La-Z-Boy (LZB)

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La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB) is one of the world's leading residential furniture manufacturers. La-Z-Boy is the United States leading producer of upholstered furniture and the world's lead manufacturer of reclining chairs. In addition to furniture production La-Z-Boy oversees 305 Furniture Galleries® and 536 Comfort Studios® worldwide which exclusively offer La-Z-Boy Incorporated products. ^[1] The company is also recognized as a world leader for comfortable lounging furniture for every room in the house. La-Z-Boy is headquartered in Monroe, Michigan and operates 5 factories within the United States. La-Z-Boy takes pride in their ability to provide custom-order furniture delivery at rates exceeding that of their competition within the United States.

Business Overview

History

1920's- La-Z-Boy came to life in the 1920's when two you men, Edward N. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker, quit their jobs to pursue the American Dream. The cousins developed an innovative productive which fit the contour of an individuals body and this recliner chair became the staple of the company.

1940's- The company continued to flourish, and in 1941 management chose to separate from Floral City Furniture and create a separate division which was named La-Z-Boy Chair Company.

1960's- The 60's brought what was perhaps the most significant product La-Z-Boy introduced to the market. This chair, which both rocked and reclined, succeeded in raising revenue from $1.1 to $52.7 million.

1970's- In March of 1972, under the leadership of Charles T. Knabusch, the company went public. By the end of the decade the company was producing annual sales of approximately $152 million. The 1970's saw La-Z-Boy become one of the most recognized names in furniture.

1990's- The American Home Collection broke down the traditional viewpoint of La-Z-Boy being just a chair company and led to increased respect and recognition from consumers. In 1996, in response to the diversification of its product line, shareholders decided to rename the company La-Z-Boy Incorporated. ^[2]

Financial and Operating Metrics

2010 proved to be significantly better than the previous two years for La-Z-Boy. Return on equity experienced one of the most significant increases, rising 49.21% from 2009. Operating margin, return on assets, and asset turnover all saw similar increases in value from the previous year. The increases in ROE, ROA, and operating margin could have improved for a number of reasons, but this could have stemmed from increased consumer confidence in the market. Due to the nature of the furniture industry, increased confidence would stimulate increased discretionary spending. Also, the effects from consolidation of warehouses and merging of distribution centers could have resulted in cost savings sufficient enough to increase the bottom line.

Operating margin is a measure of what remains of the firms revenue after covering operating costs (both variable and fixed). La-Z-Boy's operating margin of 3.56%, represents the amount of each dollar retained by the company prior to interest and taxes. Furniture Brands International Inc. posted a -3.07% margin, the lowest of the four competitors discussed in this analysis. Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. and Natuzzi SpA recognized a positive operating margin, however experienced a negative profit margin. This signifies that after taxes and interest, the two companies ended with a negative net profit.

The cash conversion cycle appears relatively high at 87.236 days; however, this number has been consistent across the past three years and is one of the best in the furniture industry. Its main competitors, ETH, FBN, and NTZ had CCC's of 151.2,104.36, and 96.71 respectively. La-Z-Boy's 87.236 cash conversion cycle is a full 9 days quicker than its closest competition. The cash conversion cycle (CCC) is calculated from the DSI, DSO, and DPO which are the days sales of inventory, days sales outstanding, and days payables outstanding respectively. The objective is to reduces sales outstanding and increase days payables in order to reduce the CCC value. The cash conversion cycle is high across the entire furniture industry which is most likely due to financing programs which have been developed to help consumers purchase their product. The positive value of the cash conversion cycle is representative of free loans provided by La-Z-Boy to its dealers and consumers.

