The existence of some segments of the US furniture industry is threatened by imports from offshore countries. Mass Customisation (MC) is discussed as a competitive strategy for US furniture manufacturers to offset their intrinsic production cost disadvantage. Examples from four domestic furniture industry subsectors are used to propose a possible correlation between the level of product customisation (MC) offered and their success in the market. The US kitchen cabinet industry was found to offer the highest level of MC of all subsectors analysed. Interestingly, at the present time, the kitchen cabinet industry is not heavily affected by offshore imports. The wood household furniture industry, on the other hand, was ranked last in regard to MC and was also the one most heavily affected by offshore imported furniture. The study indicates that MC can be used as a successful business strategy for domestic producers competing with low-cost offshore manufacturers.

Purpose -Furniture is among the important personal consumption expenditures for durable goods in the USA. Retailers and manufacturers offer different communication channels to assist consumers all through the process of acquiring furniture. The objective of the present study is to evaluate US consumers' channel use at different steps of the residential furniture-buying process. Design/methodology/approach -A cross-section study was conducted by taking advantage of the structured nature of quantitative methods using a questionnaire for data collection and a socio-demographic representative sample of US citizens. Consumers' use of six communication channels through five buying decision steps was assessed. Findings -Results showed that the furniture retail store is the most important communication channel at each of the five considered buying process stages. Overall score of that channel was higher for females than males, indicating that women care more about communication when buying furniture. The internet was not of significant importance when buying furniture. Advertising was perceived as a significant means to gather information. Practical implications -The study will help to orient companies' marketing strategies by making proper use of communication channels. It also shows marketing students the present state of consumers' communication channel preferences. Originality/value -This paper gives unique insights into consumers' buying behavior that will help to design communication channels properly.

a b s t r a c tIn the context of market globalization, furniture manufacturers attempt to differentiate their products to attain competitive advantages. Mass customization is one strategy enabling such differentiation. This study measured, through a choice-based conjoint analysis, the value that US American consumers assign to the availability of customization when buying furniture. Roughly 50% of consumers' product choice is driven by price, 20% by product customization, 20% by delivery time, and 10% by the time needed to customize the product. Thus, while there is a customer segment driven by price, there also is a segment, consisting mainly of females, that values product customization.

While much has been written regarding the declining global competitiveness of U.S. furniture manufacturing and the subsequent loss of domestic market share and jobs, less is known about the role of retailers in furniture importing. This study investigated the attitudes of U.S. furniture retailers toward China, Canada, and the United States as manufacturing sources for residential furniture and their perceptions of consumer interest in country of origin for furniture manufacturing. The study was based on a nationwide survey in 2005 of the membership of a large U.S. home furnishings trade association. Over half of the retailers surveyed indicated that they did not always know where the products they sold were made; but many consumers were asking about the country of origin of furniture products. The "halo effect" associated with preference for home country described in previous country or origin studies was confirmed in this study, but in a situation where the domestic source had already lost much of its market share. Low price was the only attribute for which China was rated higher than the U.S or Canada, reinforcing the "China price" phenomenon discussed in the literature. Adjusting for the halo revealed several opportunities for U.S. and Canadian firms to compete in the U.S. wood furniture market on non-price factors. Those retailers sourcing furniture from China were found to have more favorable perceptions of Chinese goods than those not sourcing from China; although both groups had equally favorable perceptions of the U.S. as a furniture source. Priorities for competitive strategies for manufacturers in each source country are noted based on the findings.

Impact on visual comfort and well-being: Integration of wood coating in the space RESUMEN/ El acceso a la luz natural y un buen confort luminoso puede mejorar el ambiente interior. Si bien los espacios que integran revestimientos blancos distribuyen de mejor forma la luz natural, el uso de la madera puede entregar otras atribuciones. De acuerdo con la teoría de la biofilia, el uso de la madera produce efectos psicológicos positivos en las personas y cambia la apreciación de los recintos interiores. El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar la relación entre el ambiente luminoso y el grado de satisfacción visual frente a tres configuraciones del espacio en los que se varía el tipo y el porcentaje de madera. Una relación entre el análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo mediante modelos a escala (1:10-1:20), fotografías de alto rango dinámico, sistema CIELab y encuestas muestran que el uso de la madera presenta una respuesta favorable en comparación con espacios que solo integran superficies blancas. ABSTRACT/ Daylight and lighting comfort may improve indoor environments. While white coatings have the capability to better distribute natural light, the use of wood could provide additional features. According to the biophilia theory, the integration of wood has positive psychological impacts on human beings and changes the appreciation of indoor spaces. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the relationship between the luminous ambiance and the degree of visual satisfaction, considering three spatial configurations, varying wood types and proportions. The relationship between a quantitative and a qualitative analysis with scale models (1:10-1:20), high dynamic range photographs, CIELab system and surveys, reveal that the use of wood triggers favourable responses compared with rooms that use white coatings only. Palabras clave/ Luz natural, espacio, arquitectura en madera, color.