Futon Store Owners What They Say

We asked futon retailers to respond to the following three questions. What is your biggest gripe overall with the state of the futon industry? What is your biggest gripe as it relates to the manufacturer-retailer relationship? and Where do they think the futon industry will be in the year 2000? The answers were quite revealing. Many futon retailers combined their answers to questions one and two. You must keep in mind that we didn't solicit the manufacturers point of view in all of this. They have some equally vital issues too.

"My biggest problem right now is the negative image problems being created by the shoddy, low-end futon products being sold by the deep discounters and the chain stores," said Dave Garretson of Shelter Goods in Rochester, NY. "We are constantly answering objections based on this low quality perception," he said.

Garreston's issue was echoed by several other futon retailers.

"There are too many fly-by-night futon discount retailers who sell price not quality and value," said Irvin Sugimoto of Futons Etc. in Hawaii.

"As a futon manufacturer and futon store owner I see it from both sides," says Nancy Taylor of Dream On Futon in Bellingham, WA. "Many times we get a price increase from the manufacturer with no lead time to adjust our retail pricing strategy. We need more lead time before these changes go into effect," she said.

Ray Manasco of Sit n' Sleep, in Salt Lake City, UT stated that futon retailers need the advantage of some kind of generic guidelines, other than standard sizes, for futon mattresses.

"We have a real hard time educating our customers when it comes to the actual contents of a futon mattress," said Manasco. "What we need are some simple guidelines to designate just what is in a futon. Let's say a futon mattress is designated as an eight inch cotton and foam. We need a way to differentiate one being sold for $89.00 as opposed to one we sell for $159.00."

Manasco suggested a simple code like 8 - 2/1P - 75 which would tell retailer and consumer alike that this futon mattress is an eight inch thick futon with two one inch foam panels, that weighs a total of 75 pounds. The foam portion of the code could relate flat panels (P) or convoluted panels (C) with the first number (2) relating to the number of pieces of foam and the second their thickness in inches (1). This may or may not happen but the issue remains: retailers need a better way to differentiate themselves from their competition in a given geographic area.

The real issue being voiced here is the issue of the price-only perception being compounded by the many new futon competitors at retail. "As a salesman I like to see my customers get a good product at a fair price, but all to often I hear about people who are turned-off to futon furniture because of a bad experience," said Wayne Holt of Futons & More in New York. Holt added, "Getting a futon sale at any cost will cause you to lose that repeat customer. It's going to be interesting to see who will be left on top of the futon mountain and who will be in the foothills."