Andy Sokol talks updates, additions to Ashley Outdoor

Ashley Outdoor has had a busy year—launching new collections in High Point in April and June, more in Las Vegas in August, and even more in High Point in October.

Andy Sokol

The emphasis was on small space sets and items, which Ashley Outdoor’s Vice President of Merchandising Andy Sokol says filled a void in the company’s offerings. 

“With a lot of people living in urban areas, in addition to people who are on a budget, there was a need for small space items at entry-level pricing,” he explains. “And at a time when a lot of people weren’t putting much effort or time into product development with everything that was going on, we took the opposite approach.”

Ashley went heavy into product development to give customers what they were asking for and launched three-piece bistro sets, four- and five-piece dining sets, as well as other outdoor products like rocking chairs, occasional tables, and fire pits.

A small-scale bistro collection

“I’m excited about our new offerings because they give our dealers a lineup of merchandise that they can aggressively promote and sell,” Sokol says. 

Then in addition to that, Ashley introduced and expanded its MEGA TUFF HDPE brand, which was officially launched in 2020 and expanded this year. The line includes products like dining and seating groups, counter-height dining sets, Adirondack chairs, and occasional tables.

MEGA TUFF also comes in at slightly higher price points than Ashley’s other outdoor offerings because it’s such a durable material. Sokol says they’re more in line with traditional specialty patio stores prices.

Ashley Outdoor’s MEGA TUFF material is made of durable HDPE

However, Sokol wants the industry to know that, though some people think of them as being known for entry-level price points, it’s really about the value.

“You can have value at any price point,” he explains. “That’s what we try to achieve. It could be a $2,000 retail set, but it could be a great value because the competition might sell it for $4,000. So it’s all about relative value, not about price, necessarily. And that goes with all categories in our company.”

When it comes to supply chain issues, like everyone else in the furniture industry, Ashley had its challenges. “From January through April, we were in pretty good shape and then, admittingly, we did not expect the incredible demand for our line and in May and June, we faced out of stock issues,” Sokol explains. 

He says nobody could have forecasted the unbelievable demand and growth that came to Ashley in. May, June and July—when they experienced triple-digit growth. But the company has worked hard to rebound so much so that starting in October, all of their best-selling groups are in stock. 

New bar carts in Ashley Outdoor’s accessories lineup

“Our supply chain team did a phenomenal job to put us in a position where I think we’re pretty unique,” Sokol says. “I haven’t heard anybody being able to tell customers they’re top 20 best-selling collections are in stock.”.

The company is also loading up distribution centers all around the U.S. as they think the demand for outdoor furniture is going to be very strong in 2022. 

“We also think people are going to be shopping early because of what they see and hear on the news about supply chain issues,” Sokol adds. “So if they want to get ready for Memorial Day 2022, they’re going to be shopping in the market probably earlier than you have before. We’re predicting a substantial increase in business in 2022, and we’re planning to have inventory in a major way for our customers to come to us.” 

Alex Milstein

Alex Milstein is a contributor and social media coordinator for Home News Now and editor in chief of Casual News Now. He previously served as senior editor of both Casual Living and Designers Today. Prior to that, Alex covered technology for Furniture Today, with a focus on augmented reality, e-commerce, and 3D visualization.

View all posts by Alex Milstein →

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