What's Up With Suppliers?

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Rick Granick

Rick Granick

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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Woody raised an interesting observation in the "Sometimes I Wonder" thread. There seem to be some strange goings-on with suppliers- particularly moulding companies. Just since the beginning of this year I've had about 75 patterns discontinued, covering several suppliers. This was partly due to the Williamson changes mentioned- our local distributor dumped them. But also, old standby companies like Art-O-Rama (I've been dealing with them for over 20 years) have cancelled old favorites. It seems like the odd items that have truly interesting character and distinctive style appropriate for certain period designs are falling by the wayside in favor of me-too "lines" of moulding that have to come in three different widths and seven different colors, but are all essentially the SAME DESIGN. It is unfortunate that manufacturers design their lines this way, because it puts the squeeze on the resources of regional distributors who have to carry all this stuff, and so may feel they need to eliminate the more unique styles just because they aren't the top sellers. The net result for us framers is homogenization of what is available, and an odd lack of diversity in a seeming sea of plenty.
We have spent years creating a truly interesting selection of styles for our customers, and we frequently hear comments about what a great selection we have. However, it seems to be harder and harder to maintain this unique blend when our old (and useful)favorites are discontinued, and the clones come in to take their place.
Also, several of our major moulding companies (Victor, Art-O-Rama, Ivy) currently have NO SALES REP serving our area (Cincinnati), so it's very difficult to keep up with what new styles they may have. I've called their national sales managers, and they have promised to send samples, but don't always get around to it.
Anyone else notice these trends?
 
Here in the Land of OZ, I think we have a similar problem. Suppliers copy each other, but we have a number of moulding colours which are non-existant. I have requested certain colours with a few suppliers, but to no avail. They come up with dozens...nay, hundreds of new mouldings each year, but they are almost always the same old boring reverse shapes in the same old boring shades of colour that we have had for the past 5 or 6 years. Scoop mouldings seem to be almost totally extinct.
Seems to me that the moulding manufacturers make heaps of new mouldings, from which we framers are supposed to choose. Isn't that a little upside down...wouldn't it be a good idea for manufacturers to get just a little input from framers???
I guess not...what the **** would we know about what is needed to satisfy our customers....how stupid of me to even think of such a proposition!!!
 
Don't know if it relates to this topic but had an interesting conversation with a supplier the other day. We were discussing the puzzling changes taking place in framing and the causes. While most seem to believe the downturn in framing last year was primarily y2k related he believes that custom framing is being impacted by a variety or challenges, chief among them the proliferation of mass market framers who place their product everywhere from Eagle to Target, to KMart. His feeling is that many moulding and matboard companies are being hurt by their own greed and disloyalty. When these people came along, instead of directing them to already established distributors, the moulding and matboard companies sold to them direct at much lower prices than the average frameshop enjoys, or could ever hope to enjoy. Now, with sales lagging in the regular retail side of the business as a result of this flood of "cheap" product, they are left to rely on the OEMs and the small margins they have committed to. The result is an upcoming major round of price increases, substantial backorders because of a cash flow problem, and even paring down of lines because of the cost of carrying inventory. This was his interpretation and I add if for information.
 
