Manna Attends Las Vegas Market

The Las Vegas Market kicked off on Monday and our guys from Manna Distribution Services were there to meet and greet with exhibitors from around the world.   The World Market Center, Las Vegas is the largest, fastest-growing new home furnishings trade complex in the world.  Mark Fierek, the Sales Manager for Manna, believes the Market gives them a “rare opportunity” to have our clients put a face with the voice they hear over the phone for most of the year. 

The Las Vegas Market trade show is held twice a year and features a long list of product offerings across all categories including: furniture, accessories, gift, lighting, home textile, rugs, floor coverings and more.  The Market itself, opened in 2005, and will have over 12 million sq. ft. of space in three buildings when fully completed.   

For more information you can head to Las Vegas Market’s website at: http://www.lasvegasmarket.com/index.html .  

Check back later in the week for another update, and more pictures from Las Vegas!

Time Machines Exist – Use Them for Big Deals

Really, I’m not crazy. If you are a marketer you can change time. Let’s take the Christmas shopping season, it gets eariler and eariler and eariler. This is a good one. You know those Black Friday deals? Now you can find out about them before Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving. There is a website called 2010 Black Friday Ads, that shows you the ads before they hit the newspaper inserts.

The smart holiday shopper is armed with the web and, hmm, a payment method of some type. I appreciate a good bargain battle as much as the next shopper, but there are times when hassling with crowds just isn’t worth it. So, armed with the Black Friday ads in advance, troll for online deals as soon as you can that Thanksgiving week. it may well be you can do better online without the hassles of crowds, transporting the goods, and installation if you are going down that big ticket electronics, furniture, appliances route.

On the website you can sign up for notifications when the ads are available from big name brands like Dell, Costco, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. Then compare them to other big name online retailers like Beach Camera and J and R that has a top five price drop section which is awesome.

Should You Wait For Black Friday Deals?

The passage of seasons is a rite of nature we all enjoy. A similar rite of passage is the shopping day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday. As predictable as the return of locusts and the migration of monarch butterflies, Back Friday brings out the shopper in all of us. From the hard core bargin hunter to the once in a lifetime participant Black Friday is a thing to behold.

This year things might be different. Display Search, a market research firm, reports LCD TVs will be between 5% and 12% by the time Black Friday strikes 12:01 AM. CNN Money says good prices can be had even for early shoppers that want to get a jump on Black Friday.

LCD TV Price Drop

These price drops are similar across most sizes of LCD TVs. Part of the reason is the introduction of 3D HDTVs and TVs with Internet access. These sets are usually being used as the primary entertainment piece in the home, with the smaller LCDs replacing older models in bedrooms, kitchens and home offices.

Want to have some fun? Go to some of these sites below and sort TVs by price from lowest to highest. It’s amazing some of the deals you’ll find. However you celebrate Black Friday, good luck to you, but if you are looking for HDTV deals, start online today.

J & R Televisions
Beach Camera

Design Makes Furniture Attractive Shipping Makes it Available

The new economy rewards quality design and disregards distance. The furniture industry is beginning to warmly embrace the Internet. This is late in coming, but welcome nonetheless. The reason is design. From appliances to entire rooms, people see something that catches their eye and nothing less will satisfy. Between the web with access to furniture pieces from around the world and mainstream media like Home and Garden TV and Extreme Home Makeover, consumers are being exposed to a variety of designs from the wacky – sitting on bricks for example…

… to tables that create ripple effects.

But there is more than furniture turning heads on the web, even appliances, small practical ones with sharp design are just a convenient to buy as those at your local mall because of improved consumer shipping choices.

This is a practical alarm clock doubles as a tea maker for your night table. You don’t even have to get out of bed to have your first cup. That’s practical.

These products were highlighted in the Fresh Home website for interior design and architecture and the website Latest Home Appliances.

A Flood of Delivery Questions As Electronics Meets Furniture in Vegas Market

A great example of the interest in delivery solutions at the Las Vegas Market is the conversation we had with Furnitech. FurniTech offers a spectrum of online options of furniture for high-end electronics.

While at the Las Vegas Market Design Center, Manna representative Troy James spoke with Eric Shupack, president and CEO of FurniTech about the challenges of delivery and customer satisfaction from time of the purchase click to the time the customer is using their purchase. Shupack is using Manna for White-Glove, High-Speed delivery and installation.

That gap between purchase and waiting should be filled with communication and valuable information to the end user. Manna advocates status updates on shipments and even a call ahead of time from the driver on delivery day. These are the kinds of best practices we have seen work across the country. They go a long way to instill customer loyalty.

