Coronovirus & the big name retailers

Hey everyone, long time no talk/hear. I've had a busy last few months, but it's good to be back. Apologies if this has been addressed already on the forum, but I didn't see it via search.

I know we sometimes discuss the big name, mall furniture retailers here a lot, & how the majority, if not all of it is manufactured in China. Turns out, so much of it is made in China, that now the coronovirus is affecting orders & deliveries. The companies are sending out "heads up" emails to customers letting them know it's all a guessing game at this point as to when you'll get what you ordered.

And of course, the only information we're getting is what the Chinese government has authorized to release. Making the "official" Chinese New Year extension reason seem a bit suspect after so many cases have sprouted up recently in certain regions of China. We have no way of knowing if a Chinese New Year extension is the actual truth, or if it's because most of the factory workers are being prevented from returning to work due to efforts to contain the virus, etc.

I want to state firmly, I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any means. I do not believe in any one of the possible reasons for the delays above any other. I follow a handful of international reporters on Twitter & am just relaying what they're hearing from those on the ground in China with you guys.

I received one of these particular "heads up" emails this morning from Arteriors, and since it's a general script email they mass sent out, I hope it'd be ok to share with the forum members? If not, I completely understand.

This is just a general post on how the virus is affecting the industry, & most likely, everyone in it at this time. I also wanted to remind everyone to keep the country of origin in mind when you're placing your orders for *any* brand during this time. Duane has mentioned several times that some of the protected leathers H&M uses come from China, & I'm sure orders of pieces with those leathers are being affected as well.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone ❤️

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Yes, it definitely affects things. Most likely it will have an effect on production of goods say 90 days from now, moreso than currently.

The Chinese Tariff thing that started a year and a half ago really spooked the US Furniture industry, and they are largely pulling out of China. Many have moved to Vietnam, and have been welcomed there with open arms. Others went to South America. The Chinese pipeline was becoming unreliable due to tariffs, so moves were made some time ago to get away from that dependence. For example, no new leathers that Hancock and Moore adds are from China. I think metal components (screws, springs, that sort of thing) are being sourced elsewhere as well.

My guess is things like Apple products and computers in general will be far more affected than furniture, because those are complex items that require multi-million dollar specialize factories (Foxcomm) to set up and make. Furniture - not so much.