If you’re on the hunt for new, high-quality outdoor furniture for your dealership, you can be sure that there’s no shortage of options. In fact, there are so many options that the search can quickly become overwhelming. That’s why it’s crucial to have a specific plan in place before you even start to sift through pages and pages of digital catalogs. Understand the must-have criteria that a manufacturer should check off before you even consider working with them. That won’t just prevent you from wasting time with a provider who isn’t up to par; it’ll give you access to the best of the best pieces for your dealership. Curious about what qualities to look for? Here’s our shortlist.
A commitment to handcrafting
“Handcrafted” isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a commitment to quality that’s brought to life through attention to detail, expertise, and placing an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. When products are carefully crafted by experts instead of mass-produced assembly-line style, a few important things happen:
- Less mistakes are made. With each piece of a collection getting individual attention from an expert, far less defective or broken parts make the cut.
- Each piece is unique. Though the best manufacturers are able to guarantee that all of their pieces are uniform, the fact that each one has been carefully constructed by hand means that your customers get the best of both worlds: unique pieces that fit seamlessly into their collections.
- No cutting corners. Handcrafted products are built to last, with sturdy construction and well-done finishes.
Handcrafted outdoor furniture may not be something that the average consumer can spot with their naked eye, but it’ll still make all the difference for your business: it’ll matter in a year, when customers are writing rave reviews instead of complaining about broken furniture. It’ll matter down the line, when the pieces you’ve sold still look like new, regardless of Florida’s no-holds-barred weather. For quality that your customers can count on far beyond taking their furniture home, opt for handcrafted pieces.
Domestically sourced materials
Handcrafting is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating long-lasting outdoor furniture pieces; the other is solid materials. Opt for a furniture manufacturer who utilizes premium materials sourced right here in the United States. By investing in domestic businesses, a furniture manufacturer isn’t just putting resources back into their community; they’re showing that they’re willing to spend more in order to guarantee a higher-quality product. That’s the ultimate sign of a manufacturer’s commitment to longevity.
In addition to sourcing their materials in the United States, a manufacturer should also produce their pieces domestically. This allows them to oversee every step of the production process, which places some weight behind any “quality guarantee” that they provide.
Never skimping on quality (and clearly defining what “quality” means)
When we say “quality,” what do we mean? Most importantly, what does that mean for your dealership? It’s easy for furniture manufacturers to toss around vague terms like “quality” when describing their pieces, but how can they prove to you that this quality is truly something you can count on?
The key is to look for a manufacturer who clearly defines what quality means to them. Then, they should be transparent about demonstrating just how they uphold and guarantee that quality in their own processes. For us, that means upholding the standards we’ve already covered: handcrafted pieces, expert manufacturers, and domestically-sourced materials. Define what quality means to you, then look for a manufacturer whose own definition is compatible with yours.
Access to their catalogue
How easy does a manufacturer make it for you to see all of their collections? How about the framing and fabric options available for each collection? Do they provide custom fabric options to fit your specific needs? All of these considerations are important to think about, even if they don’t seem super urgent. The best relationship you can form with a manufacturer is one that can last for a long time, and that starts with transparency from the very beginning. The easier it is for you to browse through a provider’s catalog and pick out the pieces you want in your dealership, the better it bodes for the future of your partnership.
Pleasant partnerships
Speaking of the future of your partnership: it’s not just about beautiful, high-quality furniture. It’s crucial to have a mutually beneficial business relationship with your furniture manufacturer(s), and it’s easy to gauge just how likely that is from your first few interactions with a prospect. Consider the following questions as you ask yourself whether a manufacturer is a good fit:
- How promptly do they respond to your inquiries?
- How transparent are their price quotes?
- How responsive are they about specific questions you have?
- How extensive and easy-to-navigate is their catalog?
- Do they have a good reputation as a collaborator in the industry?
By keeping these questions in mind throughout your initial interactions with a prospective manufacturer, you’ll be evaluating their business acumen as well as the quality of their furniture. In the most compatible business relationships, both will meet and exceed your standards.
Buying furniture for your dealership to sell can be difficult, and the best way to make it easier is to establish an ongoing relationship with an outdoor furniture manufacturer you can trust. To learn about how Windward upholds the highest standards of quality both in our production process and in our partnerships, click here.