I was pretty keen to get a Ekorns Stressless dealership and initially balked at the $ 20,000 opening order requirement for floor stock, but after about a month of thinking about it figured I could swing it. That's a lot of cash to outlay for a product that you don't know if it will sell well in your store! However, I pretty much talked myself into it and I really like the sales rep for the line as well. So I decided to do it and Jeff, the sales rep, came over yesterday to set up the store as a dealer. About two hours into the process, I discovered that the company requires every dealer to spend several thousand dollars on advertising in predetermined amounts for five promotions a year. Plus, there is a required significant dealer annual fee to be listed on their website as a dealer. That was too much for me an it seems more like a franchise operation. I halted the dealer process since there was no flex in this policy. I like the product, like the story, it appears to be very well made and I would probably do well with it, however I don't like being contractually obligated to spend money on specific brand advertising and the "privilege" of being a dealer. It won't be happening in my store unless they change that policy.

However - all my Hancock & Moore Barstools came in today (6 different models in different leathers) and I will be the only dealer in the country to have a counter stool display in the store. I'm waiting for a bar height table to come in of reclaimed Oak from Ohio - and that should be here in a couple weeks. I will have that very cool display set up shortly and I expect clients to really like it. I think with all the homes today having kitchen counter eating areas as centerpieces of the home, there is more and more demand for high quality barstools and they are difficult to buy off a photo on a website. Stay tuned for that one.