La Z Boy Incorporated Financial Metrics

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Financial Metrics of Competition

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(ETH=Ethan Allen, FBN=Furniture Brands International, NTZ=Natuzzi Spa)

Overall, the furniture industry has a higher Weighted Average Cost of Capital than ROIC. What this means is that La-Z-Boy and its competitors are not providing value for their shareholders. This poor performance reflects in the negative EVA, which is (ROIC-WACC)*Invested Capital. EVA, or economic value added, represents the value added to the firm in excess of the cost of its capital. La-Z-Boy's -47.76 EVA shows the company is failing to gain returns exceeding the cost of its investments. To improve its EVA, La-Z-Boy needs to discover ways to decrease their WACC while simultaneously increasing ROIC. This is being attempted in their merger and consolidation of operations. One area where La-Z-Boy is ahead of the competition is in the Cash Conversion Cycle or CCC. This value expresses the companies ability to turn their inventory in to cash faster than their competition.

The beta values represented in the table below show that La-Z-Boy has the highest beta amongst its competition. A beta of 2.5 represents a high level of exposure to market risk. Of its key competitors, Furniture Brands International Inc. has the most similar beta, however these two companies are perceived by the market as exhibiting much greater risk. Due to the current state of the economy, this number presents potential risk to investors in the event of fluctuations in market conditions.

Another valuation technique is the P/E ratio (price-earnings ratio) which is calculated as (market value per share) / (earnings per share). La-Z-Boy has a P/E ratio of 18.54. A higher P/E ratio is indicative of the market expecting higher earnings growth for the company. Compared to its primary competitors, (Ethan Allen Inc., Furniture Brands International Inc., and Natuzzi SpA), La-Z-Boy was the only company to post a positive earnings per share. Therefore, its positive P/E ratio stands among the highest of its key competitors.

Distribution

Overview

While a significant portion of La-Z-Boy's business and distribution remains domestic, the international aspects are of equal importance. There are numerous joint ventures in the manufacturing segment which allow for reduced labor costs and access to international markets. Within Asia, there is a sales and marketing venture which has allowed La-Z-Boy to distribute its products to Japan, China and Korea. Also, a manufacturing joint venture developed in Thailand has led to increased distribution of products to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Distribution within the organization is very much contingent upon the business segment. The "Business Segments" section breaks down the various aspects of the supply chain as it relates to each segment in the corporation.

Business Segments

^[5]

Upholstery Group

This group's primary focus is in the sale and production of upholstered furniture. Much of the product is channeled through proprietary stores and various furniture retailers. This unit includes La-Z-Boy, which is the largest operating unit in terms of revenue. Of the companies 8,290 full-time employees, 6,786 are employed within this group. This unit produces and sells many products including: sleeper sofas, chairs, ottomans, loveseats, sofas, recliners and motion furniture. Also falling within this group are two separate operating units based in Bauhaus and England.

The distribution of products in the Upholstery Group is almost entirely to furniture retailers. To reduce the costs associated with products in this segment, La-Z-Boy has invested in a facility in Mexico which is responsible for 90% of its fabric cut and sewn sets. As a result of this change, the company is expecting to experience annual cost savings of approximately $20 million, once the project is completed. Additionally, the majority of cut and sewn leather sets are imported from a supplier in China.

Casegoods Group

This group is further broken down into the American Drew, Lea and Hammary, and Kincaid operating groups. The primary purpose is the distribution and marketing of wood furniture. The products within these divisions include wood (casegoods) chairs, tables, dressers, headboards, entertainment centers, accent pieces, and some upholstered furniture goods. The Casegoods Group features mostly imports however also markets and distributes furniture. As of 2010, the manufacturing facilities were consolidated into one plant to reduce redundancies and decrease costs. The impact of these changes is expected to provide an annual cost savings of nearly $5.0 million.

The largest material cost, which makes up nearly half of the overall groups raw material costs, is Hardwood lumber and various hardwood components. As a primary importer of wood furniture, proper distribution of these channels are essential to maintain profit margins. These margins are sustainable due to the low cost labor and overhead associated with manufacturing products overseas. Of all the segments, only 11% of products are imported; however, for this segment, around 71% of finished goods are imported. To develop a more effective supply chain distribution system, the American Drew/Lea and Hammary operations were merged which yielded a more effective distribution network.

