AVES’ WORLD
FDM
fdmonline.com
John Aves
john@designdiscoveries.net
Guide for survival:
Clarity
The American economy contin- ues in a slide and we don’t know yet where it will end, but it is
clear that the furniture industry is in a
classic “rollup.” I have seen some of the
steepest declines and most startling
failures within the furniture industry
since I graduated from college in
1964. I began working in my father’s
advertising agency with clients such as
Steelcase and Baker Furniture, later
adding Howard Miller, The Merchandise Mart, Woodard, Tropitone, Sligh,
Herman Miller and several others.
My experience suggests three
important steps will improve the odds
of survival.
from thousands of customers.
This provides Ashley’s top management with a degree of clarity that few in
our industry can match. Other leaders
who have this advantage are Ethan Allen, Ikea, Williams-Sonoma, and Crate
and Barrel. They are among the most
successfully managed companies in our
industry. What they all have in common is
a clear channel of communication to the
consumer and back from the consumer.
●
The survivors will
deliver a clear
and consistent
message to their
customers.
●
Step 1: Clarity
The survivors and thrivers will continue to deliver a clear and consistent
message to their dealers and customers. I suggest that the top executives
should take this opportunity to visit
dealers, designers and consumers. We
need to cut through the clutter and
meet our customers’ customers. Don’t
wait for a regional salesman to arrange
a meeting; go alone. Don’t hire a
research firm; go yourself.
A clue to the importance of gaining clarity is apparent in the success of
America’s largest furniture company,
Ashley. This new industry leader has set
up and established the criteria for all of
its branded stores, which gives the company a clear and consistent “voice” and
also gives it clear and consistent feedback. The management team at Ashley’s
headquarters receives information from
the field through a dedicated and unbroken channel, carrying the unvarnished
truth about their products and service
Step 2: Beware of the fog
Many important decisions in our
industry are made by isolated company
executives and even more isolated designers. In the “good old days” we could
attach a name like Mario Buatta or John
Saladino to a new design collection,
ensuring acceptance and awareness. But
today’s customer is better informed and
not so easily led by glamorous images.
Today’s up-and-coming customer
knows more about design and is more
critical about construction and environmentally sustainable materials. The Internet provides massive amounts of raw
product information and images, diluting the impact of our industry “shelter”
magazines. The net effect is a level
playing field where anyone can kick a
goal. But, unlike soccer, the teams are
not evenly matched. A few companies
maintain an unbroken pipeline of
information and a consumer-centered
attitude that flows upstream from the
retail floor to the management suite.
The equal and opposite advantage
is, of course, their ability to send information to their consumers’ customers
through a well-trained and focused
army of retail designers. It is a much
tidier process than trying to train inde-
