First of all, decorative veneer selling is very different from other decorative item sold from a plywood counter. Primarily the retail person has to have some basic sense of selecting veneers from the stock of factory or warehousing facility. Group match, non group match, natural veneers, recons veneers, designer veneers and special effect bearing veneers etc are the segments on the basis of which a retailer can plan to choose his lot. The next most important learning or the skill is in showing the wood veneers to a customer or an interior designer.
The display of wood veneers in raw/non polished/polished or lacquered form is equally important depending on the area/region and class of clientele of the retail counter. Presently, veneers are showcased as 8x4 sheets and are shown one by one in the showrooms. It is almost impossible to select a designer veneer by seeing a printed photo or small sample. Most of the times a veneer contains variations in the same lot and hence seeing adequate number of veneers is required while selecting wood veneer A good retailer/stockiest can make use of decent camera through which a particular veneer image asked from the available lot can be shared online/ transferred to designers.
A plywood counter can enter retailing of Veneers by creating a proper display area for full size sheets where the required ceiling height is of 11 to 12 feet. The required display/ stocking/selling area should be a minimum of 200 to 250 sq feet. The stockiest should maintain a limited number of species depending on the purchase/preference capacity of the area and promote it for six month to one year to gain the insight of clients’ preferences before expanding the inventory. Starting with a complete range of 50 to 100 designs can also be opted if the retailer has knowledge/ confidence and passion to promote/sell such product. In fact selling decorative veneer is an art or a kind of concept.
Indian woodworking expertise is still being led by highly unskilled people. The lack of good knowledge/skill set in polishing is a big hurdle but at the same time offers a unique opportunity to a retailer because such knowledge holds enormous opportunities. A retailer should have or develop the knowledge about various finishes that a particular veneer can display when polished and should be able to show the same to the client.
Decorative veneer is the only option to earn good margin and money. The veneer buyers are primarily a different class of customers who does not really bargain or crib for small price difference rather they ask for the best quality and stock of what you have in offer for them. Selling 500 veneers to an architect or a customer gives you so much of accomplishment feeling that you do not by selling 5 trucks of plywood. It is way to live surrounding with a natural way.
There is no match to the feeling of selling decorative veneers. It is a different segment and everyone cannot do it. If one think that he has a showroom space and the staff will be able to sell then he is wrong. Decorative Veneer is a pride selling and those who are not into it, will understand it only when they have passion for learning and desire to cater to high class.
ANAND HEDA’s KEY POINTS on Why a retailer should sell veneer
1. EXCLUSIVITY; Being a natural product it is difficult to get the exact same veneer at your competitors store, hence one gets exclusivity for all his stock purchased. Exclusive veneers can counter fierce competition easily.
2. IDENTITY; Decorative veneer is the most valued and treasured product for both end users and architects. With exclusive veneers at stock, one can create a niche for himself and entice architects to frequently visit his store creating a premier identity for oneself as “Best Veneer Outlet”.
3. BETTER YIELD; Decorative Veneer (DV) certainly has better profit margins compared to any other commodity at a plywood store. Not only healthy margins but it also gives a sense of satisfaction when customer praises the veneers selected by him.
4. INNOVATION; In this highly competitive market, a retailer must constantly innovate and improve efficiency to stay competitive. DV is one product which allows retailers to stay innovative and creative by frequently updating stocks with new arrivals.
5. ECO-FRIENDLY and ECONOMICAL; DV is most eco friendly and more cost effective compared to Solid Wood. It adds the same beauty of Natural wood to your interiors with much lesser cost.
6. LONG LASTING BEAUTY-compared to any other surface decor products the design and beauty of Natural & Decorative veneers is long lasting and never obsolescent.
Finally, there is no better luxury than pride in your own product and decorative veneer is that one product which makes you feel more contended and proud.
Warmth to any interior comes from wood and so there is no alternate to wood. The only substitute to
wood is veneers. That is why veneer is so important to any interior project and no project is complete without it. A decade back when we took our first step into the decorative veneer industry only a handful of designers were consistently using veneers for their projects and they were also rated amongst the topmost designers of India ,but in the last 3 to 4 years with a lot of our designers visiting international trade and furniture fairs and international designers executing projects in India ,the usage of veneers has increased multifold. We see this growing at a rapid pace in years to come.
To run a successful Decorative veneer business one needs to be passionate about the product and also has to give a lot of personal time to it .The ROI is also very high and attractive. It also gives u recognition and reputation of being an elite store within the wood industry. Recognition to us has always been very important as we dedicate our peak life years to the trade. But let me put in a word of caution here, In veneers Quality is the most important and one needs to have proper balancing of stock to minimize dead stocks, which is the key to being a successful veneer Company. After a decade of being in the veneer industry one thing I agree with .
“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them - start chasing the passion as there are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning”.