Big Sandy drew much of its holiday traffic from Facebook.
Furniture shoppers flocked to Presidents Day promotions
By Alan Wolf, YSN
Following a rousing start to the new year, with January sales at furniture stores up 4.4% from December, home furnishings retailers enjoyed a second flurry of sell-through last week.
According to a report in FurnitureToday, Presidents Day — a traditional tent-pole sales event for home goods dealers — did not disappoint. In an informal survey of furniture and bedding merchants, most recounted a busy holiday weekend filled with shoppers willing to splurge.
Serving as a proxy for the industry was Big Sandy Superstore, the 25-showroom BrandSource member spanning six Midwestern states. Robert Van Hoose, CEO of the Top 100 retailer, said sales over Presidents Day weekend were up 9% year over year, with adult bedroom and stationary and motion upholstery leading the charge. And while traffic was somewhat lighter than last year, an increase in close rates and average ticket compensated for the slightly thinner crowds.
“We had good comps going into the weekend,” Van Hoose told the publication. “We’re positive for the month.”
Customers said they were largely drawn by Big Sandy’s sale announcements on Facebook. As the CEO explained, “There’s a lot of Google and a lot of streaming, but Facebook was the dominant answer” to queries by sales staff on what prompted their visits.
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But while Presidents Day promotions were dandy for Big Sandy, maintaining momentum remains the challenge, as the consumer often waits out holiday sale events. “There are people who put off buying until the actual holiday weekend,” Van Hoose said. “You’ve got to constantly be giving them a reason to buy, or they’ll wait until they do see one.”
Hat tip to Thomas Lester and FurnitureToday.
