BetterWall Museum Banners Are Right at Home at Room & Board
Savvy retailers know that to survive in today's tough economy, they need products that are unique, authentic, and stand out from the competition. Home furnishings retailer Room & Board is always on the lookout for great new products to satisfy its discerning clientele. For unique wall art, Room & Board recently turned to BetterWall for its selection of authentic museum street banners.
Denver, CO, May 22, 2009 --(PR.com)-- First quarter retail sales in 2009 showed their deepest declines in over 50 years. Consumers just aren’t consuming like they used to, and have become more demanding in what they look for in a product.
In response to this new consumer landscape, retailers are looking very carefully at their inventory. Despite deep discounting last year, over-ordered products languished on shelves and in warehouses. Retailers have realized that they cannot just reduce inventory levels and drop prices, they must carefully cull and replace the items they offer. To reach discriminating consumers who are tired of the “same old thing,” retailers are seeking out high-quality, well-designed, reasonably-priced products with strong brand backing.
Room & Board looks to BetterWall
Since 2004, online retailer BetterWall has continually expanded its unique offering of limited-edition museum street banners. The Denver-based company works with a nationwide consortium of 32 top art museum partners like The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. At BetterWall, consumers have access to the actual banners which were designed by the museums and once hung along city streets to promote exhibitions. The beautiful banners are sold as limited-edition wall art priced at $300 to $800.
BetterWall’s success is rooted in its founders' philosophy of bringing people closer to great art while providing an exceptional customer service experience. "Everything that we do, from our personal responses to email inquiries to the layered, Japanesque packaging of our banners is meant to build a connection between our customers and art," says co-founder, Nora Weiser.
Up until now, BetterWall has sold its unique museum banners exclusively through its website (www.betterwall.com). "We really haven't sought a retail partner because we have always valued managed growth over expansion for the sake of expansion. And when we have spoken with retailers, our philosophies of customer service and sustainable growth have not necessarily meshed with theirs," Weiser says.
But all that changed earlier this spring when highly respected home furnishing retailer Room & Board expressed an interest in carrying BetterWall’s banners. “Our Denver store manager introduced us to BetterWall. I explored their collection and thought our customers would really connect with their story,” said Jenon Bailie, Accessories Merchandise Manager, Room & Board. “The Museum Banners are a great fit with our collection. They are truly unique and allow customers to bring a favorite gallery or artists’ work into their own space.”
"Right from our first conversation, we knew that Room & Board was a natural fit for BetterWall. They talked about their expectations in terms that really resonated with our customer-centric sensibilities," says Weiser. Room & Board sought products that would be unique, original, and authentic and that would meet the style and taste needs of their discerning customers. Room & Board now carries BetterWall banners in its retail stores nationwide as well as on its website (www.roomandboard.com), giving them a new product line that stands out among the competition and offers what today’s quality-conscious consumers demand.
About Room & Board
Room & Board is a Minneapolis-based furniture retailer offering unique home furnishings that combine classic, simple design and exceptional quality using natural materials. More than 85 percent of its furniture is manufactured in America. Room & Board is proud of its commitment to supporting American manufacturers and small, family-owned businesses. For more than 29 years, Room & Board professionals have helped people furnish their homes, translating their passion for well-designed home furnishings into outstanding value for customers. Room & Board has stores in Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Orange County, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta, and makes its unique collection of home furnishings available nationally through Shop From Home, which includes a catalog, Web site, team of knowledgeable Design Associates to help with the selection process and professional, in-home delivery service. For more information on Room & Board, visit roomandboard.com or call 800-486-6554 to order a catalog.
About BetterWall
Denver-based BetterWall works with 32 major art museums in North America to salvage and sell their used exhibition street banners. The banners sold at www.betterwall.com are the actual banners that have been hung on city street-posts to promote major exhibitions. These vinyl banners are authentic works of advertising art, bearing images of some of the world's greatest works of art in a large-scale contemporary format. A portion of the proceeds from each banner that is sold goes back to the museums, providing much needed revenue to these valuable cultural institutions. Any banners that are damaged are recycled for the raw materials keeing some 15 tons of vinyl out of landfills each year through BetterWall’s Recycle & Reuse Program for Museums. For additional information about BetterWall, call 303-756-6615 or visit www.betterwall.com.
