The Accent Chair That Sells Fast Can Still Be a Sourcing Mistake I can spot a “floor hero” from twenty feet away. It’s the upholstered accent chair customers walk over to without being invited. The chair they touch first. The one they sit in even when there’s a perfectly good
A lot of sourcing trips turn into “factory tourism.” You come back with photos, samples, and confusion. A real retail sourcing trip should produce outcomes: a shortlist of vendor-ready suppliers filled spec packs packaging decisions QC checkpoints reorder terms How to build a home décor supplier team (the role split)
A retail sourcing trip should not be “visit factories and take photos.” It should produce vendor-ready preparation outcomes: clear short list spec pack drafts packaging decisions readiness score next-step timeline Here’s a simple playbook for a retail sourcing trip; home décor supplier team (especially around Shenzhen). Before the trip: the
Most sourcing problems aren’t “product problems.” They’re supplier readiness problems. A proper supplier readiness for retail review is a scorecard. It helps you avoid suppliers who look great in samples but collapse in scale—especially for KSA showrooms, off-price channels, or US retail programs. The 5-part readiness scorecard (simple and brutal)
If you’re targeting LED mirrors for showrooms in KSA, the “product” isn’t only the mirror. The real product is your readiness to support retail rollout: fast quotation, consistent quality, safe packaging, and painless reorders. Saudi showroom buyers move quickly—especially when they’re refreshing a category for Ramadan, Eid, or a new
When the real work starts: before the doors open If you want an honest picture of a supplier, don’t look at the mood boards—look at the staging area. In Shenzhen, the “pre-show” scene is always the same: long cartons stacked tight, fragile labels everywhere, and a team moving fast but
