Fight Back with Fashion

Hey, home textiles people! Get with it – get moving with some fresh looks awreddy!

Have we forgotten why consumers buy our products in the first place? Not necessarily for need. More often because they see something they like!

Just now, talking with some of the leading window treatment suppliers, the message came through loud and clear: so energy prices are up, so travel is down and holiday sales look to be off, and housing is tipping down faster – so that’s all good news!

From a product standpoint, these manufacturers are fighting this down market with up fashion: from bright new colors for 20-something shoppers to insulated panels for energywise consumers, and from tier sets with lace embellishments for feminine looks to sueded styles with grommet tops for masculine appeal.

Nobody needs any of these products. But people want them. They may be staying home more, cutting back on entertainment and trips – but consumers are demonstrating their decorating intentions are alive and well, from mass to class.

Light a fire under your design departments and don’t be shy about marketing your new styles. Let’s face it – that’s where you are going to get higher price points. Retailers rarely report big year-to-year booms in “the same old stuff we carried last year.”