October 2012—Consumer-ology

INSIGHTS FOR TODAY’S HOME FURNISHINGS PROFESSIONAL

DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER?

NHFA

National Home Furnishings Association

WHFA

Western Home Furnishings Association

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SERVICES • INVENTORY • MERCHANDISING • PRODUCT • TECHNOLOGY • COMMUNITY

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COME SEE THE LATEST IN quALITy, COMfOrT, VALuE, ANd STyLE

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Coordinated Bedroom, Dining, Entertainment & Occasional Collections

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INSIDE 18. featuresNOW 18.

Fresh Perspectives: What Women Want

21.

Women in the Digital World

22.

Real Connections

25.

Market to People Not Like You

28.

Where Do Your Customers Live?

30.

Sit Down, Shut Up & Blog

37.

The iPad Shopper

39.

The Social Customer

See p.6 for more features 

86.

yourVOICE 15.

Roving Reporter

15.

Inspired Reading

16.

Retailer2Retailer

53.

What’s Selling NOW

57.

Community Today

Lexington Home Brands

37.

count onIT 10.

Now We’re Talking

12.

Editor’s Letter

14.

TechNOW—Inbox

64.

Membership Marketplace

See p.6 for more 

A Message from the NHFA President

On The Cover

Her shopping habits revealed—starting on p18

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5

featuresNOW SEPTEMBER 2012

INSIGHTS FOR TODAY’S HOME FURNISHINGS PROFESSIONAL “Reinvention” SEPTEMBER Issue

October 13 - 18 Plaza Suites 1st Fl. Space #2

HIGH POINT MARKET OCTOBER 13-18

RetailerNOW Vol. 1 Issue 5

oint Market

65

85.

Product Focus —Bedding

42.

Customer Service in a Tight Economy

45.

Putting It All Together

48.

The Path to Purchase

89.

Quick Fire Marketing

51.

Consumers, Social Media & Shopping

91.

The Scoop

61.

Your Voice—Rocking for Charity

94.

Industry Calendar

65.

High Point Market RRC

96.

The Now List

82.

Merchandising NOW

86.

The Loyalty Meter

re Industry

merchandising solutions. y on MicroD.

count onIT

Your Online Reputation

e presence and drive

arket Seminar

Reinvention

Madness: Web Location Now”

of the web channel landon how every retailer can usiness generating web st you can afford!

SEPTEMBER 2012

m m 2

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National Home Furnishings Association

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Read last month’s issue at: RetailerNOWmag.com

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thePlayers RetailerNOW

What we are so passionate about. . .

To have the courage to pursue purposeful dialogues that challenge conventional thinking, to engage and entertain our readers by delivering content that creates a fervent following ready to change the landscape of our industry.

RetailerNOW is the magazine for today’s home furnishings professional.

Developed for a specialized community, RetailerNOW brings a unique editorial focus on progressive and relevant issues concerning the home furnishings industry in the retailer’s voice, with a focus on issues impacting retailers NOW.

Q: What is your favorite Fall food?

Melissa Dressler Editor melissa@retailerNOWmag.com

Lisa Tilley Creative Director lisa@retailerNOWmag.com

Larry Carroll Account Manager larry@retailerNOWmag.com

Tim Timmons Associate Publisher tim@retailerNOWmag.com

Cindi Williams

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup garnished with bacon, sour cream and chives.

Business Development cindi@retailerNOWmag.com

Contact Information:

Editorial Collaborators:

Mailing – Editorial:

Mailing – Advertising

Andrew Tepperman, Tepperman’s Carol Bell, Contents Interiors Donny Hinton, Colortyme Marty Cramer, Cramer’s Home Furnishings Rick Howard, Sklar Furnishings Travis Garrish, Forma Furniture

3910 Tinsley Drive #101

2012 National Home Furnishings Association Officers

500 Giuseppe Ct., Suite 6 Roseville CA 95678

Marc Schewel, President, Schewel Furniture, VA Dianne Ray, Chairman, Garden City Furniture, SC Cherie Rose, President Elect, The Rose Collection, CA Rick Howard, Sr. Vice President & Treasurer, FL John Wells III, Sr. Vice President, Wells Home Furnishings, WV

High Point NC 27265 Online: retailerNOWmag.com Phone: Editorial: (800) 422-3778 Advertising: (800) 888-9590 Social: facebook.com/retailerNOW

2012 Western Home Furnishings Association Officers Angel Lopez, Exec. Committee Chair, Dearden’s, Los Angeles, CA Chris Sanders, President, Everton Mattress Factory, ID Valerie Watters, President Elect, Valerie’s Furniture & Accents, AZ Lael Thompson, Broyhill Home Collections, CO Chuck Kill, Treasurer, Bedmart, AZ Tom Slater, Slater’s Home Furnishings, CA

Twitter.com/retailerNOW Pinterest.com/retailerNOW

Subscription: $70/year

Southern Home Furnishings Association President:

Retailer Now, ISSN# 2166-5249 is published monthly (except March and December) by the Western Home Furnishings Association, 500 Giuseppe Court, Ste 6, Roseville, CA 95678. Application to Mail at the Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Roseville, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: please address changes to: RetailerNOW, The Western Home Furnishings Association, 500 Giuseppe Court, Ste 6, Roseville CA 95678.

If you would like to stop receiving RetailerNOW, please send an email to unsubscribe@retailerNOWmag.com.

If you would like to only receive an electronic version of RetailerNOW, please send an email to gogreen@retailerNOWmag.com. © 2012 National and Western Home Furnishings Associations. Published by the National Home Furnishings Association and Western Home Furnishings Association. Material herein may not be reproduced, copied or reprinted without prior written consent of the publisher. Acceptance of advertising or indication of sponsorship does not imply endorsement of publisher or National and Western Home Furnishings Associations.

The views expressed in this publication may not reflect those of the publisher, editor or National Home Furniture Association, Western Home Furnishings Association and Western Retail Services Corp. Content herein is for general information only; readers are encouraged to consult their own attorney, accountant, tax expert and other professionals for specific advice before taking any action.

Robert Dossenbach, Dossenbach’s Finer Furniture, NC

Southeastern Home Furnishings Association President:

Wogan S. Badcock III, President, W.S. Badcock Corporation

For a complete Board of Director listing, visit retailerNOWmag.com NHFA Staff

WHFA Staff Sharron Bradley, WHFA Executive Director • (916) 960-0345 Karpice Crawford, Membership Director • (916) 960-0346 Mike Hill, Member Services Rep • (916) 960-0263 Eric Malone, Member Services Rep • (916) 960-0291

NHFA

OC TOBER | 2012

Chili. When football season starts I always make a big pot of chili!—Karin Mayfield

Steve DeHaan, NHFA Executive Vice President • (800) 888-9590 x6124 Karin Mayfield, Sr. Director of Membership • (800) 888-9590 x6154 Jordan Boyst, Member Services Rep • (800) 888-9590 x6132 Dianne Therry, Member Services Rep • (800) 888-9590 x6167

National Home Furnishings Association

8

My favorite dish is one my grandmother used to make when we were kids, called Rolly Pollies. It is a version of stuffed cabbage that is covered in a layer of sauerkraut.

www.retailerNOWmag.com

WHFA

Western Home Furnishings Association

SEHFA SHFA

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association

Southern Home Furnishings Association

New England Chapter

President’s Message

The Leadership Moment

—A Message from the NHFA President

I believe that leaders are made, not born.

Late on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain was directed by his Brigade Commander to march his 20th Maine Regiment to Little Round Top—a promontory two miles south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—and position himself on the far left of the Union line, and “hold his ground at all hazard.”

After two hours of fierce combat, with one-third of his force dead or wounded, virtually out of ammunition, outnumbered two-to-one, Chamberlain ordered his remaining men to fix their bayonets. “Two hundred screaming soldiers surging down the slope brandishing their sharply pointed blades of steel struck terror in the hearts of their enemy,” and totally routed them.

Years later, the vanquished commander, Colonel William Oates, would write that Chamberlain’s, “skill and perseverance and the great bravery of his men saved Little Round Top and the Army of Potomac from defeat,” an encomium that became the stuff of legends.

Marc Schewel Schewel Furniture NHFA President

If such a claim borders on exaggeration, on another level, the Battle of Little Round Top was an indisputable turning point, a supreme leadership moment for this former Bowdoin College professor of rhetoric. Placed by chance at a most critical time and place, lacking the seasoning of regular army officers, drawing on mysterious reserves of courage and judgment, Joseph Chamberlain acted with calmness, decisiveness, and inspiration—arranging his men in the most efficient formation, executing a difficult sidestep maneuver, and, when all seemed lost, unleashing a desperate bayonet charge.

I believe anyone’s character and career can be transformed by a leadership moment.

For several years after the death of my father—whose entrepreneurial passion and dominating personality had propelled the growth of our company from a six-store enterprise to a regional chain—I had been content to delegate primary operational and personnel responsibilities to a long-term key employee and concentrate in areas in which I was more comfortable: merchandise and advertising.

In time it became apparent that this individual’s lust for power and intimidating management style was undermining company solidarity, eroding workforce morale, and impairing customer service. Even when repeatedly apprised of his abusive behavior, I declined to act, doubting my own ability, preferring the safe and easy course to an uncertain future—until several egregious incidents made it obvious that the situation was no longer tolerable.

In spite of the enthusiasm of Donald Trump, firing someone is never a pleasant exercise—although I admit that practice thickens one’s skin. Ultimately, however, the company’s well-being supersedes all other considerations, especially in a case like this one where the poisonous influence was so far-reaching.

But when it was done, it was a tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders, with surprising and invigorating consequences. My dismissal of this executive, who had been so disliked and distrusted, who had been regarded as my surrogate, since through paralysis and procrastination I had appeared to condone his arrogance, fostered a universal respect for me. Thrust by expediency onto a grander stage, I discovered talents and skills I never knew I possessed, took on duties I never thought myself suited for, and gradually matured into a confident decision-maker, coach, and counselor.

Like Joseph Chamberlain, so many of us have the capacity to inspire others to greatness, to make meaningful, necessary, and lasting contributions to our families, our professions, and our communities if, at the moment of truth, we rise up, act boldly, and claim our rightful leadership roles.

marc@schewel.com

Reference: Trulock, Alice Rains. In the Hands of Providence: Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: the University of North Carolina Press, 1992.

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www.retailerNOWmag.com

Problem Solved.

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Editor’s Message

from the editor

M

y name is Melissa, and I am addicted to Yelp. My addiction came slowly—I am surprisingly a late adopter of Yelp compared to most of my social media friends. I had been on the site a few times, read some reviews and moved on. It wasn’t until I was vacationing in Hawaii that I was bitten by the Yelp bug. In short, I had two vastly different experiences with local scuba diving companies, and both had asked for reviews on Yelp to help future travelers make a decision on where to dive. Well, let’s just say one place received five stars and the other received two stars.

Even though I am late at the Yelp game, your customer isn’t. Yelp boasts 15 million reviews—and it isn’t the only review site out there. The Internet has made information sharing very easy—which can be good or bad, depending on what the consumer has to share. You can also learn a lot about your customer just by reading a few reviews (in the five minutes I was on the site today, I learned that people really don’t like to wait more than a day for furniture—this might be a problem for our industry).

People are talking about your business online, whether you want them to or not.

Melissa Dressler Some go as far as to buy a URL to blog about how upset (to say it nicely) they Editor, RetailerNOW are with a store. Do you know what your customer is saying about you online?

The easiest tool to listen to your customer, and “see” what she is saying, is to set up Google Alerts.

It is free, and you will receive an email when anyone mentions your company name (if you are a well-known figure in the community, I would suggest putting an alert out on your name as well).

While you can’t stop what people are saying, you can address the issue firsthand and hopefully turn an upset customer into one that will return to your store. For more tips on monitoring your online reputation, check out this month’s Quick-Fire Marketing article on page 89.

This issue focuses on the bread and butter of your business—the customer. Without them, you wouldn’t be in business!

(916) 960-0385

Melissa@retailerNOWmag.com @retailerNOW

What I’m Loving Even though it is Fall, I am still attracted to the bright colors of summer. Sunny yellow makes me feel happy and the Hickory Albert Sofa has plenty of sunny yellow!

This classic piece was adapted from an American Federal period (1785-1820) sofa with a tight seat, gracefully curved top rail, and slender tapered posts with intricate Bellflower inlay.

Follow other products I love on my blog and on Pinterest.

Blog: www.retailerNOWmag.com www.pinterest.com/retailerNOW

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The Secret?

That ONE LOCATION is

Horich Parks Lebow Advertising.

Last year Horich Parks Lebow Advertising helped its clients ring up over $1 billion in sales. That’s billion, with a b. And that’s big.

Since 1982 we’ve been helping furniture retailers across the US build traffic, increase sales and market share, and get more out of every advertising dollar. We know the advertising business. But, more importantly, we know the furniture business. Whether it’s television, radio, digital, direct mail, print, store signage, or all the above, HPL creates home furnishings advertising that gets results. To find out how partnering with HPL can benefit you, look for us at our seminar on Sunday, October 14th, 11:45 - 12:45 in the NHFA Resource Center.

© 2012 HPL Adv.

101 Schilling Road, Suite 30, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, 800-878-8989 Call Brad Lebow during the market at 443-956-3538 to make an appointment.

Tech

TechNOW Good to Know

Connect with us @ retailerNOWmag.com

Retailers are you using any exciting new tech sites?

(800) 422-3778

What it means to go Viral Ever wonder why some YouTube videos, Facebook posts or Instagram photos get millions of hits, while yours maybe gets one? The difference is they have gone viral. The good news is, you don’t have to have a large following to go viral—it all starts with a small network of people eager to share.

Jeff Bullas, social media consultant and blogger, says the key to going viral is, “Online sharing, even at viral scale, takes place through many small groups, not via the single status post or tweet of a few influencers… Content goes viral when it spreads beyond a particular sphere of influence and spreads across the social web via ordinary people sharing with their friends… the median ratio of Facebook views to shares is merely 9-to-1. This means that for every Facebook share, only nine people visited the story. Even the largest stories on Facebook are the product of lots of intimate sharing—not one person sharing and hundreds of thousands of people clicking.”

Tech Terminology What is an “infographic”?

In this issue, you will notice many infographics, which have taken the techworld by storm. Infographics are a fun and quick way to learn about a topic, without a lot of reading (hey, we know you’re busy… infographics gives you info, FAST!).

Put it to Use Pinterest continues to be a hot social media tool for home furnishings retailers. Online retailer, Wayfair, has been creating contests with Pinterest, asking people to create boards and pin items from their site. Winners receive $10 gift certificates to Wayfair.com.

During a recent contest, traffic shot up with conversions increasing 107% and the average order size increasing 48%. Wayfair has seen their Pinterest followers increase by 47% since starting the Pinterest contests.

Apps, Revisited Instagram: In July, we shared with you how cool Instagram was, and what it could do for your business. It now has over 11 million users and has seen a 1,179% growth in users in the last six months! Retailers like RC Willey are starting to jump on the Instagram bandwagon, posting product photos, fun store shots and more.

Follow the RetailerNOW Instagram account during High Point Market and see our special celebrity guests!

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Gen Y

Boomers

Access multimedia sharing websites from work:

44%

24%

Believe using laptops or PDAs during in-person meetings is “efficient”.

17%

35%

The use of a laptop or PDA during inperson meetings is “distracting”.

69%

49%

Think it is appropriate to befriend a colleague on a social networking site:

38%

78% 33%

of Gen Y believe the Internet is as important as air, water, food and shelter.

83% of Gen Y sleep with their mobile device next to the bed.*

* Editor Note: Because it is their alarm clock!

www.retailerNOWmag.com

Your Voice Annual WithIt Professional Conference

Roving Reporter | LISA KAHN, Kahn Design Group The Annual WithIt Professional Conference was held in Raleigh, NC August 14-16 at the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel. It was my first time to attend, and I have to say that this was the most worthwhile conference that I have attended in YEARS! WithIt is an organization made up of professional women (and a few men) in the home furnishings industry with the purpose of: • • • •

Encouraging and developing leadership Mentoring Learning Developing networking opportunities

While there, I met other designers, manufacturers, sales reps, magazine editors and marketing experts. What a fascinating cross-section of individuals all involved with home furnishings, coming together with the goal of elevating each other, learning and exchanging ideas, finding motivation and giving support. I left inspired and ready to set the world on fire. How many events in your life leave you feeling that amazing?

