July 30, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Recently, a friend moved to Chengdu, China with her job. A lot of my industry friends are making several trips a year to China, too. Finally, you can’t turn on television without hearing about China and the Olympics. And, so, with my interest piqued about all things Chinese I decided to read a book about it.

Amazon.com recommended “Lost on the Planet China: the Strange and True Story of One Man’s Attempt to Understand the World’s Most Mystifying nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid” by J. Maarten Troost. They described it thusly,  “The bestselling author of  ‘The Sex Lives of Cannibals’ returns with a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China – a complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies to keep him, and readers, endlessly entertained.” They ...Read More

July 24, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

In my last blog, I talked about ways to compete with etailers. I mentioned you have to find a way to differentiate yourself from your competition. Perhaps you could offer a higher level of service, same day delivery, or a different or more interesting product than your competition. Before I knew it, time and space had run out and I couldn't mention an example. I saw this store on a recent trip to Palm Springs (Which, by the way, is in California not Florida. Who knew!) I tripped on this store accidentally while walking down the main street looking for a convenient bar. Don’t judge, I was on vacation and it can get very hot out there. It wasn't hot, but it can get very hot!

The name of the store is d.i.g.s.

 http://www.digspalmsprings.com/

It is one of several stores located on the perimeter of what can best be described as a pocke...Read More

July 18, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I got a phone call this week from a retailer I haven't met but who hoped my experience could help him solve a vexing problem. This store owner had spent a lot of floor time working with a clienthelping them figure out the best  fit for their space, life style, and budget. The client sat in a lot of chairs to make sure they picked the most comfortable ones. The sales consultant spent a lot of time going through the swatches and helping the consumer find the “perfect” fabric. The store wrote down everything for the client who left without placing an order but promised to come back.

Sure enough, the client returned; however, from the title of this blog, I am sure you can all predict what happened next. The customer informed the retailer  they had found the same furniture on the Internet for a lot less money. If the retailer couldn’t meet that bid...Read More

July 12, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Even though Mother Goose encouraged me, I didn’t buy a fat pig at market. In fact, I haven’t bought anything yet; but, here are my impressions.

Kudos to the Merchandise Mart and the six furniture manufacturers who are pioneering on the 15th floor. The six showrooms, Ebel, Ancient Mosaics, Veneman, Lane Venture, Jardin De Ville, and Summer Classics, are all self-contained except Ebel whose front entrance appears to be a continuation of the elevator waiting area. However, they are not showrooms in the sense of the showrooms on the 16th and 17th floors. They are all little jewels that up the ante for the entire market. Be sure you don't miss them and the merchandising ideas you can get from them in September.

Speaking of the next market, it looks like we only have one more year of premarket to endure. The newly formed ICFA has opted to discontinue...Read More

June 24, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Last week during an interview for a trade journal, I was asked to address how “Staycations” were affecting my business. Great term that I hadn’t heard before. The term assumes that with the price of gas and food shooting up, people should opt to stay home instead of taking vacations. These “Staycations” would give the homeowner incentive to invest in their backyard to turn it into the resort they can't afford to go to: thus, more furniture sales for us. Yippee!

That was last week, now this morning while driving in to work, I heard NPR reports about the following:
1.    The price of milk and food staples are rising so much; school districts are having a tough time balancing their lunchroom budgets. If changing the product mix and preparation methods don't out weigh increased costs, they are going to have to raise the co...Read More