by PORTLAND, Ore. — Full-line furniture resource Porter Designs is eliminating freight surcharges for new orders effective Oct. 12.
The freight charges, which the company added last year due to historically high container rates, were as high as 20%, but came down to 15% a month ago, the company told Home News Now. They are now at zero.
“Fortunately, we’re finally getting some breathing space on these crazy freight rates,” said National Sales Manager Jeff Schwall. “Although furniture costs haven’t seen a significant reduction, we’re happy we are able to mitigate some pricing pressure for our customers. We have seen a significant and sustained reduction in freight rates lately, so we are passing those savings on to our retail partners.”
The company designs and purchases furniture from around the world including India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mexico. This diverse sourcing mix, it noted, also helps keep costs down for its retailers and their customers.
“We have discovered that you can’t have all your eggs in one basket anymore, diversity is the key to bringing real value to the market,” Schwall added.