We were entertained and enlightened by motivational speakers, marketing professionals, trend experts and other presenters that really touched on the core issues facing our industry today: • • •

Despite this substantive material, in truth, the most important things I took away were these three points: 1. There are other women out there just like you, facing the same issues, searching for answers and very eager to share ideas, war stories and solutions. You are not alone, even though we all can feel very much that way at times.

2. As women, we all have to reinvent ourselves and our businesses from time to time to accommodate our families, our dreams and just to stay relevant and interested. The process of reinvention is a lot less stressful if you have support from members and mentors willing to accept your calls and help you in any way that they can.

3. We all have gifts to share and reaching out to others, whether it is to offer a helping hand or to notice their efforts and share in their successes, really does come back to you tenfold. In elevating others, you cannot help but to elevate yourself.

If you have not heard of WithIt, I encourage you to visit their website at WithIt.org and attend an event in your area, go to an event they sponsor at High Point Market or better yet, attend their professional conference next August. It truly is an incredible organization made up of fabulous women who want nothing more than to connect and support each other in every way.

Challenging economic times Competition and marketing Differentiating ourselves and our businesses

Send your reading recommendation to melissa@retailerNOWmag.com.

Inspired Reading Hug Your Customers—

The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results A master of customer service reveals his secrets for developing long-lasting business relationships and customer loyalty “We shower our customers with attention.

There’s no doubt in my mind that our philosophy can be applied to selling just about anything—from aircraft engines to beanbags,” said Jack Mitchell. The only way to stay in business is with customers, and Jack Mitchell knows how to attract them, and how to keep them.

At a time when customer service has become the difference between success and failure, Hug Your Customers shows how Jack’s one-of-a-kind philosophy brings the results you’re looking for.

Suggested by Noah Tepperman, Tepperman’s

www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2

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Your Voice

2

Retailer Retailer Q HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR MARKET? Left: Rick Howard

Sklar Home Furnishings Boca Raton, FL

Right: Giff Gates

Gates Home Furnishings Grants Pass, OR

We prepare for Market by looking at our open to buy report and try to determine what needs to be replaced on our floor. This is a process that helps us start to focus on our needs long before we leave for Market. The last thing we want to do is just go blindly into showrooms, as it is a bit like going to a grocery store when you are hungry!

I love Markets, and preparation is key. The following are some of the ways I prepare:

We then prioritize the “must see” vendors, those we should see, and those that we will likely visit. We pay attention to the ads and invitations to know about new products that could help us.

5. A month before, I also start requesting the sales team to give me a laundry list of items that they are getting requests for that we do not stock.

We organize by building so that we are not wasting time running back and forth and getting tired. This way we are able to cover everything on our list and still have time for some surprises that will always turn up.

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1. I make appointments with all my key vendors a month ahead so I can get all the time slots I want.

2. My appointments are mostly 30 minutes long with the exception of my largest vendors that may need a bit more time.

3. My appointments are scheduled not only by time but by floor and building so that each appointment is close to the next.

4. I try to get the seminar schedules ahead of time, so I can also slot in two or three that hold interest for our operation.

6. I run inventory analysis reports to give me hard data on what items need to be dropped and what areas we are weak in.

7. I like to get my airline tickets and room reservations well in advance.

8. I call Dave Harkness, Harkness Furniture, to find out what fun he has in store so we can tag along to the best shows and restaurants.

9. I bring some current inventory stock status reports for those vendors who have market specials.

10. During Market, I make copious notes and actually do most of my buying on the way home or by the Friday of market week.

www.retailerNOWmag.com

GE Capital

WE’RE NOT JUST BANKERS, WE’RE BUILDERS. At GE Capital, we’re not just bankers, we’re builders. With 80 years of experience you can count on us to be there for you and your customers. Of course we bring great financing options, but we also bring you real expertise to help you grow store traffic and sales. Randy Stewart, Relationship Manager at GE Capital delivers proven industry expertise to Grand Home Furnishings. Randy Lundy, Sr. VP, CFO at Grand Home Furnishings knows that it’s the people at GE that make the difference.

With GE Capital you can be sure people like Randy Stewart are ready to help you build your business every day. Stop just banking. And start building. gogecapital.com

Randy Lundy Sr. VP, CFO, Grand Home Furnishings

Randy Stewart Relationship Manager, GE Capital

Consumer-ology

Do you you really know what women want in their shopping experience? We turned to the source, asking female consumers through Facebook and Twitter, what they really want while shopping for home furnishings. Here it is, in their own words:

What do you expect out of your furniture shopping experience?

FROM THE BOOMERS

FROM GEN X

I expect good customer service and knowledgeable sales representatives.

It is always nice to have a sales rep who will listen to you regarding what you are in the market for and make suggestions to narrow your search. I also expect good quality merchandise at a reasonable price.

I look for: salespeople that are friendly, knowledgeable, educated, good listeners, and have good taste.

Playland babysitting for the kids, yummy meatballs, and hours of postshopping assembling.

—Christine Samson, Gen X

— Paula Allen, Baby Boomer

I want their help, but when I want to be alone and think about my furniture purchase, I don’t want them “hawking” me, when I’m trying to think and be creative.

Since we don’t have a truck, delivery service is very important to me.

I expect to see prices posted, options for fabric/leather color and where it’s manufactured. I also want brochures to take home with places on it to take notes. It would be really helpful to provide competitor pricing and how that store beats it. A wide variety of styles.

— Colleen Heidenreich, Baby Boomer For the furniture to be available.

I want to pay a fair and reasonable price.

—Jerri Rush, Baby Boomer A good selection of products and helpful salespeople, but not pushy.

Also, I like to take naps on the mattresses while I am there… just kidding!

— Tammi Rivers, Baby Boomer

— Roni Garrison, Baby Boomer

For there to be a nice variety of furniture displayed with matching pieces to give you an idea of what it will look like when it’s in your home.

— Lacey McCoy, Gen X When I shop, I want diverse options, great guidance and an amazing environment.

—Ruth Furman, Gen X I want service. I want to walk into a store and be treated like a princess whether I am wearing my Minnesota Vikings sweatshirt or my Dolce&Gabbana business suit.

—Katie Riodan, Gen X Age range: 66-48 18

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Age range: 47-32 www.retailerNOWmag.com

Consumer-ology

FROM GEN Z

FROM GEN Y I expect floor samples and vignettes that give me an idea of what the furniture could look like in my own home. I like when there are samples of other fabrics that pieces are available in. I like my salespeople to be there when I need them, but not constantly hovering, asking if I need anything.

I also like when a salesperson asks me what style and price I am looking for and introduces me to a product I may not have thought about. I am generally the person who investigates everything online first, then goes into the showroom to make sure I like it.

The one thing that drives me mad is no prices online. If there isn’t a price on a couch online, I won’t even bother going into the store to look at it. Even if there is an asterisk next to the price that says, “prices may vary”, at least I would know what the ballpark is.

If there is something new or on sale, it’s nice if they point it out.

— Amanda Moreland, Gen Y Age range: 31-15

I expect to be able to sit on and try out the furniture. I hate being hassled and like to browse myself, but be able to ask a question if I need to. I like to see the furniture in a room with decor around to imagine how to decorate the entire room with the furniture.

—Dory Stratman, Gen Y When I am shopping for furniture, I expect to get a good idea of what I’m looking for online before I head into the stores. I like to do a price comparison, read reviews (if available), and get different design ideas on websites such as Pinterest. While in the store shopping, I like to get a tactile sense of what I looked at online and get a salesperson’s advice or tips. I do not shop at furniture stores where the sales team is overly aggressive for commission-based transactions.

— Laina Lerma, Gen Y RESPECT! Don’t assume the man is making the final decision!

—Sarah Williams, Gen Y

I expect to find good quality furniture that wont break or wear down quickly and for it to be comfortable. I also expect it to be in a variety of colors to be able to match the rest of the furniture I might have.

—Kayla Maslonkowski, Gen Z

And the male perspective…

When I am FORCED to go furniture shopping—I want in & out QUICKLY.

—Dan Jaeger, Baby Boomer

Editor Note: Any time you are dealing with generations there is often overlap in characteristics. For example, a 32 year old Gen X will act more like a 31 year old Gen Y. Sources vary but this gives you a close approximation.

Age range: 15 & Younger

www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2

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220 S. Elm Street, High Point, North Carolina 27260 T 336 884 8220 F 336 884 8253 220elm.com

INSPIRED Selection Location Amenities

Casana

October 13-18, 2012

Palliser

W. Schillig

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Consumer-ology

HOURS SHOPPING

2 5 1 8 4 The average woman will spend 25,184 hours and 53 minutes buying things in her lifetime.

Women have a lot of pocket power. In fact they have $7 trillion worth, which accounts for half of the GDP. They also influence 80% of all buying decisions in a home.

60% Of all personal wealth in the U.S. is held by women.

50%

Women’s Spending Power

GDP=15 Trillion

More than half (58%) of all women say they never unplug.

There’s no question that women love to shop. In fact, 74 percent of women think about shopping every minute of the day! With the addition of online and mobile commerce, women can literally shop 24/7.

Here’s some interesting facts about women in the digital shopping world.

30% of women who

follow a retailer on Facebook said

they have actually purchased a product or service from a link posted on the site.

At least 62% of all women multi-task while consuming any form of media (TV, radio, reading newspaper/magazine, using the Internet and cell phone).

Detailed Product Information & Clear Images

Customer Reviews

“Customers also bought” suggestions

Pick up from Store Option

Speedy Checkout Process

Timed Deliveries

What eCommerce features are important to women when shopping online? (percentage of women that said it is important)

Women want advanced visual features on websites—they want to see various options for sofa fabrics or coffee table colors.

42% of women say

online promotions and coupons are

important factors in their mobile shopping experience.

Women are more likely to shop

online during their lunch hour.

12-1 p.m. is prime time for purchases.

61% of women want easy online checkout for shopping, and 44% of women say search is important.

Sources: Women in their Digital Domain: Digital Paths to Seeking, Sharing & Shopping Extrabux.com www.styleite.com http://www.internetretailer.com

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Consumer-ology

WHY DOES GEN Y BUY? Generation Y spends an estimated $20 billion in online purchases yearly A closer look at who Gen Y is, what makes them tick, and what they want from our businesses uncovers a pattern none of today’s family business leaders have dealt with before.

First, check out four areas Gen Y considers before purchasing a product or service: `` Low cost

Knit cap hides rising hairline under guise of youthful fashion (yes, some are already balding)

Turn-by-turn navigation app ensures he never has to look up to see where he is going top activities involve technology

`` High quality `` Fast service `` Personal connection Internet meme from 3 days ago*

More than 50% often share information about interesting products with their friends.

have a have personal Internet on computer their mobile devices

Music, Facebook and Texting Device

Expensive accessory to legitimize claims of creativity Gen Y is:

Creators and Trend Setters: 30%

Gen-Yers that own a personal electronic device

Critics: 34% Collectors: 18% Joiners: 57% Spectators: 54%

Skinny jeans necessitate external placement of keys

Inactives: 17%

50%

1 of only 12 pairs hand sewn by a small sect of silent Japanese monks

90% Gen Y influences at least 50% of auto purchases and 90% of the apparel purchases in their homes

`` Gen Y-ers desire an authentic relationship with the sellers of the products they buy.

“Throwback” design replicates original style from 2004

See page 95 for bio 22

*An Internet meme is a concept that spreads via the Internet. It could be an image, video, hyperlink or a phrase.

Consumer-ology

By David Lively

I

n 1975, Jefferson Starship hit No. 3 on the Billboard Charts with Miracles. In the highest-charting single the band ever recorded, Marty Balin wrote, “If only you believe like I believe, baby, we’d get by. If only you believe in miracles, baby, so would I.” Generation Y believes in miracles. Born between 1980 and 2000, they are the most optimistic generation to ever walk the earth. They refuse to work at a job that does not bring them a sense of joy. They care about their faith and serving their community. Gen Y embodies the possibility of everything Baby Boomers thought they wanted for the world.

Reaching the 71 million “Millennials” that spend over $200 billion annually and will soon replace the Baby Boomer generation as the largest percentage of the workforce is tough. How many times have you heard that they don’t watch TV, and they don’t read that much? Research tells us we can’t target them through VH1 or MTV anymore, and there’s certainly no telling Gen Y what is cool. Same old, same old marketing simply won’t work!

Gen Y cut their teeth on the American ideal that they can do anything or be anything they wanted. Silver spoon fed by their Baby Boomer and Gen X parents, they believe in living first and working second. If you’re the parent of a Gen Y (or a Baby Boomer without kids), I suggest you stop whining and embrace the forever changed landscape. The Summer of Love will never return. This powerful “we” group is here to stay and they are about to take charge.

Look at how these companies speak to Gen Y: JONES SODA VS. COKE Coke would “like to teach the world to sing” the same song in harmony, while upstart Jones Soda encourages their customers to “say yes to my Jones” and create their own custom label.

SOUTHWEST VS. AMERICAN AIRLINES Flying became mainstream during the last 40 years, but its course changed when Southwest brought low fares, open seating, the best on-time departure stats, and an understanding that fun would trump the Admiral’s Club all day long.

WHOLE FOODS VS. KROGER Planning a meal, learning about new products, and having dinner with friends is a way of life for the Whole Foods customer. Quality you can smell, touch and taste welcomes you from the moment you walk in the door at Whole Foods.

APPLE VS. F.Y.E. The music experience changed forever when Apple created the 99-cent download that took eight seconds to complete—amazing quality, low cost, and instant satisfaction all wrapped up in one powerful device.

These subtle differences have made a measurable impact. We live in an age where information is everywhere, and everyone has a fair shot at reaching Gen Y. However, this community is VERY selective about who they listen to. Just take a look at their Pinterest boards and Facebook walls. They get their information from one another—NOT from a retailer or a marketing company, and certainly not from the media.

Gen Y cares about what their community says, and they take each other and their network’s suggestions seriously.

If your business continues to promote price and item via newspaper, TV, or even direct mail using bought lists, you will continue to experience diminishing returns. Staying in touch with Gen Y happens primarily via text and instant messaging. If you can produce non-slick video of your products and services, they will watch your YouTube channel. Even websites and email marketing have passed their prime. Each are must haves, but they cannot support your communications efforts with Generation Y. Gen Ys are doers. They like to go and try the things they are interested in. This “experience” approach to life holds true in your stores as well. They do not want to be told what to like or what to do. They want to see what interests them and pass their own judgment.

They live a real, authentic life, and they want to share it with their friends. Genuine is cool. Genuine is hip. They don’t waste time on companies that are not being real with them.

An overhyped “scream and shout” promotion will not keep them coming to your store. For every visit won by a shock and awe campaign, you will lose a hundred visits when they badmouth you to their friends. These folks have seen it all, from televised wars to 9-11 to the killing of Bin Laden. They know “real” when they see it!

Ask them what you should do. Of course, you have to mean it when you ask. If you don’t have a Gen Y kid or employee, go spend time where they hang out. Work from a campus coffee shop or deli a couple of days a week. When there are networking events that include them, change your schedule and get there. Go to the concerts and movies that are red hot. (Just be careful not to act like a creeper.) Experience life with them. Respect them. If you do, you will be changed!

These strategies will help you find your audience with this generation and earn their respect—and their money.

David Lively, partner at The Lively Merchant has over 25 years handson experience in the home furnishings industry, from the warehouse to the sales floor to the boardroom. You can reach David at (800) 549-9206 or david@thelivelymerchant.com.

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Conscience

Consumer-ology

How to Market to People Who Are Not Like You

By Kelly McDonald

I

f you could grow your business simply by marketing to your existing customers, making money would be a cakewalk. But to generate new revenue, you have to win over the customers you’re not getting. Who are these mystery customers? How are they different from your current clientele? Most importantly, how do you forge a bond with them across their differences? Forget “spray and pray” promotion. It’s time to narrowcast, get to know, and then deliver a welcoming message to a specific group. You have to research new customer segments and learn what they need.

Then modify your product offerings to communicate that you value that customer. You say to them, “I see you, I value you, and I want you. I’m putting out this welcome mat just for you.”

The marketing environment has become more complex, and consumers have become more sophisticated. No longer does the old “spray & pray” method of marketing work—putting your message out there as broadly as possible and hoping it will hit a majority of your prospects. What’s changed? Two main things: technology and the massive shifts in U.S. demographics.

