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Female execs connect with consumer by putting themselves in her shoes

Panel held at 2008 Furniture/Today Leadership Conference

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, December 14, 2008

NAPLES, Fla. — Four leading female home furnishings executives said they are connecting with their consumers by putting themselves in her shoes and giving her what she wants.

They are doing that with strategies that are laced with emotion, sparked by humor, filled with fresh products and lifted by style.

Those were some of the key points that emerged from a panel discussion here during Furniture/Today's Leadership Conference, featuring Rebecca Miller, former president of Minneapolis retailer Gabberts Furniture; Stefanie Lucas, CEO of manufacturer Rowe Furniture; Cathy Allen, vice president of merchandising at Florida-based retailer Badcock Home Furniture & More; and Donna Zett, president of manufacturer Five Star Mattress.

Miller summarized the strategies that Gabberts used to communicate with its customers. She said the retailer viewed its target customer as “Lisa,” a name that executives used to help stay focused on her.

Gabberts executives asked themselves several questions about Lisa: What are her values? What are her fears? What is important to her? Then they sought to provide meaningful answers to those questions.

“Editing was a real key,” Miller said. “It is best to take things out of the store and to keep them fresh rather than to load up the floors.”

Lucas said Rowe uses emotion to connect with consumers.

“Women are buying furniture,” she said. “Don't forget the consumer is out there and she hasn't changed that much.” Rowe captures emotion with strong images and through the use of color, Lucas said.

She also said Rowe aims to help its consumers overcome their fears. “Fear is the No. 1 reason she's not buying furniture,” Lucas said. “It's not price. Help her overcome the fear.”

In addition, she said, Rowe connects with consumers by acting responsibly, using natural and organic fabrics, and emphasizing recycling to reduce its environmental footprint as a manufacturer. Consumers expect such behavior today, she said.

Allen said that Badcock Home Furniture & More, based in Mulberry, Fla., recognizes that its customers favor “beer and pretzels” rather than “champagne and caviar.” Badcock, with many stores in rural communities, serves “NASCAR moms” who are cash and credit constrained, she said.

The retailer aims to grow its customer base by reaching out to younger consumers, a strategy that affects its product offerings and its marketing messages, Allen said.

She showed two commercials in which young consumers appear to talk about what they want in relationships, but then find home furnishings that meet their needs. “I found my perfect match online,” one woman said. That perfect match turns out to be the right chair, ottoman and lamp.

Zett wrapped up the panel by outlining steps that companies can take to reach their customers. The first step, she said, is “admitting that you have a problem” in reaching your customers, either because you are not doing enough or you need to improve your connection. “We think we are there,” she said, “but are we really there?”

Next, she said, companies need to realize there is no “magical answer” to consumer connections. “It's not that easy,” she said. “It's a process. Make sure you keep the consumer in mind.”

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