Q: What are your best-selling products? Why?

-- Casual Living, 11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Dean Luckino

Georgia Backyard, American Backyard

Suwanee, Ga.

We didn't see any drastic change from last year. The majority is still extruded aluminum, but we've seen a slight increase in wicker, which has pretty well leveled off. We've seen our cast aluminum sales remain strong. Wicker and cast aluminum probably had higher than normal increases but now that it's reached where it's probably going to stay at most stores we're not seeing double-digit increases, but that doesn't mean it's still not a good portion of our sales.

Atlanta has stronger wicker sales overall than Dallas, but Dallas has stronger cast aluminum sales. Four years ago, we bought the same for both markets but we found out Atlanta would embrace the floral fabrics where Dallas and Texans tend to prefer stripes and solids. Jacksonville is almost on the Georgia border so it's a market that's closer to the Georgia way of thinking than it is toward southern Florida. The only problem is salt water plays a little more havoc, so they do virtually no wrought iron in Jacksonville other than on golf courses. People who have close proximity to the water tend to want to focus on cast aluminum. We do sell more rattan in the Florida market, which again has embraced that for a long time.

Marc McDonald

Leisure Living

Salt Lake City

Our best-selling products are cast, wrought iron, and extruded aluminum. The more comfortable it is the better it sells. Cast aluminum is strongest in dining, and all categories, when displayed and merchandised properly, retail nicely.

Fred White

Hauser's Patio & Rattan

San Diego

The rockers and the swivels have done well; anything with a rocker is selling. We've done a lot with chat groups, whether chat-height or regular coffee table height sets.

If we do umbrellas, we're trying to stay fashion-forward. This year, we took a chance on tassels and fringe.