Technology has allowed us to laser in on only the things we are interested in, we can access information and do comparison shopping more easily than ever before. The power is firmly in consumers’ hands, and social media and networking make it easier than ever to share referrals and comments about a business, good or bad. 

1 in 3 Americans are not White 1 in 6 Americans are Hispanic 1 in 4 American Children are Hispanic

Consumer-ology

The second factor that affects marketing now is the “new America”. The latest Census information reveals startling findings: one in three people living in the U.S. is not White. One in six of us is Hispanic. Among children, that ratio shifts to one in four. African-Americans are moving to suburbs at a pace that’s never been seen before. And rural counties are losing population to metropolitan areas.

Get rid of the “onesize-fits-all” mindset Every company, brand and organization is trying to increase business these days. One of the fastest and start marketing to and most effective ways to increase business is by individuals. Recognize targeting market segments based upon our differences, the differences: rather than our similarities. This approach challenges Gender traditional marketing thinking, wherein you target a group based upon commonalities. But I believe Age the better approach is to market to what makes a Race group unique and different. When you focus on what makes someone the individual that they are, it’s Life Stage usually less about the color of their skin or their age and more about their values. Our values point to Language what our priorities are and that almost always points Sexuality to where the money is.

Hobbies This is where “marketing to people who are not like you” comes in. Diversity marketing is the new norm, and Special Interests this doesn’t simply mean racial diversity. Diversity comes in many forms: gender, race, age, life stage, language preference, sexuality and hobbies or special interests are all ways in which people’s differences are recognized. By recognizing these differences

comfort is in the details.

www.natuzzieditions.com

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CRAFTED BY PASSION

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and tailoring your product, message or marketing efforts to reflect consumers’ uniqueness, you are validating the importance of a consumer group.

Let’s use the Boomers as an example.

Baby Boomers are a large and powerful generation, with more disposable income than any other consumer segment. Smart marketers are realizing that Boomers need certain products as they age, yet Boomers refuse to see themselves as old. They demand products that make them feel young. Hence, products such as eyewear have been forced to adapt to give Boomers what they want and need: bifocals without lines and frames that are hip and contemporary.

To market your company, your products or service most effectively, think about ways in which your customer prospects differ rather than how they are the same. This may be counter-intuitive to how you usually think: we are so conditioned to thinking of our customers with a specific profile, sort of a “one-sizefits-all” mindset. By focusing on differences, rather than similarities, you can create sub-profiles of your target prospect. Then, get to know your target sub-groups. What are they like? What are their concerns? How do they spend their time? What is most important to them? What do they value?

For example, Hispanic consumers often choose more brightly colored home furnishings than non-Hispanics.

One furniture retailer I spoke with in Texas told me he’d received a bright red sofa into his inventory and he was nervous that it may not sell quickly.

But it flew out the door—a Hispanic family bought it the day after it was placed on the showroom floor. This retailer has since experimented with other furnishings in bright colors and is cultivating a large and loyal Hispanic customer base because he changed his inventory to cater to Hispanic tastes in home furnishings.

Another example, if you are targeting Asian-Americans, who happen to

Consumer-ology

Asian-Americans have the highest household income of any ethnicity in the U.S. of Asian-Americans use the Internet have the highest household income of any ethnicity in the U.S., you may want to focus your efforts online. Seventy-six percent of Asian-Americans use the Internet, compared to 68 percent of other Americans, and more than two-thirds actively use social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. When you focus a potential PureHome sampleon color palette customer who is not like you, you will uncover new customers, new ideas and even new products and services that will help you grow your business.

The Census tells us something very important: that we, as a nation, are becoming less of a homogenous group of people.

We are, in fact, becoming many, many diverse groups of people. Learning how to market to people who are not like you will help you grow your business, your profits and your customer loyalty.

By thinking about differences, identifying new key customer groups and digging deep into the hearts and minds of these individuals, you can uncover their values, and that, in turn, will lead you to how to market effectively to them. It is no longer about mass marketing. It’s about micro-marketing and marketing to people who are not like you. Expand your thinking to focus on differences, and you will most certainly expand your business.

Kelly McDonald is a marketing and advertising expert based in Dallas. Her company, McDonald Marketing, was twice named one of the top ad agencies in the U.S. by Advertising Age magazine. www.mcdonaldmarketing.com Her book, “How to Market to People Not Like You” was Number 7 on the list of bestselling business books for 2011. She can be reached at kelly@mcdonaldmarketing.com or (214) 880-1717.

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Where do your customers live?

Without your customers, you wouldn’t be in business today. But what do you really know about your customer? Where do they live, and how do they live? Here’s some interesting data about people living in the U.S. today.

The U.S. is the third most populous country in the world.

Most Populous States

Least Populous State

California: 37 million+ Texas: 25 million+ New York: 19 million+ Florida: 18 million+ Illinois: 12 million+

Wyoming: 500,000+ Vermont: 600,000+ North Dakota: 600,000+ Alaska: 700,000+ South Dakota: 800,000+

(number of residents)

(number of residents)

700k

Arriving— Cook County, IL: 67,351 Leaving— Cook County, IL: 75,455

Top 10 Counties People Are Moving To (# of households)

600k

Top 10 Counties People Are Leaving (# of households)

37m

800k 500k

12m

Arriving— Riverside County, CA: 50,026 Arriving— Orange County, CA: 50,573 Leaving— Orange County, CA: 52,541 Arriving— Los Angeles, CA: 99,773 Leaving— Los Angeles, CA: 122,992

Arriving— San Diego, CA: 57,825

25m Arriving— Maricopa County, AZ: 57,410 Leaving— Maricopa County, AZ: 60,817

Leaving— San Diego, CA: 55,387 Note: The only two top 10 counties that have a net gain or loss are: Riverside County with far more people moving to the area and Queens with a net popuation loss for the area.

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Arriving— Harris County, TX: 67,299 Leaving— Harris County, TX: 65,395 Arriving— Dallas County, TX: 54,388 Leaving— Dallas County, TX: 56,233

,

There is:

:07 One birth every 7 seconds :13 One death every 13 seconds :44 One international migrant (net)

,

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the resident population of the United States is:*

LATEST NEWS

every 44 seconds

As of September

12 seconds

2012, The Federal

:12 Net gain of one person every

Reserve is buying

34.9% rent 65.1% own

$40 billion of

Rent vs. Own Percentages of Americans who own or rent their primary residence.

mortgage-backed bonds every month, with no

80.7% Urban

600k

deadline in sight.

19.3% Rural

The bonds should translate into lower

Urban vs. Rural

19m

Do more people live in Urban or Rural areas?

Urban 80.7% Rural 19.3%

Arriving— New York, NY: 64,847 Leaving— New York, NY: 64,472

mortgage interest rates, speeding up the housing

Most Populated Cities New York, New York Los Angeles, California Chicago, Illinois Houston, Texas Phoenix, Arizona

Arriving— Kings County, NY: 49,129 Leaving— Kings County, NY: 53,196 Leaving— Queens County, NY: 48,120

market recovery, and hopefully lifting the overall

PERSONAL CARE

CASH CONTRIBUTIONS

6.6

5.4

2.2

1.2

3.4

economy. Could we start seeing more Americans purchasing homes?

MISC.

EDUCATION

16

INSURANCE & PENSIONS

ENTERTAINMENT

34.4 3.5

HEALTHCARE

APPAREL & SERVICES

(percent of paycheck)

TRANSPORTATION

12.7 1.7

HOUSING 3% on furnishings

FOOD

18m

ALCOHOL & TOBACCO

How does the average American spend their paycheck?

Let’s hope so!

11.2 1.7

*at press time

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census

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Consumer-ology

And they served us espresso while the kids watched a movie.

SIT DOWN SHUT UP& BLOG

By Bill Napier

I live in Minnesota, where neighbors judge your “manliness” not by the car you drive, or by the clothes you wear, but by the size of your snow blower. So what does this have to do about blogs, I’ll explain.

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Consumer-ology

Wow what an amazing shopping experience!

business—you know, to get “leads” that will hopefully turn into sales? Most retailers “blast” their messages via TV, radio, print, e-blasts and more in the HOPE that consumers will absorb the message and act on it. That is defined as “Outbound Marketing” and is the traditional way of reaching consumers.

Dave loved it!

The Internet has changed everything, and as I’ve “lectured”, consumers will FIND YOU, when they want to, where they want to and how they want to. The consumer is in control We suffered through a massive 120+ inches of and they are finding content that is “relevant to them”, not snow in 2011 and I had a cheap/value-based snow what you may think is relevant to them. blower that couldn’t blow out my driveway, much This transformation is defined as “Inbound Marketing” less throw the snow over our 8-foot drifts. My and blogs lead the way. One reason may be that inbound driveway shrank with each snowfall to the point marketing costs 61 percent LESS per lead than traditional a two-car driveway looked more like a sidewalk. I marketing.

Now we all know what it costs to get the made a decision to buy a new one for the winter consumer through the door… 61 percent is a lot of savings. of 2012—a beast—maybe something with a few So, let’s start out with a couple of facts that you may not be adjustments could be “street legal”. aware of about blogs: I went to the usual places: Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc., looked at all these “mouthwatering models” and made a decision to buy a brand that was made in Wisconsin. I knew Companies that blog this brand, grew up with it and assumed it would receive 88% more leads do the job. It was a beast. per month than those I was hooked and wanted to buy. My wife that do not blog convinced me to wait, until she “did her research”.

Yep, she reads “blogs”, consumer reviews (miniblogs) and a lot more. Guess what, everyone said 61% of women that are it was non-reliable, broke down a lot and rated active blog users say it as a DO NOT BUY. So we didn’t. Instead we they’ve made a purchase “ordered” the model that had rave reviews and it decision based off blogs had an electric start to boot. It was awesome, and I only got to use it twice in 2012… go figure.

We did what consumers are doing every minute 57% of businesses have of every day. They are researching information, acquired a customer reading reviews, getting new ideas, learning, through a blog listening and engaging—online.

Blogs are essentially articles that people write.

The difference is that anyone can write a blog The average consumer and be published on the Internet for millions of consumers to have access to. Once powerful, reads 5-7 blogs per day newspapers and magazines, (where consumers used to get their information and ideas), are quickly becoming irrelevant. It used to be, in the old media, you would have one writer write about Companies that blog the home; now you have thousands, and they can be found with simple searches on the Internet. get 55% more website visitors Before you completely ignore or skip this article, think about how you are marketing your

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Consumer-ology

Just start with a singular goal: Direct them back to your website to educate, inspire, motivate and engage with the consumer.

Think about how you aggregate your news on the Internet.

You may go to news aggregating sites like CNN, MSNBC, Drudge or Fox that aggregate the type of stories and opinions “you prefer” to read. Think about decorating sites that you may “bookmark” for ideas. Think about how you make a high-end purchase; a car, services and more: Do you read the reviews, the articles, the “mini-blogs”? If you don’t surf the Internet this way, you are missing out on unlimited access to ideas, information and new ideas.

Not convinced? Well look at these scary numbers: The number of Direct Mail never opened The number of people actively skipping TV ads

44% 86% -

Print advertising revenue, adjusted to inflation, is close to what they made in 1950!

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So, what are consumers looking for with blogs? According to Hubspot here are the areas where consumers utilize blogs/articles to influence a purchase decision. ``Decide on a product or service: 21% ``Refine their choices: 19% ``Get support or answers: 19% ``Discover new products/services: 17% ``Re-assure themselves on a decision: 14% ``Inspire a purchase: 13% ``Execute a purchase: 7% Still not convinced? One blog website aggregator, StumbleUpon, drives 50 percent of all social media traffic in the United States. Facebook drives 37 percent and Twitter drives 3.3 percent.

The reason StumbleUpon and similar sites are so attractive, is that YOU control what content you want aggregated.

You log in to your account, choose the content YOU want and they aggregate all the news and information that “you wanted”, all in one place. The news doesn’t get old, because they add over 2 million pages of new content every month.

And this is only one, there are many more.

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The same is somewhat true with Pinterest when people “subscribe” to their interests. Think Yelp for restaurant and local business reviews. All of these “snippets” are blogs/interactions, in one way or another. But that’s not all; a great blog also helps you immensely with SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Google Rankings and more. This plus the ability for your content to go viral to their friends, family and more, just expands your store’s brand.

You see it’s all about content and it’s all about placing relevant content on the Internet where people are searching for answers to their wants, needs and desires. If done right, they’ll find you, your website and ultimately your store—and they will visit you educated and knowledgeable.

So here is what you need to do to get relevant with a series of blogs on your website: Determine what you want to blog about. I suggest you educate consumers on your products first.

Talk to them about different products for their life style based off their life stage.

You have so much “slang” in this industry that you use to shop furniture markets for your stores.

Teach the consumer; educate them, because a better educated consumer will spend more, if they believe the real and perceived value of a product is worth the investment.

Brands You Carry As my previous article showcased, consumers have a brand awareness quotient for furniture that is equivalent with the ratings for Congress. So if the manufacturers won’t tell the story, you must!

Talk about the brand’s attributes. Do they use hardwoods, are their springs 8-way hand-tied and what does that mean? What is the foam density and why is that important? Is it made in America? All of these blogs/articles/

stories educate the consumer and an educated consumer is easier to sell than an uneducated one.

Leather Upholstery Explain the differences between vinyl, bonded leather and leather. Help them make an educated choice about the products and why they are priced different— price, durability, maintenance, etc.

Continued 

Educate them about leather. Use this starting blog as a way to talk about the different leather grades and how they differ in look, style and feel. Remember to a consumer a “good hand” probably means a handshake, not the feel to the hand.

Video blogs would be awesome for this presentation.

There are so many subjects you can blog about that consumers want to be educated and inspired with. The list can be endless, as could a new stream of revenue—all for just putting your knowledge and ideas in a blog to share with the wired world.

The great thing about blogs is you have so many outlets to push them out on: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Delicious Fabric Upholstery and so many more, all with the singular goal in mind: Here again, educate them. We all know that the fabric Direct them back to your website to educate, inspire, quality dictates most of the sofa price, so explain it to them. motivate and engage with the consumer. It’s hard work, but no one ever told you retailing would be easy.

Decorating and/or Design Tips Want more? Go to www.social4retail.com where we have If you’re not an expert, consider engaging one. Look for a hundreds of articles, infographics and more to help you local designer that has “chops” and ask them to blog for create, guide and deploy successful marketing solutions you. Have them use new product intros, or other products integrating the web with social media. you carry, in their blogs. Rather than pay them, give them a blog area on your website with back-links to their website. About Bill Napier: Bill is a specialist in creating, guiding and deploying successful Create a “push-pull” relationship that works for both. marketing B2B & B2C solutions integrating traditional marketing strategies

Wood Furniture Discuss the difference between a solid wood, veneer and laminate. Again, depending on the lifestyle and their life stage, this should help the consumer determine the “short or long-term value” for their needs.

with the web and social media. He has worked in the home furnishings industry for over 12 years, as the chief marketing officer for some of the industry’s largest manufacturers and creating some of the largest promotions ever launched within the industry. Contact Bill at bill@social4retail.com, (612) 217-1297 or www.social4retail.com.

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Insights on the iPad shopper

By Aaron Wadler

Marketing aphorism No. 23: The more you know

about your target audience, the more likely you are to drive them to conversions.

So who uses the iPad to shop?

I

t’s a question worth answering.

Let’s follow the statistical trail of several studies and see where it leads.

Shoppers on the iPad now include vast numbers

55 million iPads have been sold up to the end of 2011, according Some information on Apple’s to Apple, and are expected to ubiquitous tablet falls in line with nearly double by the end of this what you would expect: Adobe’s year. With that volume, we’re far Digital Marketing Insights report beyond the early adopter and tells us that nearly one-third of electronically curious. It’s hit iPad owners have an annual in- mainstream and then some. come greater than $75,000, and Further, 29 percent of iPad users gently skews towards the 18-34 say that convenience drives their demographic. shopping simply because they

That’s prime real estate for mar- spend a lot of time using it. It’s in keters, but not too surprising. their hands, and they’re surfing These tablets cost money, and the Web. Why wouldn’t they use new electronic toys generally it to shop online, too? tend to attract a younger crowd.

