Gail Williams has come a long way from the time when she changed from working in a furniture store for someone else to buying a small mom-and-pop furniture store nearby.
That was more than three decades ago — and these days, Sunshine Furniture, with a main location and an outlet center for clearance items, has become a fixture in the Vero Beach, Florida, community.
Walk through the store, or scroll through the website, and you will see that Sunshine Furniture has put a lot of emphasis on high-end American-made goods.
Williams says that these days keeping the goods in the store and introducing new designs are crucial for retailers. “Both lead times and new products for consumers to look at are important,” she says.
Williams says it’s hard to tell whether today’s economy will result in a slowdown.
“You never know about sales — we are usually good, but you always have to be ready for a slowdown,” she says. “Inventory control is important.”
Recently, Williams says the main challenge she has seen is more competition in the area, which has meant some adjustments in the store.
“You really have to stay on top of pricing and selection,” she says. “And we have started trainings again — we stopped during Covid. It really helps to energize the sales staff.”
Williams says the store makes choices on manufacturers based on past experience — and uses a wide range of methods to get the word out.
“We have carried the same ones for many years, and we don’t replace a manufacturer unless they stop selling,” says Williams. “And we do all of the advertising, including direct mail. Keeping your name out there is important, and word of mouth is important to us.”
She adds that Sunshine Furniture differentiates itself both because it has been there so long that it has become a destination store — and because the sales staff is knowledgeable. Competing with the consumer who is shopping at home with a keyboard requires a different strategy.
“I just monitor the online pricing — I’ve been dealing with this for years,” says Williams. “It really helps that most states are charging sales tax for online sales. Generally, people would rather sit, feel and touch before they buy furniture.”
She acknowledges that full-line retailers have made some inroads into the outdoor furniture space, but that knowledge of both the competition and of what you have to offer will carry the day.
“You have to be aware of what your competition has and stay on top of it,” says Williams. “We have been dealing with (indoor) for years — we carry both indoor and outdoor. But outdoor in Florida is a different game due to the salt. You have to know what holds up on the ocean and educate the consumer.”
Any advice for a struggling casual retailer?
“Advertise to shop local, partner with vendors that are in your corner and use social media,” she says.
