The Furniture Foothills and the Spatial Fix Globalization in the Furniture Industry.

Walcott, Susan M.

Spatial shifts in the location of manufacturing continue, but understanding why particular regions prove attractive to particular industries and elements within those industries lags. A sharp increase in fuel cost prompted considerations of a major geographic shift shortening the distance between producers and markets in the furniture industry. This research focuses on the role of logistics based manufacturing location decisions in furniture’s global value chain. A succession of sites through the product life cycle is proposed along with segmentation of different types of furniture that prioritize different locations based on the relevant competitive advantage. New pricing considerations since the late-2008 economic downturn indicate spatial fix strategies continue, with shifts in the location of global value chain components.

FURNITURE industry; MANUFACTURED products; PRODUCT life cycle; LIFE cycle costing; COMPETITIVE advantage in business; RECESSIONS

Southeastern Geographer, 2011, Vol 51, Issue 1, p6

0038-366X

Academic Journal

10.1353/sgo.2011.0012