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Thread: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

  1. #1
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    Default No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    As of August 2021, the foam situation has improved somewhat but now there are wood and mechanism shortages (for motion). Delivery times are still running close to 6 months and there are long transit times as well once shipped. The situation has NOT improved overall. Dealers cannot get stock quickly or expedite your order. This is a waiting game, and patience is your virtue.

    As a dealer, I am hesitant to order floor stock 6 or more months out as well, because I don't know that market conditions will be at that time. 2020/21 has been very brisk in sales, will that trend continue? I have no idea (nor does anyone I talk with). I certainly hope we will see a calming on the constant barrage of price increases - that concerns me greatly.

    At my store, floor models are always for sale (many stores will not currently sell their floor models), so if you need something sooner rather than later and find something suitable I have on display you can avoid the wait and take it home or have it delivered quickly.
    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
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    In what has to be a bizarre turnabout, one of our forum members ordered two Hancock and Moore recliners in mid May of this year and then a few days ago (end of July) ordered a Your Way ottoman. As I saw the new Acknowledgement come in the thought occurred to me to call H&M and see if I could get the ottoman added to the May order as it would save some shipping costs for the client. Imagine my surprise when they told me the ottoman was already in production and would be done in a few weeks because they had all the components! The two recliners haven’t even started because of motion mechanism shortages. Foam is starting to ease up, and now it’s metal and wood. So there will be two ships after all….

    So realistically, build times are really dependent on components being available. And just an FYI, dealers cannot call to check on component availability for a particular order/ frame. There is no system in place to do so. Once an order is entered, acknowledged and then it entered the build system computer programs, then we can call to see how it may progress. This is three weeks after the dealer sends in the order.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    The state of the furniture industry and trucking companies continues to be in turmoil. Things are NOT improving. I say this because people are coming in the store and saying "Things must be getting better" and also expecting production times to be shorter and they are not.

    The Delta Variant has hit Catawba County of North Carolina hard, with most people hospitalized 35 years old and under. The factories are back on masks, and there are a lot of people out, plus lots of new hires. This means a work force that cannot catch up and more mistakes made as new employees are inexperienced. Trucking companies cannot get help (or don't want to pay for it) so there is a lack of warehouse people to offload trucks, and a lack of drivers. It can take a month to get freight from Hickory NC to my store - an 8 hour drive. Pre-covid, it was 4 to 6 days on average once shipped. Some furniture is sitting in very hot, very humid trailers for too long and deteriorating inside the boxes, it was never designed for the high temps and humidity we saw in August.

    Delivery companies have new hires, and they are damaging a lot of furniture. Far higher rates than normal. There is an Art to handling furniture, it's not just shoving it around.

    As a dealer, I am personally extremely frustrated by all this. I built my reputation on running a tight, well-organized operation that is responsible and timely. Now all of this is outside my control. I can't call in a favor and get things "rushed", it can't happen. I can't get the furniture shipped quicker in transit short of driving a truck those 8 hours and picking it up. And of course damages by white glove delivery services are particularly upsetting because they are all avoidable, and after waiting for 6 months - to have it arrived damaged is understandably upsetting.

    It's not just the furniture industry, though. I ordered a custom Pella sliding glass door in June for a new deck/room addition to my home and it arrived yesterday at my house. Wrong size, wrong model. Mis-ordered and though my paperwork was correct, the door was not. My contractor said "We can make it work but will have to reframe the wall and use the smaller size they sent." Getting a new one is another 3 months, so we kept the one they sent as it was the last part of the project. Ugh.

    Expect issues the rest of this year and well into 2022. I don't see this letting up anytime soon.
    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
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    Talking to Taylor King today, they are on 7 months build time, losing ground on time - no gaining. Add to that 6 weeks or more delivery time and you should plan on 9 months from time of order until you see the furniture. No makers are improving on delivery times.

    What I am seeing happen is a noted lack of patience. I am very upfront about how long things are estimated to take, and some clients are getting upset over it. Sorry folks, nothing I can do. There are no secret back-channel phone calls I can make to speed up your order. If you are told 6 to 7 months build time, it does no good to call in three months after ordering to ask about your order status and then telling me how disappointed you are.

