Porch+Patio: Small Footprint­­—Big Ideas

Interview with Sissy Blanchard

Sissy and Bob Blanchard's small footprint stores serve customers with an island vibe, curated selections and an organic sales approach.

Sissy Blanchard, co-owner and CFO of Porch+Patio never thought that she would operate an outdoor furniture store on Georgia’s St. Simons Island. After graduating with a BSM degree, she trained at IBM and secured a sales job at Milliken, selling modular carpet tile.

“9/11 halted many commercial projects at Milliken, which prompted me,” she recalled, “to open a boutique gift manufacturing company. It was great for a few years until a larger company knocked us off. I picked up my husband, Bob Blanchard, along the way, and we purchased a wine bar in Sonoma County, California. It was great, until we were forced to move the business in a direction that didn’t match our passions. Even so, we grew the business and sold it." Flush with cash, they moved to St. Simons Island.

“I thought I would get a job like a regular person, but soon realized I couldn’t work for anyone else. We formulated a plan to open a coastal lifestyle store, putting some Polywood Adirondack chairs in the side yard. When COVID arrived, sales really took off. And so, we became overnight accidental outdoor retailer magnates!

“We quickly realized how steep the outdoor furniture store learning curve is. Retailers who aren’t knowledgeable and careful about what they sell can run into some difficult issues.

“One of our suppliers wisely sponsored us for a membership in the International Casual Furniture Association. We attended our first ICFA conference in 2020. After that, I was hooked. I love networking opportunities with top executives of the companies whose products we sell."

Adding a Second Store

“When COVID hit, like other furniture retailers we needed to secure inventory to fill demand. We got lucky when one of our reps suggested we meet with a small outdoor retailer in nearby Kingsland who wanted to retire.

“His store wasn't anything fancy. The owner had been in business for 15 years without collecting his first customer email! My first thought was that this guy was sitting on an absolute gold mine and had no idea. The store was located about an hour from our St. Simons location, in an area that includes a military base and is becoming a suburb of Jacksonville.

“We are a 'sandwich store' operation bordered by the larger markets of Savannah to the North and Jacksonville to the South.”

“We bought his business for the price of the inventory and started calling his customers to collect their email addresses. With COVID in full swing, people were waiting for furniture.

“We hired more staff. Sales doubled in the first year, and even though that growth has slowed, we plan to expand our showroom footprint again."

Small Store Footprints

"Our store on St. Simons Island is a converted 1920s bungalow with a yard outside. It’s tiny, about 2,500 square feet. We display a mix of gift items and outdoor furniture with cushions inside. Outside, we show poly lumber furniture.

"The Kingsland store is just 6,000 total feet. Even so, Porch+Patio can say that it’s the “largest outdoor furniture retailer serving the Kingsland, St. Simons Island, Amelia Island, Yulee, Jekyll Island, Fernandina Beach, Darien, Brunswick, Waverly, Folkston, Coastal Georgia, and North Jacksonville area. Brands include Summer Classics, Tupelo, Tropitone, Treasure Garden, Royal Teak Collection, Telescope, Castelle, Lloyd Flanders, Frankford, Polywood and others."

When asked about the particulars of Porch+Patio’s trading area, Blanchard replied, “We are a ‘sandwich store' operation bordered by the larger markets of Savannah to the north and Jacksonville to the south. We serve a million-person population between Nassau County, Florida, and Bryan County, Georgia.

“Our customer demographic is socioeconomically diverse. People live in small towns with few real prospects. In areas like Sea Island, Amelia Island, and St. Simons Island, Porch+Patio serves mid- to upper-income folks who have second homes, condos, rental properties, or live in HOAs that specify what styles and colors people are allowed to place around pools, patios and balconies. We also operate in the commercial outdoor furniture market.

“Because our stores have small footprints, we need to be careful how many SKUs we show. We don’t carry the upper, upper-end. For example, we sell Castelle and Tropitone, but not the Brown Jordan line.

"We're a jack of all trades between very high and very low price points, carrying everything appropriate for the outdoor environments in our market area."

Furniture World asked Blanchard if Porch+Patio's location protects it from competition in larger Savannah and Jacksonville.

“We have customers who shop with us in addition to big box and online stores,” she replied. “We are not for everybody. People don’t shop at Porch+Patio to beat Wayfair’s or Overstock’s pricing; they come here to get help figuring out how best to furnish their outdoor spaces and benefit from the many services we offer that make their lives easier.

“Porch+Patio stores are destinations. Shoppers aren’t walking by or popping in. Either they are ready to buy, looking for something specific, or researching their next purchase.

“Whatever their reason, we greet them with a warm welcome and friendly service. Becky, our VP of sales, calls this ‘Unrealistic Hospitality,’ something most shoppers aren’t used to.”

Service

“We’re positioned as a solution provider for outdoor furniture and accessories—always glad to make house calls and provide scale drawings. Shoppers are encouraged to share photos of their spaces via a text platform so we can help them match styles and colors and suggest solutions.