It’s the other data gathered that Other scintillating details about people who shop provides a real eye opener. on tablets: Top purchases on the iPad hh 69% of tablet owners make (and what we can learn from them) a purchase on their device every month According to Zmags and their Equation Research survey of hh 51% use a tablet to fill what 1,500 U.S. consumers, 53 percent would previously have of iPad owners who responded been “dead time” said they had purchased elechh 44% said they would not tronics on their Apple tablet. want to be separated from Again, no big surprise. People their tablet with an electronic device are hh 42% said that their tablet likely to be interested in other changed communication electronic devices. But that’s with friends/colleagues not all.

These numbers from studies 41% had also bought books by inMobi and Mobext are dif39% had purchased toys ficult no, impossible, to ignore in 33% had bought music online marketing.

27% went for clothing

Now that we’ve answered what the iPad shoppers are like, it’s time for a bigger question: How well is your current site serving their needs?

The average iPad shopper isn’t average at all.

Now the picture alters of Mr. or Ms. iPad shopper (women eke out a slight majority lead of iPad ownership at 52 percent.)

Let’s form a composite picture.

She or he is most likely college educated (hence the books and income); has children (the toys); and lean toward easy, instant gratification (the music).

That leaves one other highly interesting revelation: over 1/4th of the respondents said they had purchased clothing. That’s right, clothes.

Selling clothes via the Web can often be a tough nut to crack.

People like tangible items in this field. They like to try things on. See how they fit. Get friends’ instant opinions.

Since we don’t have that 23rd century hologram app yet, how do mCommerce clothes fit the standard iPad shopper profile?

Answer: That general profile has expanded—and widely. Now more niche markets are open on tablets, thanks to the iPad’s sheer breadth in numbers.

Aaron Wadler is founder and CEO of ShopPad, www. theshoppad.com, the leading tablet optimization company for ecommerce. Before ShopPad, Aaron was founder and CEO of Viddyou Inc—the first full HD video sharing company. Viddyou was acquired by Motionbox in 2009.

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thoughtfully designed for the way people work • play • relax See these best-selling collections, our other Pinnacle Award-winning designs, and our newest introductions in our High Point showroom, IHFC C1258.

Consumer-ology

The Social Customer

By Kim Miller-Hershon

It’s time for you to take notice of consumer trends in social networking and mobile commerce. The good news is that there are great marketing strategies that will bring you more foot traffic, more revenue and more profits. We’ll look specifically at the demographics of people on social networking sites and mobile commerce, and make sense of them in the context of your business. We want you to be able to use this information to grow your business.

Who are the people who use social media and why should you care?

According to a 2012 Pew Internet Research study, more woman use social networking sites (71 percent of women who use the Internet versus 61 percent of men). Their primary purpose is to connect with friends and relatives. Women are also more active on these sites.

People 18–49 years old are most likely to use social networking sites. You should not discount 50–64 year olds either because 50 percent of those that use the Internet are also on social media sites. Race and ethnicity don’t play a differentiating factor in social networking, as 64 percent of Whites who use the Internet use social networking, 68 percent of African Americans, and 72 percent of Hispanics (English and Spanish speaking).

Education also isn’t a differentiating factor because 62 percent of high school grads and 67 percent of college grads use social media. Household income gives us much the same findings: 69 percent of people making between $30,000 to $49,000, 60 percent of people making $50,000 to $74,999, and 69 percent of people making $75,000 or more use social media. In terms of geography, 69 percent of people living in urban settings, 65 percent of people in suburban and 64 percent of people in rural settings use social media.

According to Alexa.com’s global traffic rank for September 2012, Facebook is the most popular social networking site with 750 million unique visitors per month. Twitter is second with 250 million unique visitors and Pinterest is third, and growing rapidly.

What you should be thinking right now is that you can’t afford NOT to use social media in your marketing strategy!

If over 50 percent of your customers are using social networks to connect with friends and family, you need to make your store and your merchandise “top of mind” for them to share. No matter what your target market is, they are using social media.  www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2

39

Consumer-ology

How can you capture your customer and prospective customer’s attention on social media?

target market is already engaged and primed for your campaign!

Design a contest for Facebook and/or Pinterest and ask your customers to post pictures of themselves and their families using your merchandise. Remember, it’s emotions that sell.

Also, think about how you can get your customer to interact with you, and share with their family and friends.

Do research by going on social networking sites and looking at what your competition is doing. Pay attention to how much interaction there is. For instance, how many “fans” or “likes” are there for a particular campaign? With Pinterest, how many people are following a person or pinboard? Figure out an angle that will work for your business, and put it into action. One of your goals should be to increase traffic—to your social networking site, your website, and your mobile app, if you have one.

According to a study by RichRelevance, Facebook generates more socially driven shopping sessions (87 percent), but Pinterest users spend more once they are on the site ($168.83 per order compared to the $94.70 that Facebook users spend).

Based on the statistics, you can generate traffic to your website (and possibly new sales opportunities) by increasing your social networking presence. The beauty is that your

Get even more excited about mobile commerce!

If the information about social networking isn’t compelling enough, the information about mobile commerce will make you a convert. Pew Internet Research did a study of mobile phone usage during the 2011 Holiday season, and found that more than half of adults with cell phones used their phones while they were in the store to get help with purchasing decisions.

Here’s what they found during a 30-day period before and after Christmas:

of cell owners used their phone to call a friend while they were in a store for advice about a purchase they were considering making

of adult cell owners used their phones to look up the price of a product online while they were in a store, to see if they could get a better price somewhere else

of cell owners used their phone to look up reviews of a product online while they were in a store

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Consumer-ology

Taken together, just over half (52 percent) of all adult cell owners used their phone for at least one of these three reasons over the holiday shopping season and one-third (33 percent) used their phone specifically for online information while inside a physical store—either product reviews or pricing information.

It’s extremely important that you get ahead of the curve and capitalize on this trend. If you look at the data over time, it’s clear that social networking and mobile commerce are capturing more and more of your customer’s time and attention.

One of the best, and simplest, ways to capitalize on smartphone use is to use QR codes in your store. Attach QR codes on your tags so a customer can get more detailed information about a product. If you have the information available in a medium they are going to use anyway, you have a better chance of keeping the customer on your site versus competitors’ sites.

Also, with the instant availability of price comparisons, it’s critically important for salespeople to be able to clearly articulate your value proposition. Price isn’t everything, as anyone who has tried to return an online item knows.

The statistics form a convincing argument for having a social networking and mobile marketing plan. Over 50 percent of Americans, in every socioeconomic, gender, age and educational category use social networking. Over 50 percent of shoppers used their cell phones, in the store, to influence their buying decisions. There is only one conclusion you can make from these facts: you must use these mediums for marketing and increasing your profits!

Kim Miller-Hershon is Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer of DesignINSIDE, where she is a Business Development Coach and creator of mobile marketing and apps. You can reach her at: kim@designinsideinc.com.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A

HOW MUCH MORE DO THEY SPEND?

75%

MORE THAN

of U.S. consumers spend more with a company because of a history with good customer service

9%

Nine in ten consumers say they’re more likely to buy a gift from a company after having a good customer service experience

61%

of consumers report that good customer service is more important today in this economy

Customers are more discerning today

BUSINESSES ARE MISSING THE MARK Regarding customer service in this current economy, do people think that businesses...

Does your customer service experience usually...

Exceed expectations?

Meet expectations?

Miss expectations?

Increased their focus?

Pay less attention?

Haven’t changed their attitudes?

32% 26% 34% U.S.

26% 24%

6% U.S. 4%

44%

58%

34% CANADA

CANADA

MEXICO

61%

29%

37% 27% 34%

2%

51% 45%

MEXICO

24% 24%

1%

41% 54%

51% FRANCE

FRANCE 2%

21% 28% U.K..

AUSTRALIA

INDIA

U. K. 2%

24% 33% 39% 22% 11%

56% 38%

45%

55% 39%

AUSTRALIA 11%

66%

61% 25%

INDIA Percent of Respondents.

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MOST BUSINESSES HAVEN’T CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD CUSTOMER SERVICE. When customers have to stretch their dollars further, you can bet they’re not going to tolerate poor customer service for longer than they have to. With the exception of India, businesses everywhere haven’t ramped up to address this issue.

VERY FEW EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. Sure, most businesses in countries around the world meet customer service expectations but do they go the extra mile?

Consumer-ology

HOW CAN THEY MAKE CUSTOMERS LOVE THEM?

EMBRACE PERSONAL COMMUNICATION An overwhelming amount of customers from all over the world would prefer real or face-to-face communication to solve customer service issues over less personalized modes.

How do you want the company to resolve your customer service issue(s)?

90% 75% 67% 47%

Speaking with a “real” person on the phone

U. S.

Face to face

Company website or email

http:/

90% 79% 72% 38%

/

Online chat

U. K.

89% 80% 65% 38%

91% 83% 71% 72%

CANADA

MEXICO

90% 85% 68% 33%

79% 78% 71% 54%

AUSTRALIA

FRANCE

92% 87% 81% 73%

INDIA

WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THEY DON’T FIX IT:

A Cautionary Tale

Consumers will lose their temper

They will tell their friends how bad their customer service was

Have you ever lost your temper with a customer service representative?

How often do you tell other people about your poor customer service experience?

Percent that answered: “Yes”

U.S. CANADA MEXICO FRANCE U.K. AUSTRALIA INDIA

= 10% U.S .

CANADA

59% 35% 4% 2%

62% 32% 3% 3%

MEXICO 70% 27% 2% 1%

16

16

19

U.K .

62% 33 % 3% 2%

13

FRANCE 64% 30% 4% 2%

15

AUSTRALIA 65% 31% 3% 1%

INDIA 56% 36% 6% 2%

35

23

Average # of people they tell

All the time Rarely Sometimes Never

www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2 See page 95 for bio

43

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And there are no wrong answers.

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Call your Leggett & Platt representative to learn more.

Visit our showroom at

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[ ornamental beds ] © 2012 Leggett & Platt Consumer Products Group, a division of Leggett & Platt Incorporated

Consumer-ology

Putting It All Together

for Internet Marketing Success

By Sev Ritchie

Two Models of Success Based on Learning What the Customer Wanted and How to Give it to Them

W

e often hear retailers say, “Social media just doesn’t work in my market,” or “Don’t waste your time, social media marketing doesn’t work!” I can safely say, unless you live in a few remote areas of the U.S., social media marketing does work—if you know how to do it right. The consumer is visiting these sites to find out information, share and connect to you and your business.

As we travel the country visiting clients, talking to people on the retail floor and listening to consumers, we often ask what is working, which products are selling and what effects various forms of marketing are producing. What we have learned is that collaborative marketing is effective in the three core areas for successful Internet marketing: XX Audience Gathering XX Audience Enticement XX Audience Conversion If all marketing efforts in place are working in tandem, the continuity for the consumer reaps great dividends.

Have doubts? Check out these real life stories of retailers, just like you, that have seen tremendous results by utilizing a combined approach.

In December 2011, a two-store retailer in the Northeast had a Facebook presence, but only had about 300 “Likes” and no audience gathering strategy. He had a website, but it lacked appeal to the female consumer, and there were very few conversions via the shopping cart. Lastly, he was spending a great deal on Google AdWords due to the website’s lack of relevancy on search engines (a.k.a. weak SEO). All of this totaled to very few online conversions.

A strategy was developed to create a new website with female appeal, integrating keywords, tagging words within the website to ensure SEO success, and the establishment of Facebook promotions/contests to create audience interaction and audience gathering. Facebook ads replaced the AdWords spend to drive consumers to the Facebook contest(s) and audience gathering areas. Also, a shopping cart was integrated into the Facebook Page. The retailer started to cross promote the Facebook contests and new website on all TV, radio and print spots. Every piece of marketing that went out illustrated the same promotions.

After launch, the initial Facebook contest took the number of “Likes” from 300 to 3,500 over a six-week period. Every contest entrant provided a valid email address, physical address and phone number. After the contest period, a promotional offer in the form of a store coupon was sent to every non-winner. As a result of the collaborative marketing, the Facebook contest drove a shopping cart conversion rate of 3.2 percent. Beyond that, over 20 coupons were redeemed in the retail locations.

Let’s look at the ROI analysis—The costs of development were as follows: $5,000 for website construction $1,500 for Facebook graphics and contest module $2,100 in Facebook ads $599 for monthly website hosting (including eCommerce and product updates) $399 for monthly Facebook hosting and content development Total Investment: $9,598 The revenue derived was as follows: Shopping cart sales: $37,200 In-store Sales: $32,240 (Note: More sales are attributable but only coupon-related sales were counted—Other sales were sourced as “Web” totaling: $107,800) Total Sales: $69,440 Total Sales including “Web” sales: $177,240

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A bedroom store learns through analytics that their customer would rather shop for the living room.

Image: Lexington Home Brands, Monterey Sands Collection

Is this level of return acceptable for your store? Are you analyzing your ROI in this manner? Bear in mind the capital expenditures for the website and graphics are already paid for and still reaping benefits.

Another example comes from a family-owned bedding store in Southern California. They were considering a GOB sale, and were very disappointed with the level of store traffic. In addition, they felt as though they were getting very little traffic on their website despite strong population density but were skeptical that a website overhaul and reputation management could help. They decided to try it. The site was overhauled and analytics were tracked weekly. Along with creating a new website, they worked hard to get positive customer reviews on Yelp. With a better search engine optimized website, it started appearing on the top of search pages when consumers were seeking home furnishings products.

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After a few weeks, the analytics indicated that their customers were interested in their living room assortment (small footprint) that they exhibited on the floor. Despite being a bedroom store, consumers were seeking a more expanded category offering. They introduced additional categories including dining room, and are now up 45 percent. The store has been expanded an additional 7,500 square feet, and they enjoy a five star rating on Yelp. They responded to the pursuit of their consumers based upon a review of analytics. They are now adding eCommerce to enhance their results.

These are not isolated cases. There are retailers throughout North America who are seeing growth because they are responding to their consumers with a sound Internet strategy. All it takes is a commitment to continuity that ensures all media is working in tandem.

Sixty-one percent of all consumers begin their search of home furnishings online. It is imperative that retailers ensure they are there when consumers in their market(s) are searching. It is important that the website, and all other consumer facing pieces, be visually appealing. Thereafter, and most important, there has to be a conversion strategy. How are you going to get consumers to respond to your offers?

Are your offers compelling? What types of conversions am I receiving?

Embrace the power the Internet and social media are providing. The growing success stories are related to those retailers who embraced Internet marketing and integrated it into their marketing mix. May you have tremendous success.

Sev Ritchie is the Executive Vice-President of Web4Retail (a division of Keniston & Company). He has been involved with Internet marketing since the early 90s, and has earned the prestigious C.E.C. designation, Certified eCommerce expert. For more information, visit www.web4retail.com.

• • • Being portable for sales, inventory or business analytics is key for any Home Furnishings retailer. Using a PC, tablet or smart phone to work inside or outside of your store is critical in this day and age of technology.

THINK MOBILE

Your designer meets in the customer’s home to create the shopping cart and check inventory availability for delivery.

The warehouse staff needs to quickly receive an item to load it on the delivery truck. The owner or manager is traveling and wants to get a quick glance of their daily or monthly business analytics. All of this can be done with a tablet or smartphone.

Myriad Software understands how important it is to be mobile.

Whether it’s to close a sale or review the important aspects of your business, a tablet or smartphone will provide access to your business management system in or outside of your daily operation.

So if you’re looking for a business system that allows you to work when you’re in your operation and on the go, think Eclicktic™ and Eclicktic™ BE Mobile.

Contact a Myriad Software sales representative @ sales@myriadsoftware.com

See us at the High Point Market October 13th – 17th Plaza Suites, Main Floor NHFA Retailer Resource Center

1-800-676-4243 • sales@myriadsoftware.com www.myriadsoftware.com www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2

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Consumer-ology

The Path to a Purchase

How long does it take for a consumer to decide to make a purchase? GE Capital recently conducted a consumer research study and found that it takes 89 days for the consumer to finally make a decision on purchasing furniture.

By Jim Seger, GE Capital

Here are the five major steps:

61

%

of major purchase shoppers start with

1

ONLINE RESEARCH

to narrow products and brands

BACK TO THE WEB

67

%

WHAT CAN I AFFORD? HOW WILL I PAY?

decide how to pay for their major purchase before BEST DEAL? they go in-store

94

MAKING THE PURCHASE

make % oftheirconsumers major purchase

68%

2

IN-STORE RESEARCH to experience and finalize product selection

3 ADVICE FROM FRIENDS & FAMILY

4

$

? #

5

in-store

of furniture Cardholders said the AVAILABILITY of financing drove their final choice of retailer.

