European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 16, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The furniture store on the tee Oatt door at the shoppers Marl at Mainz Katte to the largest cafes furniture outlet in Europe. Sis it Flo or Gus Schuettler Dollar drop  cafes furniture sales by Mary Neth consumer editor he drop in the value of he Dallar is making the Purchase of american furniture More and More appealing to . Military families overseas. But it s More than Price thai is motivating shoppers to buy american. Some european firms Selling mainly to the . Military Community have caused buyers problems Over delivery dates High interest rates on Lime payments and deliveries of damaged furniture or furniture that was not As ordered. One the other hand it is possible in any european country to buy furniture from established stores on the Economy the Price May be relatively High depending on the Rale of Exchange but the Quality of the furnishings will be Good and there is usually a wide selection of styles to choose from. Military families nevertheless Are buying More american furniture than in the past said Paul oilman. Manager of the cafes Lurn Ilure and gift store at Mairu Kassel Germany the furniture store 12,000 Square Felon the second floor of the shoppers Mart is the largest such cafes outlet in Europe. Gaffes has Only three other stores devoted to furniture. They Are in Kaiserslautern. Germany and Feltwell and Croughton in England. Compared to the Price of european furniture and to the Cost of similar furniture in the United states the cafes prices can t be beat. For example he said thai a sectional for is ,999 at Mainz Kassel was regularly priced Al 12,350 by the company for stateside dealers. The store carries a Complete selection of Home furnishings bedroom dining room and living room a objections plus extras such As room dividers bookcases and wardrobes cafes concessions offering Wicker Lurn Ilure to wish and Oriental rugs and British Antiques Are located on tha lower floor of the same building. Nearby within the Mainz Kassel Complex in another building Home furnishings in danish leak Are offered by another Concession. There s a lot of special craftsmanship involved in the leak pieces which makes their prices not Al All competitive with  said oilman. The biggest customer complaint about the american collection is that there Aren t enough cafes furniture stores that carry it. Orders can be placed through local exchanges but there Are generally Long Waits before delivery to the Exchange. Home delivery is not offered. Asked Why cafes does not expand its furniture sates in Europe oilman said it is a problem of storage. Cafes is dependent on whatever warehouse space the military can provide and that is not always Ideal. Furniture outlets demand Large ground level warehouses oilman explained. As furniture is sold from a showroom in must be replaced by warehouse items. There is continual turnover our warehouse is in the basement which makes in difficult to keep a constant flow to the showroom floors the furniture must be brought upstairs by elevator. Recently the elevator was out of order for 10 weeks he said. Bowlman also has an equipment problem. We have Only one electric Fork Tif i and sometimes it Breaks Down he Hopes id be Able to Purchase a second forklift in the near future. In the past Mainz Kassel has delivered within a 30 mile radius. Now. It has been limited to Only As far As Mannheim in one direction and Giessen in the other. Customers Are charged an initial payment of $10 plus $5 for each mile. Customers however come 1rom ail Ever Germany and the Netherlands. Why this delivery distance limit again according to oilman it in a problem of equipment we have Only one Home delivery truck. Usually we also have the use of a military truck but during re Lorger in was gone. We have rented commercial trucks bul the Price is really prohibitive. With Speed limits of 50 Miles an hour the average Load of five deliveries takes one  oilman said that the idea of contracting to a commercial trucking firm is being considered. The furniture Lor the european store is selected by an cafes he buyer in Dallas. A number of . Companies Are used. Generally according to Bellman regularly locked items come Oul of the Atlanta ga., warehouse. A Good percentage of the furniture carried though consists of one Lime  these Are shipped directly from the manufacturer. When the mini Kaitel furniture store is out of an item it is ordered via a customer convenience request. The customer is Given a number and must Wail Lor the furniture to come in. A three month wait is nol uncommon aside from the falling Dollar sales of cafes furniture have been boosted by the broadening of the cafes deferred payment program App previously cafes patrons could Only use App at their local store. Now App can be used to buy furniture at the Mainz Kassel outlet. The Mainz Kassel slope is open from 10 . To 6 . Monday through saturday and from 11 am to 6 . On sundays. Weekends Are very Busy said oilman noting that in contrast to shopping for Gills where the wife usually makes the selection herself buying furniture is a family affair. Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday october 16,1987