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Thread: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Its clear to me, that Covid-19 is going to be here for some time - until an effective and safe vaccine is made - and it will change the way merchants do business and how people shop. I personally don't think this will be "over" anytime soon. Many businesses are going to fail. Those that don't innovate and are simply going to try to ride it out in order to get back to normal are in for a rude shock, they will be the first to fail.

    I have always adapted The Keeping Room since 1986. I have moved with market trends, resisted going into upscale fancy retail space to control costs, and don't have any employees other than part-timers for local deliveries. I created this forum during the height of the Recession as a way to maintain communication channels when no one was buying.

    Now it's 2020 and this disruption of business is huge. and not going away. What do YOU as a consumer want to see from retailers such as myself in order to help you with your purchase? I'd like to hear your ideas.

    One that that won't happen is to have items on-line with pricing and Amazon-type shopping. The old-school thinking of the name brand producers still can't grasp that's what a lot of people want, they still believe in the model that people need to go into the showroom to make a buy, and they don't want an on-line dealer undercutting pricing. That's out-dated and no longer viable, however it's like trying to turn an aircraft carrier to get them to change that. Many retailers in the furniture business hold onto that idea as well, we will see if that still works for them in the next year or two. Nor are you going to see 3D rendering on websites showing a sofa or chair in all the colors and fabrics available - that's too expensive to implement.

    Things I am thinking of doing or are in the process of implementing.

    * A return to financing. 12 months, 0% interest. I am working with TD Bank right now to set up that program. This lets financially stressed households extend the buy time for a purchase. I should have this set up shortly.

    * Thinking of setting up Skype or Facetime for a way for customers to communicate and call in. Is that of any interest?

    * Would a Zoom Webinar be of any use? Say once a day at a preset time? I've never used Zoom but I think I could figure it out.

    Other ideas?

    Duane
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    595

    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    All good ideas! Not sure it will be quite that long, but it could be. We are making discoveries about treatment all the time. Antivirals and using hemaglobin to increase oxygen transport, antibody infusions, testing for immunity, etc. Treatments need time to see how safe and effective they are, but they can be rolled out much faster than a vaccine. Once we stop sitting on our hands and roll out mass testing, including testing for immunity, we can start opening up. People should be able to get back to a "new normal" with good handwashing and shopping with masks much sooner than a vaccine comes out. I can see businesses opening up with signs that say "No shoes, no shirt, no MASK, No service". If I were a business I would require everyone entering to gel their hands and wear a mask over their mouth AND NOSE as long as they were inside my business, and ask those with a cough or fever or respiratory symptoms to return at a later date. Any customer not willing to do that would be a customer I didn't need, or they could shop remotely like the ways you mentioned above. Not everyone might be comfortable with it, but personally I would have no problem asking someone to follow those rules or please leave.

    The only other thing I might suggest is a slow tour of your inventory via video. That would be time consuming for you, but you might have some extra time on your hands right now. Like one video of the different recliners you have, and name the models so people can order from home or over the phone. Another video of H&M sofas, another one of BY sofas. Maybe just for the catagories you get the most inquiries about. Or you could use short videos instead of or in addition to pictures when new inventory comes in. I personally don't like being on camera so the skype or face timing is not something I would enjoy myself. Many are fine with it, though, so it would be great to offer it.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    This is good to hear. Even once this virus is no longer in the pandemic phase, I think it will take a year or so for customers to get comfortable spending again on non-essential goods. Many will have to rebuild their savings accounts or let the 401's recover before they are comfortable making larger discretionary purchases. I don't expect much of a rush of customers to come in and start snapping up sofas and recliners once the country is cleared to return to normal.

    I've done inventory videos before and published them on You Tube. That's good for local customers, not sure if those outside the metro DC area would benefit from them much. But good idea!
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Even in the best of times, I don't like shopping for furniture. I consider furniture sales people (present company excluded) only a small step above a used car sales person. I don't like the sales pressure or the evil stares when I try to look at the underside of a piece of furniture. I am a technical buyer though. [I (almost) think recliners should be displayed upside down in stores.] Furniture stores like those who buy on a whim and looks only. To me, that attitude is a disadvantage to the higher quality furniture manufacturers. They need to compete better by advertising why better construction is better and how their pieces exhibit it. These are things that can be done on the internet even better than in stores. Perhaps just me again, but when I am educated on the worth of something, I tend to buy higher end items. If I don't know why, then why should I pay more for a more expensive recliner mechanism.

    I would also like to see videos of pieces showing multiple angles. Have someone sit in them, perhaps a large man and a small woman and have them explain how they feel about the comfort. The hard part of shopping over the internet is that you loose perspective on size and dimensions. A common reference in a video would help. While likely too small here, everyone knows the size of a Coke can, and so when placed next an item, you can immediately understand the size.

    I wish there were more videos like these to help the remote buyer:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVKJzHV2cU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsA9OIBPn5U
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFJHTzYSDj4

    (Sorry for pointing our work from one of your competitors.) The manufacturer should really be doing these for you.

    I don't think Zoom meetings are of much value. I want to shop on my schedule, not yours. I'd rather have short videos on demand.

    Offering Skype of Duo is a good idea to be able to not only answer questions, but show people when needed.

