ASHLEY FURNITURE UPDATE FOR Volume 2, Issue 7

DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY &

PENNSYLVANIA JUNE 2010

Featured Products
B506 - Camdyn

The "Camdyn" bedroom collection uses a rich finish along with rustic details to create
a warm inviting furniture collection that is sure to enhance the beauty and style of
any bedroom decor. The Okoume veneer is bathed in a dark brown finish that flows
beautifully over the planked detailing and framed case fronts to create furniture that
perfectly captures the quality craftsmanship of great rustic design.
DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY & PENNSYLVANIA

67001 Collin - Spa

Ashley Update

The "Collin-Spa" upholstery collection features a refreshing contemporary style that is

matched only in the plush comfort it adds to your living room. Surrounded by the light toned
upholstery fabric, the plush supportive seating and back cushions are bookended by the subtle
curved arms create a comfortable contemporary design that is sure to fit flawlessly into any
home decor. With the rich finished tapered block feet finishing out this contemporary design,
the collection is a shining addition to any home.

H158 Theo

The rich contemporary style of the "Theo" home office collection combines faux marble and a
warm finish to create a collection that adds an exciting style to the decor of any home office.
The thick desk tops are a beautifully patterned faux marble that perfectly complements the
dark bronze colored hardware that adorns this furniture. With five different warm finishes
available that bath the straight-lined design and the framed details, the "Theo" home office
collection is a refreshing addition to any home environment.

Visit Ashley Direct for Updated Marketing Material

Visit the Ashley Direct site and check out all the updated POP materials and Product
Guides. New materials include Configuration Posters for the 578 series, Motion
Product Guide, Home Office and Entertainment menus and more. You can also contact
your marketing specialist for more information and ideas for displays.
 Page 2 A S H L E Y U P D AT E

Gear up for August Promotions

Who says you can’t do business is August? Ashley has prepared several promotions designed to turn your August advertising
into events! And there are plenty of buyer incentives and circulars to support your efforts.
Our suggested promotions revolves around three themes.
Back to School
Have some fun with this event. Think kids and how to make them happy or consider tying your
Back to School event with a Teacher Appreciation Day. Collect money to help local schools with
classrooms supplies The kids can vote for their favorite teacher or do a writing contest for their
favorite teacher with both the teacher and the child getting something. Everything from pencils
and pens to backpacks (filled or unfilled) and USB memory sticks are available as a customer
incentive. The bike promotional also works as a great tie-in.
Scorching Summer Sales
The possibilities are endless - from hotdog cookouts, to vacation themes, to tent sales com-
plete with jumping games in the parking lot. Play movies in the store like Chevy Chase’s Family
Vacation. There are great movies about Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield, sports movies funny and not, (Caddyshack
comes to mind).
The Schwan’s certificates, Schwan’s ice cream giveaway or the Omaha Steaks certificates and BBQ tool sets all work as great
buyer incentives. If your event is more vacation-theme, consider offering the Wyndham certificates.
Preseason Football
Gear up for the season with football give-a-ways, tailgating packages that can include everything from grills to Schwan’s or
Omaha Steak certificates to Best Buy certificates. There are a lot of football movies or have fun with your local teams’ mas-
cots and colors.

In addition to the promotional products , there are ads as well as banners, posters and hang-tags available to support each
event. Contact your Marketing Specialist today for more information and ideas to help you make the event as successful as
possible.

Contact your Marketing Specialist today

for more information and ideas!
 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7 Page 3

Successful Assumptions By Doug Fleener

I recently heard a sales expert assert that making assumptions will cost a salesperson sales. I beg to differ. As a matter of fact, the most successful retail salespeople I know are
successful because of their assumptions.
Here are five assumptions that will make you more successful:
1. Assume you're going to have a great day. I recently connected on Facebook with an old friend I hadn't seen in a very long time. Almost every morning she posts what a
bad day she's going to have and, amazingly, her predictions almost always come true! The human mind is very powerful and ultimately will create your reality. Make your reality
a great one.
2. Assume every customer is coming into your store to make a purchase. This assumption separates Extraordinary salespeople from their colleagues. It's the differ-
ence between showing a customer a product and selling them a product. I'd guess that fewer than 5% of retail salespeople do this on a regular basis. Of course not every single
customer will make a purchase, but more of them will when you assume they're in your store to buy something.
3. Assume the customer will always have a better shopping experience with your help. If you can't make this assumption then I worry what value you bring to the
customer. Our challenge is that many customers assume the opposite. They might assume that you're like all the inept salespeople who have either pestered or ignored them.
Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to build that rapport so your customer will see that you are indeed better than the rest. Don't take it personally if they don't let you im-
prove their experience. It's their loss.
4. Assume your customer wants to purchase more than one product. Why wouldn't he buy new paintbrushes along with that gallon of paint? Of course she'll purchase
the matching wallet that goes with the handbag. Obviously she wants new socks to go with her running shoes. Failing to make this assumption results in poor service and lost
sales.
5. Assume your customer will tell you when she is ready to checkout. We should never make that decision for our customer. Our job is to keep selling him products
until he says it's time to pay. Rushing a customer to finish is not only bad for business but is unfair to the customer.

There's an old saying about assume that I can't print here, but I don't buy it. My assumptions have nothing to do with you, but everything to do with me and with my success. You
can make your own.
So let me ask, are you making enough successful assumptions?