This information was obtained from the GE Capital Retail Finance Annual Major Purchase Shopper Study, which surveyed more than 3,000 shoppers nationwide, comprised of 2,000 GE Capital Retail Bank (GECRB) accountholders and 1,000 random shoppers who recently made a major purchase on a single item of $500 or more in seven segments, including home furnishings. GE Capital: We’re not just bankers, we’re builders. GE Capital is an extension of GE’s rich heritage of building and supporting growth. We provide smart financing and the know-how of GE to help our customers’ capital go further and do more. www.gogecapital.com.

Make financing a part of your sales process and see how it can help drive sales. Call NHFA at (800) 888-9590 or WHFA at (800) 422- 3778 to get started with in-store financing through GE Capital.

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INDEPENDENT FURNITURE RETAILER

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PROFIT MANAGEMENT PROMOTIONS

I H FC , M A I N W I N G , T H I R D F LO OR No trip to High Point Market is complete without a visit to the temporary exhibits in Pavilions on Main 3. Occupying the entire third floor of the Main wing of IHFC, Pavilions on Main 3 features a unique and diverse mix of products ranging from furniture, accessories, wall art, rugs, outdoor/casual and more. Be sure to allocate time to visit Pavilions on Main 3 while at Market.

W W W. I MC E N T E R S .COM / H IG H P OI N T M A R K E T

Consumer-ology

Consumers, Shopping & Social Media

We know consumers are utilizing social media, but how does it influence their shopping experience?

Percentage of shoppers who said a social media network influenced a recent store visit:

How do shoppers use mobile devices in-store?

73% Facebook

55% Compare prices

38% Google Reviews

34% Scan a QR Code

35% Groupon

27% Find a review

23% Yelp

19% Download an application

14% Twitter

17% Complete a survey

5% Foursquare

9% Write a review 8% Tweet about an experience

Source: Empathica

Feature Online Shopping On Your Website E-Commerce Websites for Furniture Retailers and Manufacturers packages starting at

$399 per month

Call 1-877-536-4786 to sign-up

Visit www.Web4Retail.com for more info

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51

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What’s Selling

What’s Selling

Every month, What’s Selling Now features best sellers from across the country— in different styles, categories and price points. Here’s what’s selling now…

Submitted by: Lynn Glick

Cost: Seven piece set container landed $730

Store Name: Rotmans Furniture

Retail Price: $1,499

Location: Worcester, MA

Product level: Intermediate-Better

Manufacturer: Legacy

Why do you think it is a successful seller: Transitional styling and generous table length—104 inches can easily seat eight people—looks wonderful in an open floor plan off the kitchen

Product Name: Woodland Ridge Counter Height Dining Set—model #9440 Is the product:

Made In America: No, China

Warehouse ready: Yes to fill between container shipments

Container Product: Yes

Made in America

How available is the product from the manufacturer: Generally in stock on mixable containers—60 days Additional information about the product: Fabulous finish and matching server

Warehouse Ready

Container Product

Look for these symbols to let you know more about the products:

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What’s Selling

What’s Selling Give your manufacturers some love, and they might return the favor! Let us know what’s selling in your store, and your best selling products could be featured in RetailerNOW. Send information to: melissa@retailerNOWmag.com

Manufacturer: Sunny Designs

Submitted By: Tim Koerner

Product Name: Sedona Collection of casegoods

Store Name: Koerner Furniture Location: Coeur D’Alene, Idaho Manufacturer: La-Z-Boy Product Name: Recliners Is the product:

Made In America: Assembled in America

Warehouse ready: Yes

Container Product: No Product level: Low to High Why do you think it is a successful seller: La-Z-Boy is back, creating products people want, at a great price. The new Power Recliner (pictured) has been well received.

Is the product:

Made In America: No

Warehouse ready: Yes

Container Product: Yes Product level: Medium Why do you think it is a successful seller: A good look for the money. Well done design and relevant for the rustic buyer.

How available is the product from the manufacturer: Lots of product available.

How available is the product from the manufacturer: This product is very available from the manufacturer.

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MORE ON EVERY LEVEL

Las Vegas Market January 28–February 1, 2013 TO DAY ’S TOTA L M A R K E T P L AC E www.LasVegasMarket.com

Reimagined. Reenergized. Reinvented.

This is the new Las Vegas Market — join us.

Winter 2013 brings you a more inspired buying experience filled with:

More new lines to make your store stand out

More introductions to excite your customers

More emerging trends to freshen your offerings

More exciting home furnishings, accessories and décor resources than ever!

To learn more and register: www.LasVegasMarket.com ©2012 World Market Center Las Vegas LLC. All rights reserved.

making it BIG keeping it EASY

HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY June 2-4, 2013

NHFA WHFA

National Home Furnishings Association

Western Home Furnishings Association

www.homefurnishingsconference.com

—TweetChat #HPmkt Communities are forming all around you, and you might not be aware of it. The online community is a bustling place where people are commenting, sharing and brainstorming. Tweet Chats are a popular way for many in the Twitter community to get together and discuss a specific time. They simply pick a day and time, then ask questions and offer tips to anyone following the chat. A hashtag (e.g. #RNOWchat) is created, making it easy for anyone to participate.

Recently High Point Market and Décor Mentor partnered to host the #HPmkt Fall Preview Chat. Here is a small selection of highlights and sneak peeks from the #HPmkt Preview Chat

(there were over 1,000 tweets in one hour!). *

Anatomy of a Tweet Still don’t understand how to read a Tweet? Here’s how to break it down: Person who is sending the Tweet

Stands for “Retweet”

Hash tags allow users to categorize Tweets and are easier to search in Twitter.

Only 140 characters allowed in a Tweet. Better (b abl 2) talk in shorthand #tweet

RetailerNOW: RT Check out the awesome #subscribeNOW campaign we r launching during #HPmkt with @HPMarketNews http://ow.ly/dMCNT Use the @ sign to mention another Twitter user

Another hash tag

DecorMentor: Decor Mentor is excited to host this sneak peek chat in collaboration with @HPMarketNews! Cheminne is Marketing VP & open to ?? re #HPmkt Henredon_Furn: Hello everyone! #hpmkt DecorMentor: Welcome ALL #HPmkt new #furnishings sneak peek! Decor Mentor cohosts—@JennBrouwer @EMIIntDesign @designerkati @LisaLKahn @elainewdesigns DecorMentor: Cheminne @HPMarketNews & I see clear trends in our top picks tonight. Wonder if you will pick up what they are by end of preview?! #hpmkt DecorMentor: Decor Mentors going to #HPmkt in Oct have curated top 32 items from a pre market preview. Hang on!

We are sharing them all in next hour!

HPMarketNews: Early birds get the first secret—look for some BIG news about the #HPMkt hashtag immediately after Oct. 13-18 Market!

DecorMentor: Ready ladies @EMIIntDesign @designerkati @JennBrouwer @LisaLKahn @elainewdesigns to start sharing your TOP PICKS? #hpmkt EMIIntDesign: Oh yes! Ready to share Top FAVs :) @DecorMentor #hpmkt DecorMentor: TOP PICK: How much do you love this modern wing from @crlaine debuting Oct #HPmkt http://t.co/TX9EV9yS CreateGirl: Always love their pieces! RT @DecorMentor: TOP PICK: How much do you love this modern wing @crlaine #HPmkt http://t.co/2HCsqxn7 #HPmkt

C.R. Laine: Cordell Chairs 310 N. Hamilton St. S-201.

HPMarketNews: Hi, everyone! Ready to give you some early #HPMkt news, answer questions, and maybe give away some secrets!

Shortened URLs are important with only 140 characters. URLs are case sensitive

JennBrouwer: @JennBrouwer @FeizyRugs @pinterest http://t.co/2AhLd1d2 Check out my top pick! #Hpmkt Designerkati: Since I’m a contemporary girl myself I’m partial to the clean lines of this end table from @PlatinumDecor http://t.co/gkAtOx4y #hpmkt LisaLKahn: I am CRAZY about this new cabinet from Habersham—fabulous shelf detail! #HPMkt http://t.co/5rS0AWp4 FeizyRugs: @JennBrouwer Thank you!! :) We hope to see you at #hpmkt!

DecorMentor: Where you’ll find Decor Mentor at Oct #HPmkt http://t.co/VsJdXdpZ [ All Decor Mentor/Elevate @220Elm events + seminars we wouldn’t miss! ] IMREHomeIQ: Already trending...geometric shapes! *like* #hpmkt

*Tweets were lightly edited for spelling but were mainly kept in original form.

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Your Voice

Habersham: Treasures Nassau Home Theater—Market Square 191 & 1-802 Made in America Pavilion

Continued OliosDesign: Excited to be attending #HPmkt for the first time this fall! @hpmarketnews DecorMentor: TOP PICK: Lexington Home Brands @LexHomeBrands - Tommy Bahama Home Ivory Key {indoor} collection #HPmkt http://t.co/puoYUyr5 HPMarketNews: @OliosDesign Be sure to check out our tips/ tricks for first-time buyers here: http://t.co/V8y2jy44 #HPMkt JennBrouwer: I have mad passion for this Top PIck @globalviews you’ve done it again http://t.co/cmLbeoYm #Hpmkt @Decormentor LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Pearsonfurn: Hey, @elainewdesigns, I love the lamp you chose http://t.co/RNqEKSpH #HPMKt Designerkati: Also loving the mod details of this chest from @johnstrauss http://t.co/dVBo2zN4 #hpmkt HPMarketNews: Here’s another sneak peek - cool installation going up at #HPMkt. We call it the The ‘Living’ Dining Room!

More soon! http://t.co/uzUyCFex

Lexington Home Brands: Tommy Bahama Home Ivory Key {indoor} 1300 National Highway

DecorMentor: TOP PICK: Take a close look. Unexpected turned legs & tufting on this old school sofa by Innovation @220Elm #HPmkt http://t.co/gp6UfX9x LisaLKahn: Next Top Pick for me? This incredible light fixture made with recycled glass. J’adore. http://t.co/UEnd8aiL #HPMkt CreateGirl: This chat is fantastic! I am finding so many new vendors to visit at Market! Tomorrow buying more chic flats for running around! #HPmkt IMREHomeIQ: #trend spotted - Leather, rock, metallic tones galore - back to bold earthy tones this fall it looks like! #hpmkt DecorMentor: TOP PICK by @LisaLKahn from her new @ChelseaHouse_ collection http://t.co/xUeXvxgs #hpmkt DecorMentor: Christina Siriano presented pretty collection at #MBFW as seen on @quintessenceblg http://t.co/JH4CZF0k !

He will also be speaking at #HPmkt hillsidefurni2r: @LeslieNewby @JennBrouwer @GlobalViews Gorgeous! Grey is really making headlines! So beautiful when put together with a solar flair! #HPMkt HPMarketNews: Super-secret event - Christian Siriano trunk show 10/15 @9am! #hpmkt Davemasin: Love the @chelseahouse item http://t.co/ WeYdWe2D. Can’t wait to buy it! Can @masinsfurniture have it exclusively:) #hpmkt

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Gus*Design Group: Carmichael Loft Sofa—IHFC H512

See more picks @ Pinterest.com/ HighPointMarket

DecorMentor: TOP PICK by @elainewdesigns is GORG bedding from @easternaccents http://t.co/FlLUIMMW #HPmkt HPMarketNews: @Houzz_inc presenting exclusive consumer research 10/15 @noon, HP Theatre, and it’s free! Also enter to win an iPad at event #hpmkt IMREHomeIQ: #Trend—Clean lines on sofas & credenzas in top picks hail to 60s 70s contemp furniture *like* #hpmkt Designerkati: TOP PICK: don’t forget accessories. New direction from my friends @kobstudio http://t.co/33PNEFGc #fairtrade #hpmkt IMREHomeIQ: Bridging #intdesignerchat and #hpmkt chat here - what color trends are we seeing for fall mkt? #hpmkt DecorMentor: We are seeing textures, @geinteriors, amongst new products for #HPmkt, #intdesignerchat, like shagreen and oxidized zinc!

IMREHomeIQ: From the #hpmkt top picks boards - looks like earthy and metallic tones are popular #intdesignerchat #hpmkt JuliaRosien: Hope you’ll join me at #hpmkt with @KathyIreland & @AngeloSuremlis at the always anticipated @WithIt Breakfast: http://t.co/Ha6Vy0nX EMIIntDesign: TOP PICK : Love this Modern sofa , fused with Traditional and contemporary sensibilities Gus*Design Group http://t.co/6t7VuwQX #hpmkt JennBrouwer: Now that was a chat!!! I have #Hpmkt carpel tunnel from my speed typing and pinterest repinning @decormentor SO FUN!! Im winded :) HPMarketNews: Want to be on TV? Find out how at free event 10/14 @noon in HP Theatre! #hpmkt @NTurnerDesign @DesignerShay @LoriDennisInc @TheDesignCamp DecorMentor: GREATLY appreciate all who joined in tonight for #HPmkt preview chat. Huge thanks also to @HPMarketNews for pulling 140 images together!

Elainewdesigns: That was a fast chat! Thanks for joining everyone. See you at #HPmkt Thank you, @DecorMentor for hosting!

www.retailerNOWmag.com

Three great companies.

One place to be.

IHFC C926 bedroom dining room occasional accents home office home entertainment casual dining youth

Everything your customers are looking for, all in one place.

www.americandrew.com www.hammary.com www.leafurniture.com

Lessismore. ( More savings, that is. )

Rocking for Charity

By Melissa Dressler

Al’s Furniture is housed in a remodeled 1904 Stoddard School, located four miles outside of town.

F

our miles outside of Modesto, CA, surrounded by almond and walnut trees, sits an old schoolhouse, the home of Al’s Furniture. “When people call us and want to know what is across the street, we tell them ‘walnuts’. Then they ask, well what’s across the other street?

‘Almonds.’ There is nothing around us, so it is kind of unique. And when people drive out here, they are serious about buying furniture,” owner Rick Walker said.

Being four miles outside of town doesn’t deter people from showing up for events though. When the schoolhouse was remodeled in 1985, Al’s Furniture purchased enough food for 400 people, and it was eaten within an hour and a half. Another event that drove in the crowds was the Nifty Fifty Car Show.

For 13 years, Al’s Furniture hosted its annual Nifty Fifty Car Show, bringing out car enthusiasts and raising money for the Special Olympics. Over the years, Al’s raised a quarter of a million dollars for the organization. As times changed, Al’s had to stop holding the annual Nifty Fifties Car Show, but many

Tanner with his parents testing out rockers at Al’s Furniture.

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A.

of the friendships Rick and Kerry made over the years held on.

A few months ago, one of Rick’s friends from the Car Shows, Mike Summerlot, called and said he needed help. Mike’s grandson Tanner had been born with his heart on the wrong side of his chest, and because of this, he and his family spent many nights in the UC San Francisco hospital. The hospital only had one rocker to share between the nine pediatric rooms— and Tanner would only be calm when his mother would rock him in the rocking chair. “Unfortunately, every time Tanner’s mom would get up to use the restroom, someone would take the rocking chair and put it in their room,” Rick added. “Mike said he would wire my next car for free if I could find a way to get more rockers to UC San Francisco. That really got me thinking, and I wanted to find a way to help.”

Rick and Kerry had already attended local fundraisers in support of Tanner, but he wanted to find a way to get additional rocking chairs to the hospital so no one had to go without. For years, Rick has worked closely with Best Furniture out of Indiana, so he called his sales rep, told him the story and asked if they could give him a discount on eight swing rockers. “It took a couple of weeks before I heard back from them, but then I received an email saying that Best Furniture would donate four rockers for free, and I would only have to purchase four.

That just made me ecstatic,” Rick said.

The rockers were delivered to Al’s Furniture in early September, and plaques are being created saying the rockers have been donated in honor of Tanner by Al’s Furniture, Modesto, and Best Furniture of Indiana.

A group from Al’s Furniture and the Summerlot family will be donating the rockers in person to the UC San Francisco staff.

“We are just a small mom and pop store, and it is really rewarding to be able to help someone and see instant gratification,” Rick said. “I know people will be using these rockers for years. There are many stores out there that do great things, but when you know someone personally, you want to take that extra step to get involved. This all started with Mike making a suggestion. While I wouldn’t expect for him to wire my car, his offer got the lights turned on and made me want to help.”

B.

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A: Al’s Furniture owners, Rick and Kerry Walker.

