The success furniture retailers have enjoyed since reopening last summer exposed a weakness in the customer journey for some: Many businesses' supply chain and logistics operations aren’t keeping up. In short, the flow of merchandise from overseas manufacturers to the end consumers’ homes has been slowed due to manufacturing delays, bottlenecks at ports, limited space in retailer warehouses and final-mile delivery capacity constraints.
That’s where Profit Chain Consulting can help. The Home Furnishings Association’s (HFA) newest Solution Partner works with furniture retailers of all sizes — from Top-100 retailers to mom-and-pop stores — to help them move merchandise from the manufacturer to their customer faster and more efficiently.
Jordan Boyst, director of partnerships for the HFA, said Profit Chain Consulting is a great fit for the HFA and its members. “The association is always looking for products and services that can help our members grow,” said Boyst. “We think Profit Chain will help our members succeed in the current environment by improving customer service while minimizing cost.”
HFA CEO Mark Schumacher said members will benefit from Profit Chain’s experienced consultants. “Profit Chain brings best practices from Fortune 500 companies to our members. I am excited that our retailers will be able to find more ways to grow their business thanks to this relationship,” he said.
Profit Chain’s CEO Riaz Husein said there’s no question the furniture industry has undergone a seismic change in 2020. “That also means retailers need to be changing their internal structure and strategies,” he added. “More often than not, we’re seeing they’re too busy working on sales and merchandising strategies – only to discover their logistics, warehousing and final-mile delivery capability cannot keep up with demand. As a result, customer service is negatively impacted and they lose sales to competitors who have merchandise available when the customer wants it.” Husein emphasized that “with proper planning and execution, supply chain and logistics operations can be a competitive advantage, instead of a headache and afterthought.”
Profit Chain business advisers can guide clients from strategy to nuts and bolts implementation in the following key areas: supply chain and ecommerce strategies, international logistics, warehousing and distribution, inventory management, final-mile (in-home) delivery, and customer service (call center) management.
The Home Furnishings Association’s partnership with Profit Chain is the latest effort by the association to provide members access to products and services that can help them recover, and grow, during and after the COVID-19 crisis.