Domestic manufacturers challenge Asian counterparts by touting product safety

By Thomas Russell

In November, when the lead-based paint scare associated with Chinese-made toys was still making headlines, I published a column addressing this issue as it relates to the furniture industry. As some readers may recall, the column requested feedback on what individual companies were doing to help ensure painted furniture finishes, particularly on youth and infant furniture, were lead free. In that respect it was a chance to tout ways in which the industry was taking a proactive stance to protect both retailers and consumers alike. 

Surprisingly, the column only generated one response and that was from a reader who reiterated the need for manufacturers to understand and adhere to product safety standards.

Why talk about the safety issue? Because if you don’t your competitors will.

This occurred to me while visiting the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market this month. There, a number of domestic manufacturers touted not just the number of custom finishes in their line, but also pointed out that all their coatings were lead-free. Another domestic producer who wasn’t marketing this aspect of his line, thought it would be a good idea to do so when I asked him about it.

Most of these companies are small producers with small factories. But you have to give them credit in that they are savvy marketers who know how to exploit a weakness, or perceived weakness, in their competition. Perhaps some Chinese manufacturers and their customers can tout the same thing, but we aren’t hearing that message.

Ultimately it’s a message that needs to get out to the retailer and the consumer. That’s because in the long run, consumers will likely be able to spend more on products they feel good about, such as those with lead-free paint. Can we at least communicate this to them in some meaningful way?