To increase efficiencies and also take advantage of the economies of scale, the company has created 5 distribution centers to streamline its products. The majority of inventory for the company comes from the Casegoods Group as most of its upholstery furniture is produced on a made to order basis. The creation of these distribution centers led to the elimination of 25 smaller warehouses and a 24% reduction in inventory levels in two years.

Decrease in sales volume and corresponding losses are believed to be due to the economic downturn. It is assumed that consumers postpone purchases of casegood products to a greater degree than products in the Upholstery Group.

Retail Group

This group is comprised of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® which are spread across the United States. The 68 company-owned stores are scattered from the East Coast to the Midwest and also are located in Southeastern Florida. In this division, casegoods, upholstered furnitures, and other accessory goods are offered to consumers through retail channels.

While the competitors for the Casegoods and Upholstery Groups are described in detail below, the competition with the Retail Group is slightly varied. Some of the primary competitors La-Z-Boy faces in this segment are: Basset Furniture Direct, Ethan Allen, Ashley, along with many other family operated stores and regional competitors.

Risk Factors

• Continued Downturn in the Economy

Revenue in the furniture industry is heavily correlated to the health of the economy. As seen in the financial statements of the firm, negative turns in the economy have led to a reduction in consumer spending in for furniture related products. One of the primary risks for La-Z-Boy in the near future will be based on the direction of the economy. If the economy continues to suffer, La-Z-Boy will continue to be faced with the challenge of increasing sales in face of decreased discretionary spending. La-Z-Boy is not the only one affected by such trends however, as a downturn in the economy will pose detrimental to the furniture industry. ^[6]

• Foreign Uncertainty

With La-Z-Boy conducting business abroad, risks are presented in both its sourcing of products and raw materials, and through potential unexpected changes in international regulations. In the Casegoods Group, the majority of products are imported. As a result, changes in regulations or the occurrence of unexpected events can lead to disruptions in the supply chain system. Also, with the 90% of its fabric cut and sewn sets now coming from Mexico, difficulties if foreign affairs can lead to lags in production.

• Exchange Rate Uncertainty

Conducting business abroad also exposes the company to foreign exchange risk. In its dealings with manufacturers in China, Mexico, and Thailand, and with its distribution system spread internationally, La-Z-Boy's profits can fluctuate due to unexpected variations in currency rates.

• Cost of Goods

As stated previously, La-Z-Boy is reliant upon foreign joint ventures and subsidiaries to supply its raw materials for production. In particular, 68% of its polyurethane comes from a single supplier. This exposes the company to risk as changes in the price of this material can directly affect the profit margin of products containing polyurethane. This significantly affects La-Z-Boy as their upholstery segment, which makes up the majority of their sales, is much larger than its competitors. Changes in the price of this material will have a far greater impact on La-Z-Boy as this business segment represents a larger component of sales than that of its competitors.

• Business or Dealer Failure

Along similar lines to the downturn in the economy, failure of various dealers or distributors could result in reduction to underlying profits. For La-Z-Boy, one failure would not lead to substantial difficulties as no individual consumer makes up more than 4% of annual sales; however, the loss of a dealer could make a definite impact on the profit of the firm.

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths & Weaknesses

La-Z-Boy holds on to one of the largest portions of market share in the furniture industry and has significant brand recognition after all their years of service. The strength of the La-Z-Boy® brand, built over an 80-year period, is an advantage as history has shown us that consumers tend to return to brands they trust during challenging times. Today, La-Z-Boy is operating from a greatly strengthened and more efficient platform — one that is enabling profitability in the current low-volume environment and one that will allow them to capitalize on any upturn in the economy.They intend to drive profitable growth and increased market share through the strength of their strong network of branded distribution, the La-Z-Boy® brand itself, innovation, retail excellence and an improved consumer experiencsuccess and profitability.