B: Store Managers, Dan Pedersen and John Perry of the Blues Brothers, during a past Nifty Fifties Car Show.

www.retailerNOWmag.com

final mile. leave an impression.

At Zenith Global Logistics, the service provided by our uniformed home delivery teams is purposefully impeccable. Our extensively trained specialists carefully inspect and deluxe items before delivery. They blanket wrap and pad furniture prior to transit, and keep upholstery pristine by handling with white gloves. Above all, they are dependable, timely, and courteous. So when you need to leave a lasting impression during final mile deliveries, call on Zenith Global Logistics. We understand that when you want to provide a true red carpet experience, Every Move Counts.

PO Box 969

•

Conover, NC 28613

•

800.937.3876

•

ZenithCompanies.com

Domestic LTL Freight // Domestic Warehousing // Domestic Home Delivery // Ocean Transportation // International Warehousing & Consolidation

Member Marketplace

Member Marketplace In-Store Financing

Every Day, Every Dollar

Save 10% or more on your check guarantee processing.

Why go it alone? You have access to the lowest EVERY DAY financing rates in the industry PLUS rebates back to you with the Association In-Store Financing program.

Our EVERY DAY financing rates are based on over $400 Million in Annual Volume

Check Solutions

This complete check guarantee program allows you to process your single check transactions, all at member pricing.

Check Guarantee

hh Exclusive program features:

 Checks authorized in seconds  Funds deposited immediately  All equipment supplied by CrossCheck

hh Dedicated marketing & client relationship team

Multiple Check Options

hh Open to buy reports & consumer sweepstakes sponsored by GE Capital

Now you can offer a 90-day multiple check option.

This no recourse, non-credit based approval process gives you the ability to let customers pay over 90 days.

hh Furniture industry insights and case studies hh Consumer spending statistical data hh Members-only holiday specials A simple one-page dealer application will have you transacting in less than 7 days!

CALL TODAY FOR THE RATE SHEET and HOLIDAY SPECIAL PROMOTIONS

Alternative Financing CREDITSOURCE Help credit challenged customers.

Get a second chance at making the sale by offering alternative financing.  Advertise “No Credit Check”—increase traffic by 50%  No dealer recourse  Quick approvals  Members only pay a flat 6% discount rate  Set-up fees are waved

Bankcard Processing Easily establish your lowest bankcard rate with no hidden fees.  Deposit into your own bank  No conversion or set-up fees  No minimum volume required  No monthly statement fees  No transaction fees Quick, seamless transition with no interruption in business

CALL YOUR MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND GET STARTED!

NHFA

National Home Furnishings Association

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WHFA

Western Home Furnishings Association

Retailers East of the Rocky Mountains, call (800) 888-9590 SEHFA SHFAwww.nhfa.org

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association

OC TOBER | 2012

Southern Home Furnishings Association

Retailers in the 12 Western states, call (800) 422-3778 www.whfa.org

www.retailerNOWmag.com

NHFA

National Home Furnishings Association

WHFA

Western Home Furnishings Association

SEHFA

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association

S

fall market

National Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings Association

All Retailers Welcome

The Retailer Resource Center

a

h er e s t r

it all

st

Retailer Lounge • Seminars • Resource Marketplace

October 13-18, 2012 1st Floor of Plaza Suites South Main Street High Point, NC

Your ASSOCIATION New England Chapter

National Home Furnishings Association • www.NHFA.org • 800-888-9590 Western Home Furnishings Association • www.WHFA.org • 800-422-3778

NOW Market Highlights SATURDAY, October 13

1st Floor of Plaza Suites - 222 South Main St.

Retailer Resource Center at High Point Market

8:30 - 9:30 am

How To Sell Value Instead Of Price

Most salespeople end up selling price instead of value (especially the average, to below average performers). If they understood the mathematical formula, they would close more often and with larger tickets. The net results: more value, more margin and most importantly, more customer relationships.

Presented by: Philip Gutsell - GutSELL & Associates - gutsellassoc@gmail.com

10:00 - 11:00 am

Four Ways To Grow Your Business

Today retailers are at a crossroads…Where should I invest my advertising? What do I do with social media, and which ones are important? With the economy, how do I grow my business? In this fast paced seminar Doug Knorr, president of Knorr Marketing will present the four major things you can do to increase sales NOW! Presented by: Doug Knorr - Knorr Marketing - dougk@knorrmarketing.com

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Before & After

Martin Roberts will share recent projects demonstrating how clients have chosen to renovate or redesign their stores in order to “sell more, more often.”

Presented by: Martin Roberts - M Roberts Design - martin@mrobertsdesign.com

1:00 - 2:00 pm

App”y” Marketing—Increase Sales With Your Own Mobile App!

The world of mobile marketing is happening, NOW. You need to wake up and do whatever you need to do to take advantage of this extraordinary marketing opportunity. Are you going to be a part of it, or are you going to let it pass you by because it intimidates you? Do you want to attract new, young customers that will buy from you for years to come? Are you ready to move your company into the new age of marketing to attract those customers? Mobile apps are an affordable, accessible and powerful means to reach your customers and perspective customers.

Come to this workshop and find out how to create an app, market it and use it to supercharge your sales results.

Presented by: Kim Hershon-Miller - DesignINSIDE - kim@designinsideinc.com

2:30 - 3:30 pm

So You’ve Got A Website. Now What?

Many retailers have a website but are struggling to maximize its impact. This session will show you steps to turn your website into a traffic generator for your store.

Presented by: Bob George - Impact Consulting Services - bobgeorge@impactconsultingservices.com

4:00 - 5:00 pm

Don’t Sell, Help Them Buy!

He who talks the most buys! This seminar will show you how the million dollar writers do it every year. Mr. Egger, CEO of Profitability Consulting, will make this the most profitable hour of your time at market.

Presented by: John Egger - Profitability Consulting Group - john@profitabilityconsulting.com

NHFA MARKET SEMINARS SERIES

Every High Point Market in the Retailer Resource Center 1st Floor of Plaza Suites | 222 South Main St., High Point, NC

Market Highlights

NHFA MARKET SEMINARS SERIES

1st Floor of Plaza Suites - 222 South Main St.

8:30 - 9:30 am

NOW

SUNDAY, October 14

Retailer Resource Center at High Point Market

The Outlook For The Furniture Industry

Furniture industry guru Jerry Epperson will once again enlighten us with his furniture research expertise, the current state of the furniture industry and how it affects you today and tomorrow.

Presented by: W.W. “Jerry” Epperson, Jr. - Mann, Armistead & Epperson, Ltd. - wwe@maeltd.com

10:00 - 11:30 am

Let Buy-Gones Be Buy-Gones!

Yes, it’s a difficult economy. Yes, consumers are proceeding with extreme caution. Get over it! It’s time to quit making excuses for lousy sales figures and take control! Join retail strategist Connie Post for a fast-paced, no-holds-barred, take-no prisoners plan for updating your store with can’t miss ideas for getting on-trend and on-track! PLUS five must have paint colors to jazz up your store in 2013.

Presented by: Connie Post, CEO - Affordable Design Solutions - missconniepost@aol.com

11:45 am - 12:45 pm

New Ideas From Promotional Retailers To Drive Traffic & Sales

Have you fallen into a promotional rut, running the same events with the same media support week after week? It may be time to change your sale events, alter your media mix and step up your creative. We’ll show you the top performing sale events, from retailers around the country and give you insights into media strategies to help maximize your ad budget.

Presented by: Charles Horich, Brad Lebow, Chip Hector - Horich, Parks, Lebow Advertising - blebow@hpladv.com

1:00 - 2:00 pm The Changing 401(k) World—Fee Disclosures & Fiduciary Liability The presentation will go over the changing laws involving 401(k), specifically fee disclosures and the difference between a Broker Dealer and RIA Advisor, Employer Liability & Additional Protections and Discounts afforded by the RIA model.

Presented by: Joe Youngblood, III - Hamilton Benefits - jyoungblood@hamiltonbenefits.com

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

The Art Of Merchandising

Today every inch of your sales floor is critical. Every dollar you invest in your inventory is critical. Ineffective merchandising strategies lead to negative sales trends, cash-flow issues, overflowing warehouses and also jeopardize vendor relationships. How can you possibly afford to not fully understand how to capitalize on every inventory dollar? During this seminar you will gain a greater understanding of what the top merchandise managers in our industry do, in order to manage their open-to-buy dollars and ensure great instore presentations. This knowledge will help to ensure the greatest return on inventory investment possible.

Presented by: Bob Moorman - JRM Sales & Management, Inc. - info@jrmsales-mgmt.com

4:00pm - 5:00 pm

The Myths & Realities Of Professional Promotion & Liquidation Companies

They dominate the classified pages of Furniture Today. They move more merchandise than most top 100 retailers. You’ve heard stories of unbelievable sales volume as well as slick operators and unfulfilled promises. They are the professional sales promotion and liquidation companies. During this informative seminar you will learn how promotion companies operate, what services they perform, how companies differ, and do they just run G.O.B.s? The reality is that promotion companies often save stores from closing. You will learn how their services can benefit your business. You will walk away with a good understanding of this “behind the scenes” segment of the furniture business.

Presented by: Mike Egan, Ron Cooper & Hector Mustafa - Profit Management Promotions - ron@pmpsales.com

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NOW Market Highlights MONDAY, October 15

Retailer Resource Center at High Point Market

8:30 - 9:30 am

NHFA MARKET SEMINARS SERIES

1st Floor of Plaza Suites - 222 South Main St.

Marketing: What Works, What Doesn’t & How Do You Know?

Al Wight, founder of industry research and consulting company Strategic Decisions, helps retailers and vendors focus their merchandising and marketing to be more effective and efficient. With today’s changing consumer, changing markets, and changing competition, getting your message out convincingly and affordably is more difficult than ever. Learn how you can be better at identifying and feeding the winning approaches and starving the losers.

Presented by: Alvin Wight - Strategic Decisions Inc. - awight@sdiresearch.com

10:00 - 11:00 am

Best Marketing Practices For Ecommerce

Online marketing—whether it’s search, display, Facebook, or mobile—is one of the biggest opportunities for any furniture vendor, from manufacturers selling direct to third-party retailers. We’ll discuss best practices for establishing a brand, designing high-converting landing pages, writing and designing ads that attract clicks while staying consistent with a brand or product, and more. We’ll also break down the different advertising platforms and where each should be used at different points of the customer’s buying cycle, from introduction to conversion.

Presented by: Susan Waldes - Senior Account Manager, PPC Associates - Hillary@ppcassociates.com

11:30 am - 12:30 pm .

Changes In Lighting Due To Legislation

Over the last year, old track lighting and linear fluorescent products have gone away because of Lighting Legislation requiring more efficient products. What are the new products that need to be ordered and how does that affect the furniture industry?

Presented by: Tom Borga - Regency Lighting - tom.borga@regencylighting.com

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Stop The Madness—Open Your New Web Location Now

Over the past several years, our industry has seen what can only be described as explosive growth relative to sales and marketing of home furnishings through the web. Today more than ever, every retailer needs to ensure that their company has a serious and formidable web strategy for their business. Johne Albanese, senior executive for business development for MicroD Inc., has over 30 years of marketing and business development experience in the industry.

Johne will present a very informative overview of the web channel landscape as well as discuss how every retailer can have an effective business generating web presence at a fraction of the cost most people think. MicroD, for over 20 years, has been the go-to partner for over 85 percent of our industry’s leading retailers and manufacturers for providing measurably effective web solutions and support.

Presented by: Johne Albanese - MicroD, Inc. - monanigam@microdinc.com

2:30 - 3:30 pm

The ROI Of Internet Marketing

Web4Retail will continue their presentation of case studies illustrating retailers who are achieving significant returns via Internet Marketing.

Presented by: Denise Keniston & Sev Ritchie - Web4Retail - sev@web4retail.com

4:00 - 5:00 pm

Product Knowledge: The Ultimate Confidence Builder

The furniture industry is experiencing high turnover of veterans as well as new hires, and furniture manufacturers are constantly introducing new styles, materials, and processes. True product knowledge experts are hard to find. Ironically, the product knowledge expert is the most trusted, and the most capable of giving customers the confidence they need to buy. Salespeople who rely on sales techniques are just fast talkers that create unhappy and disloyal customers. Attend this seminar to learn what it means to be a product knowledge expert, and how to turn salespeople quickly into product knowledge experts that can sell.

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Presented by: Mark Lacy - The Furniture Training Company - markl@furnituretrainingcompany.com

Market Highlights

NHFA MARKET SEMINARS SERIES

1st Floor of Plaza Suites - 222 South Main St.

8:30 - 9:30 am

NOW

TUESDAY, October 16

Retailer Resource Center at High Point Market

Social Media...What’s The Big Deal?

Tweets, YouTube, Facebook, Foursquare and social media—you hear these words every single day. In fact, you’re probably tired of hearing about them. But do you ever ask yourself, “How can I use them to improve my business and make money?” This seminar will explore the right and wrong ways a furniture retailer can use social media to sell more furniture. You’ll walk away from this seminar with the surefire tools to increase your social media presence and improve your business.

Presented by: Kevin Doran - R&A Marketing - kevin@ramarketing.com – sponsored by RetailerNOW Magazine

10:00 - 11:00 am

Styles Evolve...So Should Your Lighting

Terry Cline from Philips Lighting will detail how LED lighting products can enhance your store while helping your budget. Keeping up to date means more than the furniture styles you carry… it also applies to the lighting you select for your store. Terry has over 15 years of experience in the lighting industry and has held various positions related to national accounts and national distribution with both Philips Lighting Company and GE Lighting. He is currently a National Account Manager for Philips, with a specialty in the retail segment. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and has obtained the designation of Lighting Certified from the National Council on Qualifications for Lighting Professionals.

Presented by: Terry Cline - Philips Lighting - Hosted by Service Lamp, jeana@servicelamp.com

11:30 am - 12:30 pm ������������������������ Differentiate Or Die. Online Strategies For Independent Retailers

Showrooming has become one of the most critical issues facing independent retailers today. The fact is, as more and more furniture and mattress stores launch search engine-friendly product catalog websites, consumers can easily find lower prices on the products that you sell. In what may be the most important hour you spend at Fall Market, we’ll provide you with a variety of strategies that successful brick-and-mortar retailers are implementing right now to turn the power of the Internet to their advantage.

Presented by: Andy Bernstein - FurnitureDealer.net/DoBizBuzz - a.bernstein@furnituredealer.net

1:00 - 2:00pm

Social Media – Connecting The Dots To Roi

Social media is the secret element that drives many great marketing campaigns’ success. Today, prospects turn to the Internet to research your brand before making a purchase. They listen to what’s being said both among friends and complete strangers. What they find will impact the image of your business and your sales. In this seminar we will discuss today’s key social media channels and the importance of tracking your Social Media utilizing ROI Cycles.

Understand how to estimate your return through sales, client feedback, customer service, and much more.

Presented by: Tim O’Neill - STORIS - sales@storis.com

2:30 - 3:30 pm

Creating An Engaging Culture

Engagement is the ability to create a culture where employees are intellectually and emotionally tied to the company vision. Engaged team members are loyal, committed, creative, and innovative. They are also more productive than their disengaged counterparts and deliver high-level customer service while positively impacting the bottom-line. This fun, energetic and interactive workshop will focus on the fundamental principles that successful organizations apply in order to create and foster engaging cultures.

Presented by: Rich Schlentz - EXTRAordinary, Inc. - rich@extraordinaryinc.com

4:00 - 5:00 pm

More Money In Your Pocket By Selling Mattresses

Robert Cates will tell storeowners seven actions they can take immediately to begin the process of MMIYP (More Money In Your Pocket). From research, travels and owning and selling at his own store, Robert has developed a unique system of putting MMIYP selling mattresses.

Presented by: Robert Cates - President MMIYP Selling Mattresses - MMIYPsellingmattresses@aol.com

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See us at RRC booth 39

See us at RRC booth 43

See us at RRC booth 10

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Market Highlights

See us at RRC booth 25

See us at RRC booth 34

See us at RRC booth 19

See us at RRC booth 13

NOW

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See us at RRC booth 37

See us at RRC booth 42

See us at RRC booth 5

See us at RRC booth 3

OC TOBER | 2012

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Market Highlights

See us at RRC booth 4

See us at RRC booths 6 & 7

See us at RRC booth 1

See us at RRC booth 11

NOW

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NOW Market Highlights See us at RRC booth 2

See us at RRC booth 15

MicroD has a basket full of them to boost sales, reduce costs and improve productivity. n ePreVue – to stand out on-line and sell more custom furniture n EasyOrder – to streamline order entry and eliminate errors n EasyPlan – to create room plans that help close sales n EasySwatch – to simplify tracking and updating fabric samples n Exim – to communicate electronically and economically via EDI n ePiphany – to help build a searchable, feature-rich website

What solutions do you need to improve your profits? sales@microdinc.com 800-964-3876 www.microdinc.com.

