Difficult Choices in Floor Stock

What a difference the Pandemic has had on the furniture industry. We dealers used to have sales, promotions, overstocks, specials and all sorts of way to buy floor stock at better price points which allowed us to mark it down the day it hit the showroom as a "Floor Model". But all makers have stopped offering specials to dealers. What few overstocks or odd lots there may be are gone in no time. End result is dealers have to order full price product for the floor, which means no sales - no markdowns (unless it really gets shopworn over time) and there is no point in "waiting it out" because its projected to be like this for the next year or longer.

I just had a client order a Hancock and Moore # 2812ST Hamilton Office chair in Tiburon Cognac and that is going to be drop-dead gorgeous when it arrives in 5 months. I am debating adding a plus 1 to the order and keep the second chair for floor stock, which is what prompted this post. The thing is, I won't be able to discount it when it arrives so I'm on the fence about it. I can already hear "Why isn't this marked down?"....and then I have to go through the explanation of why. Trying to keep the store full so it looks good and there is actually something a person can take home is tricky business, I'd like to wait it out but I don't see specials coming for a long, long time.

Does the new town and country promotion have good prices now?

I have always thought of floor stock as I can get this one MUCH sooner and pay the same price, or wait for one fresh out of the box and pay the same price. I am sure there are plenty of people that will pay to get it delivered in a week instead of months. I know I have as long as the floor model didn't have any noticeable problems. Especially right now, having floor stock is a huge plus to me.

The Town and Country promotion is decent. I will try to get that scanned in soon - but of course they won't let me post prices.

I have at least three to four folks a week come in looking for quality office chairs, so I'm taking a bit of a chance on that and ordering eight of them, various styles and leathers. In the past, I never put more than two on the floor.