There may be something hotter than New Orleans in July, but if there is, it’s rare.
For Pepper Tregre, southeast Louisiana is a good place to run a business like Backyard Living that designs and installs pools.
“A pool is always inviting and tranquil,” Tregre told New Orleans magazine. “The backyard has become the No. 1 place in the house since Covid and almost everyone wants a pool.”
Tregre, who has been in the pool business for the better part of three decades, decided to add a patio furniture showroom about nine years ago.
Jennifer Klein, who is the showroom manager, says that Backyard Living specializes in translating a customer’s needs and wants into an outdoor room that families can enjoy.
“I can design their backyard, go and see their space and get a feel for what they would like and then develop a game plan,” says Klein.
To make the sale, Klein says that merchandising, product assortment and lead times are all intertwined.
“Lead times are always important, because people want everything yesterday and they don’t want to wait,” says Klein. “If you want it for this summer, then order it in March. If you go to April or May, it depends on how much demand that company is under, but if it is eight weeks, you might be too late. If you want it in fall, you can order in June or July.”
Klein says that things have improved greatly. In the middle of the Covid shortages, it could take up to a year or more for inventory to arrive — and she says she couldn’t see asking someone for $35,000 up front and then wait for a year. Instead, the store asked for half up front and half on delivery, which helped them stay afloat until everything returned to normal.
Retailers have suffered by a slowdown in foot traffic., according to Klein. Homeowners are facing big increases in flood insurance and homeowners’ insurance, making them reluctant to spend. The increase in premiums has been widely attributed to Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in August 2021, causing widespread damage to St. Charles Parish — and causing Klein’s electricity to be off for 48 days.
To offset that, Klein says the store is relying on such things as billboards and bulk-mail flyers and some social media, such as Facebook. It’s also considering running some radio advertising.
“At this point we are doing everything and anything,” Klein says. “We do have some repeat people come back, but our stuff lasts forever. We do have repeat business but not like every other year. We do have word of mouth from those customers and it helps us out sometimes. But not everybody can sink money into outdoor furniture — you have to look at it as an investment — $6,000 as a median set, it can go up to $35,000, but it is warrantied for 10 or 15 or 20 years.”
By comparison, a customer could spend $2,500 for a set at Walmart or Lowe’s, then spend another $2,500 in another three years. Klein points out that the second purchase would be covered by a warranty if they chose to spend as little as $3,500.
To choose which manufacturers the store will sell, Klein says the first priority is for materials that will stand up to sun and saltwater.
“It’s about how durable it is and how good the warranty is,” says Klein. “My rule of thumb is if you are going to spend that kind of money, it needs to last. We’ve had several manufacturers that we have gotten rid of because of their quality.”
And it’s also about the salesperson.
“We are more personable,” says Klein. “Not too many will go to the customer’s home and measure and bring books out to them. Most of them will make you come to the store and make you design that way. Especially when they have no direction — is when we go to their home.’
More full-line retailers are moving in, but Klein says that it doesn’t seem to make much difference.
“Some of them like the mom-and-pop store as opposed to big chains,” says Klein. “Rooms To Go and Restoration Hardware carry some of our stuff, but they don’t have the Dream cushions. I tell them to go sit in theirs and then come sit in mine. Mine are more expensive, but they will be dry in an hour after a rain storm. You can tell a distinct difference.
Klein says it’s fine with her to see more full-line furniture stores offer patio furniture.
“Some things will be more competitive, but it won’t hurt,” she says. “Those people are so aggressive — it’s like walking into a shark tank running up to you. Our atmosphere is a lot more laid back.”
She says that extends to the store’s view of online retailers.
“We really don’t try to compete with them at all,” she says. “We are just a mom-and-pop store. We’re not looking to make millions and millions and millions; we’re trying to tie everything together for their pools and for their family and friends.”
Any advice for struggling casual retailers today?
“Start off small,” says Klein. “Don’t try to get too overwhelmed. Your space isn’t big enough to showcase all the vendors. I would find five good quality vendors and go from there. Have a variety. Don’t do just contemporary. Get something for everybody. Make sure you have variety. Don’t be too high priced; get something that has a medium price point. We offer six months same as cash — a lot of people go with promotional stuff like that, but keep it simple. And follow up with customers. We touch base to see how everything is going, to see how they like it.”
