Jordan\u2019s Furniture: Shoppertaining Its Target Market<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samuel Tatelman began selling furniture out of the back of his truck in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918. Today, his grandsons, Eliot and Barry, sell more furniture per square foot at Jordan\u2019s Furniture than at any other furniture retailer in the country and attract record numbers of guests each week. With just four stores, Jordan\u2019s Furniture has grown from 15 employees 25 years ago to over 1,000 today. Now owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Jordan\u2019s Furniture is also in the process of a massive expansion and plans to double its number of both stores and employees in the next few years. The company has broken just about all industry standards. Inventory turns over at a rate of 13 times a year, compared with an average of 1 to 2 times a year in most furniture stores. Advertising expenditures are 2 percent, whereas the industry average is 7 percent. Sales per square foot are $950, whereas most furniture stores average $150 in sales per square foot. When the brothers took over the business in 1973, they decided to focus their efforts on the 18- to 34-year-old market segment. While most furniture stores do not target specific customers, the Tatelmans felt that people with first homes or new families would need furniture more. To bring customers, even those not currently shopping for furniture, into the stores (particularly young families), the brothers invented what they call \u201cshoppertainment\u201d and created stores that were imaginative, fun, and a little Disney-like. Their \u201cshoppertainment\u201d concept paid off because the stores now host more than 4,000 visitors on an average weekend. When customers walk into a Jordan\u2019s Furniture store, they might be greeted with a welcome map, be offered freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, or receive a hearty greeting from an animatronic Elvis. \u201cWe\u2019ve taken furniture shopping and given it new life by making it more of a fun experience rather than this \u2018God, I have to go furniture shopping\u2019 [experience],\u201d says Tatelman. \u201cBeantown,\u201d a re-creation of Boston made of 25 million jelly beans, stands next to an ice cream stand. Indoor fireworks and jazz music enliven a re-creation of New Orleans\u2019 famous Bourbon Street, complete with amusement rides for kids, animated characters, and snack stands. Jordan\u2019s Furniture also offers a flight simulator and trapeze lessons to adventurous customers. A 300-seat IMAX theater brings customers in for a movie, but they leave the store by walking through showrooms of furniture. The stores are strategically laid out to make the shopping experience not only fun but also easy. Instead of arranging furniture by manufacturer, Jordan\u2019s Furniture puts all its categories together so that customers can see all the store\u2019s offerings at the same time. \u201cIf you came in looking for a bedroom set, we\u2019ll make it easy to see every bedroom set we carry,\u201d says Tatelman. The stores are also equipped with Dell workstations so that employees can quickly look up product details and pricing. Their Sleep Lab (complete with white-coated \u201cSleep Technicians\u201d) offers a questionnaire that helps customers find a mattress suited for maximum personal comfort. The showrooms are also equipped with low level lighting that dims when customers lie down on a mattress. With so many families making Jordan\u2019s Furniture a weekend outing and school groups visiting the IMAX on field trips, Jordan\u2019s Furniture has expanded its product mix to include nursery and children\u2019s furniture. The playful displays of hanging basketballs and soccer balls are designed especially to appeal to young tastes. The youth department uses painted murals to create a fun atmosphere. A safari-themed room showcases bunk beds and lofts. Jordan\u2019s Furniture also has added an infants\u2019 section with soft white track lights. Since each department at Jordan\u2019s Furniture has its own theme music to set the tone, soft lullabies can be heard in the nursery section. Because of the high volume of families visiting the stores, Jordan\u2019s Furniture nursery products have been successful based on word-of-mouth alone. By taking the focus off furniture and putting it on people, Jordan\u2019s Furniture has pulled ahead of its competitors. \u201cA lot of people look at their business strictly from the cash register\u2019s point of view. I can stand outside and watch people leaving and coming in and see smiles on their faces. When they\u2019re walking out smiling, happy, and having a good time,\u201d says Tatelman, \u201cI know the cash register is going to be ringing.\u201d28<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Questions for Discussion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What type of targeting strategy is Jordan\u2019s Furniture using?