“We also help shoppers understand how outdoor furniture is made, what it's meant to do, why it's different from indoor furniture, and the relationship between quality and price.

“If we don't have a solution, we find who does and pass that information along.”

Small Store Merchandising

“When entering our stores, customers see modern, transitional, and traditional styles, but we don't have the floor space to create proper vignettes. Instead, we display one or two pieces representing collections from the lines we carry.

“Because we do a lot of custom-order business, we find displaying lots of complete sets is unnecessary. Instead, shoppers test how a representative chair from a collection sits. Our knowledgeable sales staff explains that other chair options in that collection provide the same comfort level and use characteristics. Similarly, we don’t need to display every table."

“Porch+Patio's business is up 20% this year, so I’m optimistic but not planning any major moves. That’s similar to what I hear other outdoor retailers doing.”

Blanchard added that although they sell off the floor and from stock, she tends to display fabrics that are a bit outside most of her customers’ comfort zones. “In other words,” she said,” I display bright, fun fabrics and colors, knowing that most customers will choose neutrals.

“At the end of each season, we put items on sale that have been on the floor to make room for early buys necessary to lock in the best rates with manufacturers. Orders are placed in July, August, and September, for delivery in December, January, and February, with invoices dated May, June, and July. Orders need to be all-inclusive of multiple categories at certain minimum dollar amounts. It’s a lot of investment, and it potentially takes up a lot of space. For a small store, it can be tricky on many fronts."

Sales Training

“We’ve adopted the sales approach taught by Bob Phibbs at SalesRX. What I like is that it relieves the pressure on both buyer and seller.

“Salespeople start every customer interaction by saying ‘Good morning,’ ‘Good afternoon,’ or ‘Good evening.’ That's it! We don’t get down to business immediately by asking, ‘What can we help you find today?’ Or ‘What brings you in?’ It’s a more organic approach, though perhaps counterintuitive to salespeople who are used to a different way of selling. What's funny is that our customers initiate conversations about outdoor furniture or whatever else they're looking for."

Product Selection

“Our stores feature a curated selection of items that make sense for patio living in the island communities we serve. We carry umbrellas, furniture covers, fire pits, outdoor art, throws, pillows, jigsaw puzzles perfect for family time on a covered porch, a bean toss game, melamine dinnerware, cool clothing and beach-related items.

“We also sell unusual items like a ‘Fire Rope,’ useful for starting beach fires, and a doggy bowl from Polywood, endorsed by our store mascot, Dudley. We sell a ridiculous line of ‘Drinks on Me’ coasters with off-color, funny sayings. Shoppers will stand next to them for 30 minutes to read them all.

“These items present opportunities to keep people who may not be ready to buy, longer. They stop, look, and touch, becoming conversation starters that help our sales staff get to know them better.”

Marketing

Blanchard shared that Porch+Patio has a robust social media presence that engages customers and confessed to having an “intimate relationship” with a ChatGPT she recently named Percy. “I know it sounds crazy, but Percy helps me write video scripts, saving large blocks of time that would otherwise be wasted creating all sorts of website and social media content. I also use a teleprompter app to create cool backgrounds that make our content look highly professional.”

Blanchard uses Firework (https://firework.com), an AI-enabled platform with a stated mission of “revolutionizing commerce by bringing the power of video to every digital experience, fostering deeper human connections between brands and shoppers.”

“Firework makes it easy to upload videos, group them into playlists, and output code snippets that can be uploaded to our website as pop-ups, floating players, or story blocks,” she explained. “When we want to change a video, instead of manually updating website code, we just change the playlist in Firework.

“We’ve had great success with glossy magazine advertising, which we’ve increased since purchasing the Kingsland store. Our market is geofenced, so we don’t need to do SEO. When someone searches for outdoor furniture, we show up above the fold 80% of the time.

“COVID lasted two years. People felt isolated, and purchasing became more transactional and less open to conversations.”

“I’ve had several disappointing experiences with ad agencies. I am the first to recognize that part of the problem is quantifying our digital spend without having the perfect lead funnel in place. The Porch+Patio website has been my nemesis for the last couple of years following hiring a company that couldn’t deliver on its promises. We have high hopes, however, for a new website launch through furnituredealer.net.”

Blanchard plans to incorporate a one-to-one live video shopping experience. "When our new website goes live,” she said, “people will click on a link to initiate a one-to-one video. They will be able to ask questions, explain their needs, and see what we have to offer. I’m interested to see how effectively this feature will move online inquiries to in-store traffic and sales.

“I also hope it will allow people who are more comfortable shopping online to benefit from the same level of service as those who visit our store. At least initially, the link won’t be live all the time because we have limited staff.”

Consumer Buying Patterns

When asked how shopping for casual furniture has changed since Porch+Patio was founded, Blanchard replied, “Over the past six years we've been in the casual furniture business, consumer expectations have shifted. However, their perceptions of independent retailers have changed significantly over the longer term. There’s no nice way to say this, but generally speaking, otherwise smart people who would never question the pricing of big box stores or online furniture retailers automatically assume that independent operations like ours are out to ‘get’ them.