    If you need something sooner, buy floor stock from the dealer of your choice. That's all I can say on speed of your order. Also realize that estimates are all over the board - they change depending on supply of materials and manpower, none of the manufacturers are fully staffed, there is no additional work force to hire right now.

    Hang in there - we are all doing the best we can.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    Today in a meeting at work we were told they are suddenly getting a big increase in applications for nursing assistants since the extra unemployment benefits ended, Still no GOOD candidates but a clear increase. Here is hoping that it spreads across areas that are hurting for workers.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    I have two types of customers, those that are pretty chilled out and patient, and on the flip side those that are more demanding and believe that Covid has run its course.

    Nothing is improving folks. If anything, it's getting worse. it's frustrating for me as well as you - and equally so for the manufactuers. Realize no one makes money until you have your ordered items in your hand. The dealer, the manufacturer, and even the shipping companies have no cash flow if the goods are not getting to you. It's in all our best interests to make it all happen for you. But we cannot work miracles. Realize price increases keep coming and if you are in line, I strongly suggest you should stay in line. If you bail out and go somewhere else to try, likely you will give up the price you had at time of order. In my opinion, you will NOT see prices coming down, it's not going to happen.

    And perhaps relax your requirements a little. Maybe accept a color or form factor on something that a dealer has in stock rather than going without until next Spring? I am scrambling right now to keep the showroom full, making calls to see if anyone has items in stock or a cancelled order I can buy. Like you, I have to wait for production to be done in the same time manner. Sarah ordered two Bradington Young sofas for stock yesterday (including the new 201 series motion) and realistically they won't be here until March or April. Ugh. There was a time not too many years ago when B-Y would ship in three weeks - that ship has sailed though, not likely to return in the foreseeable future.

    Here's a letter to dealers from Alex Shuford III, the CEO of Rock House Brands, which are some of the biggest companies in the trade. Thought I would share as he is the man at the top, and he's telling it like it is.

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    Last edited by drcollie; 09-24-2021 at 08:54 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
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    This too shall pass. Its tough, people are losing patience. In reality, the demand for furniture is good for the industry, but it would be even better if they were able to meet demand. But it is better than no one ordering furniture and factories closing and going out of business left and right. I just wish everyone would stop and take a breath. Its a sofa. Its a recliner. You can afford to be ordering good quality furniture. You are not lying in ICU on a ventilator. You are not getting what you want when you want it and you aren't used to that. Time to learn patience and the idea that good things are worth waiting for. Be kind. Not all the changes going on are going to be to our liking even if they are permanent changes. We can't control everything. Again, you are not in lying in ICU on a ventilator, and hopefully no one you love is either. That is something that almost 700,000 people can no longer say. I know of which I speak. Sometimes life makes us reassess our priorities, like it or not. We need to do that. And we all need to show kindness to each other more than ever.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    Are these 201 motion series sofa sold yet? If not what colors/styles are they? Thanks.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    I'm not sure if you posted this in the correct forum thread, but in any case we have (1) Bradington Young Model 201-90 Raymond Dual Recliner Sofa on order for stock in leather 920300-97. This was ordered on 09/23/21 and is available. Will probably complete Feb / March 2022. If the leather has not yet been cut we *may* be able to change the cover on it.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: No improvement in delivery times for ordered furniture

    Another price increase on the way, this time from Fjord's on April 1st. Solely due to transport costs.

    I suspect we will see another wave of increases from all suppliers right after the High Point Market in early April. Fuel prices are jacking everything up, I am already seeing it on our surcharges on freight bills coming to the store. So far, we are holding the line on increases, however we are going to have to have a small order surcharge for any single item less than 100 lb shipped of $ 30. That would be like one office chair, or one barstool, or one nightstand, etc.

    Order times are not improving. Right now plan on 7 months, we are seeing product come in from July and August 2021 orders at this time. If you want something for the Fall, order it now and you will probably get it in October, (maybe September, but not likely).
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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