Woody, your point about suppliers being squeezed by the major chains is interesting. One of my reps told me that he heard even LarsonJuhl was having some cashflow problems, although I find that hard to believe. I suspect that Ivy may be, however, as they have had major backorder problems with their Designer metal mouldings this past year, and even some backorders of their own manufactured mouldings, which they RARELY had before. As far as Victor goes, I don't know what their situation is, although they are now having us purchase our chops directly from a company called Tracy Chop in california, and we pay the bills directly to Tracy. This gives us virtually no contact with Victor anymore since, as I mentioned, they have no sales rep for our area, and haven't for some time. Their sales manager promised around December to put us on an "automatic sample program" to keep us up to date, but so far not one sample has crossed our door.
Your postings seem to indicate a general downturn of business. Fortunately that has not been our experience. We moved to a new and better location about 4 years ago, and I'm happy to say that 1999 was our best year yet. We've been in business since 1977. Have there been demographic changes in your shop's area which mitigate against upscale business? You might want to look at that idea.
I don't really fear the big stores because their customer has different motives and needs from ours. Your past comment about their possibly instilling the idea that framing is a commodity has merit, however. Retail can be a fickle animal. I think what it means is that our job will increasingly involve showing people why the custom framing experience is special, and why they should deal with us, the experts. We need to stress the entire experience, not just the product itself. Show them that we have knowledge, insight, experience, and taste, as well as technical skills, and that these add up to a PROCESS of design. Selling is helping someone solve a problem, and we custom framers are much better equipped to do that- and to let the upscale, educated, intelligent customer know about it- than are the big box stores.
As far as Y2K is concerned, the money that suppliers spent to update their systems may have affected their cash flow somewhat, but many of them really needed to update. Nurre Caxton's invoices used to waste an extra 14" of tractor-feed printer paper just to type out some useless final line of factoids. Now they are nice and efficient. Other suppliers' new software shows the quick-pay discount amount and date right on the invoice. I like that!

[This message has been edited by Rick Granick (edited 02-07-2000).]
 
Received an interesting letter (maybe you did, too) from the Williamson Co. in essence denying their demise as a result of their closing their US manufacturing plant. I hope it is true and believe it is. As additional points on this topic, we have had two distributors close down since the new year. The bigger, and the one leaving the greatest hole, was the Chapin Co. The other was a smaller distributor who specialized only in moulding and readymade frames. We now have four companies that "distribute" to lessor or larger degrees. It's interesting that all four also do finished framing to some degree, competing with the same customers they are selling to at wholesale. With the framing dollar seemingly shrinking in our market over the past year or so, it doesn't help matters.
 
Woody

I was just informed by Framers' Inventory that they, too, would no longer be carrying Williamson. After asking if they were unhappy with Williamson's quality, the explanation was that Framers' wishes to carry more Roma and other lines---no answer to the original question.
 
Woody, check out www.chapinmoulding.com it seems maybe they have gone to selling online. They list a buying group in Utah...couldn't seem to get anywhere on there site otherwise. Of course, I didn't register. E-commerce may affect us all!
 
MerpsMom: Related to your statement: "I believe Chapin was also showing up in the framedex.com site." Well, of course, you were right, they did show up in www.framedex.com but, why? They are so out of stock of almost everything!

Did you hear the story about the lady wanting to buy some ground meat on sale for 49 cents a pound at a local store? When she got there, the butcher, said: "Sorry, but we don't have any...we're out. Try the meat market downt he street... they might have some." When she got there, she saw the price of 99 cents per pound and said to the butcher: " 99 cents per pound! that's rediculous! One block away their price was only 49 cents per pound!" The butcher asked: "Why didn't you buy some over there?" After she told him the other meat market had them on sale for only 49 cent per pound, BUT were out, he said: "WHEN I DON'T HAVE ANY, I PUT IT ON SALE FOR ONLY 24 CENTS PER POUND!!!"
 
Please keep in mind that one of the first questions a rep hears when he or she makes a sales call is "what's new?". Suppliers can't continue to keep up with the supply of new profiles without clearing out something else. And it's not just the tried and true old things that get trashed. Manufacturers will discontinue a moulding in little over a year if the demand is not there. This just happened with some AOR moulding that came out in Dec.of '98. Fabulous stuff in my book but the framers did not buy enough and the folks in Italy told AOR it just wasn't worth their while to make it. And sometimes the maunfacturers just get tired of a moulding. AOR still has quite a few profiles that go back more than 30 years. They may have changed a bit over the years but they're still around. And AOR does have a rep in Ohio. Call and badger them to get him to your shop. Ohio is not that big a state. And remember the moulding you think is the most fabulous stuff in the world is the ugliest to someone else so someone will always be disappointed when a profile is discontinued.
 
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