Futon Association Survey Results Show Optimistic Outlook for Growth

Furniture World Magazine

Several months ago at a meeting of the Futon Association Board of Directors, Pattie MacMillen (FAI President and owner of Ecin Industries in Fall River, MA) told the Association’s board about a student run program at a local branch of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. The Slades Ferry Bank Business Research Center at the University, run by Nora Gamin Barnes, Ph.D., employed students matriculating at the University’s Charlton School of Business. Under the direction of Dr. Barnes teams of business students would take on survey projects for just about any situation. Pattie and and board member Joe Tatulli went to meet Dr. Barnes and discovered a real gem. The program had done research for numerous clients including companies like Scott Lawn Company (the grass seed people), JC Penney, Alpert’s Furniture, the Cranberry Industry, several municipalities, civic groups, banks, manufacturers and retailers. The survey project was accepted by the program’s director and they set out to create the survey instrument. Since this would be the first survey of its kind produced by the Association the decision was made to look for benchmark numbers in the following areas: kinds of stores that sell futon sleepers; how much business those stores do; what price points sell best; shopper demographics; and some correlations between the different results. During the months of September, October and November the student team conducted hundreds of telephone interviews from a master list of furniture retailers representing a broad spectrum of stores. They called specialists and full line stores, and stores of every size in the spectrum. The study is valid at ±3%. The results of the survey were delivered at a presentation event in December. These results were made available to all FAI members that week. Here are a few of the highlights: •    Ninety-three percent of stores sell futon sleepers •    Seventy-nine percent of stores sell futon sleepers for more than $301 •    Forty-two percent of stores sell futon sleepers for more than $451 •    Seventy-nine percent of stores see the futon industry definitely or probably growing in the future •    Consumers over the age of forty are spending up to $750 for a futon sleeper For more information about the general survey results, the research design and method used, and the validity of the results please contact The Futon Association International at 800-327-3262.