Playing field leveling for domestic fabrics
Carole Sloan, Senior contributing editor -- Furniture Today, June 23, 2008
Over the past couple of months there's been a fair amount of chatter about the return of the furniture and decorative fabric businesses to domestic production.
While the furniture segment was some years behind the fabric business in migrating to China and other eastern shores, the exodus was even more intense than in fabrics.
Looking at the fabric world, there are at least half a hundred companies still producing decorative fabrics domestically. And the key to what they are doing is multi-fold: design innovation AND execution, quality maintenance, minimum quantities that could encourage product distinction, and speed to market.
Home Textiles Today, a sister publication to Furniture/Today is featuring a study of domestic fabric and home textiles suppliers in this week's issue. What the study shows is that not only is the domestic environment healthy, but it is growing.
And one of the major reasons for the positive attitude is that most of these companies have developed a sharp focus for their businesses — whether at the promotional level or moving up the design/quality/price point ladder to better goods.
One of the things that has become apparent in furnitureland is the sameness that prevails — especially in the upholstered category. Moss green and various shades of brown have been the colors du jour for far too long. Customers are voting by not buying.
And don't forget speed to market. This is not just a term that folks are tossing about. It's a real time, real world necessity, regardless of price point. During the Showtime fabric show in High Point this month, delivery times were an important topic of conversation.
The cost advantages of offshore supply bases were a major lure several years back, but with everything from fuel costs to currency levels to overseas labor costs making imports more expensive for American buyers, the playing field is becoming more than level.
Insights on how to use this issue
09/09/2007Standout products do well in occasional
05/11/2009Editorial Invitations
10/13/2009Furniture stores' share slipping
08/31/2003
