Mooradians Furniture
Mooradian says the company understands that buying furniture is a major investment for people, and they want to make that investment in an environment that gives them the best selection, the fairest prices and the most comfortable environment. Mooradians Furniture has been successful despite the challenges it faces because it offers customers more than just the most popular brands of furniture, and Mooradian says that will continue to be the company’s formula for success going into the future.
Welcome In
One of the most important aspects of Mooradians Furniture’s success is the atmosphere inside its stores. Mooradian says the company’s knowledgeable salespeople understand the importance of making customers feel welcome and free to make their selection without feeling pressured. He says the company’s core salespeople know the products and listen first to the customers to make sure they can guide customers to the furniture that best suits their needs. “We work very hard on being helpful, not pushy,” Mooradian says.
Within that low-pressure environment, customers at Mooradians Furniture can choose from many of the most popular and high-end brands on the market today. Mooradian says the market has shifted in recent years away from foreign goods and back to domestic manufacturing. “We’ve had a return to some more U.S. goods, solid wood and simpler designers,” Mooradian says. “I like to describe them as ‘casually elegant.’”
He adds that customers today are looking for a more diversified style in their homes and tend to mix and match different styles from different brands. “Things don’t fit in any one box like they used to,” Mooradian says. “They’re eclectic and fun.”
Supply Challenges
Despite the many competitive advantages Mooradians Furniture has in the marketplace, Mooradian says the company still faces substantial challenges from a supply chain standpoint. “I think the supply chain part of the business has been the greatest challenge today,” Mooradian says.
Making sure products are available for customers has become increasingly challenging as manufacturers’ lead times become longer and the Chinese New Year holiday disrupts shipping of all products from Asia. Issues like these can create disruptions in the supply chain that retailers like Mooradians Furniture have little control over.
Nevertheless, Mooradian says the company works hard to ensure that these disruptions have as little effect on its operations as possible, adding that the company practices discipline in its sourcing and increases the amount of inventory it has on hand to anticipate any disruptions. Although increasing inventory makes it more difficult for a company to absorb mistakes, Mooradian says, through careful planning Mooradians Furniture has been able to avoid problems.
Online Presence
Despite the challenges on the supply chain side of the business, Mooradian says he is confident that Mooradians Furniture will continue to lead the market in and around Albany for the foreseeable future. He says the company continues to work hard on fostering a welcoming, friendly environment in its stores because even though online shopping has become a more popular option in recent years, most customers still prefer to see a piece of furniture with their own eyes before purchasing.
Still, Mooradian says the company understands the importance of having an online presence, and strives to create the same type of environment on its website that it does in person. No matter where its customers shop, Mooradian says, Mooradians Furniture wants them to be comfortable. “We’d like to focus on the customer experience and try and match our online presence with our store presence,” he says.