Furniture store operation Room Plus Inc. said it plans to
launch an e-commerce shopping service within the next three or four months to
complement its current retail showrooms.
The company currently has an information-only site.
“We are uniquely suited to operate an interactive furniture store on the
Internet as we are both a
manufacturer and a retailer,” said Ronald A. Kaplan, CEO of Room Plus.
“Most furniture manufacturers cannot discount
their products adequately to attract Internet shoppers without offending their
wholesale customers. Most furniture retailers cannot discount their products
adequately to attract Internet buyers and still realize an acceptable margin.
Since we can control our own distribution, we are strategically
positioned to price our products to be attractive to online shoppers and still
achieve substantial margins.”
The company plans to retain The Clarity Group Inc., a technology-consulting
firm, to develop the site and Order Trust, an Internet order processing firm,
to manage the site. Clarity’s clients include Microsoft, State Street Bank, PC
Connection, Fidelity Investments and Hewlett-Packard. Order Trust’s clients
include America Online, SkyMall, 1-800-FLOWERS and Dining ala Card.
Room Plus, Inc. has specialized for the past 19 years in the design,
production and retailing of modular, mica-laminated furniture for residential
use. It has 16 retail showrooms and a 78,000 square foot manufacturing
facility.