The furniture industry is a highly competitive industry with thousands of furniture retailers. It can be hard to gain a competitive advantage over companies that offer very similar products.

• Opportunities

The furniture industry offers very little growth and has reached a mature growth point. The industry is very resistant to trends and economic changes as furniture is needed regardless of the amount of disposable income available. However, there are opportunities to expand internationally. Recently, La-Z-boy opened a new Cut and Sew Center (CSC) in Mexico, which assembles cut-and-sew kits for our custom-ordered La-Z-Boy furniture. Over the past 18-month period, La-Z-boy transitioned substantially all cutting and sewing for custom orders to the new facility. With more than 1,250 employees in Mexico, the operation is ramping up and is expected to deliver annual cost savings in the range of $15 million to $17 million, depending on volume levels.

• Threats

The majority of threats facing La-Z-Boy were previously discussed in the "risks" section of the analysis. The following is a quick overview of the threats facing La-Z-Boy:

• Exchange Risk

Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates impacting revenue stream from foreign manufacturers, retail distribution, and imports.

• Product/Material Cost

Impact of an increase cost of materials.

• International Regulations

Government changes of regulation affecting imports and exports of both material and finished goods.

• Economy

Furniture industry is heavily correlated to rise and fall of economy. As the economy gets worse, the amount of consumer spending also decreases resulting in decreased sales volume.

Marketing Strategy

Product: La-Z-Boy markets high quality furniture while offering many different styles of furniture. They sell sofas, chairs, recliners, loveseats, sectionals, pull out sleeper couches and lift chairs. All of what they offer comes in a variety of fabrics and patterns. La-Z-Boy boasts that they have over 900 fabric choices to choose from. ^[7] They market their products to a broad range of consumers by selling their products at a wide range of prices. La-Z-Boy has a limited warranty on all of the furniture that they sell and replaces or fixes defective products. La-Z-Boy does accept returns for online purchases, although a restocking fee may apply.

Price: La-Z-Boy appeals to a broad range of consumers with many different products at varying price levels. La-Z-Boy has adopted a price skimming strategy, and often puts their furniture on sale. This is relatively common in the furniture industry and at large furniture retailers such as Art-Van. La-Z-Boy does bundle products into packages by room. A consumer can receive a discount if they purchase the furniture for the entire room.

Place: La-Z-Boy has several distribution channels that it goes through to bring the product to the consumer. They have their own Furniture Galleries and Comfort Studios where they exclusively sell their products and they also sell furniture through large retailers such as Art-Van.

Promotion: La-Z-Boy has recently signed an agreement with Brooke Shields to promote La-Z-Boy products. On their website La-Z-Boy has a section called “The Brooke Review,” where customers can read a wide variety of articles from how to keep you living room looking fresh, to healthy food recipes. La-Z-Boy also advertises heavily through television ads and on the Internet.

Human Resource Management

Company Leaders

• Kurt L. Darrow: CEO, President, and Executive Director

Darrow graduated from Adrian College in Michigan in 1977; he then joined La-Z-Boy in 1979. Throughout his career at La-Z-Boy he has held numerous positions. In 1987 Darrow became the VP of sales. Since that time La-Z-Boy has enjoyed tremendous growth. He held that position until 2001 when he was named President of La-Z-Boy Residential, the flagship brand of the company, and then in 2003 he became CEO and President of La-Z-Boy. It was also in 2003 that he joined the Board of Directors. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Darrow is a key asset to the Board. In 2010, his total annual compensation was approximately $2.5 million, including his annual salary of $725,000. ^[8]

• Louis M. Riccio Jr.: CFO and Senior VP

Riccio became CFO and Senior VP in 2006. Riccio has also served as La-Z-Boy’s Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller. He is a graduate of Elon University where he got Bachelors in Accounting. His 2010 total compensation was just under $1million including an annual salary of $350,000. ^[9]

