer, if i wait until next year to make my purchase.

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Hard to say what the whole program lineup will be, It will take me the better part of an entire day to get familiar with it when its given to me, and I only had a 10 minute browse through of all the new photos and leathers - can't remember them all.

I would GUESS (and its a guess) that there will be no euro hides to speak of in T&C. As a rule, they are the most expensive not only because of the Euro/Dollar valuation, but labor in Europe is higher and hides tend to be finer quality (few bugs, and they don't use barbed wire in Europe).

More likely, new leathers will be from South America or New Zealand. I can give you a 99% assurance that the Austin series will never be in T&C in an aniline hide, as they are lighter duty leathers. Austin pieces are typically used hard in most families, and as such are always going to have a finished hide on them in the promotional leathers.

Personally, if you're going for Austin in Town and Country, I'd buy it before the end of the year. It will save you a little on the price. There are the January price increases coming, and that will probably affect the Austin T&C series. Also remember on the February Sale period, it EXCLUDES all item/leather combos already in the T&C program. So the price has nowhere to go but up on them, and they may very well keep the same leathers currently in the program.

Remember too, the price increases dramatically once you come off the Town and Country programs. It all comes down to your budget vs. your desired leather at the end of the day.

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Originally Posted by drcollie

Lots of cool new stuff on the Hancock and Moore front. Many of these updates you won't see in the stores until January, but I thought I'd give a heads up on them:


New Leathers: Some very exciting new Class I and Class II leathers. Remarkable colors, great hand. Going to be several weeks until the new swatches are available. H&M is moving away from hides sourced from China, and all the new leathers are from South America, New Zealand, and Italy.


Pricing: Looks stable, no price increases on the horizon that I can say are going to happen.

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Have you heard anything more about new leathers? Do you know typically when H & M notifies their dealers if there is going to be discount period? I’m champing at the bit awaiting a possible February 5% discount. :o