Suncoast opens retail outlet

-- Casual Living, 3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Patio Now, a new company owned by Suncoast Aluminum Furniture, opened a retail outlet last month in Fort Myers, Fla.

“Patio Now will be used as a retail outlet to sell items with discontinued fabrics and furniture lines that we have extra inventory, or one of a kind items,” said Rick Baker, national sales manager, Suncoast. “We have no interest in competing with our valued dealers.”

Before joining Suncoast, Baker was head of a major patio furniture retail store company that won the industry's Apollo award. He often frowned upon manufacturers that competed against retailers.

“I still believe retailers that buy product from manufacturers that supply mass merchants are getting stabbed in the back,” he said. “Recently, two major well-known manufacturers in our industry were recognized as the Home Depot and Lowe's vendors of the year. Another well-known manufacturer is allowing its products to be sold on the Internet with advertised prices. Any fear that Patio Now will compete against one of our valued retailers is misguided. Retailers should not worry about us; they should be worried about the mass merchant down the street or the guy selling products with price on the Internet.”