Russians Visit Coconis Furniture

Furniture World Magazine

In an effort to share business marketing and advertising techniques, Coconis Furniture hosted a group of Russian advertising executives and professionals organized by the Center for Citizen Initiatives. The "Productivity Enhancement Program", sponsored by the local Kiwanis organization, focused on studying local advertising media businesses and their interaction with local businesses and retailers. A guided tour of Coconis Furniture was given by store owner, Randy Coconis. "We were amazed at how friendly and warm the group was," said Coconis. "They were particularly impressed with our reclining furniture and asked a lot of questions about import items and where they originated". An interpreter was provided for the four hour meeting. Topics discussed during the meeting included usage of local media, promotional scheduling and production techniques. One notable topic of discussion was the concept of reducing an item for "sale" that was new and not damaged. "Some of the group had a difficult time understanding why Coconis Furniture would put something on "sale" that was in new condition. We responded by explaining the habits of the American consumer," said Coconis. While in the US, trainees studied all aspects of how Americans organize and manage their businesses to be effective and efficient. During their stay in America, the Russian visitors were entertained by and stayed in the homes of local Kiwanis families.