Retail Trend: Smaller Footprints Expected, Says Brian Berk

At High Point Market in the spring the Howard Elliott showroom showcased a fashion-forward line-up of home furnishings products in trending colors and finishes designed to appeal to discerning buyers. The product story is just one point of Howard Elliottt’s 2023 strategy, but it’s a key one, says President Brian Berk.

Custom Color Mirror

“Emerging trends from Europe inspired us to infuse pops of color into our new collections of accessories, decorative mirrors, pillows, and artwork,” Berk said. “Consumer preference is to see us continue to set trends and that is what we are doing to stay in front of the pack. Consumers are looking for perceived value and we strive to provide this value while remaining true to our goal of establishing a trend.”

In addition to setting trends, Berk said that a key strategy is to position Howard Elliott to meet the demands of a fluctuating consumer market. He is optimistic about the future, but also maintains a finger on the pulse of retail.

“I believe that we will start to see smaller footprints in retail which will mean less inventory at the store level and more pressure for the supply chain to absorb in shipping product as it is pre-sold,” Berk said. “This will require better marketing tools to help visualize the product. I believe that lessons will be learned from life during COVID as well as from established selling models like Tesla. We are already seeing this trend in the automobile industry. We are carefully watching inventory levels to make sure that we can support shifts in buying patterns as well as improve our marketing materials by utilizing some of the strategies learned from successful e-commerce partnerships.”