• Steven M. Kincaid: President of Casegoods Product and Senior VP

Steven M. Kincaid was the President of Kincaid Furniture Company Inc. in 1988 when La-Z-Boy purchased the firm. After selling the company to La-Z-Boy, Steven took over his current positions as well as continuing as President of Kincaid Furniture. Kincaid is a member of the American Furniture Hall of Fame and considered an industry leader. His 2010 total compensation was just under $1million including an annual salary of $360,000.^[10]

• Otis S. Sawyer: President of Upholstery and Senior VP

Sawyer joined La-Z-Boy in 1993. He has held his current position in the company since 2008. He has been a driving force at La-Z-Boy in installing initiatives in information technologies, continuous process improvement, and strategic business planning. In 2010, his total compensation was $900,000 which includes his annual salary of $310,000. ^[11]

• James Johnston: Chairman of the Board

Johnston has been a director since 1991 and was elected the chairman of the board in 2006. Now retired, Johnston spent his career as a self-employed financial and business consultant. For his work with La-Z-Boy in 2010, he was compensated $212,000. ^[12]

• Board of Directors

Kurt L. Darrow, James Johnston, John Foss, Richard Gabrys, Janet Kerr, David Hehl, H. Levy M.D., Nido Qubein, W. McCouulough, Janet Gurwitch, Edwin Holman

Kurt L. Darrow is the only insider member of the Board.

Compensation Structure

Along with giving its executives a base salary, La-Z-Boy uses a stock-based incentive compensation plan to motivate and match their objectives with the shareholders. The compensation plan is also used to recruit and retain skilled executives. The goal-based incentive plans uses various metrics such as EPS and net cash provided by operations to reward their executives if the company performs well. There is also a possibility that their pay could be reduced should the company not meet the goals that were set.

The plan is set up to provide pay based on the overall market median; the market being other companies in the furniture industry. If goals are met, executives receive the market median compensation for performance, when goals are significantly exceeded executives receive the market 75th percentile.

The executive compensation plan has recently undergone some changes do to hard economic times. The plan used to be based on three year company earnings, but with the economic downturn the set goals became unobtainable and the plan became inefficient. In an effort to keep the plan effective, La-Z-Boy got rid of the long term goals and set up a system of short term goals that gave the executives a better chance obtain the goals and receive stock-based pay. The goals can be based on metrics as short as four months long.

Executives must stay with the company for a certain period to receive their stock. The last cycle made executives to stay with the company from 2007-2010 to receive their stock-based pay. ^[13]

Industry Overview

Quick Facts ^[14]

• Furniture manufacturing industry within the United States contains 20,000 stores
• Combined revenues of $65 billion
• Major competitors are: Steelcase, HNI, Herman Miller, La-Z-Boy, Sealy, Furniture Brands International, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., Natuzzi SpA
• Volume of sales highly contingent on level of home sales
• Many costs are fixed, which requires high sales volume for profitability
• Imports $20 billion a year
• Many manufacturers have foreign factories to reduce price of labor
• Major product categories and their share of industry revenue:

1. Household Furniture- 50%
2. Office Furniture- 35%
3. Institutional Furniture- 10%

Primary Competitors

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc.

Overview

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. is one of La-Z-Boy's primary competitors. The company focuses in designing, distributing, manufacturing, selling and sourcing a variety of home furnishings. Along with these services, it also seeks to promote brand awareness within the United States. Similar to La-Z-Boy, the company offers upholster home furnished items including: tables, chairs, entertainment units, home office furniture, dressers, and beds. The company uses its internally owned design centers to market its accessories and home furnishings to its consumers. Some of these home furnishings include: sofas, love seats, sleepers, and recliners. Along with these furnishings, Ethan Allen also specializes in accessories which consist of products such as wall decor, clocks, lighting, window treatments, area rugs, and garden and home furnishings. The company was comprised of 134 independently-owned and 159 company-owned and operated retail design centers as of 2009.

