THINKING DIFFERENTLY - Ussco.com

Dealers Support Direct Accessand E-Commerce CapabilitiesUnited Stationers’ Furniture Category had what can only be termedan extremely successful NeoCon exhibit this past June at Chicago’sMerchandise Mart, June 9-11. “More than 100 dealers visitedour exhibit each day including the final day of the show whichis traditionally slow,” said Melinda Myers, director, category programs— furniture.This was really a breakout year for exhibiting at NeoCon forUnited Stationers, continued Myers. “Our prime booth locationofficially validated Alera and Direct Access as serious players inthe office furniture business,” she said.The Furniture Category’s NeoCon exhibition showcased a rangeof furniture products and programs. Top-quality Alera productwas displayed including Verona and Seville casegoods and thenew, contemporary EQ chair.The Direct Access Program featured A-grade McDowell-Craigworkstations representing the 20 brands that DA offers. Dozensof dealers indicated interest in the program and have been sentadditional information and one, Best Office Solutions, Waynesboro,Ga., actually signed up to join the program during NeoCon.“Our Direct Access experience at NeoCon was phenomenal,” saidSandi Shields of Best Office Solutions. “Now that we have signedup with Direct Access there are no gaps in our product mix. Wedon’t like to tell our customers ‘no,’ and now we don’t have to.”Live demonstrations at United’s booth showcased the enhancede-commerce capabilities of the Online Furniture Catalog and theVisual Planner layout and sales productivity tool. Dealers whoparticipated in demos of both the Online Furniture Catalog andVisual Planner were eligible to win a variety of prizes. Casey Bellof Government & Educational Furnishings, Albuquerque, N.M.,won the Wii Bundle. Bill Bell of Lititz Office Products, Lititz, Pa.,and Annette Bennett of Bennett’s Office Supply, Mineral Wells,Texas, both won iPod Shuffles.Government & Educational Furnishings also purchased both theMid-Market Online Furniture Catalog and the Mid-Market VisualPlanner while at NeoCon. According to Casey Bell, United’s furnitureecommerce capabilities have saved the company thousandsof dollars in staffing and programming.Additionally, Neal Heckman of Palace Office Interiors (Palace Art& Office Supply), Monterey, Calif., and Sandi Shields of BestOffice Solutions, Waynesboro, Ga., were winners of JawboneBluetooth headsets. Be sure to visit the United Stationers exhibitat the next NeoCon show, June 15 – 17, 2009.Furniture FOCUSEQ Chair Exceeds ExpectationsIf our new EQ chair could talk . . . it would brag about its sleek contemporarystyle, ergonomic design and quality mesh typically found in A-grade seating.It would wax poetic about the rigorous quality process, but mostly it would divulgehow easily it slips into your customer’s office like an old friend with a newlook. And it might talk for a long time. All the advantages the EQ chair offersare tied up in a quality package that exceeds dealer and customer expectations.Just ask Bryan Lord at Iowa Book & Supply Commercial Sales, Iowa City, Iowa.Lord receives and assembles all of the dealership’s furniture. “I don’t knowwhich part of the EQ chair I was more impressed with,” said Lord, “the packagingor the chair!” He thought the packaging was excellent, and he was veryimpressed with the chair, ease of assembly and the chair’s overall quality.The EQ chair and other new Alera products have made a big impression onIBS Commercial Sales and have converted the dealership to a strong Alera supporter.With the Alera Showroom Program, IBS Commercial Sales has beenpromoting its “Test Drive” chair program, and Michelle Lord used the sampleprogram recently to secure a 14 chair EQ order.And appreciation of Alera at IBS Commercial Sales runs deeper. The dealershipis also impressed with the Seville casegoods line and plans to feature the EQmid-back chair on its Web site.Contact your account manager to discover how the EQ chair, and the entireAlera furniture line, can help make your furniture business more profitable.3www.ussco.com | OFFICELINE