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In response to this new consumer landscape, retailers are looking very carefully at their inventory. Despite deep discounting last year, over-ordered products languished on shelves and in warehouses. Retailers have realized that they cannot just reduce inventory levels and drop prices, they must carefully cull and replace the items they offer. To reach discriminating consumers who are tired of the “same old thing,” retailers are seeking out high-quality, well-designed, reasonably-priced products with strong brand backing.
Room & Board looks to BetterWall
Since 2004, online retailer BetterWall has continually expanded its unique offering of limited-edition museum street banners. The Denver-based company works with a nationwide consortium of 32 top art museum partners like The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. At BetterWall, consumers have access to the actual banners which were designed by the museums and once hung along city streets to promote exhibitions. The beautiful banners are sold as limited-edition wall art priced at $300 to $800.
BetterWall’s success is rooted in its founders' philosophy of bringing people closer to great art while providing an exceptional customer service experience. "Everything that we do, from our personal responses to email inquiries to the layered, Japanesque packaging of our banners is meant to build a connection between our customers and art," says co-founder, Nora Weiser.
Up until now, BetterWall has sold its unique museum banners exclusively through its website (www.betterwall.com). "We really haven't sought a retail partner because we have always valued managed growth over expansion for the sake of expansion. And when we have spoken with retailers, our philosophies of customer service and sustainable growth have not necessarily meshed with theirs," Weiser says.
But all that changed earlier this spring when highly respected home furnishing retailer Room & Board expressed an interest in carrying BetterWall’s banners. “Our Denver store manager introduced us to BetterWall. I explored their collection and thought our customers would really connect with their story,” said Jenon Bailie, Accessories Merchandise Manager, Room & Board. “The Museum Banners are a great fit with our collection. They are truly unique and allow customers to bring a favorite gallery or artists’ work into their own space.”
"Right from our first conversation, we knew that Room & Board was a natural fit for BetterWall. They talked about their expectations in terms that really resonated with our customer-centric sensibilities," says Weiser. Room & Board sought products that would be unique, original, and authentic and that would meet the style and taste needs of their discerning customers. Room & Board now carries BetterWall banners in its retail stores nationwide as well as on its website (www.roomandboard.com), giving them a new product line that stands out among the competition and offers what today’s quality-conscious consumers demand.
About Room & Board
Room & Board is a Minneapolis-based furniture retailer offering unique home furnishings that combine classic, simple design and exceptional quality using natural materials. More than 85 percent of its furniture is manufactured in America. Room & Board is proud of its commitment to supporting American manufacturers and small, family-owned businesses. For more than 29 years, Room & Board professionals have helped people furnish their homes, translating their passion for well-designed home furnishings into outstanding value for customers. Room & Board has stores in Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Orange County, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta, and makes its unique collection of home furnishings available nationally through Shop From Home, which includes a catalog, Web site, team of knowledgeable Design Associates to help with the selection process and professional, in-home delivery service. For more information on Room & Board, visit roomandboard.com or call 800-486-6554 to order a catalog.
About BetterWall
Denver-based BetterWall works with 32 major art museums in North America to salvage and sell their used exhibition street banners. The banners sold at www.betterwall.com are the actual banners that have been hung on city street-posts to promote major exhibitions. These vinyl banners are authentic works of advertising art, bearing images of some of the world's greatest works of art in a large-scale contemporary format. A portion of the proceeds from each banner that is sold goes back to the museums, providing much needed revenue to these valuable cultural institutions. Any banners that are damaged are recycled for the raw materials keeing some 15 tons of vinyl out of landfills each year through BetterWall’s Recycle & Reuse Program for Museums. For additional information about BetterWall, call 303-756-6615 or visit www.betterwall.com.
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Contact
BetterWall
Nora Weiser, Partner
303.756.6615
www.betterwall.com
Additional information and images available upon request.
Nora Weiser, Partner
303.756.6615
www.betterwall.com
Additional information and images available upon request.
Contact
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