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Of weddings, hope and competent salespeople

Jerry Epperson -- Furniture Today, February 6, 2005

My son is getting married, and readers will get to experience this much as you did my daughter's wedding in 1998.

Both Wil (yes, one "l") and Alicia attended High Point University. He graduated last year and the wedding will follow her graduation this May. Because they have lived there for the last several years, the wedding is planned for High Point.

Yes, Las Vegas has given us an attractive proposal to move the wedding there. The facility they would build for the wedding is impressive and would be financed by mysterious foreign investors, but it appears the kids will stick with High Point.

Wil chose to go to HPU without pressure from his furniture fanatic father. Both his cousins attended HPU and are successful furniture folks. Wil knew the school, and has attended High Point markets since we rolled him around in a stroller. (Of course, today I am the one rolling around the market.)

Alicia is a lovely young lady. Despite one very obvious "problem" for someone from Virginia, we have grown to love her and think of her as our own. Yes, she is a Yankee — from New Jersey no less.

The new couple plans to move to South Florida because of a business Wil and his partner started when they were 15.

Being around young people is good for your soul. They see such hope in the future, and want to be a true household as soon as possible, with the house, cars, furniture, kids, credit cards and all that's good and bad about starting out.

I recently talked with a young lady, the daughter of a neighbor, after she shopped for and bought new furniture here in Richmond. Through her eyes, I got a glimpse of the strengths and weaknesses of American Signature, RoomStore, Ashley Home, Haynes and a handful of local stores.

She was a thorough shopper who did not have a fixed idea in her mind; she just knew she would know the right thing when she saw it. She had $2,000 for a down payment, and was creditworthy thanks to a good job.

Presentation and quality seemed most important to her because everyone had similar credit terms, and everyone had similar sale prices and seasonal discounts. (Isn't it interesting that we all have the same credit and prices, but that's about all we promote?)

The difference came down to the competence and assistance of the salesperson, and the speedy availability of the goods.

She is so excited and proud of her new furniture. Shouldn't we all be?

Author Information

W.W. "Jerry" Epperson is a managing director of Mann, Armistead & Epperson, 119 Shockoe Slip, Richmond, Va., an investment banking and research company that specializes in the furnishings sector. The company is affiliated with Ferris, Baker Watts, a full-service brokerage headquartered in Washington.

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Of weddings, hope and competent salespeople

Feb 7, 2005

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