Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
November 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 16, 2012
Bethesda, Md., home furnishings retailer Urban Country has made a pledge to buy and sell American-made merchandise.
The locally owned home furnishings boutique for countryside and urban spaces, recently unveiled its new Made in America furniture and accessory showcase. The new décor selections feature furniture and accessories manufactured in the United States.
The display includes collections from vendors that include Lee Inds., Hickory Chair, Redford House, Bausman & Co., Old Biscayne, American Leather, Cisco Brothers and Charleston Forge, and others.
We want to raise awareness on the importance of buying American goods and show how easy it is to create a lovely home with domestic-made furnishings, says Rachelle Roth, founder and owner of Urban Country. Comparably many American-made products are eco-friendly leaving less of an environmental carbon footprint.
November 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on November 16, 2012
Crystal accents vendor Swarovski Elements will sponsor the 24th annual ARTS Awards gala, Saturday, Jan. 19, during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market.
Were very excited and honored to work again with Swarovski Elements on this special evening; they are the ideal partner for the ARTS Awards gala, said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. We thank them for their collaboration and loyal dedication to the industry. Their exceptional and beautiful crystal work will add a further touch of elegance to this event.
Identifying and supporting talent has long been a cornerstone of Swarovski Elements philosophy, along with creative collaborations with stellar talents, both established and new, said Reinhard Mackinger, executive vice president, Elements Business, Swarovski North America. As such, the ARTS Awards represent an important event in which Swarovski Elements is delighted to play a supporting role.
For more information on the ARTS Awards or to purchase tickets starting Nov. 26, please visit the Dallas Market Center Web site.
November 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on November 16, 2012
Dallas Market Center has been named among the Dallas-Fort Worth area's top 100 places to work for the second consecutive year.
The honor came from The Dallas Morning News, whose list includes 30 large companies, 35 midsize companies and 35 small companies. Dallas Market Center falls under the category of midsized companies and has climbed 10 spots from number 27 to 17 in 2012.
DMC was also honored for The Next Big Give, an annual contest that searches for independent retailers who give back in their communities.
To be included in the Top 100 list for a second year is an enormous honor and privilege, said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. To inspire others, we must first inspire each other. We are thankful to our team for their dedication and contribution to making us the best wholesale marketplace.
The corporate culture at DMC permits employees to dress casually during non-market weeks, listen to music as they work and more. Through a spacious, open-office design, the creative flow of ideas among employees is highly encouraged. Many associates have been with the company for decades. Employees receive holiday pay, which includes each associates birthday, in addition to the monthly office celebrations designated for employees with recent birthdays and/ or company anniversaries.
November 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on November 2012
Did you know there is an audience of buyers, roughly 78 million strong, controlling close to 40 percent of Americas consumer demand? This is the single largest group in the United States. The Baby Boomers have more discretionary income than any group every before them. Their spending habits will certainly impact the economic change in America.
Born between the years of 1946-1964, the first wave has hit retirement, if the recent recession did not spoil that plan. Many will remain working because of need or desire, but this is a group that needs your attention if you want to tap the largest group of consumers we have ever seen.
Now, here is the tough question. How do you market to these boomers? This generation is experiencing many life changes. Some have children in college; some have grandchildren and many are helping care for aging parents. Never before have we seen a group of individuals at so many crossroads in life. Fact is, some are at all of these points in life. So how in the world do you create a plan to market to them?
Well if I had that answer Id be sitting on a tropical island, retired just like the first wave of boomers. But here are my thoughts on how to get the attention of this group.
Target them because of the crossroads they are experiencing, not because they are older or may be retiring. I mean really, how many financial, arthritis, scooter or Viagra commercials can this generation take? They are now considering purchases for parents, children and grandchildren. Make that your focus, and you could find the pot of gold.
Tell them you have products that will help make life easier for their parents, lift chairs and accent lighting. You also have durable products that can be used to set up the first apartment for those that have children going off to college; sofas, coffee and end tables, bedroom suites and such. Then, target them for the grandchildren. Let them know you have kid-sized and friendly designs for bedrooms.
Do you carry upholstered chairs for small children? Tell the boomers about these items and the age message is gone. Youve just shifted the focus from age to your products that will help family members have a better quality of life. These boomers have discretionary money, and they will spend it if you provide them a value for the dollar. By keeping it simple and staying away from the obvious message, you will be connecting to them in a way that becomes more about the lifestyle quality for family members. Not about the later years in life. Does anyone really need or want to be reminded about that?
This issue of Home Furnishings Business is all about the consumer with a detailed look into the Baby Boomer generation. We discuss the impact this groups buying habits can have. Please enjoy the read and learn what industry experts have to think and say about the largest generation of buyers we have ever known.
November 15,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on November 2012
Showroomingthe practice of shoppers price browsing online via their mobile devices to compare product they see in stores to what they can find elsewhereis the biggest risk facing retailers today, but consumers have suggestions on how retailers can respond.
Thats some of the good news from the third annual 2012 Shopper Experience Study from Retail Info Systems News and information technology consultant Cognizant.
