At Portside Luxury in Oakhurst, New Jersey, the idea was that if you build it, they will indeed come.
And they have.
Owner Ralph Hanan says he and his wife, Danielle, founded the retailer in 2017 after noticing an unfilled need for luxury residential furniture in one area.
Hanan says that keeping a good product assortment and ensuring a level of personalized customer service is key to success.
“A lot of brands we carry or product we sell is not readily available online or consumers feel more comfortable purchasing in person with actual human help,” says Hanan. “And (online) cannot compete with our level of personal customer service.”
He says that one of his main challenges is the shortness of the season.
“Because the season is such a tight window, delivery lead times are always a big challenge,” he says. “We are transparent with our clients up front and try to communicate throughout as delays occur.”
Hanan keeps a positive outlook. There may or may not be a slowdown coming up, but it’s not something he is willing to predict.
“I never predict bad news,” he says. “I believe in positive manifestation; I expect our best season yet!”
To get the word out, Hanan depends on a combination of word of mouth and social media. And to decide on which manufacturers to choose, he depends on his team.
“We have a great merchandising team that shops the world and knows our clientele and what will sell in our market,” he says. “We are the only ones who do what we do. We carry an exclusive coterie of brands in our showroom, offer design services for consumers, product curation for designers and trade professionals, and offer top-shelf white-glove service and after-sales service (warranty claims, etc.).“
He says that casual furniture coming to the marketplace through a full-line furniture store hasn’t really made a difference.
“Fast-fashion outdoor furniture has been around online and in mass retail for so long, so it doesn’t really affect my business; we are catering to a different clientele,” says Hanan.
Any advice for struggling casual retailers?
“Be open,” he says. “That could mean expanding product lines without compromising consistency of their brand, exploring offering additional services or searching beyond the existing model (i.e. going online if they are only brick and mortar.”
