Meet&CoATLANTA — Any retailer selling outdoor furniture can attest to the existence of customers who want the look of real wood but lack either the willingness to maintain it or the budget for a natural material.
To solve this problem, Agio has leaned heavily into Resysta, an engineered material made from rice husks that mimics the look of wood while offering a maintenance profile more closely aligned with polymer or aluminum products.
Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/
The product strategy also reflects the practical demands of its container-direct model. The supplier seeks to provide sufficient variety within each shipment to help retailers build a broader presentation without committing an entire container to a single collection.
What’s more, fabric choices also add another level of flexibility. Agio offers two fabrics per collection, including combinations such as white and blue, with coordinating pillows designed to work with either option.
As Vice President of Sales Todd Wingrove said, the reaction to the company‘s expanded Resysta assortment at last week’s Casual Market Atlanta was promising.
Overcoming headwinds
Outdoor furniture has continued to outperform the wider home furnishings industry for many suppliers, aided by consumers‘ increased focus on patios, decks and other extensions of the home. Even so, the category has not been immune to tariffs, higher prices and more cautious discretionary spending.
Additionally, unlike indoor furniture, outdoor products also have a seasonal urgency in many parts of the country. Shoppers who wait too long risk losing a significant portion of the period during which they can comfortably use a patio or deck, which makes them more hesitant.
Changing housing patterns present another challenge —— some houses feature outdoor spaces like patios and balconies, but they are often limited in size. So it’s hard to get people with a small space to spend at a level commensurate with what they would spend on a larger space.
That is to say, it‘s important for retailers to demonstrate how a well-designed setting can increase the usefulness of limited outdoor space.
Agio‘s response is to offer products that combine approachable pricing with features and materials that distinguish them from other options in the market.
That positioning can vary depending on the dealer. Agio may represent an opening price point for one retailer while occupying the upper end of another store’s outdoor assortment.
A growing role for Resysta
Resysta is playing an increasingly prominent role in that value proposition. Agio has expanded its use of the material across collections, finishes and product scales, giving retailers a wood-like story that does not carry the same care requirements as natural wood.
“Resysta gives us the opportunity to show off wood looks, but we can also do something like black, where nobody is going to think it is wood, but it really pops,” Wingrove said.
That flexibility allows Agio to use the material not only as a natural-wood substitute, but also as a design element in its own right. Wingrove described the black finish as vibrant, adding that its market reception had been particularly strong.
Lighter finishes are also resonating, particularly when combined with seating that uses a slimmer pad rather than a conventional full cushion. Removing the pad reveals a finished woven surface underneath, allowing the furniture to remain usable and visually complete in either configuration.
Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/
Agio must also account for the different needs of large-volume retailers and independent specialty dealers. A national or large regional account may prioritize broadly appealing colors and silhouettes capable of generating significant unit sales. Smaller dealers, meanwhile, may be more willing to embrace distinctive looks that separate their floors from those of larger competitors.
Outdoor furniture is particularly suited to that kind of statement-making because it is often displayed in one of a home‘s most visible areas. A patio or deck can communicate personal style not just to household members but also to neighbors and guests.