    I am quite a distance from your store. Shipping then becomes an issue. Is there any way to set up a group delivery to reduce cost. For example, May 15th would be ship to Houston day; June 15th would be ship to Chicago, etc. I don't know if this is logistically possible, or would even save cost.

    But as you point out, I really want the Amazon experience - listed no-haggle good prices, reviews by buyers, and an easy way to place an order.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    The growing demand for Amazon style shopping cannot be stopped. Some of these furniture manufacturers may try to resist it for as long as possible but consumers want the convenience and transparency in cost of online shopping.

    There are high quality manufacturers of modern style furniture that target a younger, more tech savvy demographic vs. the average consumer of a Hancock and Moore product (for example). I'm taking about furniture made from real hardwood, manufactured in the USA, made to order, and well constructed that sell completely online, often with prices that are non-negotiable and never "on sale". Most the information you would want is available online, including several pictures of the item, materials used, type of construction, origin of production, available customizations - all without having to go through the hassle of talking to a middle man. Information that is found in seconds rather than the hours and days it takes to exchange the same information through email or phone calls.

    If some of these manufacturers are not willing to adapt with the times, I would not be surprised if they will no longer be relevant in the future.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    I hear what you are saying. Point and click is convenient, for sure.

    I will say that in my opinion, a knowledgeable dealer is a great asset to buying for a number reasons. Better furniture doesn't really lend itself well to on-line sales, click and go. I find overall that my customers benefit from a conversation either via email, on the phone, or in person on their purchases. My goal is not to chug as many sales in a day as I can, its to get the right item for a customer so they are happy with their purchase. Truth be told, it doesn't take much to overload me, more than three or four orders in a day is hard to manage because I have to make sure we get them right, and there are a lot of parameters to make sure we do.

    Shipping is always a factor. And shipping is not cheap if you use good companies to move the product. I don't have enough business to do group ships into areas, it would have to be warehoused somewhere to get a load going and hold times would be long, it's just not practical. Once in a great while we happen to have by sure coincidence a group of orders to an area by several companies, and we will load them in our own truck an go if we can cover the costs. We did a group of (5) deliveries into New York City as the most recent, did a load to Atlanta and Chicago once, but even running a private truck gets very expensive with two men in it, tolls, fuel, etc.

    Good to have an exchange of ideas, I'm always up for trying to improve the customer's buying experience.
    Last edited by drcollie; 04-20-2020 at 02:57 PM.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    69

    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Quote Originally Posted by Quadraxis View Post
    The growing demand for Amazon style shopping cannot be stopped. Some of these furniture manufacturers may try to resist it for as long as possible but consumers want the convenience and transparency in cost of online shopping.

    There are high quality manufacturers of modern style furniture that target a younger, more tech savvy demographic vs. the average consumer of a Hancock and Moore product (for example). I'm taking about furniture made from real hardwood, manufactured in the USA, made to order, and well constructed that sell completely online, often with prices that are non-negotiable and never "on sale". Most the information you would want is available online, including several pictures of the item, materials used, type of construction, origin of production, available customizations - all without having to go through the hassle of talking to a middle man. Information that is found in seconds rather than the hours and days it takes to exchange the same information through email or phone calls.

    If some of these manufacturers are not willing to adapt with the times, I would not be surprised if they will no longer be relevant in the future.
    I wonder why people are comparing buying overpriced cheap garbage in Amazon to spending like $10,000-20,000 on the H&M furniture that's supposed to stay with your for years vs ending up in a dumpster in 1-2 year.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Years ago I made a "Shop at Home" kit for Hancock and Moore, which had the full line of leathers in dealer-sized swatches, wood and nail finishes, and paper catalogs. I would ship that out to customer wanting to shop at home, however the box was heavy due to all the leathers and it was around $40 to $ 50 to ship it each way. Is there any interest to bring that back?

    Customer would pay the shipping each way, and that would come back as a credit if an order was placed.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Quote Originally Posted by drcollie View Post
    Years ago I made a "Shop at Home" kit for Hancock and Moore, which had the full line of leathers in dealer-sized swatches, wood and nail finishes, and paper catalogs. I would ship that out to customer wanting to shop at home, however the box was heavy due to all the leathers and it was around $40 to $ 50 to ship it each way. Is there any interest to bring that back?

    Customer would pay the shipping each way, and that would come back as a credit if an order was placed.
    Hey Duane - you know as indecisive as we were, this would be something that we would have availed ourselves of!

  10. #10

    Default Re: Covid-19 and how it will change the way you shop?

    Quote Originally Posted by drcollie View Post
    Years ago I made a "Shop at Home" kit for Hancock and Moore, which had the full line of leathers in dealer-sized swatches, wood and nail finishes, and paper catalogs. I would ship that out to customer wanting to shop at home, however the box was heavy due to all the leathers and it was around $40 to $ 50 to ship it each way. Is there any interest to bring that back?

    Customer would pay the shipping each way, and that would come back as a credit if an order was placed.
    Yes, I would be very interested. I'm doing an analysis now on sofa sizes and am looking for 2 matching sofas and perhaps a loveseat or scaled-down version of a 3rd sofa. Would you be able to put this together within the next week or so or will it take more time?

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