“But they're not comparing apples to apples. They're comparing apples to something that’s not even fruit! I believe that during COVID, most people forgot how to converse. It’s been said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. COVID lasted two years. People felt isolated, and purchasing became more transactional and less open to conversations.”

Blanchard believes there are things independent furniture retailers can do to turn that around.

“For us, that means creating a space that’s a respite for consumers, some of whom haven’t considered that customer experience, service, and professional follow-up have value. After years of buying from Amazon and Walmart, people don’t think professional follow-up still exists. But they appreciate it and respond when we provide that kind of service.

“My grandfather, who owned a grocery store near here, believed in the value of under-promising and over-delivering. That’s what Porch+Patio believes as well, and it works for us.”

“Outdoor lighting is a trend that has room to grow. We carry Peak Season and will look for additional suppliers at the upcoming Atlanta Casual shows.”

Hiring & Training

“Since our sales approach is built on having conversations with shoppers,” she continued, “we try to hire individuals who are already skilled at connecting with people. I believe that ability is difficult or impossible to train. The ideal is to find people who aren’t afraid to start uncomfortable conversations, are relatable, and are capable of listening.

“Our onboarding process is hands-on and includes all our standard operating procedures. New hires are shadowed until they know enough not to be dangerous.

“Most of the companies we work with have YouTube channels that explain to new hires how their companies started, what they are all about, the main features of their products, and all the other foundational information.

“Firework makes it easy to upload videos, group them into playlists, and output code snippets that can be uploaded to our website as pop-ups, floating players, or story blocks.”

"We train our staff to ask qualifying questions. These are not earth-shattering, but they help focus customers and cajole information out of them! For us, it’s about trying to get to the customer's priorities so we can manage expectations.

"We teach them how to ask for information about customers’ needs and preferences, encouraging them to provide information about their spaces and priorities. People have interesting expectations about what outdoor furniture should be able to do, which need to be uncovered to provide expert solutions. For example, we ask:

• Tell me about your space… is it covered, screened in, or open to the elements?
• How do you envision using the space — dining, lounging, poolside, in-pool, or a combination?
• Have you considered the material from which you want the furniture made?
• What level of maintenance are you comfortable with? Would you tolerate a little more maintenance for more comfort?
• Are you more concerned with budget or function/form?

“Sometimes shoppers are wary of engaging, which can be uncomfortable for salespeople. It’s then that the best salespeople get creative. Perhaps a shopper is wearing a familiar emblem on their shirt or cool earrings, which can be a conversation starter."

Styles & Trends

Regarding styles and trends, Blanchard explained, “Our customer base tends to be older, which means they generally don't want to spend a lot of money on product maintenance and also shy away from purchasing heavy outdoor furniture designs that are hard to move around.” Those goals can conflict. For example, when suggesting furniture made of HDPE, it’s easy to care for but also quite heavy.

“Porch+Patio has just about everything their customers might want in terms of design, and they tend to be okay with spending a little more up front to buy quality.” That’s why she believes quality construction is most important for her customers. "The reason they are okay with spending a little more upfront is so they can count on product durability and long-lasting beauty. That’s especially important in areas like ours where outdoor furniture takes a beating,” she observed.

“Over the past six years we've been in the casual furniture business, consumer expectations have shifted. However, their perceptions of independent retailers have changed significantly over the longer term.”

“The quality of the outdoor furniture we sell is very high, whether it’s manufactured domestically or overseas. We make sure shoppers know that the brands we carry don't file down their welds and that the aluminum they use is high quality and has powder coating that won’t chip off even when banged together, which is something we demonstrate.

“I’m a fan of the trend to make products that can be used indoors or outdoors. A great example of that is the Baldwin Collection from Summer Classics. I’m not a fan of lighting incorporated into the undersides of umbrellas. To me, it’s a bit kitschy. We're seeing more interest from people asking how to light up the outdoor spaces without using cheap string lights. Outdoor lighting is a trend that has room to grow. We carry Peak Season and will look for additional suppliers at the upcoming Atlanta Casual shows.”

Uncertainty

Decision-making for large and small companies, including Porch+Patio, has been made more difficult by current market uncertainty. “We were in the market to buy a building earlier this year,” said Blanchard. "When an opportunity to purchase a building presented itself and our bank loan was approved, the tariff announcements caused a worrisome stock market dip, making our down payment seem riskier. We decided to delay the expansion even though it’s likely to hurt growth. In the meantime, we’re making modest renovations to increase floor space and upgrading displays. Porch+Patio’s business is up 20% this year, so I’m optimistic but not planning any major moves. That’s similar to what I hear other outdoor retailers doing.”

Concluding, Blanchard noted, “It’s my view that membership in the International Casual Furniture Association is important for any retailer selling casual furniture, especially as our industry navigates the current uncharted waters.

“It’s helped us to understand what's happening in our part of the industry and find out what other retailers are doing to solve common problems. Without that support, we would have missed out on so many opportunities. We get health insurance at half the price we would otherwise pay and an ICFA discount on services like FurnitureDealer.net and Firework.com.”