Question for YOU - as customers for Hancock and Moore

[puremichigan]

What a great idea!! I would think you could have a lot of fun ordering those in some beautiful leathers! You could really get some unique pieces--and I am sure that you could sell them as well. It would be great to see a few of those fabulous Class Fives up close!

[BarbieA1]

Boom.

[garyniv]

I was in your store this weekend. I appreciated being able to sit on pieces in Capri and Weston, and other higher-end leathers. But I also appreciated sitting on the lower grades, since it made the difference between grades as real as it gets.

So yes, I will second the recommendation for a mix, with an emphasis on the best sellers.

[asaasa3333]

Most people see the lower T&C and low grade leather options elsewhere and for them to walk in and see the nicer options is a definite plus. Having bought BY in the lower grade leather and an HM in higher grade, I know the difference NOW.

If you have the space, I would say both - maybe even just one popular frame in both grades for a side-by-side comparison (which I have never seen anywhere - I wonder why).

[Bobkid]

I could do that. Actually what might not be a terrible idea would be to order 12 to 16 of the 099 Footstools and have them all done in different hides, then build a open wall section with shelves in my store to house them. That way I could show some exotics on them as well as mainline hides, and customers could buy them as well right off the display. Those are small enough to pull out and move around, yet big enough to really get a sense of the leather.

I would just about fly up from TX just to visit a showroom that offered me the opportunity to sample a selection like that. It's very frustrating to finally be in a position to afford some nicer pieces, but we can't find anyone near who can show us much more than swatches or T&C items. Custom ordering blindly is a scary thing.

[drcollie]

I have (43) pieces of Hancock & Moore in my (admittedly small) showroom and another (5) in storage as there is no more room in my store to place them, unless I start suspending them from the ceiling....

[wisejd]

I'm just back from a couple of months up North and thus just saw this thread, so please forgive me for my tardy opinion. I can find countless furniture stores with rather horrible low-end supposed leather pieces on display at very low price points. I find nearly all Dealers of H&M pieces are more likely to have Town and Country Program pieces on display with just a few higher-end H&M pieces if that. I love the fact that there is a T&C Program which allows otherwise lesser quality buyers to experience the offerings of H&M. I also believe that once experienced many will learn to appreciate spending a little more for the higher-end hides. I don't know how important it would be to have a vast variety of hides in store, as long as you could show the comparison of a popular, yet lower cost T&C piece vs. a Capri or other popular high-end piece. That would already make the point for many if not most shoppers. Again with the cost of inventory and floor space this approach should probably favor the larger inventory in T&C pieces because immediate availability may be even more important for the first-time buyer of furniture at an H&M quality/value level.

[drcollie]

I agree that the Town and Country program offers a great value, there are even some pieces in there in the high-quality leathers as well (such at the Author Chair or Rugby Club series in Weston Cane Burnished). There is definitely some price resistance from some consumers on the H&M brand, but I still think overall its the best value because of how it performs over time. Yes, folks have to lay out more at time of purchase to get it, however it has a more usable life span over time for the vast majority of customers so the cost of ownership per year of use is actually lower than cheaper furniture. It takes a long term view to realize that, but when you use quality components, you do get a superior lifespan.

I always keep at least one piece on the floor in either Capri, Quintessence or Arizona to show how a high quality hide makes up. Few people buy those high end leathers off the swatches, but once they see them and try them out - they get hooked! What I get a kick out of - and this happens regularly - is a couple will come into the store and say "We're here to look at an Austin High Back Tilt Chair and Ottoman" and I usually have two on display. One is usually in Capri, the other in Town and Country. The husband will go over to the Capri model, pick up the price tag and recoil, usually with a comment like "Seriously? Is there a gold lining in that leather? I would NEVER pay that much for a chair and ottoman." I will then show them the one I have in the T&C Chinese Married Cover hide and the more friendly price point. They like that much better. I will explain the difference in the leather to them and why the Capri costs what it does and then I leave them alone unless they have any questions. They go back and forth to the chairs several times. About an hour later the husband comes up to me and says "I gotta have that Capri, its like nothing I've ever sat on before". And I get a chuckle....they sold themselves on it, I didn't have to pitch it.