Describe and evaluate the company\u2019s target market.
Discuss the positioning of Jordan\u2019s Furniture\u2019s bedding products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct answer and explanation is :<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. What type of targeting strategy is Jordan\u2019s Furniture using?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan’s Furniture is using a differentiated targeting strategy<\/strong>. This strategy involves targeting multiple market segments with distinct offerings. The company specifically focuses on the 18- to 34-year-old market segment, particularly young families and people in the process of purchasing their first homes. Additionally, Jordan\u2019s Furniture appeals to families by offering a variety of fun and unique experiences that extend beyond the act of furniture shopping, such as amusement rides, interactive experiences like flight simulators, and themed rooms. This segmentation strategy is designed to create a more personalized and engaging shopping experience, making the store an attractive destination even for those not initially planning to purchase furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Describe and evaluate the company\u2019s target market.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan\u2019s Furniture targets primarily young families and first-time home buyers<\/strong>, which they identified as the 18- to 34-year-old market. This target market is likely to require a substantial amount of furniture, as they are at the stage of life where they are establishing new households and need everything from living room furniture to nursery items for their children. This demographic tends to have specific needs: they may be budget-conscious but still interested in quality and style. Jordan’s Furniture meets these needs by offering a wide variety of products, from affordable pieces for younger families to more luxurious items as families grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Jordan\u2019s Furniture\u2019s marketing appeal also extends beyond just selling furniture. By introducing “shoppertainment” \u2014 the combination of shopping and entertainment \u2014 the company effectively attracts more visitors, which includes families looking for a fun weekend outing. The playful, theme-based sections, such as the safari-themed room and the nursery with soft lullabies, add a fun and engaging atmosphere, creating positive memories for families while shopping. This unique approach fosters a loyal customer base that spreads the word through positive word-of-mouth, contributing to the store’s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, Jordan\u2019s Furniture\u2019s target market is young, growing families looking for both practicality and fun during their furniture-buying experience, and the company\u2019s playful, immersive store environment strengthens its appeal to this demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Discuss the positioning of Jordan\u2019s Furniture\u2019s bedding products.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The positioning of Jordan’s Furniture’s bedding products<\/strong> focuses on comfort, personal experience, and convenience<\/strong>. The store’s “Sleep Lab,” where customers receive assistance from “Sleep Technicians” in finding the most suitable mattress, emphasizes the personal and customized approach Jordan\u2019s Furniture takes to the bedding market. The unique feature of this positioning is the way the store makes the mattress-buying experience more interactive and immersive, such as by using low lighting when customers lie down on the mattresses to simulate the atmosphere of sleeping. This creates a personalized shopping experience that makes bedding not just a practical purchase but also an emotional one \u2014 people are buying comfort for their daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, the store’s immersive approach appeals to families, as the Sleep Lab offers a comfortable, hands-on experience that supports the store’s broader “shoppertainment” strategy. By turning mattress shopping into an enjoyable and comfortable experience, Jordan’s Furniture sets itself apart from competitors who may offer less engaging or personalized approaches to selling bedding. Additionally, the high-quality service, including the assistance of “Sleep Technicians,” positions Jordan\u2019s Furniture’s bedding products as an investment in long-term comfort, appealing to customers who want a personalized solution rather than a one-size-fits-all option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, Jordan\u2019s Furniture positions its bedding products as not just items for purchase but as a key part of a broader lifestyle experience centered around comfort and personalized care, reinforcing the company\u2019s focus on customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jordan\u2019s Furniture: Shoppertaining Its Target Market Samuel Tatelman began selling furniture out of the back of his truck in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918. Today, his grandsons, Eliot and Barry, sell more furniture per square foot at Jordan\u2019s Furniture than at any other furniture retailer in the country and attract record numbers of guests each week. 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