Challenges of a Youth
Furniture Store
With the state of our nation's economy, combined with competition from mass merchants and Internet retailers, being an independent retailer is a challenge in and of itself. But owning a youth furniture store comes with its own set of unique challenges.
In May of 2000, my husband, Mike, and I opened our store, All About Kids Youth Furniture, in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Delays in the construction of our building were the reasons we opened almost one year after we had originally projected. All About Kids is a middle-to-upper-end 4000 sq. ft. store that specializes in juvenile/youth furniture and accessories.
Mike had previously managed a juvenile furniture store in the Philadelphia area. When we came to a point in our lives where we wanted to open our own retail store (and move back to my hometown of Pittsburgh), the obvious choice was to do what Mike had the most experience with and knowledge of. We wanted to focus on either baby or youth furniture in order to really specialize in one area and be able to offer customers the best selection. We wanted All About Kids to be unique. As an independent retailer, we realized we needed to find a niche to set us apart from the mass merchants and general furniture stores. Therefore, we became a destination store for parents seeking good quality youth furniture.
The biggest challenge for us in the beginning was getting our name out there and letting people know we were open. We have done advertising through print and television. Of course, the best form of advertising is word-of-mouth, which, for a new store, is a slow process.
All About Kids is merchandised in room vignettes, complete with bedding, lamps, wall hangings, and various decorative accessories. Much thought is put into the composition of each room so parents (and children) are able to visualize what the furniture will look like in their own child's room. Children play a key role in helping to select their furniture, so we try to make the vignettes fun and visually stimulating.
Carrying good quality, reliable manufacturers is a priority of ours, as the products that a store carries are a reflection on the store itself. Mike was familiar with several of the manufacturers we use at All About Kids from the store that he managed. We have gradually added several new furniture suppliers that are top-of-the-line quality, due to pressure from our customers. A store must be willing to evolve in order to meet the needs of its customers and offer them what they want. The manufacturers we use are chosen for their quality, selection, versatility, uniqueness, customer service, and ordering lead-time.
Finding new suppliers and products that will enhance our store is not always an easy process. We do our research by talking to sales reps, manufacturers, and owners of other youth furniture stores across the country. It never hurts to ask what is working for other people in the industry. We also attend High Point and scour various trade magazines.
Working in a youth furniture store ensures that each day is going to be different from the last. Each customer who comes in has a unique situation as everyone has different room sizes, budgets, needs, and children (and, believe me, each child has his/her own opinions and preferences).
A huge part of working with customers is educating them. For many parents, buying youth furniture can be an extremely overwhelming process. With all of the choices and options available to them, it is easy to see how they can quickly become confused. We often hear customers say, "We didn't expect to have so many choices," or "We thought this would be easy." The salesperson has to be able to communicate with customers, find out what their needs are, and know the product well enough to be able to explain the available options and make recommendations.
Some customers have very limited space in their child's room, so finding furniture that will maximize storage, study, sleep, and play spaces is essential. Others, luckily, have large rooms and are able to choose furniture without any limitations. Another challenge for parents is when they have two children of varying ages in the same room. Due to age differences, each child has his/her own interests and preferences. Finding furniture and accents that will please both children can be a daunting task.
Youth furniture salespeople, in addition to being knowledgeable and creative, also have to be flexible. Some parents come into the store with definitive ideas of what furniture pieces they want and what type of "look" they wish to achieve for their child's room. The salesperson can steer the customers toward the manufacturers that offer what they need. Other customers enter the store unsure of what type of furniture they want or how they would like their child's room decorated. More time needs to be spent with these customers, explaining options and making suggestions.
One main difference between selling youth furniture and working in other areas of retail is the amount of patience that a salesperson must have. Because there are so many options, and customers want to find the best fit for their rooms and situations, it usually takes quite a while for most customers to make a decision. We will see customers come in several times, and often over a period of several months, debating over the choices. Youth furniture is not a "quick sale." It requires investing a good amount of time with customers and developing a relationship with them.
Despite having different opinions about what "look" they want for their children's rooms, all parents want furniture that can grow with their children. They want to buy furniture that can carry their children through the teen years and beyond. It is important for youth furniture to not only be well made and durable, but classically styled, so children will not outgrow it. At All About Kids, the furniture manufacturers that we carry all fit these criteria.
When buying furniture for their children, many parents start with a few key pieces such as a bed, dresser, and chest. They want to be able to add other pieces, such as a desk, at a later date as the need arises. Customers can do this with higher-end manufacturers as they generally have a handful of core collections and are not discontinuing lines and finishes as frequently as the mass-produced manufacturers are.
Even with the challenges that owning a youth furniture store entails, the rewards are immeasurable. Many of our customers come in frequently to see what is new or to add to what they have bought. We feel that we have done our job well when parents come back to let us know how much they and their children love their new furniture. Parents will tell us that when guests come to their home their child will proudly say, "Come see my new room!" And I have to confess I do feel a slight happiness when children start crying because they do not want to leave All About Kids. I think of this as a measure of our store's success.