FMG, Ashley cooperate on circulars
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, September 3, 2001
ALBANY, N.Y. — ALBANY, N.Y. — The Furniture Marketing Group and Ashley Furniture are working together on a marketing drive to increase retail sales.
About 5 million Ashley-FMG circulars were inserted in papers in late July and this month, the first time the buying group has run a nationwide advertising piece featuring a single manufacturer.
The four-page inserts were customized for each member retailer. The circular stressed the buying group's collective buying power, which according to FMG, allows retailers to provide great prices on popular furniture brands.
John Mulcahy, president of Taft Furniture in Albany, N.Y., and Marc Oleshansky, Ashley's marketing specialist for upstate New York, collaborated to create the program. Mulcahy said the circular "is certainly a win-win for both the members of FMG and Ashley."
FMG consists of 44 large independent stores specializing in promotional and moderate price points. Its members collectively sold about $700 million worth of furniture in 2000. Ashley is FMG's largest vendor, with at least 20% annual sales growth with the group for the past five years.