Here are some examples of comments by customers that have purchased big ticket items online

By KG in Michigan, July 10, 2010

“The entire process was outstanding! From the moment I made initial contact with the Company, to the time the mattress was delivered, ALL involved were thorough and professional. Nothing needs improvement! The delivery company was GREAT!! Thank You!”

By JRS, June 26, 2010

“The entire delivery process, from beginning to end, was a great experience. From the efficient use of e-mail and internet to schedule the delivery, to access to shipping status, to the actual delivery by a courteous, professional and helpful driver/delivery man, the entire process was outstanding. This is the first time I’ve purchased major appliances (convection wall oven, microwave/convection and trim kit) over the internet, but the entire process was so pleasant I won’t hesitate to do so again…at least involving the same on-line retailer and shipping service. Great experience!”

Vegas Market Brings Home the Theater

Consumers are settling in to an economy that is bi-polar. Economists report shopping patterns unlike other times in the nation’s history. While many consumers are shopping around for daily savings like toothpaste and toiletpaper, high-end items are making a come back. Example, Mercedes-Benz is having a record breaking year compared to last, up 25% so far. HDTV sales, during the lowest parts of the last two years, grew a whopping 189% according to Nielsen

The Las Vegas Market was the place to be in the middle of the trends around digital and furniture. The home theater is where all of it comes together. State-of-the-art electronics and furniture to relax and even stimulate the senses. Manna representatives were at the Vegas Market meeting with leaders in the industry. A topic of discussion was White-Glove, High-Speed delivery, along with installation. While consumers will save for high-end

purchases, it doesn’t mean they have a blank check (or limitless credit card). Manna’s Dave Berghuis met with Bruce Tucker & Peter Goldstein of Interiormark and their website Theater Seat Store

Logistics is an area of growing interest in the furniture industry. It’s part of the efficiencies that the electronics industry has implemented in the last decade. Home theaters are a mix of large ticket items and a degree of sophistication required for installation. This is an environment where consumers benefit from the added value of delivery options that include product expertise, speed, and labor to get the products from box to being ready to enjoy.

Manna Representatives Looking for You at Vegas Furniture Market

The Las Vegas Market. 

It’s the “Big Show” of the furniture world, or at least since High Point, but let’s face it, Las Vegas Market has a lot going for it, namely great furniture showcases and discussion panels. This year will be a pivotal one for the furniture industry. As I am writing this post I’m listening to a roundtable of “experts” on CNBC talking about indicators that the economy is starting to come back. A variety of sectors will impact furniture sales including housing, remodeling, hospitality and banking. Examples are Ryland homes reported closings up 30% and Hilton is reporting a rise in occupancy rates across brands. 

Manna Distribution Services representatives are meeting with furniture manufacturers and retailers at the Las Vegas Market to get the pulse on the industry and talk logistics.

In addition to being on the ground in Vegas, we’ll be watching comments online, there are more than a thousand followers of the World Market Center profile on Twitter also the topic #LVMkt is a collection of Tweets about the Las Vegas Market.



At the High Point market in April furniture makers were raising prices for the first time since the recession. Higher prices from Asian manufacturers and trans-pacific shipping costs were the reasons they gave for the price hike.

Meanwhile, Manufacturing.net reported furniture retailers are looking for ways to better serve the customer with added value and remain competitive. That is the ideal retailer to speak with Manna as they are looking to reduce lost sales due to remorse returns and painfully slow transit times domestically to the consumer. Manna’s high speed, white glove delivery can keep furniture retailers competitive while helping to reduce back room costs. 

To schedule an appointment and discuss better transportation options for furniture manufacturers and retailers email info AT Manna DOT com 

 


Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells 3D HD Will Be Under the Tree

That’s right, you procrastinators, get your act in gear, start putting away a couple of schkels for the 3D HDTV this holiday season. Some say it will be the next big thing in home entertainment or just the next opportunity to be the first on your block to have it. Either way, it’s pretty cool technology. The big players are lining up, LG announced last week it’s tossing in free 3D glasses when you buy the bundled TV and 3D Blu-Ray player.

This holiday season will be critical for 3D HDTV sales. Author of the article on the LG announcement, Matthew DeCarlo, and commenters to his post believe the industry is getting behind a big push for 3D HDTV. They do express some concern about the Catch-22 relationship with hardware and content for 3D to catch on. Will there be programming to make it worthwhile? Meanwhile programmers want to see if there is a market to invest in making the programming. What it comes down to at this early stage of the game are those early adopters of technology and whether there are enough big players to make 3D viable.

