Retail Views
Bruce Aronson and his family have been in the outdoor industry since 1952. Their single location store is the largest specialty outdoor furniture retail store in the New Orleans area. Although Bruce has served as VP of The Casual Furniture Retailers Association and has been active in the industry for many years, he does not claim to be any less confused by retail than any other retailer out there.
Internet 303 Magnetic Web Sites, Part 1
There is a term used when referring to successful web sites: “sticky.” Good web sites are like fly paper, they attract users who then stick to them for a long time. (Of course, no one dies or, at least, they shouldn’t.) These web sites are so good, users come back time and again. In this blog, I’d like to think about what makes one e-tail web site “sticky” and another “slippery” When you think ab... Read More
Comments (0)Internet 202
In my last blog, I talked about what consumers like and don’t like about shopping on the Internet. From there, I visualized the ideal outdoor/casual furniture web site which would have the following features:It would always be available and offer as wide a range of products from all of the vendors in our industry. The product information would include pictures, written information, and video demon... Read More
Comments (1)Internet 101
As a brick and mortar retailer, i've always perceived the Internet as dangerous a competitor as any I’ve ever had. That bias has made me an nay-sayer when it comes to how manufacturers use the Internet. I’ve always said “no” to vendor-run E-tail sites, "no" to MAP’s that favor low overhead web sites, and "no" to web sites that are allowed to sell outside of their physical loca... Read More
Comments (4)Oh, To Be An Apple Store!
Did you know that Apple stores have an average sales volume of $5,000 per square foot? Multiply that by your store’s square footage and let me know if your total volume is even close to that! So, the question on everyone's lips is, "How do they do that?" Simple, they sell what people WANT! They don’t try to be all things to all people; instead, they sell the hottest, newest. You know who... Read More
Comments (0)Will You Mid-Year?
I think it goes without saying that we need as much information about the industry, our competitors, and our peers as we can get to succeed in this business. Personally, I subscribe to six trade journals. I also read e-blasts and e-updates from industry sources that come out daily. In addition to trade journals, I avidly read catalogs from my competitor... Read More
Comments (5)Would You Buy American?
In the past, I have blogged about the “Buy American Movement.” I guess we can call it a movement now that more and more businesses, politicians, media outlets, and POF (plain ole folks) are talking about it. All this week, ABC Nightly News With Diane Sawyer has been running a piece called How to Build a Made in America Home. They have highlighted a home being built in Bozeman, Montana. The builde... Read More
Comments (1)"Grace is Given of God but Knowledge is Bought in the Market" Arthur Clough
Here's some knowledge I bought at this year's market. If you bought some and I don't cover it, please leave a comment. After all, knowledge is best when shared.While I don’t want to minimize the importance of fabrics to our industry, it is rare that I leave market thinking a swatch book was the best thing I saw. However, this year the 2012/2013 Sunbrella Furniture Grade Swatch book did blow me awa... Read More
Comments (1)Show Time
I didn’t go to the Pre-Market in July so I have to see what is new by following the trade mags, going to manufacturers' web sites, and reviewing pix my reps show to me. However, lack of information has never stopped me from having an opinion and I thought I would share a few with you.Two or three years ago, one of our national competitors with stores in malls showed a brand new color in outdoor wi... Read More
Comments (3)Confidence
con-fi-dence [kon-fi-duhns] noun: full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: We have every confidence in their ability to succeed. Everything about its definition is so ambiguous that it amazes me anyone thinks they can measure consumer confidence every month. Certainly, I don’t know how it can be measured with such certainty. The consumer confidence in... Read More
Comments (6)Random Thoughts From a Random Mind
I was saddened to read about the recent closing of Shady Lady. This family-owned business has been coming out with innovative designs at good price points for several years now. If a manufacturer of their caliber can't make it in our industry, one begins to wonder who'll be left when all of this is over. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I wish the Morter family good luck in their future venture... Read More
Comments (2)You Won't Believe Who Is Talking About Us
Look out - - - one of the home improvement warehouse retailers is taking specific aim at us in their advertising. Last night, my attention was drawn to their television commercial showing a youngish couple out to buy furniture at a specialty outdoor furniture store. They find a set and love the style, color, and comfort. They both sit down; but, when the wife looks at the price tag, they quic... Read More
Comments (1)How Do You Use The Internet?
Maybe it’s a generational thing; but, I agreed with Betty White when she was hosting SNL and said, “I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time.” Before you start calling me a Ludite, let me explain. I actually like and use the Internet. I happen to believe it is a great way to share information. But, by information,... Read More
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