Merchandise mix update

Furniture/Today's  Furniture Store Performance Report takes an overall look at store operations and provides data in which industry insiders can use to compare industry results against the annual results of their own store. Presented in two parts, store operations  and merchandise mix , these reports provide a composite view of retail operations data and sales floor information, based on responses by furniture retailers.

The merchandise mix presentation, found in this week's print issue, shows the share of selling space and sales for major product categories varied slightly year-over-year. Per the data, based on the fiscal year ending closest to December 31, 2009, bedding sales and selling space each increased by one percentage point from the previous year; while case goods sales and selling space both decreased, by two and three percentage points, respectively. Upholstery sales and selling space each improved by two percentage points over the one-year time period. Sales and selling space for decorative accessories remained the same as the previous year's percentages.

When looking at the median best-selling price points, the majority of product categories experienced a dip in price generally between $100 and $200. Four product categories, bedding, motion sofas-fabric, motion sofas-leather and recliners-fabric, each maintained the same best-selling price points as the prior year and only one product category, master bedroom, increased its best-selling price point from the previous year's figures.

As the economic outlook continues to waver, take a look at your store annual figures and compare them to this report . Gauge where your company is and where you want your company to be. Set your goals accordingly.

Source: Furniture/Today's Furniture Store Performance Report, 2010