Today's Customer

I have been selling furniture since 1986, a 33-year run. In the course of that time I have seen shopping and buying habits change several times, as well as the big recession that wiped out about half the retail furniture stores and almost took out mine as well. As shopping habits change, consumers values do as well. Here's what I am seeing as we come into 2020.

* Amazon has changed the buying habits of consumers - absolutely. And there is an expectation of shoppers that most businesses should fall into that model. Quick availability, accurate arrival dates, shopping cart pricing and ease in buying. And since they expect that kind of shopping ease they gravitate to web sites that sell furniture. The better the website, the more apt they are to buy. The thing is, almost all those pieces are imports and cheaply made. The better quality furniture is not sitting in a box in a warehouse, ready to go because there are just too many choices in covers, styles and trim. Most everything is made to order unless it was brought in a container from China and they have a hundred units all identical.

* Reviews. Shopping decisions are very much influenced by reviews these days and that can be a good thing, but use your own filters to throw out those that are both too glowing and the ones too damning. You will also note that more reviews are done when the pieces are brand new, when the more relevant ones would really be after several months, or even years after ownership. Aslo, people are more inclined to write negative reviews than positive ones for the most part.

* Pets on Furniture. Without question, everyone seems to want upholstery that the family pets can be on that won't deteriorate the cover. I can tell you that fabric or leather, it doesn't exist. You can decide to let your pets on the furniture or train them to stay off (they will learn - at least dogs will) but should you choose to let them on the sofas and chair, you will not get the lifespan out of the cover that you would otherwise. Any dealer that tells you otherwise is not being truthful. As for Performance Fabrics, which are now the rage, they do not last any longer than conventional fabrics. They are just easier to clean when they soil, they're scrubbable with soap and water. Leather will last on average 4x longer than any textile if given reasonable care during its lifespan and not sitting in the sun's UV rays constantly.

* Pricing and Expectations. One curious shopping habit I am seeing more and more of, is consumers insisting on high quality product, however the budget only for low-quality product. Nobody wants anything made in China, yet they want the Chinese price. I don't have a good answer for that other than to say "Nice things cost Money". And this also makes the USA manufacturers crazy, I talk to them all. They are under enormous pressure to deliver a product for "xxxxx" dollars but their business standards and quality ethics won't let them take things out of the builds to get to that price point. Margins are so low, they can't reduce them any further. The import factories have no such qualms however. They will build to a price point and don't really care if the product has a high failure rate, that's what the customer wanted - a cheap price. The imports give you want you want. The key as the consumer is to approach with an open mind and don't set yourself hard targets on price based on something you saw on a website. Learn what makes a good piece, look at the anticipated lifespan of usage and buy accordingly. Better made furniture costs less over its useful life as its doesn't suffer the quick deterioration of inferior builds.

* Going Green. Younger clients are all about two things. Ecology and short term buys. Well, that's doesn't exactly work so well as they are not compatible. I hear often "I only need that sofa to last 5 years, because then I'll want something new, BTW, is that recyclable?". No, the cheap import sofa you are buying is not re-cycleable, its going in the landfill in 4 to 5 years because its failed. Had you purchased a high quality piece you would get 25 years out of it, and that's what helps the environment, you're not sending folmeadeye-laden and polymer-loaded sofas into the landfills every few years. Goods that last longer are far better for us all.

Thanks. That was an interesting read and pretty spot on, especially about "* Amazon has changed the buying habits of consumers - absolutely. And there is an expectation of shoppers that most businesses should fall into that model."

just went through that with my 27 year old daughter. Her generation lives online. So when she was looking for a sofa for her new apartment, her friend recommended an online manufacturer that she bought from. I checked it out and told her I thought there were better options. In essence, I suggested if she was going the online route that she show this to my architect brother who does a lot of interior design work. He suggested a different online company with a similar style at a slightly higher price if she wanted to go the online route. She was close to buying but I told her I wanted to check out one local store where I know the owner (as posted in my other thread).

It was really funny seeing the mindset and evolution of her thinking. At first she was like, I just want to be done with this - I can just click and order online and check it off my list. But I convinced her to make a trip to the store with me today (I had went their myself a day or two ago and took a few photos of potential items). So at first she was like we can be there and back in under an hour, right? Meanwhile it is at least a 15 minute drive each way. I said, well aren't you going to look around at the various options. She said no, I just need to look at the one picture I liked, why would that take more than 15 minutes. Well we get to the store, and she tried out the one she had her eye on. But the owner's daughter suggested perhaps she look around at the other options I had checked out. And my daughter surprisingly agreed. And it was eye opening as she started to see the differences, sitting and stretching out on them, to see how each one feels, etc and deciding what was important to her. And then back to the original one for more testing it out and deliberation before deciding yep, this was the one she really wanted.

