The recent High Point pop-up event, intended as a temporary solution to a disrupted market season, could prove instructive as the industry continues adjusting to the realities of COVID-19. It’s become increasingly clear that the pandemic’s impact on business will prove more lasting than the three to four months most people first envisioned back in March, and it seems likely that buyer and seller interactions throughout the supply chain will need to evolve as a result.
There were a few noteworthy developments arising at the “mini-market,” as it’s been colloquially dubbed. First, it doesn’t matter what dates you set or suggest, some guests will always arrive early. While the ostensible dates for showroom appointments were June 16-18, as always, a number of exhibitors reported having retailers arrive ahead of that schedule.
Some things never change.
One thing that did change and could be a harbinger of the future was the appointment-only format aimed at limiting the number of people in each showroom at any given time. This event’s limited attendance relative to an actual market made social distancing relatively easy, although some major accounts took this a step farther requesting exclusive showroom access.
It also appears that some companies prior to and after the pop-up event have been and will be utilizing their showrooms for individual retailer appointments. Moving into the fall High Point Market season, it will be worth watching to see how showrooms are utilized to manage retailer interactions, particularly if infection numbers continue to rise and key accounts choose to limit market travel.
For those with a small number of accounts or with easy year-round access to their showroom, the appointment-only model may prove a viable complement to the traditional market schedule. However, scaling that model to accommodate larger numbers of dealers and/or shorter market windows could prove disruptive to the traditional product development and marketing cadence. While there remain a large number of unknown variables, the appointment-at-scale model bears watching.
It’s also worth watching the appointment-at-scale evolution at retail as furniture dealers look to avoid another round of shut-downs and adapt to a consumer base, at least part of which, has become more cautious about venturing into stores.
While some stores were shut-down completely, others — along with the design business— were able to maintain some cash flow and customer interaction utilizing an appointment-shopping model. The ability to execute this at scale could prove even more critical in the weeks and months ahead should the virus continue its spread or see a second wave.
While it currently seems unlikely that a full shutdown like we saw in March and April will be reinstituted, it doesn’t seem a stretch to imagine limitations on building occupancy and traffic flow. In such a selling environment, the ability to generate appointment velocity and manage the flow in a way that generates meaningful sales volume could be an important element of retailer success in the months ahead.
The environment in which the industry operates continues to evolve, as do the strategies it will take to survive. Finding a strategy to deal with buyers (retail or consumer) in a more individualized but still scalable way could prove one of the more important determinants of success as we move forward.
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June 29, 2020 at 05:04PM
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Blog: Are appointments-at-scale in furniture's future? - Furniture Today
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