Key Executives

• CEO- Mr. M. Farooq Kathwari: $1.2 million
• VP of Fin. and Treasurer- Mr. David R. Callen: $280,000
• Exec. VP of Operations- Mr. Corey Whitely: $330,000
• VP of Retail Division- Ms. Lynda W. Stout: $243,000 ^[15]

Furniture Brands International Inc.

Overview

Furniture Brands International Inc. is based in St. Louis, Missouri and operates 37 stores. The company distributes and sells products under a variety of names including: Lane, Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Hickory Chair, Pearson, Laneventure, Maitland-Smith, Henredon, and Broyhill. The company distributes these products through independently owned furniture retailers, retail chains, specialized interior designers, merchant stores, showrooms, and regional and national department stores. As their competitors, Furniture Brands is in the Home Furnishings industry where it sources, manufactures, retails, and designs products. Many of the products it offers are along similar lines to that of La-Z-Boy with its basic categories consisting of case goods, stationary upholster, motion upholstered, home office furniture, and some home furniture products.

Key Executives

• CEO & Chairman- Mr. Ralph P. Scozzafava: $750,000
• CFO & Sr. VP- Mr. Steven G. Rolls: $450,000
• Sr. VP- Mr. Jon D. Botsford: $350,000
• Sr. VP of Global Supply Chain- Mr. Raymond J. Johnson: $533,000 ^[16]

Natuzzi SpA

Overview

Although its name might suggest otherwise, Natuzzi S.p.A., is a primary competitor in the designing, marketing, and manufacturing of upholstered fabric and leather furniture. The company is based in Italy, however it operates in 298 stores worldwide. A few of the companies in which it operates are England, United States, Spain, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Australia, and Holland. The company distributes its products through a variety of brand names but primarily through its Italsofa, Natuzzi, and Natuzzi Editions brands. Natuzzi SpA provides its products on a wholesale basis to retail and furniture stores which are franchised, directly owned, or through Italsofa. Its product line is simliar to that of La-Z-Boy and Furniture Brands International Inc. in that it primarily produces loveseats, armchairs, living room accessories, motion furniture, and sofas.

Key Executives

• Founder, Chairman, CEO & President- Mr. Pasquale Natuzzi: Pay Undisclosed
• CFO & Sr. VP- Mr. Vittorio Notarpietro: Pay Undisclosed
• COO &Italy Manufacturing Director- Mr. Giuseppe Clemente: Pay Undisclosed
• CPO- Mr. Giambattista Massaro: Pay Undisclosed ^[17]

Trends & Forces

• Global Competition

Over the past decade and a half the furniture industry has received tough competition from overseas manufacturers, China in particularly. In 2010 alone, Chinese exports of furniture increased by 30.3% topping $32.9 billion making China the number one exporter of furniture in the world. Vietnam has seen their exports of furniture increase by 800 percent in just five years. These foreign firms can manufacture at fractions of the cost of American firms, allowing them to out price the domestic competition in the U.S.. The flooding of cheap imports has caused the United States to pass anti-dumping regulations on the furniture industry.

In response to the global competition, many American firms have begun moving their production out of the country where they can produce much cheaper. Mexico has been the main beneficiary of La-Z-Boy’s outsourcing. Mexico is a strategic location for La-Z-Boy because staying in North America allows La-Z-Boy to keep their speed to market for customer orders, which they feel gives them a competitive advantage.

• Economic Downturn & Housing Market Crash

Like most businesses, the furniture manufacturing industry has been negatively impacted by the recent economic recession. Rising unemployment has led to a decrease in consumer discretionary spending resulting in a reduction of demand for luxury items such as furniture. The credit crunch also shrunk the number of consumers who had the funds to purchase new furniture. This has especially affected those stores which offer their own financing plans.

Demand for furniture has seen a dramatic decrease also due to the plummet in home sales. Housing turnover is considered a leading indicator for furniture sales and right now the housing turnover is low. In May 2010, home sales fell to a record low. These poor economic conditions led to La-Z-Boy’s sales to decrease by 15.5% for the fiscal year 2009.

