FEEL THE FANTA!
Connecting with shoppers in 2025
I recently listened to best-selling memoirist Kelly Corrigan explain her process for making writing come alive. Her comments (which I believe are relevant to retail furniture store marketers), edited here for print publication, were: “Don’t say ‘I had a drink,’ say ‘I had a soda.’ Don’t say, ‘I had a soda,’ say, ‘I had a Fanta.’ Don’t say, ‘I had a Fanta,’ say, ‘I had a grape Fanta,’ and don’t say, ‘I had a grape Fanta,’ say, ‘I had a grape Fanta, and the condensation was making my whole hand wet.’ All of a sudden, you went from having a drink to being somewhere, a place in space and time, with a set of objects around you. That’s the difference between a good conversation and a great conversation.”
In 2025, turning good customer conversations into GREAT conversations has never been more important for furniture retailers, who need to build and maintain relevance.
That’s especially true for legacy brands that have lost their way, observes FS’ Jaye Anna Mize. “Consumers don’t care if you operate a 150-year-old legacy-built furniture brand,” she tells Furniture World readers in this edition. “They want to know how it relates to them personally, their background, and the traditions they grew up with.”
What if a retailer lets shoppers know that it is THE “grape Fanta expert,” with the largest inventory of soda in stock, at the best prices available, offering unmatched customer service and fast delivery? Is that the best way to connect with a new generation of soda drinkers? Or is it just table stakes in a retail world where shoppers can easily choose a different option—perhaps one that seems more convenient or, as Corrigan suggests—starts a great conversation?
Even if you didn’t find my “Fanta” story relevant to your business model, please peruse the rest of this retail forecast 2025 issue. You won’t be disappointed.
Check out Tom Liddell’s “What’s In Store For 2025” interview. Don’t miss David McMahon’s article on adapting to change in 2025 and the “Retail Success” interview with Lisa Hawkins at Room to Room. Her store sets an example for other retailers who want to connect deeply with local shoppers, making them “feel the Fanta” in ways that might make Kelly Corrigan proud!
Wishing you good retailing in 2025!
Russell Bienenstock
Editorial Director/CEO
russ@furninfo.com
Russell Bienenstock is Editor-in-Chief of Furniture World Magazine, founded 1870. Comments can be directed to him at editor@furninfo.com.