It has happened to everyone. You spot that perfect piece of furniture in a newspaper or magazine layout. Then you notice that effete little phrase-”to the trade only”-and, just as quickly, you turn the page.
Michael Walsh hopes to change that ”keep out” mentality. He is starting a shopping service that matches consumers with decorators who will give them access to the showrooms at the Merchandise Mart and other wholesale outlets-even if it`s only for a single purchase.
”It`s a grand experiment,” said Walsh, who runs a designer-referral service called Designer Previews and writes about home furnishings. ”People are clamoring for access and designers are trying to find a way to accommodate them. There`s a whole population of consumers out there who aren`t being served.”
The designers charge shoppers the wholesale cost of the item, plus 30 percent. ”That`s still less than retail,” said Walsh, whose fee is paid by the designers.
Why would designers go for these small accounts?
”Quite frankly, business is bad,” Walsh says. ”And designers are realizing that you never know where even a small job may lead.”
For details, call 312-467-1527.