Faux Marble Finish Repair

HPU Furnishings There have been a number of inquiries on the repair of the faux
marble finish (D328, D451, T158-13). Ashley has been testing out
Research Newsletter different types of repair products and have come up with the follow-
ing recommendations.
In 2008 there were over 5,000 references to Social
Media Marketing in business journals, periodicals and Fillers: Deep gouges and scratches can be filled in using CA glue
newspapers. In 2009 references to Social Media Mar- (instant glue) and/or EZ Flow burn-in.
keting exceeded 24,000!
In a few short years Social Media Marketing has moved from a Topcoats that adhere very well: Mohawk Perfect Blend and/or Pre-Catalyzed clears.
little-understood tool used by niche marketers to an essential
part of the IMC strategy of mainstream businesses. In their
special issue of The Home Front , High Point University the Uni- Polishing Compounds: To restore the high shine, the finish will need to be buffed using rubbing compounds
versity’s International School of Home Furnishings and Design with a wool buffing head.
focuses on hot topics in Social Media Marketing.
Visit: Sanding: For a high shine, the surface will need to be extremely smooth. Sand with a very fine paper such as
http://homefurnishings.highpoint.edu/homefurnishings/themes/f ending with a wet sand of a 1500 - 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper.
resh_media/documents/The%20Home%20Front%20newsletter.
pdf to download the entire newsletter and learn more about the
various social media hubs like Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Whenever starting any new repair make sure to scuff the surface before applying a topcoat, this will increase
Digg, UTube and more. You can also find a copy of the newslet- the adhesion of the topcoat to the original finish.
ter on our website: www.tristatefurn.imagineretailer.com.
No Hiding from Leather Price Increases Y o u r A s h le y R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s

Ken Kochekian had an unenviable task at April’s High Point Market — and he lived to tell about it. Case Goods:
Kochekian, president of leather supplier Universal Leather, had to explain to his customers why leather prices were Bill Nagle - (608) 304-1746
going up just as many in the furniture industry were reporting a slight uptick in business. [email protected]
It certainly wasn’t what manufacturers wanted to hear. Bob Nagle - (608)304-1745
But Kochekian and his staff, armed with data on historic trends in leather pricing, believe they were able to help them [email protected]
better understand what is happening in the sometimes mysterious, faraway world of hides and tanneries. Jay Ferber - (267) 265-5597
“We wanted to make it more digestible,” he said of the price hikes. “But it’s never easy to go to market and tell some- [email protected]
one you’re raising prices.” John Nagle - (215) 704-1174
The “simple” explanation for rising prices, he says, is a shortage of raw materials — unprocessed hides. But of [email protected]
course, there’s never a simple explanation for rising commodity prices, and Kochekian cited several other factors
putting upward pressure on leather prices today. Motion:
Sean Orlando - (215) 669-1242
* Cattle populations in South America are down because, as leather prices have fallen the past two years [email protected]
due to abnormally low demand, farmers have found it more profitable to raise crops instead of cattle.
Paul Morris - (267) 249-1010
* Demand picked up late last year and early this year, but current herd populations can’t support current
[email protected]
demand. He says it probably will take two to three years to repopulate herds to the point where supply
meets demand. Stationary:
* Much of the increase in demand is coming from the automotive and shoe industries, which consume 70% Tom Moore - (973) 897-9122
of the world’s hides. [email protected]
Kochekian believes hide prices will continue to rise (they’ve tripled in the past year) because a record low slaughter is Anthony Forrest - (215) 880-5122
projected in Argentina, one of the biggest hide suppliers. [email protected]
The “good” news is that, even with the recent spike, hide prices haven’t quite matched the levels seen in late 2006 Todd Csencsits - (610) 909-3031
and early 2007. And looking back to the 1970s, when leather was little more than a footnote in the upholstered furni- tcsencsits@ ashleyfurniture.com
ture business, he says today’s leather prices are 15% lower than they were in 1975.
Scott Deibler - (717)689-0142
Will this mean the end of the $799 leather sofa? [email protected]

Social Media is About People

Not Technology
Leather Solutions, the company that displays in our HP Leather Certification Course (LCT), Leather Furniture The Internet and the technology behind it has become
and LV showrooms has developed a website to market Repair & Restoration, Color Mixing, and Auto Interior simply another utility not unlike electricity and water.
their leather care products. These are excellent leather classes. Social Media emphasizes people over technology,
care products and your source for professional leather Their certified leather program covers the history, identi- communication over complexity, active over passive
products, professional training, and leather repair ser- fication and cleaning of leather. Our furniture repair and and amateur over professional. The three-dimensional
vices. restoration class explains all the products and how to use conversation is more important than the one-
them, along with minor repairs of leather. The restora- dimensional catalog.
Leather Solutions International has been in the leather tion class covers restoring the color or color changing
repair industry for over 15 years. They train technicians Consumers are becoming more involved with the idea
furniture. Classes are held on-site throughout the of instant connectivity and sharing and evaluating
using quality products, easy techniques and supply an year. Private classes are also offered for those who
educational background in leather that provides you with information with like-minded people.
want one-on-one training.
the tools to develop a professional reputation as a
leather expert. Their technician has 15 years of field Classes can be held at your facility. Off-site fees include
experience and has worked with Leather Master in their instructor fees and travel expenses.
color lab, training department and advised over 300
technicians, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Our color lab offers quality color products and color
matching. We can match color for aniline and pigmented
Leather is like our skin - it needs to breathe, be moistur- leathers. Our leather products are made specifically for
ized and cleaned properly. leather.

All products are made in the U.S.A

The company has expanded from being a repair techni-
cian company to offering several types of training
classes in the areas of: For more information, please visit their website at
www.leathersi.com

Remember to check out our website at www.tristatefurn.imagineretailer.com