Inside Out
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the editor-in-chief of Furniture/Today, sister publication to Casual Living. In that role, I oversee the editorial content of our publication and our Web site, www.furnituretoday.com, I create content for the paper and the Web site, I pen a weekly column, maintain a blog, create the content for an annual Leadership Conference, and try to stay as plugged in as possible to every aspect of the residential furniture business.
Aspirational shopping gains strength
A few weeks ago, Furniture/Today produced a special section that took a look at the opportunities for selling high-end/luxury furniture.The impetus for the section was prompted in part by a headline I spotted in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal that read: What Recession? Americans Regain a Craving for Luxury. I was also intrigued by the luxury/high-end segment because even during the toug... Read More
Comments (0)Homeowners favor easy, sustainable features
Homeowners are upping the ante when it comes to adding and/or augmenting their outdoor rooms, according to the recent 2013 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends survey, an annual poll taken by the American Society of Landscape Architects.When this year's survey asked landscape architects specializing in residential design to rate the anticipated popularity of various residential outdoor elemen... Read More
Comments (2)Set realistic expectations for social media
If you've been losing sleep worrying that your social media mojo may not be up to snuff, you may be burning the midnight oil for naught.According to a new survey conducted with 11,000 shoppers globally, while digital technology continues to influence the way consumers interact, social media is not displacing the in-store shopping experience.In fact, according to the report, released last month, wh... Read More
Comments (0)Production chain shifts may favor American jobs
When Wal-Mart speaks, I usually listen.Typically, when the big boy of Bentonville (or bad boy to some), announces a new initiative, it inevitably seems to impact retail in some manner, shape or form.So, not surprisingly, my ears perked up when I heard Wal-Mart announce that it would buy $50 billion worth of American-made products over the next 10 years.Obviously, any news of this sort is good for... Read More
Comments (0)Adapt to capitalize as millennials bring changes
Having just wrapped up hosting our 16th annual Furniture/Today Leadership Conference, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the key conference takeaways that you hopefully can apply to your business in 2013.The Millennials are here. They mean business, but not business as usual.The Millennials are people between 12 and 31 years old. They are 79 million strong and, while they represent... Read More
Comments (0)Key drivers for navigating business
Right before market, the edit and research teams here at Furniture/Today produce a report that we call "10 Things to Know During Market."The goal of the report is to identify key drivers likely to impact the entire home furnishings landscape for the near term.With that in mind, I thought it might be useful to list some of the key drivers that made the list this time.Small Business Lendin... Read More
Comments (0)Stay up-to-date with home furnishings consumers
I was recently speaking to a retailer who was making a case for how much the furniture business has changed.He noted that back in the days when Buddy Holly and the Platters had hit records and cars had big tail fins, retail, especially furniture retail, was often conducted on a gut-level.A retailer had a hunch that a collection would sell, placed his order, then lived or died by his intuitive prow... Read More
Comments (3)Globalization - Furniture sector's best and worst
The other day, a retailer challenged me to describe the best thing -- and the worst thing -- that has happened to the furniture sector.And to make it even more interesting, she said I had to answer using only one word. After giving it some thought, here's what I told her: "Globalization."And the more I think about it, the more I think it was the proper answer. Broad stroke, globalizatio... Read More
Comments (0)Survey says: Outdoor room gains momentum
Successful retailers are far more than mere merchants; they are also successful students of the business.And as we all know, successful students study. That same logic holds true for successful retailers. They study their competition, their customers, changing demographics, new product trends and much more.However, superior retailers often do even more. They constantly scour the Internet for new i... Read More
Comments (1)Show Rooming: In store/online comparison shopping booming
The other day, while shopping in Costco, I watched a young couple check out the selection of 3D televisions. After much deliberation, I heard them say, "Yep, this is the one."But instead of loading the TV on a cart and heading toward the checkout, the woman pulled out her smart phone and began to type and stare... type and stare.Then it hit me... she was show rooming! In the event you... Read More
Comments (3)Shifting paradigms
I recently got back from hosting Furniture/Today's Second Annual Logistics Conference.We opted to title it Logistics 2.0 - Solving The Supply Chain Puzzle, because today's supply chain has not only become a puzzle - it has become a puzzle with pieces that seem to keep changing size, shape and dimension.But thanks to the expertise of two dozen logistics experts from retail, ocean freight, trucking... Read More
Comments (3)Savvy Shoppers
Gaining consumer trust through online reviewsWithout a doubt, today's consumer is more complex than ever. And if we only know a few things about her, we know that she's informed, armed (with information), dangerous, demanding and wants what she wants when she wants it. If you can't deal with her on her terms and timetable, too bad, she'll simply go down the road and find some merchant who can and... Read More
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