by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Even as we start to emerge from the recent recession—which caused literally thousands of furniture stores to close permanently—there are hard-won lessons to reflect on. Simply surviving in such a difficult environment is a victory, and the good news is that the stores that remain (along with their battle-tested owners) are clearly poised to gain market share as customers finally begin to replace some of their aging, outdated furniture. Read More →

June 2010

by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

There is an abundance of examples of retailers who have used consumer-centric retailing (CCR) to boost sales. Last month, we discussed how a 
CCR initiative at Walgreens increased the chain’s earnings in a down economy while freeing up $500 million in cash through inventory reductions.

In the furniture sector, retailers we speak with see the benefits of revamping their stores to focus exclusively on consumer wants and needs—as Walgreens did. Yet, in the current economy, it’s hard for some furniture stores to consider making substantial investments in store renovations. Read More →

May 2010

by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Know your target customer and give the products they desire, the services they need, and a great shopping experience.

Given today’s economy, Walgreens has captured attention across the retail landscape by boosting sales and revenues as it freed up $500 million by trimming excess SKUs.

Last month, the 109-year-old chain announced its “consumer-centric retailing” initiative is boosting sales by 2 percent in test markets. That comes on top of the 4.6 percent increase in net revenue the 7,180-store chain posted in its most recent quarter. Read More →

March 2008

by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Using qualitative research methods to better understand your consumer.

As the upset at the recent New Hampshire primary demonstrates, what people say and what they do are not always one and the same. Perhaps that’s because people are more complex than polls would have us believe. The polls are intended to provide quantitative insight into the minds of voters, but like a single furniture shopper survey, the numbers can’t tell you everything.

Shop-alongs and video audits are two qualitative methods for analyzing the vagaries in consumer behavior. The observations made from this type of analysis can complement numeric data gathered in other consumer studies. Then, the idea is to put all this good information to use to improve customer communications and facilitate sales. Read More →