Hearthlist Digest #470 - Monday, July 31, 2000 Re: This Season by "Ed Fackler" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Re: This Season From: "Ed Fackler" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 13:46:59 -0400 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> To: Hearth Email List <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, July 27, 2000 2:40 PM Subject: Hearthlist Digest #469 - 07/27/00 >Hearthlist Digest #469 - Thursday, July 27, 2000 > > request from AER > by "Mike Griffin" <[email protected]> > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Subject: request from AER >From: "Mike Griffin" <[email protected]> >Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 15:53:18 -0400 > >Hello, > >As an editor with Alternative Energy Retailer magazine, I'm in >preparation for an article I'm writing on the upcoming heating season, >I'm trying to get an idea of what hearth dealers think will be the >trends for the 2000-2001 sales season. > >If you have a moment, and wouldn't mind sharing your thoughts, please >reply with comments or responses to the questions below. I'd properly >attribute any information provided if it's used in the upcoming article >(so please include your name, title, company name, type of business and > >location). > > 1. Which models or types of hearth products do you predict to be the > >best sellers for you this season? > 2. Do you anticipate any new product/technology to be "the next >trend" in the industry ? > 3. Have you already made your product purchases for the 2000 season? > >What factors are taken into account when placing your orders for the >season? > 4. How do you think the changing oil prices will affect your sales >this season? > >Thanks for spending a few moments on this, > >Mike Griffin >Alternative Energy Retailer >[email protected] >(800) 325-6745, ext. 232 > > Mike: I have the feeling, your request is directed to the Retail or Wholesale type, but at the expense of speaking out where my opinion mat = not necessarily mean a thing, here's my "take" on the subjects. Besides, you need something to read!! I could give you six pages on this but I'll cut it down a bit and say: a) We can tell from all the orders we have seen from the first 6 months of this year a trend to upgrade the decorating of the fireplace. There has been more of it and it is up-scale. b) Never has there been a time when the "Black Box" people put out so many flat out ugly doors and fronts on their fireplaces. This has meant Mrs Homeowner cannot wait to do something with that fireplace. She used to = wait until Fall but these "beasts" are driving her upthe wall so she has been doing it it the Spring, this year. c) Those three $85.00 builder boxes looked bad enough when they went into = a $100,000 house( one of them) but in that $500,000 house, people are = throwing up on that $35 a yard carpet in the living room when they go through that open house. d)Look at the sales of fireplaces( there are somemasonery ones still going in out there) and tell me which of them will need "Zero" decorating!! ( you want to think about it for a while, or can you guess?) e) One out of every 78,578 builders will put a half way decent screen on that builder box, but no more than that. f)the bottom line is just this: Our sales tell us more people are taking care of decorating their fireplace early and they are doing it with very up-scale decorations. Secondly, our sales tell us there are some of our accounts have "zero'd in" on what I have pointed out and they are cleaning up! After all, what I have pointed out is no secret. You don"t have to be = a MIT person to make this deduction. And thirdly( and lastly) all our sign tell us this Fall is going to be a barn burner. And for all you guys who are setting around praying for a = cold Winter so you can have a good season, here's some "cud" to chew on. All those gals who have been doing all that decorating I have been talking = about sure as Hell aren't waiting for cold weather and if you want a barn burner Fall, you better not wait either.It's out there bigger and better than = ever before but it won't come to you; you have to go for it and do it now, = before you walk into that home and find Fackler got there first!! Now, this ain't long and it ain't strong. You should see some I send our Territory Managers. Edwin(the bashful) of Portland Willamette.