Think about the value of exposure, partnership
Jerry Epperson -- Furniture Today, January 26, 2003
We recently wrote about nationally recognized celebrities in the furniture industry. Sometimes we forget the subtle benefits of having a high-profile spokesperson.
On the Delta flight we took from Atlanta to the Furniture/Today Leadership Conference in Florida, the on-plane program included a lengthy Larry King interview with Kathy Ireland. She spoke about her life, her new book and her new furniture line. The plane was full of furniture retailers, manufacturers and, more importantly, consumers.
The next morning, a TV station in Florida showed Christopher Lowell helping a Florida homeowner redecorate her home. This lady had won a contest on Lowell's TV show and he came to her home, gave his suggestions plus $5,000 worth of free furnishings to help her redecorate.
Was it a coincidence that these appearances occurred around a high-profile furniture event? Were Standard, Style-Line and Flexsteel just fortunate to get the exposure? We don't know, but it worked.
Speaking of exposure, the Nov. 27 Kiplinger Letter noted that "stores within stores are a growing retail trend. Office Depot is setting up outlets inside Stop & Shop supermarkets in New England. Toys 'R' Us will do the same in Chicago-area Jewel-Osco supermarkets. The goal: Increase foot traffic and sales through partnerships. Office Depot bets people will buy office supplies along with groceries."
Maybe furniture was ahead of its time with in-store galleries, which began in the mid-1970s. But the trend that Kiplinger has identified might be very important to us. As every furniture retailer knows, drawing traffic into the store is a huge challenge.
Nearly a decade ago, we did a study that estimated it cost a furniture retailer almost $30 per household to get them into the store. Think of what could happen if we could expose our products to consumers on a weekly basis. Ready-to-assemble furniture, as a take-with product, gets exposure in Wal-Mart and other mass merchants that draw consumers in on a weekly or even more-frequent basis.
Could you get exposure for your products if you partnered with a carpet or home improvement store? A grocer or dry cleaner? What about your outdoor furniture at a gas station or convenience store? You could exchange leads, coupons or discounts, or come up with other ideas. Your youth furniture in a play area at a pediatrician's office? Leather furniture in a leather apparel store? Dinettes in a kitchen design or appliance store?
Think about this, and about who could gain from having a presence in your store too.
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