Contemporary retailers hash out issues
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, December 31, 2006
San Diego — Members of a group of contemporary home furnishings retailers shop at High Point, Las Vegas and foreign furniture markets, but some wish there were fewer shows to choose from.
Ideally, a retailer would make one trip to High Point and one to Las Vegas in a year, members of the Contemporary Design Group, an association of 23 retailers, said during a session at their annual conference here last month.
The CDG devoted one day of the four-day meeting to talk over key issues with invited vendors, and suggest what each could do to help the other be more successful. Retailers and manufacturers discussed topics in small groups, then gathered together to air their views.
On the subject of markets, some retailers said High Point is still the place to shop because of its greater selection of vendors and goods. Las Vegas is a place to look for something different, they said, while foreign markets allow them to see styles that might not make it to the United States.
Some retailers said manufacturers should have fewer markets. But the suppliers replied that they don't want to do just one show in each city, because of the money tied up in leasing space.
A manufacturer asked where the retailers could see themselves shopping in five years. Some replied they might be buying direct from China, touching off a ripple of grumblings from vendors.
One retailer said that if domestic producer want to remain viable, companies must be able to deliver quickly — get the goods to the stores in six weeks or get left behind.
It's a big risk for a retailer to order an entire container of goods from a new company or a new collection, one group noted. It's a big help to the stores to be able to buy small quantities out of a U.S. warehouse before making a big commitment, retailers agreed.
Parts are also a big issue, said another group. Some manufacturers don't have a good system in place so that repairs and replacements can be made quickly, retailers said.
Manufacturers countered that they sometimes get stuck making good on damages incurred by the freight company. If the retailer doesn't open the boxes and inspect the merchandise within a certain time after delivery, the shipping company will refuse to accept responsibility.
Joe Johnston, owner of manufacturer Johnston Casuals, said that both producers and retailers ultimately must satisfy the end consumer.
Relationships between manufacturers and retailers often depend on sales representatives doing their jobs well, said Richard Tomkins, director of sales and marketing at manufacturer Cresent Fine Furniture. Reps should follow up with buyers after markets and take care of issues that arise, he said.
"Too often, sales orders are the only way we know how to rate a sales rep," he said, but retailers can give more feedback and help him evaluate his team.
Retailers responded that manufacturers should check behind their reps to be sure the stores have such needed materials as catalogs and point-of-purchase items. If the rep isn't making these things available to stores, retailers might not even know they are missing out.
