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.
"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 (3)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
Comments (0)I'll Take Profitable Categories for $50, Alex.
Ever since my dad started this business in 1952, we have carried lots of categories other specialty retailers might have overlooked. Tabletop has always been a big part of our retail efforts. We have been in and out of barbecue more times than Liz was married. In the past few years, we added the area rug category. In this blog, I want to tell you about a category our customers are asking... Read More
Comments (1)A To Do List To Make Retailers Even Crazier
As if retail isn’t hard enough, I am requesting that manufacturers drive retailers even crazier by doing the following ten things to us: Please nest lots of pieces in a carton and leave off all that pesky protective wrap. That way the pieces will scratch each other during shipping and we will have to touch them all up before we can show or deliver them.As a coroll... Read More
Comments (0)Our Competition Is Hiding In Our Mailboxes
In the background there is a cove with blue/green water lapping gently at the shore. The sand is the color of a sweet cup of coffee au lait. Beyond the water, mountains shrouded in a morning haze rise into the air. This is the view from your private terrace with the marble floors and stone balustrades. The gentle sea breeze blowing across the terrace makes your furniture on the terrace even m... Read More
Comments (1)When The Design Is All Hat!
Last year I took a beach vacation where a group of friends and I rented a private home right on Pensacola Beach. We sort of rented the house sight unseen. We did see the outside of the house in person. It was very contemporary with several big porches on the backing facing the water. We only saw the inside via a virtual web tour. Thank goodness, the interior of the house lived up to our expe... Read More
Comments (0)Three Things Specialty Furniture Stores Should Say
Recently, I found an article at the website SmartMoney.com in the "Spending:Ripoffs" section titled “10 Things a Furniture Won’t Tell You.” I expected and found a list which presented furniture store policies in the most pejorative way possible. When I read it, my first reaction was to take to the bully pulpit and defend specialty furniture stores against every point made. Upon furth... Read More
Comments (4)This Little Piggy Went To Atlanta
Ever since I began working with my dad at the store, he got me into the habit of going to gift shows. Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Atlanta: name one and between us we have shopped it, probably more than once just in case we had a headache the first time through. Many owners of outdoor furniture specialty stores don’t see the value of shopping these markets. After all,... Read More
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