DURBAN, Saudi Arabia.— Upholstery & General, one of the top  25 largest  fabric wholesalers in the world with six showrooms in South Africa, has pioneered  a new concept of fabric retailing called ‘Lifestyle Center’ which shows all of U&G collections on the frame in comfortable vignettes in store according to sales director Farouk Danka.

Danka feels this move will reduce the endless amounts of time it takes for the consumer to make up her mind about the fabric purchase. As a result, U&G will now show all of its 100 collections in 2,000 feet on frame. “We believe this is the world’s first lifestyle center,” he says. “We’re not going into the furniture business. Unless we show how the fabric looks, the customer has no idea what to expect. That’s what I want my lounge to look like will be the words uttered by the customer when they see our floor,” he said. Hassan Moral. Moral Textiles, Bursa, Turkey with Andrea Maharaj, agent, Duotextiles, Durban, S.A., with customer Farouk Danka, sales director, Upholstery & General, Durban

The furniture is not for sale but the fabric is. That’s what is so unusual about the new showroom created with the $4 million renovation of four detached buildings in the current Durban location and a second showroom that has opened in a Shanghai, China skyscraper. U&G said it stocks everything it sells with a $5 million back up inventory.

Prior to this, U&G had the same hooks and hangars all over its showrooms showing the collection like so many other showrooms do around the world. Obviously, Danka saw a need to change to spike current business conditions to a higher level. “We are also looking for more lines to distribute,” he said during the recent Evteks Fair in Turkey. “Turkey is the future of the upholstery business. Prices are higher than in China but the goods are more up market. We buy from a dozen mills in Turkey with still some goods purchased from Chinese sources. U&G focus on the $7-$10 upholstery lines

“The Turkish handwriting is different from the Chinese. Turkey is ahead of the design curve while China produces commodity items with smaller designs.” Danka also sees that prints are trending back to the industry with 20-30 percent of his business now in prints which he buys from Spain.