Retailer Re-Re-Shaping

Who’s got a new model for doing more business in home textiles? It might be smart to take a look at what’s going on in furniture retailing, where over the past 18 months one merchandiser after another has folded, along with many a vendor.

Someone is taking market share.

It seems one-time retailer Furniture.com changed itself a few years ago into a provider of e-commerce and fulfillment for other retailers.

Now, according to Internet Retailer, the company has re-shaped itself again. While the furniture.com site is still up and active – indeed ranking in IR’s top 200 internet retailers – it is now just one component in its owners’ plans to take over a bigger and more diverse chunk of the direct merchandising of home products.

In its new identity as Blueport Commerce, the company says it is signing up hundreds of floorcovering retailer and contractors into its network of Flooring America dealers. Blueport also indicates that lighting showrooms, appliance dealers and others may soon choose to work within its revenue-sharing system. Blueport provides the online face and helps with the back-office distribution, while suppliers and retailers gain reach and potentially significant new sales.

Will Blueport head into soft home? “Area Rugs” is one of the product categories already listed at flooringamerica.com.

As consumers seek out greater value and make fewer shopping trips, online retailing is a must. There are conglomerators, revenue-sharers, consignment-dealers and other types of online actors who are no doubt eager to team up with home textiles suppliers and merchants. Results likely won’t be as fast or as big as teaming up with jcp.com or target.com – but it’s good to know there are options out there for building up business in a tough economy.