It’s safe to say Burns was on to something. Over the years Circle’s customers have followed her thinking. “They want to know so much about what they’re buying,” she says. “They’re very demanding in wanting to know what it’s made of, how it was made, and about the finish. They want to know what they’re putting into their house.” Burns wasn’t the first home furnishings retailer to carry the torch for sustainable furnishings, but she’s one of the most vocal. Today, an increasing number of consumers want to be assured that what they’re putting in their homes won’t harm them. Retailers and sustainable experts say demand for both knowledge and product is at an all-time high. According to the North Carolina-based Sustainable Furnishings Council “an increasing number of shoppers are aware of home furnishings sustainability, and want to be a part of it,” says Susan Inglis, the council’s executive director. “The interest is even more so when it pertains to energy savings and reclaimed materials.” A recent SFC study shows that consumer interest in green furnishings is growing. More than half of all furnishings consumers are interested in buying eco-friendly home furnishings if they like the style and the price is right for them, Inglis says. The study shows that price sensitivity may have even peaked. Those who would pay nothing or up to a five-percent premium fell from a peak of 78 percent in 2010 to 70 percent in the most recent study last year. “We’re seeing price as less and less of a barrier,” Inglis says. “Just like in other parts of their lives, people want to do the right thing when it’s time to buy furniture.”
Sustainable furnishings doesn’t have to mean clunky, roughhewn wood fashioned together with weathered reclaimed fixtures—though there’s certainly a market for that. As a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, Illinois-based Simply Amish practices sustainability throughout the manufacturing process—from its selection of slow-growth U.S. hardwoods within 500 miles of its craftsmen to the energy-efficient geothermal system used to heat and cool the manufacturer’s international distribution center. “We’ve always been a big believer in sustainability from the start,” says Kevin Kauffman, co-founder and owner of Kauffman Brands, which produces the Simply Amish line of furniture. “It’s never been a cause for us, just something that made good business sense that we’ve always believed in doing. And it’s never affected the style of our furniture. You can have great style and still be socially responsible.” Simply Amish’s audience is the 40- to 55-year-old professionals earning six-figure incomes. Its hardwood, hand-crafted and hand-finished furniture reflects those professionals’ wants in their furniture, says Kauffman. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Kauffman’s Crawford bedroom and dining room groups, part of the company’s Modern Farmhouse collections. Kauffman debuted both late last year and they’ve been well received by retailers and consumers. Few manufacturers are as committed to the sustainable movement as Lee Industries, according to Inglis. The North Carolina company offers soy-based cushions and padding, which allows Lee to conserve 57 gallons of oil a day. Lee’s products do not have toxic flame-retardants. Its pillows are filled with recycled fiber
CLEAN & GREEN The clean lines of Simply Amish’s Crawford collection make it one of the company’s most popular sets.
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APRIL | 2016
RetailerNOWmag.com