Handy Living – Thinking Inside the Box
The vision began inside the box. The goal: put full size upholstered furniture in a box that will ship via common carrier to every doorstep. We realized that more and more consumers were not only willing, but eager, to buy furniture online and have it delivered to their home. And it was clear that very few companies could build their business around the internet model. We thought we could – and we did.
Our manufacturing methods not only work for internet retail, but any retail model. Reducing box sizes, eliminating odd shaped boxes, and testing only furthers to improve warehouse efficiency, reduces damage and warehouse space needs. Also, because package sizes are reduced, many times, consumers can take their purchases home, reducing operational costs.
Our first product, Convert-a-Couch, proved we could engineer full sized furniture to fit in a box that will ship via package delivery instead of white glove delivery. If furniture was going to succeed on the internet, it needed to ship to the end user in the most convenient, cost effective way possible. After all, isn’t convenience the reason people shop the internet?
As we continued to develop, it became clear we needed to make our product easy-to-use and assemble. In reading reviews, customers told us what we needed to do. So, we started pretesting all of our products to identify areas to improve the product. Every Handy Living product must pass CTL testing before it comes to market.
But, what good is a product without the confidence that it will get to the end user safely. So, every one of our products goes through ISTA-3A transit testing, the most stringent small package test in the marketplace.
Understanding we all have a stake in the environment in which we live, Handy Living seeks to use manufacturing methods that use fewer natural resources through efficient use of raw materials and by using recyclable materials whenever practical. And our small package model creates remarkable energy and fuel savings throughout the entire supply chain. As we reduce the size of the box, we reduce our carbon footprint. Membership in the Sustainable Furnishings Council underscores our commitment to the future of our planet.
Another earth friendly component of our upholstered products is that at the end of their useful life, they can be taken apart, piece by piece, and disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Elements that can be recycled can be segregated from those that can’t, reducing the amount of waste created by disposing of a Handy Living product.
As members of the Color Marketing Group, Handy Living stays in front of color trends in the marketplace. The color forecast is not a guess, but a plan to make sure products in the design field complement each other from industry to industry.
These are the building blocks of our business, but we haven’t forgotten that we are in the fashion business. People have to want our products. When someone buys a Handy Living product, it needs to have quality, comfort and style. By partnering with one of America’s most popular and trusted designers, Angelo Surmelis, we offer stunning examples of what knock down upholstered furniture can be.
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