CrossCheck Blog

Dictionary.com defines ‘trend’ as something being “currently popular” – and is especially applicable in the fashion and design industries. By their very nature, trends come and go and it’s your job as a manager to anticipate what customers want when ordering inventory, and ultimately maximizing sales to your bottom line. This is true whether you run a retail store or independent home furnishings outlet. As we near the end of 2014, let’s take a look at what is likely to trend in 2015:

Home Furnishings: Your Showroom is Your Marketing from cross-check

The National Retail Federation downgraded its 2014 growth estimate by half a point to 3.6%, realizing, unfortunately, that weak demand early in the year ran deeper than just a response to the especially harsh winter. Customer liquidity is probably not the problem, especially since median incomes are finally on the rise and the home improvement sector has risen nearly ten points in the past year.

A recent Gallup poll showed that 40% of Americans have showroomed at least once in some form or another, and brick-and-mortar stores may be losing 1 out of 10 customers due to showrooming. Helping contribute to this profit-killing practice is the proliferation of cell phone usage while shopping. Consider the following statistics from the Federal Reserve as they relate to cell phone usage and showrooming:

Each morning in the Retail Resource Center at the Las Vegas Market the team at the North American Home Furnishings Association serves breakfast. This includes freshly squeezed orange juice from the juiciest oranges you've seen in your life. The juice is actually squeezed while you wait!

People are exposed to nearly 20,000 ad messages per week ranging from TV commercials, radio ads, billboards, cell phone application ads, pop-ups, and website banners. Talk about sensory overload on steroids! As a home furnishings merchant yourself, you may even be contributing to this statistic in one form or another with a catchy jingle or special promotion. But there’s no shame in that, you have to generate brand awareness and market your own promotions.

Break out the barbecues, swimsuits, and fill up your gas tank because Summer Solstice is tomorrow! From an astronomical standpoint, the Summer Solstice happens when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator. Those living North of the equator enjoy the longest hours of daylight. But for many of you reading this, it’s also a huge opportunity to take advantage of an increase in consumer spending.

Industry analysts at the High Point Market show in April and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in May exhibited a level of optimism almost as alluring as the gorgeous exhibits themselves – something furniture store owners and managers haven’t heard in quite a while. If they’re right and if this year signals the beginning of a long-term recovery, then every new customer you meet could become a stable one who brings you referrals.

Your customer likes to think of herself as wealthy and tasteful, and one of the main reasons she enjoys browsing in your store is that you make her feel that way. Many of your customers actually are tasteful, and most of them probably are wealthy, so understanding the psychology of your client and the sales tactics she’ll respond to can have a positive impact on your bottom line.