Furniture Today accompanied Top 100 retailer Morris Furniture on two showroom visits on Friday at this week’s High Point Market.
The day gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how the 75-year-old Dayton, Ohio-based retailer conducts business with a firm with which it has a long-standing relationship in addition to how it evaluates a potential new supplier.
We got started when I went to the Flexsteel Inds to meet with Brenda Dillon, vice president of merchandising, and Gracyn Byers, assistant buyer. showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center The visit, which lasted about an hour, included Flexsteel representative Pete Rhomberg.
Although Flexsteel’s products are known for their customizability, there is still the issue of dressing what is already on the floor. As a result, at the beginning of the appointment, Rhomberg led us to a table with chosen fabric samples matched up with four different seating groups, each of which included a sofa, decorative pillows, and accent chairs. Some of these seating groups were already in Morris’ line, while others may be included in future collections.
One cluster of almost neutral-colored green pops caught Dillon’s attention. “Sage is emerging right now,” she remarked while going over the swatches.
For an accent chair in a different grouping, Rhomberg gave customers the option of a neutral or blue plaid. “I feel like this plaid isn’t as traditional as the blue plaid,” Byers nodded her agreement with the impartial print.
“Are all of these fabrics doing well? They’re not on the drop list, are they?” Looking at the choices for the third grouping, Dillon enquired if they were in danger of being dropped. Rhomberg responded that they weren’t.
Rhomberg brought the Morris team to the piece on the floor for the fourth grouping and draped the samples over the furnishings and pillows. They opt for a classic appearance. “We should see if this traditional will sell better in Dayton or Columbus,” Dillon told Byers. “Cincinnati will always make sales.”
“I think Dayton will outsell Columbus,” Byers replied.
The vice president of sales for Flexsteel, David Crimmins, stopped by at about that time. “We’re busy in a good way,” he told Dillon when she inquired about activity.
Following sample examination and decision-making, the showroom tour started while introductions were being made. The group examines sectionals and some of the recliners, including the Mov 360 series, with the addition of Carol Russell, regional vice president of sales for Flexsteel.
“We have all of the (point of sale) for that,” Russell mentioned the sofas. “All three colors and the POS can be used to convey a narrative.”
Dillon had concerns about the app’s portability from consumers to retailers as a tool for the customer experience process after looking at one modular grouping. Dillon and Doug Schweizer, channel integration manager for Flexsteel, discuss potential options and decide to proceed.
Three interesting stops were made before the tour came to an end. The first was going to the Zecliner section, which is for people with sleep apnea or other conditions that make it difficult for them to sleep in a bed.
“People will spend on health and wellness,” Rhomberg said. “What are you doing in your store to speak to that customer, we ask the retailer.”
Tim Newlin, vice president of product management at Flexsteel, gives a demonstration of the company’s Flex seating program, a modular, drop-ship option that customers can quickly assemble at home.
Vice President of Product Management Tim Newlin then joins us as we continue our discussion of Flex, a modular drop-ship concept that allows customers to construct their own Flexsteel seats in just five minutes at home. Along with the benefits and features, Newlin showed how simple the construction was.
The new Charisma room, the location of the final stop, has stationary upholstery at a popular price point. “When we brought it out, we wanted it to be best in class for comfort, style and selection,” Rhomberg said.
As soon as we finish with Flexsteel, we continue on to the next stop, which is Flair Furniture, a Minhas division, on the seventh floor of the IHFC. Jordan Shindell, a sales representative, welcomed the group and displayed some of the products. The family-run business is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and its products are made in Canada, North Carolina, and Asia.
Minhas just opened a second U.S. location, Shindell noted. facility, allowing it to ship around 200 truckloads a week with a goal of getting lead times to around 60 days consistently (they’re currently between 60 and 90 days).
With the intention of discovering a potential new vendor to expand Morris’ outlet offerings, we examined a variety of recliners, sofas, and sectionals. The visit lasts about thirty minutes.
“What I would like to see from you is best-sellers,” At the end of the visit, Dillon informed Shindell. “What are your top five choices if we were to put them in our store?”
“I’ll put together a best-seller list,” Shindell said. “I’ll use the cover that has sold the most copies if the books have different covers. I’ll do that and make a strong first impression.”
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Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/high-point-market-show-news/a-day-in-the-morris-furniture-buyers-shoes/
