Although most casual furnishings retailers and manufacturers agreed the 2014 casual season got off to a slower than normal start, the delay did not necessarily result in decreased sales. Some said their sales continued to be as good as normal while others reported double-digit sales increases.

For Atlanta-based Kolo Collection, the long and harsh winter caused the season to crank up in mid-April, at least a month later than normal. Despite that delayed start, “Overall, sales are very similar to our last couple of years,” said owner Greg Martin, who also serves on the International Casual Furnishings Association’s executive committee.

Retailers across the nation repeated similar weather-related business stories, but the weather was no deterrent in all areas. For example in La Verne, Calif., “The casual season for Outdoor Elegance has been very strong this year and last year,” President Doug Sanicola said. “We have adjusted our marketing efforts to find and attract our demographic to the quality products we offer. Business cranked the first quarter of 2013. Prior to 2013, we were affected by the stalled economy.  2013 and 2014 sales revenues have exceeded sales goals.”

TUUCI Vice President Ward Usmar, who also serves as ICFA president, described this season as better than the past few years. “Overall, the economy is strong – probably it’s the best it’s been in several years,” Usmar said. “Housing starts continue to be up. I’d say housing is in a better place than it was last year and certainly in the preceding years. Consumer confidence is probably as strong as it’s been for five years.

“Overall I just think that translates into the people who may have been holding onto their disposable income are now looking to spend it,” Usmar added. “Hopefully that will translate into more people buying quality outdoor furniture. People are generally starting to look for value for money, rather than buy disposable products. If they’re going to make an investment, people are looking to do it wisely and for products that fit in their space, are design driven and of appropriate quality to their home. They are making more of an investment in what is outside.”

“The season started late due to the cold weather in some areas of the country but when it did finally get going, it was full steam ahead,” Gensun Casual Living Vice President Jan Trinkley said. “Overall Gensun Casual Living’s sales were excellent with a significant double-digit increase over last year.”

“The casual season in 2014 was for the most part difficult, especially in the Midwest and eastern part of the country,” said Margaret Chang, president, Treasure Garden. “A very rough 2013, due to weather in those regions, carried over into 2014 bringing with it a tremendous amount of carryover product in the outdoor industry. Once again, an extended winter and cold spring in 2014 did not help sell and retailers in those areas wound up flat or down for the year. Weather was still uncooperative until May, leaving in its wake elevated inventories. The West Coast and Texas areas, however, continued to do well overall with some key retailers up and others flat and down.”

Lloyd Flanders President Dudley Flanders said his company’s marketing efforts helped to create some of the good season it experienced. “We started a promotion back in the middle of March and I think that helped us overcome the weather at that point in time. If we had just waited until the weather broke, in some places it didn’t break until June. So (our promotion) got us a really good jumpstart and we stayed strong until June. June and July were softer than we would have liked, but overall our season was, I’d say, very good.”

Agio President Bob Gaylord described 2014 as “another déjà vu season with a fairly good start in the warmer markets. Initially we saw some good early results on the West Coast, the same as we had seen in the past several seasons, thanks in part to an improved housing market. Early on, we enjoyed similar results in Florida. Sales then dropped off in March, April and most of May, however, making those months a repeat of the last few years, partially due to weather. Unfortunately, in Northeastern, Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic states, cold, snow and rain were predominant late into the spring. Although sales picked up significantly in June and July, for many retailers it was ‘too little, too late!’

“This is the third consecutive season that we’ve seen sales start off OK then go dormant in March, April and May,” Gaylord added. “Our opinion is that the weather is not the only factor responsible for this dip. I think what we are missing are more impulse buys by consumers. Early sales are planned sales, but as spring rolls around, you expect consumers to get caught up in the process of cleaning, decorating, and ultimately purchasing new furniture for their outdoor areas. June and July have been strong the past few years partially as a result of delayed purchases due to weather, but even with the surge in sales, it is hard to recoup the spring downturn.” 

Pride Family Brands President Steve Lowsky described business as strong at the high end of the market, where people tend to shop in February and March with hopes of taking delivery in April or May. The middle and promotional parts of the market are made up of impulse buyers, who may postpone their shopping and purchases because of wet or cold conditions. “Depending on the category, the price point and the weather, there are a lot of influences that create a good or a bad season,” he said. “I can’t speak for the retailers, but what they might tell you is that the high end did well early and their low-end, mid-market or promotional side never really got any legs because the weather killed the April/May month and so the impulse shoppers didn’t get motivated until June.”  

The weather played a huge role this season, Lowsky said. “I think a lot of retailers in the Northeast and the West will tell you that the winter really went deep into April. The early part of the year for some of the Midwest and Northeast retailers really was not as great as they would have liked,” he said. “Unfortunately, the one thing we’ve never been able to control is the weather. For Pride, it was a very good season and we grew double digits. While we had a great year selling into the patio specialty market, the weather is definitely a disruption that none of us are ever going to be able to fix.”