And then she had to not only pick the fabric for the sofa, but also two different ones for some included accent pillows. And this wasn't like picking out of the only 3 color options available from some online manufacturer - but instead flipping thru a couple large binders of fabric swatches.

All in all we spent maybe an hour and 15 minutes in the store and she had a new appreciation for the shopping experience and customization available. Of course her wallet is lighter by about a third than if she had just bought the one online - but as I explained to her - that online one, even though it gets good initial reviews, would last maybe 3 years or less before issues arise based on long term complaints / reviews that all point out the same issues after a few years. This one she bought should hopefully get her 8 to 10 years. So in the long run, it is worth it.

On the way home, as she was texting my architect brother, he noted his approval with her purchase and told her she will be happy in the long run - and that he supports higher quality furniture but that means it costs more money

But the mindset of just wanting that Amazon shopping experience is hard to overcome for the younger generation

Yes, my daughter who is 29 is exactly the same way. She goes to Ikea and buys junk-in-box or WayFair and puts the stuff together. My Son who is 26 buys mattresses in a box and ready-to-assemble furniture as well. Meanwhile, their FATHER (that's me) owns a furniture store......I shake my head and keep quiet. My kids are fiercely independent and are poster children for learning by the school of hard knocks.

This is typical:

Me: "Your tire is really low on your car, why don't you pull it into the garage and I'll air it up, will only take 5 minutes to get the air compressor started then you can get on your way, that's not safe to drive on."

"Thanks Dad, but I really have to get back now, going out with friends tonight in DC, I'll take care of it - see ya - BYE ! Love you!"

Two days later (I'm not making this up):

"Dad, I'm on the side of the road, my tire blew out, what should I do?"

LOL, Yep i can definitely relate to that. She is quite independent herself. When she graduated college, she took a job in Connecticut. Moved there not knowing anyone and into an apartment with two roommates she found online. Didn't have to buy much furniture since the roommates had the common furniture. My wife helped her move and she bought her a daybed when they were moving in. My daughter found her dresser and a couple minor items dirt cheap either on craigslist or at a thrift shop (she was in a big college town). Moved to DC after a few years, another roommate situation, this one sharing a small house with 3 other girls given the high cost of living in DC. More thrift shop / craigslist finds and some Ikea pieces. Til a year ago when she moved rooms in the house, left her daybed in her old room for another roommate to use and used a queen bed the roommate who moved out left. After 6 months on that, she was looking for a new queen mattress and then box spring frame. Of course those were online buys from Amazon. But at least she emailed and consulted me asking to help her find something of reasonable quality (because she knows I research everything). I suggested going to a physical store but that was out of the question. She said I am only spending this much and I want to buy it online, Prime Day is coming up. So I researched what was out there out of the various bad to mediocre options. Luckily being Amazon Prime Day I found great deal on a Classic Brands Mercer Pillow Top Cool Gel Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid 12-Inch Mattress that seemed better than anything in her price range

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Brand...dp/B00LJ7CYK2/

Having now seen it as I helped her unload it into storage until her apartment is ready on her move back home - it is surprisingly good quality for a mattress in a box. Obviously not the same quality as your typical store bought one but she loves it.

Back home now, waiting to move into her apartment, she bought a few more pieces of furniture dirt cheap from craigslist / facebook marketplace to refinish along with the beat up dresser she kept from Connecticut.

her - Dad - can you help me refinish these.
me - sure, here is what you need to buy to do this
her - why do I need all that, can't I just get some Minwax polyshades stain and poly in one, light sand it, brush it on and be done
me - sure if you want it to look like crap
her - well how long will this take
me - its a long process but will be worth it
her - ugh, ok but can you just buy the stuff - here is my credit card
me - sure

of course I probably ended up doing more work on the three pieces than she did (luckily I am retired) but they turned out great.

So this sofa was her first major aka high dollar furniture purchase - which is why when she said, I think now that I will have my own place, I think I should invest in a good sofa
me - sounds reasonable - what are you thinking of
her - my friend really likes hers from this online company - they ship it in 4 boxes and you put it together
me - hmmm, how much does that cost
her - like 1600 for everything I want
me - what ???
her - my friend really likes it
me - let me do some research
her - ugh, ok . . .

and you know the rest of the story, lol