Online marketing and e-commerce solutions for the furniture industry

See us at RRC booths 20 & 21

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See us at RRC booth 41

www.retailerNOWmag.com

Market Highlights

See us at RRC booth 26

See us at RRC booth 17

See us at RRC booths 22 & 23

See us at RRC booth 8

NOW

Making Retailers More

2009 NHFA Retailer of the Year

• Enterprise Software • Business Systems Consulting • Performance Groups • Sales Training • Freight Program

You’re a call or a click away from becoming more profitable!

“PROFITsystems has changed the way we do business at our store, increased our profits, and made us better store managers. “ Beckey and Kent Waldrop Miller Waldrop Furniture Hobbs, NM

www.profitsystems.com 800.888.5565

Plaza Suites, 1st Floor - Spaces 22-23

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OC TOBER | 2012

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Market Highlights

See us at RRC booth 24

See us at RRC booth 14

NOW

See us at RRC booth 32

See us at RRC booth 35

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At the RETAILER RESOURCE CENTER you’ll find benefits & business solutions from industry service providers to help grow your business and your bottom line.

RETAILER LOUNGE

Plaza Suites | 1st Floor | 222 S. Main Street

STAIRS

ADVERTISING/MARKETING/WEBSITES Advertising Concepts of America . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

TO RESTROOMS 15

14

16

31

17

30

B&B - Banker & Brisebois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Cruise4Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fisher Printing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 FurnitureDealer.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

12

SEMINAR ROOM

11

STORAGE

13

BUSINESS CONSULTING CONF A

10

9

18

29

32

8

19

28

33

7

20

27

34

6

21

26

35

5

22

25

36

4

23

24

37

3

2

40

39

Mail America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21 Practical Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 R&A MArketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tropic Survival Advertising & Marketing . . . . . . . . 14 VividWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Moso Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

FurnitureCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 JRM Sales & Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Impact Consulting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Profitability Consulting Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

FINANCIAL SERVICES Bank of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Brand Source Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 GE Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 RMC Retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

BUSINESS INSURANCE Home Furnishings Insurance Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

PRODUCTS & SERVICES Dispatch Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 ETI Solid State Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Furniture Training Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Knorr Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

National Home Furnishings Assoc. . . . . . . . . . 16, Regency Lighting Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Serta Mattress Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Service Lamp Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 31 12 28 30

SOFTWARE

1

41

42

43

ENTRANCE

RedPrairie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Furniture Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 20-20 Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 MicroD, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Myriad Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PROFITsystems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, ServerLogic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

STORIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 23 18 24

WAREHOUSE & DISTRIBUTION Diakon Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 United Steel Storage, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 78

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Bringing together the Next Generation of Home Furnishings Professionals Tech Savvy & Tuned in—working

together to develop its next group of industry leaders, Next Generation-NOW provides professional development, networking and hosted forums to give a voice to the unique needs of young furniture professionals.

Join the group. Join the discussion • How to grow your business • Connect with and learn from successful retailers • Utilizing technology in business www.ngnow.org | social.ngnow.org

Next Generation-NOW is a hosted community of the National & Western Home Furnishings Associations.

C

o

n

n

e

c

t

@

M

a

r

k

e

t

Chatter over cocktails Ignite Session Topic: Leveraging Technology to Grow Your Business Meant to generate awareness, stimulate thought and create action on a subject, Ignite Sessions offer a fastpaced and exciting way to engage. In a roundtable format, presenters are given just five minutes at each table to speak on a selected topic and share their viewpoint and expertise. After five minutes, the presenters move to the next table and hope to engage in much the same way. After 25 minutes, all attendees share their biggest takeaway, and how they plan to use ideas from this exchange in their individual businesses.

Featuring experts from: hhACA, Advertising Concepts of America

Featuring NGN Ignite Session

hhBest Buy for Business

Saturday, October 13

hhFurnitureDealer.net

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Market Suites Showroom 272

hhPROFITsystems Software hhR&A Marketing

Sponsored By: facebook.com/NextGenNow

20 12 HIGH POINT MARKET | Oct 13-18

COMPLIMENTARY BUYERS BREAKFAST AFTERNOON SOCIALS COMPLIMENTARY BAR IN ATRIUM SUNSET ON 3 LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

www.imcenters.com/highpointmarket

Market Preview

Special Advertising Section

Merchandising Arason Enterprises

See the patented, newly introduced Flip Top “Creden-ZzZ” style Cabinet Bed. It is only 39 inches high, but the flip top gives sleepers plenty of headroom. No need to move items from the top, just push them to the back to open. A roomy storage drawer holds pillows and bedding and a tri-fold, 60 x 80 inch queen-size, memory foam mattress tucks neatly inside.

There are three styles and four finishes to choose from. The original Creden-ZzZ in coffee finish features brushed aluminum bar hardware for a clean transitional look. The traditional style in Pekoe finish, a warm brown with amber hues, comes with brass hardware, and the cottage style comes in distressed white and rubbed black with pewter hardware.

Closed: W 64 x H 39 x D 23.5 inches, opens to 83 inches.

Arason Enterprises, Inc. P.O. Box 3274, Annapolis, MD 21403 Phone: (410) 703-4412 • Fax (410) 280-3388 Website: www.fu-chest.com Showrooms: Pavilions on Main 3–M335 Main wing IHFC • Showroom phone: (410) 703-4412

Cresent Fine Furniture

Waverly is a contemporary lifestyle design crafted in solid Acacia with a wire brushed finish. Waverly features minimalist bronze bar pulls that provide a striking contrast to the rich Lava finish.

The low profile Platform Bed features two solid Acacia floating panels framed by 4-inch canted Acacia posts for a relaxed profile. The bed is also available with a storage rail that can be used individually or in pairs.

The cases feature clean lines with floating tops, beveled posts and a looped end frame with open space at the bottom—subtle detailing that lighten the overall look. Full extension, ball bearing, side mounted drawer guides support the English dovetailed solid wood drawers, which close over blind parting rails to keep the look clean and contemporary. Other modern conveniences such as cedar lined drawers and a powered nightstand round out the features.

Cresent Fine Furniture Phone: (615) 975-4862 • Fax (615) 452-0098 Website: www.cresent.com Showroom: Hamilton Square 204

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Special Advertising Section

Simply Amish

Market Preview

Legends

Let your imagination take wing with this graceful and delicate collection from Simply Amish. The Monarch collection gets its inspiration from the butterfly, which has captured the interest of young and old for generations. This collection has gentle curves that will inspire flights of fancy all your own. It is also completely handcrafted in the U.S. along with all of our other products. Come to our showroom in High Point and check out this and other product lines, or see us online.

Simply Amish PO Box 67, Arcola, IL 61910 Phone: (217) 962-0277 Website: www.simplyamish.com Showroom: IHFC D 1104

The Sonoma “FLEX Height” 92-inch rectangle dining table

by Legends Furniture features stylish padded chairs/stools in 12 possible silhouettes. Its patent pending convertible chair design allows the customer to change table and chair heights after the initial setup. Oversized lower shelves offer additional strength and function. A gallery program is available. Containers are available from Malaysia and China (mixable containers available). Three domestic warehouses keeps the product in stock and ready to ship immediately.

Supports efficient retail inventory management and increases ROI.

Legends Furniture 10300 W. Buckeye Rd Tolleson, AZ 85353 Phone: (623) 931-6500 Website: www.buylegends.com Showroom: Furniture Plaza 215, 221

Omnia

Omnia Phone: (909) 393-4400 • Fax (909) 393-4401 Website: www.omnialeather.com Website: www.americanelegancefurniture.com Showroom: IHFC D1102, D1110

This classic style, the Tucson, exhibits all the design, tailoring, and craftsmanship typical in Omnia Leather pieces. The graceful flowing lines of the back profile in combination with the classic individually placed nailheads shows true classic styling. The picture frame cushions add additional styling with the ability of combining leathers and fabrics for a signature creation and allowing for a personalized look. All of our furniture is proudly made in America. Omnia is who we are, Personalizing Comfort is what we do best.

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October 13-18, 2012 PRODUCT Over 2000 Rug Styles Stocked in 5-22 Sizes Coordinating Textiles/Wall Art

MERCHANDISING

STOP BY TO SEE OUR LATEST INTRODUCTIONS, & CHECK OUT OUR EXCLUSIVE MARKET SPECIALS! SERVING CATERED BREAKFAST, LUNCH, HORS D’OEUVRES & COCKTAILS DAILY.

Fabric Coordinating Program Updated Catalog Twice a Year Retail POP Packages

SERVICES Comeplete Training Programs Diverse Special Order Displays Free Samling Policy

INVENTORY Top 350 Quick Ship Program Ship within 72 hours 300,000 sp/ft Warehouse

TECHNOLOGY Exclusive MicroD Partnership State of the Art Website

COMMUNITY Corporate Sponsor of NHFA Proud Supporter of Akshaya Patra Contributor of East Meets West

PROUD

SUPPORTER

facebook.com/suryasocial

pinterest.com/suryasocial

Call 1.877.275.7847 or email us at info@surya.com to learn more.

surya.com

Product Focus

The Bed Isn’t Just for Sleeping

Consumers don’t just use their beds for sleeping these days—they are working, eating or watching TV. Sometimes there’s only one person in the bed, others it is littered with kids and the family pet. The bed has become a “horizontal living space”. Bedding manufacturer, Sealy, wanted to know what people really did in bed before re-launching their Posterpedic line last year. Their consumer research showed people do these activities at least once a month in bed:

82%

73

%

75

Re bo ading ok in b a ed

me

ZEvaluation: Z Many customers are uncomfortable lying down with others watching—create partitions in your bedding department to give a sense of privacy.

49%

[Cleanliness: [ Lastly, make sure the area is clean— especially the pillow. Many people don’t want to lie down because they don’t know who has laid there.

42%

Letting your dog or cat sleep at the end of your bed

Watching TV as a family while you’re all together in bed

Talking to someone close to you on the phone while in bed

13

11%

%

%

21

%

Pla bo ying ard ca ga rds me or in b a ed

Serving someone else breakfast in bed

38

%

41

17%

Ea sn ting ac yo k w ur hil fav e l ori yin te gi nb ed Pre va pari on catio ng fo yo n b r a ur be y pac d kin g

Us in

42

gt

%

he c

om

pu

71%

73

%

Ly pe ing in ac e a bed nd to qu get iet so

61%

XSignage X & Product Knowledge: Sealy’s research showed that consumers struggle to understand the signage and explanation of the products, e.g. what is visco-elastic?

YThe Y Salesperson: Avoid industry jargon and use words that apply to the customer and their lifestyle.

%

Wa list tchin en ing g yo to ur fa mu vo sic rite Sh a in b TV you ring ed sho r s the w/ po d use ay ’ s /sig ev . o ent the s w r in ith be d

Falling fast asleep Cuddling with your spouse/ when you’re exhausted significant other in bed

ter wh Lyi ile in b go ng o ed of n y you ou r e r be mo d a tion nd lett s ing

90%

Here are four areas for retailers (and salespeople) to improve for a better customer experience:

28%

Letting your child sleep in bed with you when scared

Jumping on the bed (hey, it’s fun!)

All data and consumer information was provided by Sealy and featured in their Retail Experience Research study and Sealy Mapping Study. Sealy owns one of the largest bedding brands in the world. The company manufactures and markets a broad range of mattresses and foundations under the Sealy®, Sealy Posturepedic®, Optimum™, Stearns & Foster®, and Bassett® brands. For more information, please visit www.sealy.com.

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Historical Fiction

the Loyalty Meter

By Melissa Dressler

A Positive vs. Negative Experience

The following consumer story is based on real life events that were drastically different customer experiences. Which experience would you rather give to your customers?

Customer A Customer A goes to ABC Furniture and buys a new dining table. The salesperson tells her that it will take a few weeks for the product to be finished and delivered, but they would be in contact during the entire process.

Customer B Customer B goes into XYZ Furniture to buy a surprise gift for her daughter—the last piece of her bedroom set. Customer B tells the salesperson it is a gift for the holidays, and the salesperson assures her that the dresser will be delivered in time.

Which customer do you think is returning for repeat business?

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO

WEEK THREE

WEEK FOUR

Customer A gets an email, thanking her for the purchase.

Customer A gets another email, informing her that her dining table has received legs. It includes a photo of the product in the factory.

Another email arrives, informing Customer A that her table is built and waiting to be stained. A new photo is attached.

Excited, she shares the news with her Facebook friends—she can’t wait to have her new table.

This week’s email tells Customer A that the finish has been applied.

Customer A immediately shares it with her family and friends.

Customer B tells her husband about the purchase, and that she’s excited it will be delivered in time to surprise her daughter.

Customer B waits.

Customer B waits.

Customer B waits.

WEEK FIVE

WEEK SIX

WEEK SEVEN

Congratulations, your piece is ready to be shipped. Customer A is so excited that she sets up a small dinner party in three weeks to show off her new table.

Customer A receives another update, this time showing her where her dining table is, and a link to schedule a delivery time. She is able to choose a two-hour window after work, which works perfectly.

The day prior to delivery, Customer A receives both an email and a phone call from her salesperson, confirming all of the delivery details.

Customer B waits.

Scheduled delivery week and still no word from the store. She calls the salesperson, who informs her that the piece wasn’t in their local warehouse and was having to be shipped from North Carolina. The salesperson assures her it will be here within a week. Customer B is upset; she wonders if the store ever planned on telling her this news.

Customer B calls the store again, and is told that it has come in but they need to prep it for delivery.

The delivery team will contact her when it is ready.

Customer A ON DELIVERY DAY

It’s delivery day, and Customer A couldn’t be more excited. After work, she receives a phone call from the delivery team. They are en-route to her house and will see her shortly. Ten minutes later, the team arrives, sets up her dining table and makes sure everything is perfect. Customer A is so happy with the purchase—she takes a snapshot of her new table and again shares it on Facebook, including a glowing review of her experience with ABC Furniture.

WEEK SEVEN continued

THREE DAYS LATER The delivery team still hasn’t called.

Customer B calls, furious, asking where the piece is. If this wasn’t the last piece of the bedroom set, she would have canceled the order.

She is told that her delivery will be scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. the following day.

Customer B ON DELIVERY DAY

Customer B offers to wait at her daughter’s home for the delivery. The delivery window comes and goes, and she still hasn’t heard a word. She calls the store—the team is running late. Five hours later, the last piece of the bedroom set is delivered. There is no joy—she is just happy to receive what she paid for. She then hops on Facebook and warns her friends about her horrible experience with XYZ Furniture.

Give your customers a positive experience—Let us know and continue the conversation at www.retailerNOWmag.com.

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Learn what being social is all about in the RetaiLeR ResouRce centeR at the PLaza suites at HigH Point MaRket

www.Furnituresocialspot.com

Quick Fire

of Yelp’s 15 million reviews came from the shopping category.

Do you know what’s being said about you online?

Brand monitoring has become an essential task for any individual retailer or large brand. Back in the day, when people talked about our businesses, it was word of mouth or a simple customer service phone call that was never repeated outside the two people talking. Today, most of these dialogues are right in front of our own eyes and in numerous places.

We must remember that conversations are being held on the web with or without our blessing. That means we can choose whether to watch, participate or ignore. Before you select what you want to do, remember that these conversations can have a negative or positive impact on your business.

Let’s take a look at some stats from Yelp.com. Yelp says it now has more than 15 million reviews and of those 15 million reviews, 24 percent of those came from the shopping category. Plus, the largest demographic of Yelp users are 18-34 years of age. Think about those stats— you might be losing customers before they even step foot into your store or look at your website.

Depending on how popular and well-known your business is, there may be a few, or a lot of, people talking about it. Listening, watching and staying active is as important as protecting your brand online. As you become more

well-known in the online world, more conversations will be held around your brand name, so you’ll spend more time listening, and possibly responding, to blog posts, reviews, tweets, etc.