This years study on shopper preferences surveyed 2,122 consumers in the United States and Canada.
While a one-size-fits-all approach at retail doesnt work for survey respondents, Steven Skinner, vice president of Cognizants retail, hospitality and consumer goods practiceand the studys principal research analystsaw a common theme: shoppers assertiveness.
Armed with unprecedented amounts of information and the tools to access data at any moment, shoppers are poised to buyand they want retailers to be ready for them, he wrote in the report. They expect retailers to get it right on store fundamentalsproduct assortment, product information, price, efficiency and serviceand they are annoyed when they do not. The basics are especially important to older shoppers.
To shoppers, stores sell products and answers. In response, retailers need to begin viewing themselves as providers of solutions, not just products. This expansion will result in a more complex business model, potentially encompassing services, third-party partnerships, and other elements not part of traditional retailing. But the evolution is critical for stores to remain relevant to shoppers, and its an endeavor that they must undertake.
The 2012 survey found that shoppers continue to make the majority of purchases in retail stores, with online shopping ranking a distant second. Further behind, and close to one another other in volume, are call centers, mobile, tablets and kiosks.
Stores still reign, but its never been more critical for retailers to recognize that integrating digital opportunities into the shopping experience is important to all shoppers, and especially to the coveted young and affluent segment, Skinner said.
Skinner offered five keys that retailers can use to refine their strategies and create thriving retail stores that generate profitable bottom lines.
1 ITS ALL ABOUT PRICE
Competitive pricing and promotions, even among the wealthiest respondents, still have the most pull with shoppers; and have the most influence on purchase decisions across all demographic segments. Thats what makes showrooming the No. 1 risk facing retailers today, and it demands a solution for transparent and consistent pricing and promotions across channels as well as a more informed and empowered workforce.
Price isnt the only factor though, and therein lie opportunities for retailers. The study found that the Internet has increasing influence on purchasing decisions while televisions impact on those choices is falling. But, the study indicated both media lag behind in-store signage and product packaging when it comes to influencing shoppers
and that social medias power, while growing, is not predominant.
2 EXCEPTIONAL IN-STORE
EXECUTION
The study found that four out of five purchases are still made in bricks-and-mortar stores. To keep those shoppers returning, retailers must freshen the in-store experience, recasting stores as places for discovery and interaction with products, where associates can assist in the decision-making process and shoppers enjoy instant gratification.
Every year since 2010, the shopper study has underscored consumers expectations that stores master the basics of retail execution. Those basics include robust product assortments; effective merchandising; clear product, price and promotion information; knowledgeable, helpful associates; and efficient checkout.
Shoppers also expect similar proficiency in retail fundamentals from online stores. They identified the top four influences on online shopping as returns handling, competitive price and promotions, product selection and fast checkout.
Sales associates play a pivotal role. When they cant find what they want in stores, most shoppers say the first thing theyre likely to do is ask store associates for help. Thats good news for retailers, because it presents a touch point for deepening customer relationships.
The second most prominent response, however, was to buy the product elsewhere, with a large risk of lost sales that could be partially mitigated through better integration of online and in-store experiences.
Men, younger shoppers, and high-income shoppers are among a small but growing percentage of customers who turn to their mobile devices most often when unable to locate goods.
3 EASE AND EFFICIENCY
These two factors are what make in-store shoppers happy with the checkout process. While Internet shoppers might appreciate subtle, suggestive selling as they near checkout, store shoppers want to proceed through checkout quickly and smoothly. That means no fuss, and especially no cross-selling.
The study showed that shoppers in stores want attentive associates who are focused on the task at hand and do not attempt to gather information or sell additional products.
4 REACH BEYOND THE BASICS
Todays shoppers have high expectations for their store experience, and retailers who want to differentiate themselves must go beyond the ABCs of retailing.
For example, specialized store treatment based on customer loyalty is the top request from survey respondents.
The survey also found that personalized experiences carry more weight with in-store shoppers than with their online counterparts. Shoppers want personalized, attentive in-store experiences, and the more affluent and younger shoppers expect retailers to seamlessly integrate personalization across channels.
This represents a big opportunity for those retailers willing to act fast, because few stores offer this sort of tiered service.
While shoppers want store experiences tailored personally to them, they have boundaries. The study found they are resistant to divulging information they deem to be personal in exchange for more personalized experiences. Instead, they prefer that retailers use more neutral sources such as their own loyalty programs.
5 SPECIALTY VS.
CONSUMABLE PRODUCTS
The study found that shoppers expectations vary when it comes to specialty vs. consumable products.
Increased options and focus on experience are more important to shoppers of specialty products than to those buying consumables.
Consumers also are more inclined to perform their own research and comparison-shop for specialty products.
Problems retailers should avoid to keep from irritating shoppers include inconsistent experiences across channels, and younger and more affluent customers said that stores that wont match competitors prices are especially bothersome.
The greatest influences on purchases of consumables include printed materials, information on product packaging, shelf signs and interactive product displays. HFB