• Changing Consumer Demands

The furniture industry must adapt to the changes in what consumers expect from their furniture. Recent trends indicate that consumers want eco-friendly furniture. Furniture manufacturers are starting to use recycled materials to build their products as a result. Consumers also want their furniture to be multifunctional now. This is causing manufacturers to rethink their product and find innovative ways to make the furniture versatile and efficient. Also, consumer discretionary spending has been shifting more towards electronics over the past couple decades causing a decrease in demand for furniture.

Porters Five Forces

• Rivalry Among Competitors

The furniture industry is not a very high growth industry. There is still room for growth internationally but in North America there is no room for lucrative growth. As state previously, there are over 20,000 different furniture manufacturers worldwide, but many of them are very small. La-Z-Boy is one of the largest players in this industry. Competition amongst players within the industry is intense as furniture companies vie for increased market share in a saturated market. Much of increased market share stems from cannibalization of competitor's consumer base.

• Threat of Substitutes

The threat from substitutes in the furniture industry are very high. The relative performance of substitutes is relatively high. There may be differences between the comfort and quality of the products, but overall they fulfill the same function. Furniture prices have a pretty large range. A lounge chair can cost anywhere between $200 and upwards of $2000. La-Z-Boy is a upper to mid-level furniture seller. There are many companies selling furniture in this price range. As we have previously stated the switching costs for the buyer are relatively low.

• Buyer Power

The number of available sellers in the furniture industry is upwards of 20,000 domestically. Buyers certainly have a large number of manufacturers to choose from. In this huge market for furniture, there is little product differentiation. Few prospective furniture buyers know what brand of furniture they wish to purchase when they walk into a furniture store. Switching costs, as previously stated, are limited to the purchase of another set of furniture. With new technology, access to information has increased especially with the Internet. Buyers can see what furniture is available on the Internet, and even purchase it directly from a manufacturer. Large furniture companies such as La-Z-Boy have no threat of backward integration because they are much larger than their suppliers.

• Supplier Power

There are several suppliers from which furniture producers can purchase products to make furniture. These products include mainly upholstery, wood and metal hinges. The suppliers from which companies such as La-Z-Boy purchase their products from are not well differentiated. Many furniture companies purchase their fabric and upholstery from low cost suppliers in Asia and care little about whom they buy them from. Players within the furniture industry can avoid being affected by this power by having multiple suppliers for the given product or material. These products are not to important to the suppliers. Fabrics can be made by any supplier, all the supplier needs is the furniture supplier to tell them what patterns to produce. Large furniture producers have very little threat of forward integration, which is the supplier of their raw materials buying them out.

• Barriers to Entry

Capital requirements for entry into the furniture industry on the scale of La-Z-Boy Incorporated are moderately high. La-Z-Boy owns five factories and 83 company-owned Furniture Galleries. The furniture industry as a whole is not extremely well differentiated. Most furniture purchasers care more about the price and feel of the furniture they buy, and pay very little attention to the brand name. One advantage that La-Z-Boy does have in this category is that they are more differentiated then most of their competitors. La-Z-Boy is one of the most recognized names in furniture, and their signature super-wide recliners are well known to consumers. Access to distribution can be difficult in this industry since large retailers that carry multiple brands usually only select larger, more well known brands to sell. La-Z-Boy has an advantage in this area because they have access to over 850 furniture galleries and comfort studios nationwide that exclusively carry their product lines. Economies of scale exist in every industry, but are less important in the furniture industry. Switching Costs in the furniture industry are low. There really are no loyalty programs in place in the furniture industry to increase switching costs, and if a customer were to switch their furniture provider it would really only cost them the price of new furniture. Overall the threat of entry into the furniture industry is relatively high. Currently there are over 20,000 furniture producers, and more new companies are starting up every year.