Keep these three things in mind as you’re crafting a message to your customer: XX Your reviewers are paying customers.

YY Your reviewers are human beings with (sometimes unpredictable) emotions.

ZZ Your reviewers are vocal and opinionated (otherwise they would not be writing reviews!)

So keep your message straightforward: thank you for the business and the feedback. If you can, be specific about the customer’s experience and any changes you may have made as a result, this could go very far in earning trust and a repeat customer. The sooner you get a hold of what people are saying about your brand, the more successful you will be in monitoring your online reputation.

Quick-Fire Marketing is brought to you by R&A Marketing. Armed with more than 25 years of furniture retail marketing experience as a full-service traditional and digital marketing company, R&A is the industry’s premier agency for retailers in the home furnishings and appliances/electronics industries. Visit us on the web at www.ramarketing.com or email us at info@ramarketing.com.

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Our Associations gratefully recognize all of our supporters whose dedication and committment has strengthened our industry.

Acuity A. Mutual Insurance Company Advertising Concepts of America Affordable Furniture AICO/Amini Innovation Corp.

American Express American Leather Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. Aspenhome Associated Volume Buyers Banner Marketing Becker Designed, Inc. Bernards, Inc. Best Home Furnishings Braxton Culler, Inc. California Furniture Manufacturers Assoc.

Capital Marketing Concepts Cargo Consolidation Services Celerant Technology Century Furniture Century Lighting Coaster Company of America Color Ad Cory Home Delivery Service Craftmaster Furniture, Inc. Cramco, Inc. Davis Direct DĂŠcor-Rest Furniture Ltd. Delivery Solutions Diakon Logistics Diamond Mattress Co. Dom Granat DSI Companies Ekornes Elements International Elite Leather Emerald Home Furnishings

Flexsteel Furniture of America Furniture Options Furniture Wizard FurnitureDealer.net GE Capital Great American Furniture Services Guardian Products Guardsman/The Valspar Corp.

Harden Furniture Company High Point Market Authority Holland House Homelegance USA Home Furnishings Business Magazine Hooker Horich Parks Lebow Advertising Impact Consulting Services, Inc. Innovative Delivery Systems James Parker Insurance Associates Jofran Sales, Inc. Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate, Inc. Kincaid King Hickory Furniture Co Klaussner Home Furnishings Lane Home Furnishings Lazar Industries Lea Liberty Furniture Lifestyle Enterprises Linon Home DĂŠcor Products Magnussen Home Mail America Massood Logistics Med-Lift Mobility MicroD, Inc. Mohawk Finishing Products, Inc.

NHFA

National Home Furnishings Association

WHFA

Western Home Furnishings Association

Myriad Software Natuzzi Americas, Inc. NetSertive Nourison Industries Okinus Credit Solutions Pacific Furniture Dealers Phoenix A.M.D. International, Inc. Profit Management Promotions PROFITsystems Protect-A-Bed Restonic Mattress Corp.

SAP Retail Serta Mattress Companies Simmons Sleep-Ezz Source International, Inc./4 Sales Finance Sourthern Motion Sphinx by Oriental Weavers Standard Furniture Steve Silver Co. STORIS Surya Tempur-Pedic The TV Shield The Uttermost Company Tidewater Finance Company Tropic Survival Advertising & Marketing TruckSkin, LLC Twin Star/Classic Flame Tyler Net, Inc. United Furniture Industries Valassis, Inc. Vaughan Furniture Co. Versatile Systems Wahlquist Management Corporation World Market Center Zenith Global

SEHFA SHFA

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association

Southern Home Furnishings Association

New England Chapter

To become an industry partner contact:

National Home Furnishings Association | 800.888.9590 Western Home Furnishings Association | 800.422.3778

The Scoop

the scoop

What’s going on with our retailers across the country

Wolf Furniture Opens Its Doors in Virginia

In Memoriam

Wolf Furniture opened the doors of its new 46,000 square foot showroom in Leesburg, VA just before the Labor Day weekend. “We anticipate being quite busy here and consumers love the new store and love the new choices the same way they like a new restaurant, so we are anticipating strong sales,” said owner Larry Wolf.

Spiller Furniture Co-founder Dorothy Spiller Passes Away

The Leesburg showroom will feature a wide-range of prices from middle-to-upper class furniture, with a variety of brands including Lay-Z-Boy, Broyhill, HGTV, Pennsylvania House and Summer Hill. The store is also the first showroom location to feature the brand new HGTV manufactured line.

This is Wolf Furniture’s 13th store location, and first location in the state of Virginia. Congratulations Wolf Furniture!

WHFA’s Annual Membership Meeting

Dorothy Spiller, co-founder of Spiller Furniture, Tuscaloosa, AL, passed away at the age of 91 in early September.

Known for her kindness and giving nature, Dorothy had a love for music, the community, her friends and her family.

“She was a very unselfish lady and made sure you were taken care of in every way,” said Shane Spiller, president of Spiller Furniture and Dorothy’s grandson. “She cooked for the whole family every Sunday. Dorothy and her late husband, James, founded Spiller Furniture in 1948 in Tuscaloosa. The business has since expanded to 13 locations in Alabama and Mississippi.”

She is survived by her children, Jimmie Spiller Hayes, Michael Spiller, Nedra Spiller Franks and Joan Spiller Ashcraft, as well as her eight grandchildren, 10 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

WHFA’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held Tuesday, January 29, 2013 during the Winter Las Vegas Market at 8:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Retailer Resource Center in C-496. Members are welcome to come early, enjoy breakfast and stay for both the Membership Meeting, as well as the Board Meeting that will immediately follow.

Members will vote on new and re-elected directors to the 2013 WHFA Board of Directors. In addition, the 2012 WHFA President will pass the gavel to the incoming 2013 President.

All WHFA Members are invited to attend this breakfast meeting. Reservations are requested. For more information, please contact Sydnee Seites at (800) 422-3778 or sseites@whfa.org.

RRC RETAILER

RESOURCE CENTER

Western Home Furnishings Association

Date: January 29, 2013 Time: 8:00 a.m.

Place: RRC, C-496

Dorothy Spiller and her grandson Shane Spiller, Spiller Furniture Scoop Continued 

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has

SU I T E S AT M A R K E T SQUA R E GROU N D A N D M E ZZ A N IN E F LOOR S

AN INTERNATIONAL MARKET CENTERS PROPERT

OMMERCE AVE. HIGH POINT

IMCENTERS.COM/HIGHPOINTMARKET

The Scoop

Morris Furniture Raises Over $125,000 for The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton Morris Furniture Co., Inc. recently hosted its annual vendor appreciation breakfast and charity golf benefit, Gem City Jam and Hoopla. During the breakfast, one vendor and one sales representative were recognized for outstanding service, dedication and support. Todd Ille of Albany was on hand to accept the Vendor of the Year award and Jeff Cempre of Lane was awarded Vendor Representative of the Year.

Owner Larry Klaben said, “Each of the vendors honored today, has changed with the times and continues to provide Morris with quality products, great sales tools and ideas to help us grow our business. We are proud to work together to achieve sales success in a true partnership with both Lane and Albany.”

A.

The 5th Annual Gem City Jam golf outing was held at the NCR Country Club, in Kettering, Ohio. Over 190 golfers, representing over 50 company vendors and media partners, participated. As a result of sponsorship, golfer registrations and auctions, over $125,000 was raised for The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. The proceeds from this event will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Care Endowment and provide life-saving medical equipment for the hospital. This makes the 2012 event the most successful to date and surpasses the half-million dollar mark for the Gem City Jam over the past five years.

Morris Furniture Co., Inc. thanks all of its vendor partners for participating in this golf event and supporting The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. In addition, Klaben said, “A number of companies have been with us since we started the Gem City Jam. Committing to helping sick children for five years in a row is admirable and these companies deserve our thanks for their generosity year after year.”

B.

Share your latest news stories with us. We would love to hear from our retailers about what is going on in your area.

A: Mike Griffieth and Mike VanAutreve, Morris Furniture, presented Todd Ille (center), Albany, with the Morris Vendor of the Year award.

B: Mike Griffieth and Mike VanAutreve, Morris Furniture, presented Jeff Cempre (center), Lane, with the Vendor Representative of the Year award.

C: A highlight of the event was when Dayton Children’s cancer patient Dakota “Cody” Stonerock sold one of his drawing for $7,200 during a live auction benefiting the Children’s Hospital. Pictured with his mother, Shannon, and Tony Kenney, president of Speedway SuperAmerica and the winner of the auction

C.

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Calendar

Calendar

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE INDUSTRY EVENTS

High Point Market

Showtime

Dallas Total Home & Gift Market

October 13-18, 2012

December 2-5, 2012

January 16-22, 2013

High Point, NC highpointmarket.org

High Point, NC itma-showtime.com

Dallas, TX dallasmarketcenter.com

2012 ABC Kids Expo

Heimtextil

Las Vegas Market

January 9-12, 2013

January 28-February 1, 2013

Louisville, KY theabcshow.com

Frankfurt, Germany heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

Las Vegas, NV lasvegasmarket.com

Abitare il Tempo

The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market速

October 14-17, 2012

October 21-23, 2012 Verona, Italy abitareiltempo.com

January 9-16, 2013 Atlanta, GA americasmart.com/gift/jan-2013 Pictured Above: From Las Vegas Summer Market GO Home Ltd. | Hair-on-hide Dueling ottoman Nourison | Medley cowhide patchwork rug Arteriors Home | Hide-on-hide barstool

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ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER

PHONE

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/220elm

TWITTER @220elm

PAGE#

220 Elm

(336) 884-8220

220elm.com

20

Arason Enterprises

(410) 703-4412

fu-chest.com

82

Ashley Furniture Industries

(608) 323-3377

ashleyfurniture.com

33

American Drew

(336) 294-5233

americandrew.com

http://tinyurl.com/AmericanDrewFB

@AmericanDrew

59

Aspenhome

(602) 442-5600

aspenhome.net

www.facebook.com/aspenhome

@aspenhome

38

Cresent Fine Furniture

(615) 975-4862

cresent.com

www.facebook.com/cresent.furniture

@cresentfurn

24 & 82

Coaster

(877) 262-7837

coasterfurniture.com

www.facebook.com/coasterfurniture

@CoasterCompany

35

Cargo Consolidation Services

(828) 459-3160

cargoconsolidation.com

Diakon Logistics

(703) 530-0677

diakonlogistics.com

www.facebook.com/DiakonLogistics

34

Emerald Home Furnishings

(253) 922-1400

emeraldhome.com

www.facebook.com/EmeraldHome

02 & 03

Flexsteel

(563) 556-7730

flexsteel.com

Furniture Social Spot

(888) 225-0776

furnituresocialspot.com

@furnsocialspot

88

GE Capital

(800) 888-9590

nhfa.org

@GoGECapital

17

GE Capital

(800) 422-3778

whfa.org

@GoGECapital

17

Home Furnishings Industry Conference

(800) 422-3778

homefurnishingsconference.com

56

Horich Parks Lebow Advertising

(800) 878-8989

hpladv.com

13

High Point Market

(336) 869-1000

highpointmarket.org

www.highpointmarket.org/facebook

IHFC

(336) 888-3700

imcenters.com/highpointmarket

http://tinyurl.com/IHFChp-fb

Jaipur Rugs

(888) 676-7330

jaipurrugs.com

www.facebook.com/jaipurlifestyle

@jaipurlifestyle

IBC

Las Vegas Market

(888) 962-7469

lasvegasmarket.com

www.facebook.com/wmclv

@worldmarketctr

55

Legends Furniture

(623) 931-6500

buylegends.com

http://tinyurl.com/legendsfb

@LegendsFurn

83

Leggett & Platt

(417) 358-8131

leggett.com

@LeggettSleep

44

Market Square

(336) 888-3700

imcenters.com/highpointmarket

http://tinyurl.com/marketsq

@marketsquarehp

92

MicroD

(800) 964-3876

microdinc.com

www.facebook.com/microdinc

@microdinc

BC

Myriad

(800) 676-4243

myriadsoftware.com

http://tinyurl.com/myriadFB

Natuzzi

(336) 887-8300

natuzzieditions.com

www.facebook.com/natuzzieditions

@natuzzieditions

26

Next Generation-NOW

(800) 422-3778

ngnow.org

www.facebook.com/NextGenNow

@ngnow

80

NHFA / WHFA Sponsors

(800) 888-9590

retailerNOWmag.com

www.facebook.com/retailernow

@retailerNow

90

Nourison

(201) 368-6900

nourison.com

www.facebook.com/nourison

@nourison

04

Omnia

(909) 393-4400

omnialeather.com

http://tinyurl.com/omnialeather

@OmniaLeather

83

Planned Furniture Promotions

(800) 472-5242

pfpromotions.com

Profit Management Promotions

(215) 230-9001

pmpsales.com

www.facebook.com/pmpsales

@PowerfulSales

49

PROFITsystems

(800) 888-5565

profitsystems.com

www.facebook.com/profitsystems

@PROFITsystems

11

Serta

(888) 557-3782

serta.com

www.facebook.com/sertamattress

@sertamattresses

09

Showplace

(336) 888-3700

imcenters.com/highpointmarket

http://tinyurl.com/showplacehp

Simply Amish

(217) 268-4504

simplyamish.com

STORIS

(888) 4-STORIS

storis.com

www.facebook.com/storis.sys.3

Surya

(877) 275-7847

surya.com

www.facebook.com/SuryaSocial

Twin-Star

(888) 776-2490

twinstarhome.com

www.facebook.com/twinstarintl

@twinstarhome

36

Truckskin

(877) 866-7546

truckskin.com

www.facebook.com/TruckSkin

@TruckSkin

41

Web4Retail

(877) 536-4786

web4retail.com

www.facebook.com/Web4Retail

@web4retail

51

Zenith Global

(800) 937-3876

zenithcompanies.com

www.facebook.com/ZenithGlobalLogistics

60

52

@hpmarketnews

07 50

47

27

81 @SimplyAmish

83

@STORIS

40 IFC, 84

63

About Get Satisfaction Get Satisfaction is the leading customer engagement platform, powering 65,000 customer communities across companies of all sizes. Today, more than 35 million consumers each month use Get Satisfaction’s network to connect with each other to ask questions, share ideas, report problems, and truly engage with the brands and companies they care about.

For more information contact us at: (877) 339-3997 or visit: www.getsatisfaction.com

www.retailerNOWmag.com O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 2

95

A quick dose of fun facts, random trivia and useful (or useless) bits of info

The Now List

Shoppers who follow brands on Pinterest follow 9.3 merchants, on average, compared to 8.5 on Twitter and 6.9 retailers on Facebook.

B2C Facebook interaction is 30% higher than average on Sundays.

On Sale!

More than 60% of women who follow retailers on social media are looking for information about specials, compared to 39% of men.

$30 billion

According to some estimates, Americans are sitting on $30 billion worth of unredeemed gift cards.

Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards.

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of five times around the equator.

Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day. That’s no catnap!

Wealthiest?

The richest countries in the World measured by GDP per capita are Luxembourg ($58,900 per capita) and the United States ($40,100).

The poorest Countries are Malawi ($600) and East Timor ($400).

Affluent males with daily access to a tablet are 32% more likely to make a purchase using their device.

The 2%!

Only 2% of people can lick their elbows. (And we bet that 98% of

The average person over 50 will have spent FIVE years waiting in lines.

people who read this will try it!)

Three out of four people put the toilet paper roll on with the flap in the front.

The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

96

OC TOBER | 2012

58% of Facebook users who follow at least one brand say they have clicked through a merchant’s post to the retailer website, as have 46% of Twitter users and 66% of Pinterest users.

www.retailerNOWmag.com

7.5 Million

7.5 million toothpicks can be created from a cord of wood.

High Point Market October 13 - 18 Plaza Suites RRC 1st Fl. Space #2

Premier Websites for the Furniture Industry For more than 20 years, MicroD has led the way with innovative furniture merchandising solutions.

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Market Seminar

Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST • Visually Stunning Product Presentations Retailer Resource Center • Engaging, Interactive User Experience • Powerful Room Planning & Personalization Tools Stop the Madness: Open Your New Web Location Now An informative overview of the web channel • Integrated Promotions, Incentives & Hooks landscape and a discussion on how every retailer can • Improved Search Results and Rankings have an effective and business generating web presence at a cost you can afford!

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www.microdinc.com solutions@microdinc.com 800.964.3876 ext. 2