Hi, capylou. And welcome to the Grumble.
I figure there's about an eighty percent chance that you're someone from Larson Juhl, trying to point out the fact that this sort of thing already goes on in the industry. If not, and if you're somehow in that miraculous twenty percent, just an 'innocent byframer', making an open observation, then this is certainly the place to make it. Stick around. You'll like this place.
If you are from LJ, your point is well-heard. But it still feels differently having LJ pull this, even though other companies have already been doing very similar things for years. I've been thinking about this for the past couple days, even before your uncannily timed post. (Tired smile. Or maybe that should read 'cannily' instead.)
Either way, I've been thinking about how Nielsen has sold directly to customers for years. One of my customers even has me choose the mats for her, and help her figure out which Nielsen metal to buy, then she buys it from the Daniel Smith catalogue. I know that might sound like shooting myself in the foot, but I have enough other people doing the whole thing here, and I feel like at least she's coming to me for mats. She also has me do a custom design on her best calligraphy pieces, the ones she wants
to keep for herself.
From what I understand, NC and Studio both sell at least portions of their moulding lines directly to the public, and I sure wish they didn't. Evidently, Decor does it, too, and who knows how many others. To LJ, it might seem a bit strange to see us flying into high dudgeon over something that others have already been doing for quite awhile. But it is different.
Larson Juhl has been an industry leader for so many years, and part of the reason they've built up such a loyal following is because they had absolute integrity in this regard. Not only have the products and service been great, but they've maintained a strong position of supporting independent custom frame shops by refusing to sell elsewhere. In the past few years, however, a sea change seems to have taken place. In the past, if I thought about how frustrating it was to have other companies sneak by us to our customers, I'd think, "That's part of why I'll always be true to Larson Juhl. They've taken a stand to support us and they won't do this kind thing." To have it happen now, while at the same time the company tries to pacify us by claiming that it isn't in fact happening, feels like the ultimate, "Et tu, Brute?" moment.
If this company has decided to throw us to the wolves and do a total about face, then the industry really has very little integrity left as far as the support it gives to us custom
framers. That's both bizarre and sad.
Does Roma still refuse to sell wholesale to the public? If so, I hope they start to get a lot more business. I know that, more and more, I admire whoever didn't buy Documounts first. Some decisions in life are a matter of doing what's right, and when people make honorable decisions, even though they might take a fall for so doing, they deserve our respect and support.
I still like LJ, but for the first time in sixteen years, that feeling is beginning to fade. I wish it wasn't. I'm saddened by this change of direction, and I keep hoping that somehow they'll decide to do what's right on this one. Or at the very least, to be honest about it instead of pretending that they haven't changed their fundamental values. If they really do plan to stay true to those values, then it should be easy to make the changes to the Documounts site that would make it not available to the general public. And they should have already been made.
I'll hush up now, but that's why it feels different. It's because we trusted Larson Juhl on this one, and what's happening now feels like a betrayal. If anyone's still reading, thanks for taking the time. I know I'm not a person with clout in this industry. I'm just an ordinary small town framer, but isn't that what the industry is made of? And at least here on the Grumble, we have a place to be heard.
