In the hot seat!

Who's the boss? Of course, the one who sits on the high-back chair upholstered in plush, handcrafted leather, embellished with gold hardware. That's the first thought that passes through our mind when we think of the man or woman at the top of the organisational ladder.

The association is so strong that plush chairs are treated as perks for the top officials. And those lower down the ladder look longingly at them, wondering how it would be to rest their body on such furniture. Little do they know that what's good for the eyes need not mean the same for the back!

And that's what American office furniture and equipment brand Herman Miller has been trying to disseminate by breaking the image of the ‘lush chair' in the Indian corporate world with chairs that look like skeletons, ribs et al, but are an absolute treat to sit on.

Enticing the corporate world

From shelling out a measly $30 to $40 per chair a few years ago to about $100 to $200 now, offices in India, including the MNCs, are willing to give employees a comfortable work space with a chair that gives them the perfect posture.

Nigel Baldwin, Director, Strategic Business group-Asia of Herman Miller, who was in Chennai recently, explains that unlike in the developed nations, most Indians are not concerned with ‘sitting right' and neither are they clued into ergonomics. “The right furniture and environment entices employees to be in the organisation. And providing the right chair has become part it. Herman Miller believes in creating great places to work.”

While on the one hand the company is cashing in on the burgeoning IT/BPO sector where employees sit at their terminals for long hours, it is also targeting individuals who work from home. The hospitality sector is also an avenue with Herman Miller chairs finding their way into luxurious hotel rooms.

The office chair market

So much has the brand influenced the office chair market here that dealers say they have inspired Indian brands to shun the cushioned back and instead go in for the netted version. However, while high-end international brands such as Herman Miller and Hayworth find their way into board rooms and executive cabins, their best pieces are too expensive to be used at regular workstations.

Vijay Sree Ram, Business Head of Featherlite in Hyderabad, explains that large corporate offices use Indian brands that cost about Rs 5,000 per chair, with Featherlite's Contact range being a popular choice. Other Indian brands such as Godrej and Euro are also popular options in the IT/BPO sector.

Show and tell

With plans to open 10 new showrooms in India by May 2012, Herman Miller hopes to “dramatically” extend coverage, not only among corporate clients but also in the retail market. “In the developing market, India is definitely in the top five of our list. In fact, we have special chairs for the Asian market, manufactured in Asia, with price points that will cater to a larger number of people,” says Baldwin. The brand's strategy to increase ergonomic awareness is to encourage people to come into its showrooms and get a feel of the products. The showrooms will have personnel who can help customers choose the perfect chair that meets their requirements. Moreover, Herman Miller also distributes test chairs to people to try at home or at work for a few days, for a better understanding of the product. The brand's growth in the last six–seven years since its arrival in the country is evident in its expanding presence. . Though Baldwin was unwilling to share numbers, he says the last year has been great for them.

Healthy product list

Herman Miller launched the first ‘health positive' chair called Embody that creates seat and back surfaces that conform to the user's every movement and distribute weight evenly thanks to a dynamic matrix of pixels. This reduces seated pressure and increases blood circulation and flow of oxygen thereby decreasing the heart rate. Apart from Embody, its Aeron and Setu chairs are also popular.

S. Ravi, Director of Buildcraft Interior, and dealer of Herman Miller in Chennai, says the price of the brand ranges from Rs 45,000 to Rs 1lakh in the retail sector. For corporate clients with large orders, the duty reduction and sales tax further bring down the cost. Offices usually buy chairs in the range of $60-85, $85-110 and $115-160 range, based on the employee hierarchy.

While Herman Miller caters to a premium target group, the range and price might become more attractive with Asia being an important market for them.

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