Blog
Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda?
Just because something can be done, should we do it? “Science can tell us how to do something, but it cannot tell us whether we should do it. To explore that question, we must step outside the narrow range of science’s purely technical questions, and look at the full...
Living on the Top Line
Strategy is a word few people truly understand. The military uses intelligence to determine how to approach a problem – how to think about it. In his new book Living On The Top Line, Joe Capillo uses the best research and intelligence available for the furniture...
Do you get personal?
Over 17 years ago, Bruce Springsteen belted out, “You might need something to hold on to, when all the answers, they don't amount to much, somebody that you could just to talk to, and a little of that human touch baby, in a world without pity.” Today more than then we...
You can’t reason your way out of this
Ah, the good old days! Fact is, the furniture industry was successful in the 1950’s and the 1970’s and 1990’s. But “nothing fails like success,” says Gerald Nachman, cultural historian and founder of www.thecolumnist.com. Financial success turned our industry into a...
When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail
The last time paid newspaper circulation in the United States was at its current level, a new house was selling for $4,600, a gallon of gas was 15 cents and the average annual wage was $2,400. Oppenheimer’s Little Boy and Fat Man were about to bring World War II to...
What does the lady say?
The single most important number that directly impact your profitability doesn’t even appear on your financial statements: Customer Satisfaction. Our Ask Ms. Jones™ process provides you with prompt, actionable information so you’ll know exactly what your customers are...
Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks
In this morning’s New York Times I was struck by recent purchase of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field by the Ricketts family from TD Ameritrade fame. This reminded me of furniture store stories for several reasons. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series for 101 years,...
Do you believe me?
Recently I've had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with several retailers in a round table setting. We talk at ease about television and radio and newspaper, but I often get blank stares when I bring up the subject of online strategy, ecommerce, SEO, PPC, email...
Does your shopping cart scare your customer away?
Your customer is most anxious on your website when she's reviewing her cart. The cart page shows the cart total for the items added and the basic price - but often doesn’t show the tax or shipping charges - thus begins the fear of the unknown. Aside from price, the...