NEW YORK–Lighting by Gregory, the 25-year-old New York lighting showroom here, teamed up with its vendors to build and merchandise their individual areas within the 8,500-square-foot space.
“The concept was, now they own this space,” said Daniel Pfeffer, Lighting by Gregory’s chief executive offer, at its official opening party last night. “Now they have a stake, and they won’t let product go out of favor. The products are new.”
Manufacturers spent their own money to renovate their areas—about a half a million dollar investment, Pfeffer said—and they also pay for a percentage of their inventory backup.
“It’s a partnership,” Pfeffer said. “We need true partners within the space.”
Pfeffer estimated that manufacturers’ spaces ranged from 200 to 500 square feet and some of them look similar to what one would see in their Dallas Market Center showrooms, he said. “They have a unique feeling to the manufacturer.”
The showroom’s offerings include 1,100 SKUS from 30 to 40 manufacturers, including Hubbardton Forge, Philips, Hinkley Lighting, Minka’s George Kovacs and Tech Lighting. For those designers who want more products, Lighting by Gregory’s web site has 150 manufacturers and 150,000 products.
Pfeffers said the concept is working, as sales have gone up in the last 60 to 90 days. “We want to be the place to learn about lighting,” he said.
