Quantcast
| Aug 29, 2013 |
Summer business is hot for designers and showrooms
Boh staff
By Staff

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) released its quarterly Interior Design Billings Index report for April – June, which was nothing but positive. The upward trend has affected showroom sales as well, which for some have been higher than ever in July and August.

“The economy expanded more than expected in the second quarter of 2012, and this momentum should carry forward, albeit at a soft pace, in the remainder of 2013,” said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for ASID. “The pace of growth is expected to lift to about 2.2 percent in the second half of 2013.”

“It's hard to believe that we are already at the end of August,” said Kim Huebner, marketing director for Pierre Frey. “The summer lull that usually sets in after July 4th just hasn't happened this year. We've had a very strong summer, and the momentum shows no signs of stopping as we head into fall.”

“This August, we have seen a huge resurgence in designer business and interest from designers who have not had clients in quite some time,” shared Maggy Milford-Altan, showroom manager for Robert Allen in New York. “They are very on point with their inquiries and tend to know exactly what their clients’ needs are. There is no time wasting and when it comes to product shopping the #1 question is ‘Is it in Stock?’ Definitely a different strategy from last year and even two years ago, we are definitely enjoying the surge of interest!”

“I was both surprised and delighted by the strength of business this past month,” said Dennis Scully, president of Avery Boardman. “It’s the busiest we’ve been the whole summer. So many clients stopped in to tell us that they were thrilled to hear that we were finally renovating the space. We’ve actually written a lot of custom orders and there is a lot of exciting things happening in the showroom."

According to the ASID Billings Index, higher billings towards the end of 2013 and more positive economic news helped lift designer confidence in June. The ASID Business Outlook Index rose from 67.5 in May to 71.8. Signs of job growth and rising housing prices suggest things may be moving in the right direction. The ASID’s Billings Index for June closed at 56.4, up nearly three points from May’s score of 53.7 and higher than April’s score of 55.5.

For additional statistics, the index can be viewed here.

    MORE:
Want to stay informed? Sign up for our newsletter, which recaps the week’s stories, and get in-depth industry news and analysis each quarter by subscribing to our print magazine. Join BOH Insider for discounts, workshops and access to special events such as the Future of Home conference.
Jobs
Jobs