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.
Trendy or Timeless
I was recently asked, “Since patio furniture is so expensive, how can I be sure I don’t buy something trendy which could be out of date in just a few years?” To be honest, I was at a loss as to what to say. As I considered my answer, I realized I didn’t have a good feel for what is “trendy” in today’s outdoor industry. In fact, I am not sure I can tell you what is “trendy” in any industry. So, I s... Read More
Comments (0)Patriotism, Wasted Time, and Free Shipping, A Few Random Thoughts
Lately, our trade mags are all abuzz with headlines announcing this factory or that vendor is moving part or all of its operations back into the States. Most are doing so because of the cost savings. Some because they realize “Made in America” is gaining traction with buyers. Keith Guidry of Percy Guidry’s Hearth and Patio and I were on the phone the other day, and this topic came up. Keith told m... Read More
Comments (0)The Big Move
A fortunate aspect of being in the outdoor furniture business is that I get to shop markets all over the United States and Europe. (Some might call this unfortunate because of the work and travel involved; but, I am a half-full glass kind of guy!) I’ve been to Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, and Cologne to name some. Looking back, some of these shows are huge beyond comprehen... Read More
Comments (1)And We Thought We Had Problems
Would you believe it, Target is upset that consumers use their brick and mortar locations to inspect a product and then go out and buy it cheaper over the Internet! Gosh darn it, consumers have some nerve, huh? Well, Target isn’t going to take this lying down. In fact, they got righteously indignant in a letter they sent to their vendors where they said, “What we aren’t willing to do is let online... Read More
Comments (0)I Can't Be Right All of the Time!
In the past, I’ve blogged about a few things we are doing in my store that might work for you. I thought you might be interested in how they worked out for me. So, in this blog I want to revisit three blogs; a blast from the past kinda thing.In 2010, I said I was tired of leaving money on the table and was going to start using a credit card that earned reward points to pay manufacturers. This has... Read More
Comments (3)Internet 303B Magnetic Web Sites Part 2
In my last blog, I tried to understand what makes one web site “stickier” than another. As you may remember, a “sticky” web site is one that is so interesting that consumers “stick” around and use it more than a “slippery” one. I told you that the things that make store are appealing are the same things that make a web site “sticky.” I suggested in my last blog that web sites should get to know th... Read More
Comments (1)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 (4)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 (4)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 (5)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 (7)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
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