These days, prices to consumers for outdoor furnishings are in a state of change, with some saying that prices continue to cool, some saying that they are continuing to rise and some saying higher prices helped the bottom line, because they helped offset lower foot traffic.
Several retailers spoke to Casual News Now about the upside-down nature of pricing within the industry, which some say can be an indication of the continuing effects of inflation, a retailer’s size or how long the season lasts in a particular location.
Jeffrey D. Harris, CEO and president of Furnitureland South, said that the costs of containers have come down dramatically, which will mean savings for consumers.
“I think they will get a better price now than they could have a year ago,” said Harris. “Container fees have dropped and they don’t have those additional fees that we are getting from our vendors on deliveries and things like that. Inflation has not negatively affected the pricing for the consumers in this category.
Harris said that in 2022, costs decreased enough so that Furnitureland South did not have to increase prices.
“I would say generally that I have not noticed a big change in buying habits in our customers,” said Harris. “People come to Furnitureland because they trust our pricing model and we have so many price points we cover; whatever their budget is, we are going to be able to provide the best products, given our history of our pricing model and the confidence that customers have in shopping with us.
“They like having that flexibility. We don’t get into inexpensive. For quality goods, our pricing model is stronger than anywhere they are going to find.”
Judy Miller, president of Outback Patio Furnishings, explains that inflation has made business tougher.
“We had price increases all throughout the year because all manufacturers were doing that to us and the price of freight, as well, has gone up quite a bit,” she said. “We have had to take our prices up as well and that makes it a little tougher.
Miller said that she has noticed that customers are more price-sensitive than they were a year ago
“It really has to do with the economy,” said Miller. “I am sure it does. I am sure that’s a big part of it. You can only get so far on increasing prices and some people are going to say, ‘forget it.’ When you are going from $1,300 to $2,000 on a club chair, it makes it kind of tough.
Miller said she has taken on some new manufacturers, not to get less expensive goods, but to get deliveries.
“Availability is more the issue than the price,” said Miller. “With pricing, I don’t want to carry a product that is going to cause me problems down the road just because it is cheaper. We will stick it out with the manufacturers we have for the long run because people appreciate the fact that we carry quality manufacturers.
London Wood, a buyer for Las Vegas-based Walker Furniture, said that inflation affected her store in an unusual way.
“With increased pricing, it created higher-priced tickets, which helped compensate for lower traffic,” said Wood.
Pricing depended on what the store had in stock.
“Most of our prices have lowered or stayed the same, until we can get out of the higher-priced freight items that we still own,” said Wood. She added that Walker Furniture has not been hearing too many complaints about price increases.
“We do not get very much pushback on our pricing, but we are very competitive for our market,” said Wood.
