ISSUE 19
SEPTEMBER 2021
NEWSLETTER
What's NEW PLUS:
Team Spotlight & In the Press
WHAT DO CONSUMERS WANT NOW? BY BRAD CATES No matter the company or my role within it, I’ve spent my career in the furniture industry continually asking myself (and others) the question posed above. As a young ad exec in the trade publishing business years ago, I can tell you it has always astounded me how many times manufacturing executives when asked, would shrug, and say, ‘That’s the retailers’ problem.’ Well, no. It’s our industry’s problem, or should I say opportunity, and figuring out the answer is what determines our success. It’s certainly not been lost on me over the years how many of the executives and companies I put the question to are no longer in the business. As a manufacturer myself now, I understand where they were coming from in focusing efforts on their customer, and I too am always seeking to actively support the desires of our dealers and designers. But at the end of the day, the question that keeps me staring at the ceiling most nights still remains: What does the end-consumer want, feel, think, need, now? Those of you that know me well will understand that this question has become quite personal recently, since my wife and I have uprooted our lives in the Piedmont Triad to relocate here to Wilson, NC. Suddenly, we find ourselves once again knee-deep in the decorating process for the first time in many years, and we’re determined to take our time and get it right for this stage of our lives. As you might imagine, this means a lot of my free time has been devoted to exploring the websites of companies that specialize in better-end consumer durables across the home furnishings industry spectrum. While I’d like to think I’m privileged to know more than consumers who are not employed in our industry, I know I’m not alone in seeking inspiration and information that validates significant purchases. I’m checking reviews and comments about specific products, reading warranties, and turning images this way and that trying to imagine what products will look like in our home. And it’s been a tremendous learning experience that I’m drawing on as we work to improve and build out Sarreid.com. Throughout the past two years, I’ve long suspected that we were seeing a lot of traffic not only from dealers and designers, but also consumers just like my wife Jody and myself. The problem was, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was on the site that was drawing them in, exciting them and inspiring them enough to drive them to your doors. This month, with the addition of a new heat-mapping tool on our website, we’ve made another quantum leap forward in our analytics. One that gives us dramatic insight into the answers to that very important question, and that enables us to ensure that any visit to Sarreid.com is as complete, satisfying, and user-friendly as it can be. Thanks to the tool, we know video is extremely important, and we’re continuously uploading compelling new content, images, and information about our products to make the site the most comprehensive resource possible. Right down to providing in-stock availability and expected ETA dates for product on the way to our warehouse. All so that consumers can feel fully confident about purchasing Sarreid products from you. What do consumers want now? Well, we know, and we’ve got it.
ASIA TRAVEL
MORRIS FAMILY
All in the Mix
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Sarreid has been, and will always be, the source for the exceptional. Two years ago, we began charting a course that would unify our color palette across vendors, collections, and countries to make it easier for designers, merchandisers, and consumers to “mix-andmatch” our products to create unique, cohesive looks that are intentionally coordinated, but not in a suited manner. This approach touches all points of our exclusive product development process and line extensions and is designed to make it easy for you to get to “yes,” faster. As part of this move, watch for expanding shapes, configurations, and design options in shagreen, the embossed leather classic that has been a mainstay in our assortment for years. Only now, you’ll find that the unification of our color palette means that all designs will be available in all five color options.
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1. 53560-3 A sleek and modern square cocktail table with an open iron base and a shagreen top makes something old feel new again. The narrowness of the top and hand-wrought iron support structure is intentional, allowing the piece to breathe and make a statement in any room setting. 2. 53557-3 Grey Shagreen, introduced last year, has been a Sarreid fan favorite. Our customers and sales team made it clear they wanted more, and, smaller chests that can be used as nightstands, side tables, or wherever inspiration takes consumers. Available in either one, or two-drawer styles, expect these little silhouettes to work magic. As in, now you see them, now you don’t, so get your orders in quickly. 3. 53571-1 The way we all work may be forever changed, and if we’re doing it from home, we ought to be doing it high style. Since many consumers don’t have the space for a dedicated home office, this desk is perfectly scaled to work beautifully in a bedroom, living room or hallway. With three drawers, each with custom handmade paper inlay, it’s the perfect combination of form and function. 4. 53564-5. Tuck this Shagreen-covered cube into a corner, use as a side table, or turn to it for extra seating when needed. Available in multiple colors, it features a hand-painted, gold leather trim on all sides that won’t dent or scratch like metal, and highlights the shape of this ideal, highly functional accent. 5. 53558-4 A console? A desk? You decide depending on your needs. Perfect for multipurpose living spaces, this multi-functional piece is a prime example of Sarreid’s mission to design products scaled for the way we live today.
TEAM SPOTLIGHT All these years later, he says the relationship has endured because Sarreid’s philosophy has always mirrored his own. “They are very good about customer service, which believe me, is the most important thing. Years ago, I had a rep friend who was older who asked, ‘Who pays you?’ Of course, my immediate reaction was, ‘Sarreid pays me.’ He said, ‘No, they don’t. Your customers pay you.’
JOHN ANHUT Sarreid sales representative John Anhut began his career in the home furnishings industry straight out of college, recruited at age 22 by Macy’s for their training program. When they asked him what part of the store he’d like to work in, he said, “furniture. I realize now they were a little stunned,” he remembers, “because everybody back then wanted to be in ready-to-wear and fashion.” Anhut was promoted to buyer—lamps and recliners—in just six months. But it wasn’t long before he realized he was bored to death. “I knew I really belonged in sales, so I left there and got a job selling copiers for a year-and-a-half. And if you ever want a spine-building sales job, try selling copiers. Nobody wants to talk to a copier salesman. The Xerox machine might have just blown up in the room behind the receptionist and she wouldn’t even tell you that she needed a copier.”
Throughout his career, Anhut has taken that attitude to heart, but he already had a good foundation to build upon. “My Dad was in the hospitality business his entire life. He ran a small inn in suburban Detroit, and that’s the family business I was raised in. To his dying day a few months ago, he always talked about the importance of good customer service and a personal touch. He would say, ‘All this electronic stuff that all you young people depend on…you think, Oh, I’ll just email this person.’ What’s been interesting in recent months is that I’ve learned just how right he was about the need for a personal touch. Lately, I find, even if I am just walking in to see an account without an appointment just to say ‘Hello,’ people really want the human interaction. We’ve all been robbed of that throughout the pandemic.” Likewise, Anhut attributes Sarreid’s continuing success to its 54-year reputation for taking care of customers. “I’ve been around long enough to have represented lines that did not, companies that weren’t running reputable, responsible businesses, and there’s nothing worse, because in the end, it’s my reputation on the line. This is a company I never have to worry about. They stand behind what they offer, and they’ve maintained an in-stock position throughout the pandemic. As I tell my customers all the time, ‘We’ve got flow!’”
Though he laughs about it now, Anhut says the experience provided a lot of “good training. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I learned all the fundamentals, that so many cold calls turn into so many prospects, and so many prospects turn into so many sales.” He perfected his skills for three years on the road as a fabric rep, and soon went on to work as a sub-rep for a now-defunct Atlanta showroom for the high-end home furnishings trade. That’s where he would first encounter Sarreid, a line he has now represented for 36 years in Georgia, Alabama and eventually Tennessee. “Sarreid was the line that opened doors for me,” he shares.
JUNE 28, 2020
John Anhut, also a Notre Dame alum, celebrating his Father's 75th class reunion.
ASIA TRAVEL
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