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.
Follow the Money
If you were wondering why any and all casual showrooms in the Chicago Merchandise Mart had to relocate so precipitously this year, you get your answer in yesterday's Crain’s Blogs. There, it was announced that Google is moving it’s Motorola Mobility, Inc. headquarters and 3,000 jobs to the Chicago Merchandise Mart. It will be taking the top four floors and the roof of the mart with a 15-year lease... Read More
Comments (2)Credit Card Processing Fees and Me
Nothing is free and certainly the cost of swipping credit cards or using consumer financing programs isn't. Last year slightly over 73% of our sales were paid for with credit cards or via our consumer financing program. Our processing fees averaged 2.25% of those sales making them about 1.65% of our total sales. It sure would have helped if that expense could have gone into our profits instead.Yea... Read More
Comments (3)Showrooming
Showrooming: Using a smart phone while in a brick and mortar retail showroom to comparison shop for a better price than the retailer’s.All of us have seen it - - - a consumer typing into their smart phone while standing next to a set of furniture. Are they texting their mate to see if they approve? Maybe they are looking up the manufacturer’s web site to get more information. Or, are they trying t... Read More
Comments (3)Need a Consumer Financing Program?
In these tough economic times, we retailers need to do anything we can to improve sales. One way to do this is to offer customers an easy way to pay for their new furniture. And there is no easier way than to postpone payment a long period of time without having to pay interest. To do this, we have to find a company willing to finance our consumers. Here’s how I did that.Several years ago, when CF... Read More
Comments (3)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recently asked, “Since patio furniture is so expensive, how can I be sure I don’t buy something trendy which could be out of date in just a few years?”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 (2)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 (2)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 (4)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
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