http://www.thelivelymerchant.com/general/conflict-for-furniture-manufacturers/ Retail Business Consulting Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:08:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 http://www.thelivelymerchant.com/general/conflict-for-furniture-manufacturers/comment-page-1/#comment-2910 Faith Sheridan Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:16:17 +0000 http://thelivelymerchant.com/?p=879#comment-2910 AMEN! AMEN!

]]> http://www.thelivelymerchant.com/general/conflict-for-furniture-manufacturers/comment-page-1/#comment-2825 Tom McMinn Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:20:58 +0000 http://thelivelymerchant.com/?p=879#comment-2825 Most of the so-called manufacturers in the business are now nothing but distributors, and as they fear their territory being invaded by direct vertical integration out of China, they are moving to invade the teritory of the retailers. I am reminded of many years ago when Edgar Broyhill starting selling furniture out of a catalog. It was touted then as the end of the retailer. After 2 years and a return rate of 42% he was out of the business. It's simple. An internet sales model works great for items that are easily handled, shipped and easily returned. Furniture is none of this. If this could be made to work on a wide scale, then the 800 numbers would have driven us all out of business. Unless you set up national showrooms where folks can go look, or provide money back guarantees and send someone to pick up their mistakes, they will not buy furniture readily off the internet. The distributors want to use our showrooms and then sell direct. When they do that, they will cease to have distribution. You can sell items that are easily found. Tempurpedic does this already. Others could adopt their model. Folks, truthfully there is no easy solution to this. If there was Warren Buffet would have figured it out already. Most of the so-called manufacturers in the business are now nothing but distributors, and as they fear their territory being invaded by direct vertical integration out of China, they are moving to invade the teritory of the retailers. I am reminded of many years ago when Edgar Broyhill starting selling furniture out of a catalog. It was touted then as the end of the retailer. After 2 years and a return rate of 42% he was out of the business. It’s simple. An internet sales model works great for items that are easily handled, shipped and easily returned. Furniture is none of this. If this could be made to work on a wide scale, then the 800 numbers would have driven us all out of business. Unless you set up national showrooms where folks can go look, or provide money back guarantees and send someone to pick up their mistakes, they will not buy furniture readily off the internet. The distributors want to use our showrooms and then sell direct. When they do that, they will cease to have distribution. You can sell items that are easily found. Tempurpedic does this already. Others could adopt their model. Folks, truthfully there is no easy solution to this. If there was Warren Buffet would have figured it out already.

]]> http://www.thelivelymerchant.com/general/conflict-for-furniture-manufacturers/comment-page-1/#comment-2805 High Style Interiors & Gifts Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:17:17 +0000 http://thelivelymerchant.com/?p=879#comment-2805 This is a great post! This has been a sticky-wicky for a long time. It's dog eat dog out there right now and all levels are feeling the crunch. What is the solution? I suggest MFGs start offering deeper discounts to their dealers who then should pass the discounts on to the consumers. Let's try resetting the whole economic platform. This is a great post! This has been a sticky-wicky for a long time. It’s dog eat dog out there right now and all levels are feeling the crunch. What is the solution? I suggest MFGs start offering deeper discounts to their dealers who then should pass the discounts on to the consumers. Let’s try resetting the whole economic platform.

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