Streamline Art: Navigating Growth Through Innovation and Insights

Streamline Art, a leading manufacturer and importer of wall art, has evolved from its humble beginnings curating art for mom-and-pop stores to working with major retailers across North America. Emphasizing strategic pricing, creative market adaptation, and strong retailer relationships, the team has had significant sales growth and expanded into new markets. These strategic moves not only underscore Streamline’s growth but also offer insight into the bright horizons for the team!

Introducing Streamline Art

Founded in 1985 and acquired by Lynx in 2009, Streamline Art is the leading manufacturer and importer of fine art for home decor retailers and interior designers across North America. Dedicated to superior customer service, they take the time to understand their customers’ unique tastes and preferences to select art that complements their businesses. Offering a diverse range of hand embellished art and photography, Streamline provides exceptional quality at value prices. While they started out small, curating wall art for mom-and-pop type stores across Canada, they have since expanded into the United States and have showrooms in High Point, NC; Las Vegas, NV; and Atlanta, GA. In addition, they participate at the Toronto Gift Show twice a year and have a showroom in their Mississauga home office.

Exploring New Horizons

In the art and frame industry, fostering strong retailer relationships and understanding market dynamics is paramount for success. That is why, this year, President Mark Wiltshire and his team travelled to Buffalo, NY to enhance their understanding of the US market, their current customer business partners, other retail opportunities, and most importantly their competitors' offerings. This allowed them to strengthen the Streamline product value offering. Quality is a cornerstone for Streamline, and they sought to ensure they were offering the right product to the right retailers!

“The key was having the whole team go to Buffalo so that when we came back, we could dissect it better. We didn’t just send the product person or the salesperson, but we had the whole team there. Part of our strategy is that we don’t dismiss any customer opportunity. We look at the opportunity and see if there’s a good fit for our operation.” - Mark Wiltshire

They evaluated major retailer’s artwork in terms of style, pricing, and sizing and used these insights to reverse engineer a more robust pricing strategy. Streamline discovered that what sets them apart from their factory counterparts are their high standards, creatively enhanced artwork, and transportation coverage. With this newfound knowledge, they communicated their value proposition to their key customers, justifying their price points. Additionally, this trip unveiled promising new retail avenues for Streamline. By visiting new retailers, they identified potential buyers that cater to diverse client demographics, paving the path for future expansion.  

Overall, Streamline's initiative to travel to Buffalo and personally evaluate product offerings demonstrates their strong commitment to understanding and nurturing relationships with key retailers. Through this experience, they gained valuable insights into market dynamics and customer preferences enabling them to refine their pricing strategy and explore new growth opportunities. Streamline’s strategic relationship management and proactive market engagement has strengthened their position in this industry and has helped drive their business success.

Innovating Products for Market Growth

“We were comfortable, but to grow, you have to get uncomfortable.” - Mark Wiltshire

As Streamline broadens its customer base, they have strategically diversified their product offerings to meet evolving demands.  

Through market research and customer feedback, the team identified a new demand for a youth-centric art line. Streamline’s highly skilled Director of Product and Merchandising, Jenny Divizio, compiled and enhanced stock images, creating entirely new pieces of art tailored specifically to young audiences and gaming enthusiasts. Additionally, the company was able to recycle and repurpose excess molding to frame this new collection, demonstrating a resourceful approach to innovation. The resounding success of this product line has spurred requests for expansion into different age demographics and Streamline is negotiating with factories in Asia to meet escalating demand.  

Furthermore, Streamline launched an entirely new Christmas line tailored to American audiences. Acknowledging a significant disparity in Christmas sales between Canada and the United States, the company adapted its offerings to align its artwork with distinct market preferences. With a dedicated showcase in their Atlanta showroom, the new Christmas pieces have already amassed a 67% increase in pre-sales compared to last year, signaling a promising early success.

Beyond venturing into new markets, Streamline's product expansion has also significantly increased sales at major retailers. Currently, the company is in discussions with one of its largest customers to expand their stock-keeping units (SKUs) sixfold, marking a substantial leap forward.

Streamline’s ability to quickly identify and respond to emerging customer needs underscores its agility and resilience in a dynamic business environment.

Looking Ahead

Streamline is consistently looking for opportunities to improve and expand their business. With a highly skilled team of people behind him, President Mark Wiltshire is confident in Streamline’s bright future.  

In 2024, Streamline is excited to expand into new territory and is focused on pursuing the home furniture industry. The company has onboarded dedicated sales representatives focused on bringing in new furniture stores and have already acquired large accounts across Western Canada. They are excited about this opportunity to tap into new market segments and are actively investing to drive expansion efforts.  

Furthermore, in October, Streamline will upgrade their High Point showroom to a high foot traffic area, conveniently located near other quality manufacturers' showrooms. This expansive new space will provide an ideal setting for hosting events and engaging with clients.

Through adaptability, resourcefulness, and strategic investment, Streamline continues to drive sustained growth and maintain a competitive edge in today's dynamic business environment. They understand the importance of balancing innovation and expansion with a steadfast commitment to providing quality and excellence to their customers.  

Congratulations to Streamline on their success and we look forward to seeing what’s next!