An impressive list of manufacturers and programmers are willing to try. Content providers are starting to push programming, first with movies, Avatar, Up, Alice in Wonderland and several others. Television programming is also getting a boost with ESPN and Discovery. You can just imagine how some shows and events will be enhanced by 3D. Golf for example, is such a game of depth and detail. Whether it’s the camera angle from behind the golfer looking into a 170 yard approach slightly up hill, or the side view of a 25 foot putt on an undulating green, 3D in HD would be a clearly better viewing experience. HDGuru.com has more examples of 3D HDTV content.

On the manufacturing side in addition to LG, Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung are pushing new products into the last half of 2010. Most manufacturers will include 3D glasses that work with their sets, but likely those glasses will not work with sets from other manufacturers. Fear not, there are plenty of options for universal 3D glasses. Just like the universal remote gives you power throughout your house and beyond, so too will you be able to purchase 3D glasses that work in your house and when you crash your neighbor’s Super Bowl Party.

Take a Look at some sets here:

You can pre-order the Sony Bravia 60” 3D from JR.com

This Samsung 46″ LED 3D with glasses and player you can get delivered right now from B&H Photo:

Big Ticket Items Get Discovered Online

Returning from the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition Manna representatives reported that attendees were upbeat, but not ecstatic about an upturn in the economy.  The general optimism was generated by surveys that show more people browsed for products online than in stores, 92% compared to 84%

The ATG reported earlier this year that 30% of consumers use more than three channels of information to research and then purchase products.  For example, they get a catalog, use the company’s website, and consider product reviews. Other channels of information are news articles, Word of Mouth, and advertising.

This statistic also reflects the overwhelming concern among retailers which is integration of the customer experience, from online, catalogs and in-store experiences.  That experience we believe is continued until the product is in its final destination.  Manna representatives Nick Mansilla and David Tomaschko listened to these concerns from retailers.  The options are limited with parcel carriers who don’t handle big ticket items, and with electronics, there are other issues such as fragility and installation that typical delivery providers don’t offer.

Another sign the economy is coming back was the 40% increase in IRCE attendee traffic. According to Mansilla and Tomaschko the show floor was busy with considerable interest in Manna Distribution’s high-speed, white-glove service options.  Manna’s national coverage and expertise in a variety of product lines, including electronics, appliances, and furniture gives retailers a one stop (pardon the pun) transportation option.  Email info@Manna.com.

Getting Social With Internet Retailers

Manna sales representatives report that social media in online retailing was a major topic of discussion at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) show floor. A recent study by Dynamic Logic of social network users, 71% of them follow retail brands and 48% follow Consumer Package Goods brands.

That’s an incredible number especially when you throw into the mix the more than 400 million active users on Facebook

Manna sales rep David Tomaschko reported the show attendees were mostly upbeat about the future, with many taking an aggressive marketing approach to social media usage. Online retailers today are increasing their participation with pages on the major sites, many have a presence on Facebook with others creatively using sites such as flickr.

For more on how retailers are using social networks, here is an interview with eMarketer retail analyst Jeffrey Grau and Albert Maruggi host of the Marketing Edge Podcast.

Manna participates with online retailers who are trying innovative ways to market their products. The Roominations website and @Bigscreendeals on Twitter are a couple of examples of how Manna is supporting its customers online presence.

Manna Solutions For ECommerce Leaders at IRCE Conference 

The growth in eCommerce in the last 10 years has led to a new set of challenges for online retailers.  Today the term online retailers is no longer reserved by the Amazons and Overstocks of the world; it includes Wal-Mart, Sears, and Staples.  The convenience of purchasing online is a fact of life with Internet sales in 2009 at $134 billion. While 20% year over year growth is not a regular occurrence, the trend has shifted to those facing a maturing business function, such as accommodating larger scale, efficiency, and inventory shifts.    The new challenges from a delivery perspective include fulfillment, warehousing, transportation, last-mile delivery, customer service, installation, and competitive shipping pricing.  

Manna Distribution Services has seen similar growth in its annual sales over the last five years as it builds a national delivery network of high-speed, white-glove services. The Internet Retail Conference and Exhibition is the largest event of its kind drawing retailers from around the country.  They are looking for solutions to these and other retail issues.   Manna account managers working with leading retail customers have devised delivery solutions that positively impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. National Account Manager Adam Trenberth met with retailers on the IRCE show floor at the Manna booth talking about the added value Manna offers customers including the ScheduleMyDelivery.com website. ScheduleMyDelivery. com allows consignees the convenience of scheduling the delivery time that fits their daily routine while keeping Manna retail customers and delivery personnel in a closed communications loop process.

Learn about this and other issues retailers are raising with Manna representatives on the IRCE show floor by emailing Manna at info@manna.com.  Or place a request for info at the Manna Distribution Services website