Eco2
There would be no furniture fair without product news, right?
But the development of new collections is a costly business, with all the time, energy and materials involved. What about the success rate of all those new models, the chance of commercial success(es)? If you take the time to reflect on all that… This was the wake-up call for Rom: model development can be done more efficiently and sustainably. How? By linking the model development to prior market research. The entire process, from the first idea to the end product, is now carried out in close consultation with retailers and consumers.
The pilot project was started with 3 trading partners in Belgium, France and Germany. They comprise the frame of reference. Rom’s design team brainstorms with them about new ideas, design sketches, and prototypes. Once the fine-tuned model takes on a concrete shape, it is presented in the partners’ showrooms. What do consumers think of it? What feedback do they give? After all this input from the market, the resulting model is suitably tried-and-tested.
“Always presenting multiple new models, thinking that we are in the right place, hoping that a number of models will catch on, but which ones and to what extent is always a waiting game… Would you shoot at random hoping for a haphazard hit? Now our shooting is focused, and we aim for the bull’s eye. We know that a certain model meets consumer demand. So fewer models need to be developed. What we present has already been screened by market research.”
This new process has only just begun, so it is still in its infancy. One of the first results is the Cosmo model: plenty of allure, despite its relatively compact dimensions. Sales support is also better tailored to the customer: they can try out how a higher headrest, a different seat height and seat depth feels. This provides certainty.
With this customer-oriented business model, Rom is taking an ecological and economic step forward!
