Urban Mercantile

Sonoma weekend

You might be wondering why I haven't posted in the last couple days. I was in Sonoma county celebrating my birthday with friends. Being without cell service was actually a rare treat, but nothing like the Spa service at Osmosis which was completely mind-altering. I'm a sucker for pampering.

I could fill a page full of photos and info about the trip--where to go, where to eat, what to buy, etc.--but then I would have been WORKING. A couple simple things really inspired me. For one, all the "antique" stores that my friends and I popped into were very well merchandised. Items were arranged by color or use or material. I was impressed, and I thought I was a pretty good merchandiser. Remember, the product is another man's junk. These stores are bit pricey, but it sure is easy to find your favorite collectible.

Nature is always an inspiration. But show me a person who isn't inspired by the outdoors. Everyone can appreciate the smell of clean air, the crashing waves on shoreline, and trees as old as the Constitution. Right?

I loved this simple arrangement of antlers, basket, crate on a rolling cart. Every other month in Elle Decor is a similar arrangement; either is some Parisian flat or some Vermont vacation home. I almost bought the basket, but I'm trying to pare down.

This wisteria tree in a sun-drenched cemetery is bursting with tiny, intricate blossoms. I wanted to lay down in the shade beneath it and take a nap, breathing in it's delicate fragrance. I'm thinking of ways to bring more of the outdoors into my little apartment. But I might have to settle for bonsai.

Feeling green?

The other day I was reading an interesting survey by Furniture Style Magazine and Vance Research Services that polled some ten thousand households throughout the US. Many topics were included, but most interesting were trends related to buying green. The households had to report a household income of $45,000 annually, and participants had to be between 24-65 years of age.

The participants, based on their answers, were divided into three groups: eco-committed, eco-interested, and eco-indifferent. As I’ve mentioned in a past post, people have very different ways of expressing and categorizing greenness or eco-savvy-ness. This survey generated fairly concise terms for buying behavior. When asked, “I look for eco-friendly materials when shopping for furniture,” and “I am willing to pay a premium in order to buy green products,” participants ranked their responses on a continuum of reactions. On a scale of one to six, one being that it did not describe them, and six that it described them completely.

Twenty-four percent were labeled eco-committed having answered the first question with a five or six. Forty-five percent were labeled eco-interested having answered with a three or four. And those that answered with a one or two, about 31 percent, were labeled eco-indifferent. Made obvious here, some two-thirds of respondents look for some greenness when shopping for furniture. That’s a significant market audience.

When asked if a product made of eco-friendly materials was important, 65 percent of the eco-committed said that it was a consideration. Though, more interesting was that to the eco-indifferent, 55 percent said that it was a consideration. So even those not fully aboard the eco-bandwagon, the majority look for such products. Now you know why we’re bombarded with various advertising campaigns for all kinds of greenish products, services, and resources.

Also interesting were demographic data about the eco-committed. I was a bit surprised by what was revealed. The majority of these shoppers are men! Not women. (In most retail operations, because female shoppers still outnumber male shoppers by more than two to one, they will continue to see more women than men looking for eco-friendly goods.) These men tend to spend more on furniture and are willing to pay an average of 9 percent extra for green goods. (Actually, I would have expected more, given what people are willing to spend for organic goods, a similar buying behavior.) And these men are not residents of the Left Coast, either. The majority reside in the Northeast. And a whopping 72 percent say that, “my furniture reflects my lifestyle.”

I’m taking this information to heart. I know we see more male shoppers than most other boutique stores. And I’m honored that men choose to shop here. And when they buy goods for themselves, as opposed to buying gifts for women in their lives, I feel like I’ve succeeded in attracting the male shopper. I do what I can to buy from local artisans to reduce the transportation of goods and from factories that pay a fair wage. Reclaimed, recycled, and eco-friendly products are always on my radar, but now I’m even more inspired to continue to find goods of style and high design, and to provide a source of furnishings that will hopefully reflect one’s personal lifestyle and commitment to greenishness.

To blog or not to blog. . .

These days, that really is the question. After a lot of poking and prodding by friends and customers I've launched this blog. For the most part, the content will focus on what's new at the store. As well, content could lean a little toward--and I'm sure this could change--the ideas, challenges, inspiration, and news I or my customers encounter in the world of retail, wholesale, product design, art, and interior design.