IcOn Furniture Collection5% Of Case Pieces And 3% Of Upholstery Are Delivered Damaged
The longer and more complex supply chain puts additional pressure on retailers to achieve perfect deliveries to the customer's home. Whether you run your own distribution center and deliver with your own drivers or use an outside company for all or a portion of these functions, you will take the heat or the credit for the arrival condition of furniture you place in your customers' homes.
The latest available NHFA report notes that 5% of the case goods and 3% of upholstery and accessory items are received damaged. Retailers that buy in full truckload lots have less damage than retailers that rely on LTL transportation because it is handled fewer times. Specialized furniture companies do a better job than general carriers that haul furniture mixed with other commodities. Specializing in handling furniture, these carriers provide training for their drivers on furniture and accessory handling techniques. I would add that this is especially true for manufacturers that deliver in their own trucks or use dedicated transportation.
The packaging used by some manufacturers also contributes to high damage rates. Retailers should avoid purchasing from suppliers who use low quality corrugated and insufficient interior packaging that doesn't comply with shipping standards. Fortunately, there are suppliers that specify and enforce packaging standards on the plants they either own offshore or contract with. The carriers delivering to your dock truly want to do the best possible job but they have to deal with what they are presented with.
Since your store name is the name the customer will remember if she is not pleased, you have the burden of providing a solution for any deficiency that occurred prior to the delivery of items to your dock. You must do proper vendor selection, receiving inspection, warehousing, prep and delivery to the customer. Previous articles have appeared in Furniture World on those techniques but I will summarize a portion of one of this year's International Furniture Transportation and Logistics Council sessions that dealt with satisfying customers at the time of home delivery.
by
Dan Bolger
Furniture World