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.