Strategy Analysis

LZB invests in:

• Brands
• Innovation
• Operational infrastructure
• People

Their strategy is to continue to expand operating margin by growing their branded consumer product portfolio, while maintaining a strict discipline on growth, which will facilitate achievement of greater operating leverage in the future.

Their goal is to continue to grow revenues by increasing market share in home furnishing, while strengthening their position as the number one marketer and distributor of furniture. In addition, they intend to expand profit margins by increasing sales of higher-margin retail products at a faster rate than non-retail products and by reducing costs, Increase market share in home furnishing, Improve Margins, Expand and improve position in distribution channels, and Pursue additional growth opportunities.

Strategy Framework

Nature of Product

LZB offers unique products or services for particular market niches with a design mindset of being “nature’s way of relaxing.”

Geographical Diversification

La-Z-Boy Incorporated (La-Z-Boy) is one of the worlds leading residential furniture manufactures. The company is engaged in manufacturing, marketing, importing, distributing and retailing upholstery products and casegoods (wood) furniture products. The product portfolio of the company includes recliners and motion furniture, sofas, loveseats, chairs, ottomans, sleeper sofas, sectionals, modulars, tables, entertainment centers, headboards, dressers and accent pieces. LZB sells products to global, national, regional and local home furniture shops, as well as, departmental franchises.

North America

• LZB markets consumer products through sales personnel directly to national, regional and local home furniture shops, as well as, departmental franchises. The company distributes from 6 different states. Each large distribution center manufactures a variety of goods based on regional demands.
• LZB distributes products from production facilities in Michigan, California, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas. Sales administration and logistics departments manage the administration and fulfillment of customer orders. The majority of products are shipped from production, warehouse and distribution facilities by contract and common carriers.

Europe

• LZB has over 300 retail stores spread across Europe, each country having their own customized set. They again sell them through departmental/local outlets.

Industry Diversification

LZB has three operating segments:

Upholstery Group

• The Upholstery Group primarily manufactures and sells upholstered furniture to furniture retailers and proprietary stores.
• This includes recliners and motion furniture, sofas, loveseats, chairs, ottomans and sleeper sofas.

Casegoods Group

• The Casegoods Group primarily sells manufactured or imported wood furniture to furniture retailers, including tables, chairs, entertainment centers, headboards,dressers, accent pieces and some coordinated upholstered furniture.

Retail Group

• The Retail Group consists of 70 company-owned stores in the US.
• The Retail Group sells mainly upholstered furniture to end consumers through the retail network.

References

1. ↑ "La-Z-By Reports Third Quarter Sales" accessed February 27, 2011
2. ↑ "La-Z-Boy Making History Since 1927" accessed February 26, 2011
3. ↑ "La-Z-Boy 10-K 2010" accessed February 24, 2011
4. ↑ [Bloomberg Terminal accessed March 2, 2011]
5. ↑ "La-Z-Boy 10-K 2010" accessed February 24, 2011
6. ↑ "Housing Bust Wears Out Furniture Makers" accessed February 28, 2011
7. ↑ La-Z-Boy website accessed March 1, 2011
8. ↑ "Kurt L. Darrow" accessed February 25,2011
9. ↑ "Louis M. Riccio Jr." accessed February 2, 2011
10. ↑ "Three Industry Leaders Inducted Into American Furniture Hall of Fame" accessed february 25, 2011
11. ↑ INC "Otis Sawyer" accessed February 25, 2011
12. ↑ accessed February 25,2011
13. ↑ "La-Z-Boy 10-K 2010" accessed February 24, 2011
14. ↑ ["Research and Markets Adds Report: Furniture Manufacturing." Professional Services Close-Up 13 Jan. 2011. Business and Company ASAP. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.]
15. ↑ "Ethan Allen Interiors Inc." accessed February 29,2011
16. ↑ "Furniture Brands International Inc." accessed February 29,2011
17. ↑ "Natuzzi Spa" accessed February 29,2011