Here is a sampling of the comments and suggestions we received along with the answers to the survey questions.

More contact info for manufacturers

More information on suppliers and products. Instead of on-line resource, put that resource in every issue rather than annually.
-Todd Evirs, Great Lakes Futon, WI

More manufacturing & component supplier listings and info.
-Paul Austin, Vermont Loft & Futon, VT

More contact information. There were people at the show in Philadelphia that I may not have gotten a card from at the time, but I’m interested in knowing how to reach them.
-Jermain, Futons by Ellen, MD

Advertising

Futon Life helps me access new suppliers of products in the futon field, both with articles and advertising. I found one of my biggest suppliers for all wood futon frames – Midwest – through an ad in Futon Life.
-Joe Riney III, Riney Bedding Co, KY

Keep advertising affordable enough so I can see more manufacturers.
-Carl Buchanan, Futon Express Comfort Sofabeds, OR

I would like to see more ads and pictures of products.
-S.W. Tayler, The Futon Shop, CA

Get more people to advertise to give me more of a selection. We mostly use Ashley right now.
-Mary Skinner, D & C Furniture, TN

I look at all the ads and sometimes the articles if they catch my eye. Have more interviews with retailers – see what their experience is.
-Steven G. Rowlands, World Of Futons, GA

Work out more advertisers - any help that we could get.
-Herman Weisberg, Cost Plus Furniture, VA

I would like to see more vendors/advertisers/more variety.
-Jack Clarke, Apartment Shops, MA

Article suggestions

I’m surprised that the current purveyors of the industry don’t do a much better job with accessories to futons. There are a lot of things out there that could be tied into futons and the futon industry that I think would sell well. I would like to see an article about "The Cutting Edge In Our Industry," an in-depth article with some retailers talking about what they’re doing, how it’s going. Cotton Works has a foam cube to put legs up on, or it can be used to sit on. It comes in fabrics that match their futon covers. They didn’t really strike me at first, but I got a few and it’s been selling like crazy. That was a pleasant boost in a sales area previously untapped. You can UPS them easily, and they don’t take up much room in showroom. You might want to check with Cotton Works about doing a story about this product.
-Joe Riney III, Riney Bedding Co, KY

I would like to see undercover futon shopper stories, interviews and how-to articles.
-Kathy Hardman, Southern Waterbeds & Futons, GA

More articles on how to take care of a futon. How the consumer could take care of a futon mattress. Article on innerspring futons as opposed to cotton/foam.
-Herman Weisberg, Cost Plus Furniture, VA

Really enjoyed the series on the history of frames. I would like to see informative articles to make retailers sound more knowledgeable. How hardwoods in Indonesia, etc., compare to US woods. Are there woods that are stripping rain forests, etc.
-Joe Pagen, Futons For Less, CA

It’s our 22nd year as a futon-only store, do you know what the oldest futon store is in the country? We started in 1982. Possibly an interesting story in a future issue?
-Arthur Nazginov, FutonBed.com , NYC

Make the magazine new. It seems to be the same people, same conversation, etc. How do you make the industry fresh when it’s not fresh? Maybe broaden the people that you talk to - why does BJ’s carry futons, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart? There needs to be a new slant on something... When water didn’t get anything new, they tended to go away. What effect will imports have on the industry; worldwide effect - China pricing?
Roann Barron, Off Track Bedding, RI

I read every issue. We changed vendors a lot over the past few years. We see lots of vendors in the magazine but don’t know their reputations. What about doing a feature on each wholesale company to make a more informed choice on products? Do a review of quality. In the past, we’ve decided based on image rather than knowledge and have gotten mixed results.
-Steve Amiel, Rock Soft Futon Co, OR

I would like to see regional indices. For example, Florida warehouses and factories or Southern warehouses, etc.
-Rebecca Farmer, Lifestyle Sleep World, FL

"How To” articles such as how to price futons. People are not very familiar with futons. I’ve tried different pricing schemes - individual components, as a whole unit with upgrades. People get confused in that area.
-Maurice, Comfort Solutions, TX

Highlights, news, updates on legislation, bunk beds, and fire codes.
-David Riddle, Bedzzz Express, AL

I would like to read generic articles - ones not focused on specific manufacturers or retailers - to help educate customers and that could be reprinted. I’d like information about materials used, different woods, different futon frame types: why are some longer lasting than others - easier to use, etc.
-James Winokur, Bedworks, MA

Give more sources; interview more suppliers.
-Terryl Steber, Capital Bedding Co, Inc., NJ

Focus on small businesses instead of huge ones. This has been a complaint of mine for a long time. I’ve written this on previous surveys. Focus on by-hand manufacturers. For example, White Lotus. There are not that many of them, but they never get any coverage.
-Teala Anderson, Small Wonders, MT

Continue to get the word out. There is a reason that some futon frames cost $699 and some cost $199 - editorially, this issue should be addressed. You should talk about rate of futon breakage, ease of assembly, packaging, etc.
-Michael Stine, Lifestyles Furniture, IL

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