Q: Does it matter to you if a product is made domestically or imported? Do your customers care? What are the pros/cons of imports/domestic goods?

Staff -- Kids Today, 3/1/2007

Paul Kantor, The Bedroom Source

A: We tend to stay out of the "lowest cost, quickest delivery" rat race many retailers are in, so we don't do much with imports. There are, however, many strong Asian import kids lines we would consider if it filled a specific need.

Many customers would rather have the furniture home in a few days and pay almost nothing for it so they probably don't care about origin. There's also the consumer who will pay more and wait longer to get what they want and they expect domestic furniture.

The biggest con to imports is the inventory and dollar tie-up. If it doesn't sell you're stuck with a lot of furniture to be marked down and sold. When we did more imports we found it hard to balance our containers and not get stuck with odds and ends.

Obviously there are many very successful retailers selling mostly imports. If the margin and turns are there, it can be very lucrative.

Karen Scott, One Step Ahead/Leaps and Bounds

A: I don't believe our customers care whether an item is manufactured domestically or imported; they are more interested in the quality and the price/value. We typically enjoy higher gross margins with imported items, but this is offset with significantly higher MOQs (minimum order quantity) which inflates inventory. Additionally, the lead times for order and reorder are much longer, and this can pose a problem with seasonal goods where sales exceed projections. Overall, we have been satisfied with the quality of our imported product. Selecting the right manufacturer is the key.

Melissa Weingarden, Five Cent Lemonade

A: I don't think the customers have too much concern on either domestic or imported furniture. They care about the quality, design and price point. There is a bit more quality control with domestic goods but the price point is much less with imports. It is unfortunate for the hardworking mom and pop companies who are being affected by this. As a retailer, I would much rather buy from a domestic company.

Michael Schaul, USA Baby

A: Currently in our industry, finding good quality domestically made (including Canada) furniture that is price competitive is extremely difficult. However, today's imports are of much better quality than a few years ago. Style, construction and finishes have come a long way. Most customers are indifferent to an import versus a domestic product and realize they get more value in a good quality import than in an overpriced domestic product.

Due to price competitiveness, imports currently outweigh domestic products. The biggest con with imports is the delay between order and delivery. This requires careful and diligent planning to ensure a timely flow of merchandise. Another issue with imports is for the manufacturer to have an adequate supply of parts to handle customer issues in a timely fashion. Like it or not, imported furniture is going to be with us for the foreseeable future.

Joni McConnell, JCPenney

A: It doesn't matter to me if an item is imported or domestic; in fact it would make my life easier if it was domestic, but that's impossible to do in today's environment and stay in business! Customers have accepted this as well. We used to get a lot of inquiries regarding this, but not anymore. The biggest pro for imports is lower costs. We are also able to get much more embroidery, detailing, fabrications, carvings, etc., in our product. On the con side, it requires a lot more work in planning and inventory. It generally takes 90–120 days for a rebuy. You must also be very aware of the quality of goods and know who you are dealing with. I miss the days of domestic goods; it was much easier to do business and there was a fairly quick turnaround to restock. It's hard to compete on price though.

Dave Laub, Room to Grow

A: I care, my staff cares and my customer cares that product is made in the USA (or North America). There still is the belief that better quality is produced in the U.S. and for the most part that is true, especially with furniture. Since U.S. manufacturers have decided they prefer to be U.S. importers, our defect issues have escalated. Suppliers do not seem to care about our reputation with our customers; their defects kill our reputations in our local market. They are slow to fix problems, slow to provide missing hardware and replacement pieces and are very adamant about not accepting charge backs. Yes, I care.

Jami Myers, Breuners Arizona.

A: The consensus from our customer is that it really does not matter where a product is made but rather what type of wood is used and it it's from a sustainable source. Often this can be difficult to discern on some import products.

The number one concern is quality, which of course leads to safety. Depending on the factory and how its infrastructure works is where the pros and cons become more black and white for us. Will we have difficulty getting parts? Do you have a domestic warehouse to help us flow merchandise in between container arrivals and if so how much more will we have to pay? We have had issues recently with finishes not matching from one container to the next and that becomes a huge frustration to the consumer. And of course for a store like ours the feast or famine in flowing those goods is a challenge every month. We're all enticed by imports from a price perspective and the good feeling of giving the consumer a better value.

Paul Kantor

Karen Scott

Melissa Weingarden

Michael Schaul