People has changed their relationship with home. Do you think the way to invest in furniture will change too, with more attention and more budget?
This period of temporary hibernation has caused some people to reevaluate their surroundings and make changes that allow them to function as they need to perform work from home, find a balance between life and work, and also have areas of relaxation. Perhaps a simpler approach to possessions will evolve, where quality is favored over mass consumption.
How has the lockdown affected the sales in USA?
There has naturally been apprehension on new projects beginning due to the uncertainty of the economic recovery and the timeliness of a return to normalcy. And, with our showrooms closed to in-person sales, online purchases have shifted to a larger portion of business turnover. Though, as the stay in place orders have begun to ease, we have seen an increase with our clients in a desire to begin new projects or finish ones in progress.
How did you maintain your relationships with customers and partners during this period?
Luminaire operates showrooms in three different states and the country took a regional approach to issuing directives on businesses. Because of this, during the lockdown our showrooms in Los Angeles and Chicago closed slightly later than in Miami, and we transitioned our staff to work from home. During this time, we concentrated on creating transparency in our communications with our clients and peers through all of our marketing channels including email and social media.
We took an active role to pivot to how we can best continue the work that we do virtually and have continued to create a path towards increasing our digital capabilities into the future. Departments including purchasing and logistics, who are regularly in contact with vendors daily regarding orders, continued to organize the arrangements.
We also embarked on a project, LuminaireU, where everyday there was a topic to learn and increase their knowledge base. Our sales associates have continued to work on existing projects while we have also created an appointment system that allows for virtual design consultations. Now our showrooms have reopened under strict adherence to health and safety protocols.
