subject: Importing lighting and lamps in a bad economy [print this page] With the economy in turmoil that is having a hard time making a comeback and the talk from some of the top economists about deflation. The lighting Industry seems to be heading in the opposite direction of most major products in the home fixture industry. In a down turn economy where deflation occurs, product inventory exceeds buying demand forcing a drop in retail prices that can been seen with most major appliances such as stereo's, televisions and home dcor products. Because these types of items are considered wants instead of necessities they tend to sit on the shelf longer in a bad economy.
But this seems to be a different story in the lighting industry. Last year, at the end of phase one of the recession, many lighting manufacturers had extra inventory on their shelves, This caused them to have to clearance a large portion of their inventory in order to make way for new 2010 product lines. As a result of this, distributors took advantage of the deals, and inventory was sold off. But new orders slowed down dramatically overseas and as result of this, many factories closed or switched gears manufacturing other products such as toys, in China and Europe and so, new products and re-orders of current products were left without parts, glass or frames or completely unfilled.
This caused a large problem with back orders for many manufacturers and importers. This happened on a larger scale than the lighting companies could anticipate. This hit lamp suppliers the worst that provided handmade shades in Tiffany glass. Companies that also supplied crystal table lamps where hit severely as well. This also affected all aspects of the lighting industry but specialty item seemed to be affected the most. As an effect of this many lamp and lighting companies have had glass shortages that have extended long past their estimated arrival dates. Needless to say, if you were one of those customers waiting for a lamp that has been on back order from anywhere from four to eight months, you would start to be impatient and become upset, to say the least. But this is totally understandable especially when it is a item that you are trying to match in your home. This has caused a great strain on relations between lighting showrooms and internet retailers and their customers as they take the blame for the delays. But when it comes down to it, it is hard to place blame because no one could for see this happening or even forecast that the economy would take bad of a turn for the worst. With all of the economies being so tightly connected problems from one economy become a problem globally. Especially when it comes to such a integral part of our economy such as the housing market.
This has caused many specialty items such as tiffany table lamps and crystal table lamps to become collectible from many manufactures, because they have been discontinued. This has caused many people to turn to the internet to find that special piece to finish their homes lighting design or even match a existing lamp or lighting fixture. This can be a good thing for consumers as many of these importers and manufactures have drastically reduced the price of many items to clear their shelves for new items. On the flip side there have been many lighting companies that have adapted a lot better than others to this very fragile economy.
