Well, maybe the sky isn't falling after all
By Tom Edmonds, Contributing editor -- Furniture Today, February 10, 2002
The stock market is still soft in the middle, and several economic indicators are leading many of us to think that we are in for a tough slog with little relief in sight. And with the ongoing international belligerencies and the continuing stream of layoffs and bankruptcies, one might be tempted to think of the glass as nearly empty rather than half empty.
Like many commentators, I am hardly different from the most fickle Monday morning quarterbacks. After the Patriots won the Super Bowl, for instance, it became obvious to me that I knew they would all along.
So, when I spend too much time in my office and read too many articles about why our priorities, our fundamentals and, worst of all, our inventories are out of whack, I'm right there with the rest of the Chicken Littles trying to send a message to the king.
Fortunately, my editors encourage me to talk to people and visit stores, which gives me an opportunity to sniff around and get a sense for what appears to be happening at retail. Following a couple of recent trips, I have to say that I'm impressed by the enthusiasm with which consumers appear to be embracing their roles as … consumers.
For instance, have you ever seen 5,000 people milling through a furniture store? I have — twice on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. It's pretty impressive.
The first was a party to celebrate the opening of a new wing of the Toms-Price store in Wheaton, Ill. Perhaps some of them came for the hors d'oeuvres and wine, but more than a few were admiring the furniture and working with salespeople, as well as touring the magnificent new wing.
The next day, I stopped in down the road in Orland Park, and Darvin Furniture's large parking lot was beyond capacity as people flocked to the store's warehouse sale. Darvin salespeople were hustling around that store, answering questions, writing orders and juggling four or five things at once.
Equally impressive for the volume of people browsing were the Walter E. Smithe store in Arlington Heights and the Bay Furniture store in Homewood. Those joints were jumping.
(By the way, the Smithe stores deserve a look-see next time you're in Chicagoland. They off custom upholstery with coordinating case goods and occasional pieces at moderate price points in a classic retail environment.)
And then I drove past Ikea's Schaumburg store. To quote my esteemed colleague, Michael Greene: Wow-e-e-e! Fifty acres of parking lot totally full! At all these stores, people were out in force, contributing to our industry's recovery.
This experience was heartening, and I have postponed my trip to see the king. Nonetheless, it made me wonder whether people think furniture stores are open only on holiday weekends. What would it take to get people to come out and shop during the week, when they wouldn't have to fight for a salesperson's attention?
We'll try to solve that one another time. For now, we should be thankful they are back in a buying mood.
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