2002 should keep us on our toes
By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, December 23, 2001
It sure has been one roller coaster of a year!
For those of us who thought 2000 was a dilly, it was tame compared with 2001 — with or without the impact of Sept. 11.
In furnitureland, the landscape has been changed dramatically this year, especially at retail, where major players have exited the scene.
Moreover, established major players in certain markets are being challenged by newcomers who are major players in their own markets but are looking to take on more turf.
Meanwhile, controlled distribution is increasingly a topic of conversation — and a reality — as brand-name manufacturers continue to expand their proprietary retail reach.
And the year produced one of the most revolutionary, but virtually unheralded, developments in furnitureland. I'm referring to the ever-broadening availability of furniture at retail that can be obtained by consumers in a week or less!
On the manufacturing side, the large number of acquisitions and plant closings will have a long-term impact on the distribution of furniture, as well as on the way it is made.
The year saw even the most dedicated "made-in-America" manufacturers succumb, at least in part, to the reality of the Asian tidal wave.
For a newcomer or those uninitiated in the Asian manufacturing milieu, the terrain can be treacherous without constant and highly professional oversight, something only a few American companies can boast of today.
Then there's the issue of "cut and sew" for upholstered furniture from Asia, an activity that is growing by leaps and bounds and has the potential to affect the domestic upholstery fabric business as much as it already has in leather.
With all of this in the hopper, 2002 should keep us all on our toes. Let's hope the rebound everybody is predicting actually occurs, maybe even before the second half of the year.
Have a great one!
-
Philip Cutler, consultant to Asian manufacturers
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