Willow House Bombshell Dropped

[cabimom]

It was announced today that Willow House is dropping its Home Decor division the latter part of 2013 and will be liquidating the stock at "ridiculously low" prices. I am so bummed out by this. I just joined last month. They are going to focus on their jewelry division by Sara Blaine.
I can't tell you how disappointed I am.

[samsal77]

That is disappointing! I have been thinking about signing up! Good thing I took the time to think about it and not just do it. The jewelry is way too expensive for me so I wouldn't want to only sell that! How sad! Are home decor companies not doing well?

[LorettaA]

Wow, that's surprising. It doesn't seem like the jewelry arm of it has been around that long. Was it last year when the jewelry was added?

[nv93446]

Wowee! That is huge and after AtHome America closing, it's another sad thing to hear. Do you think home decor/party plan format going away because it's facing stiffed competition from retail and internet stores like Amazon??

[SavvyMom]

Wow! That is sad. First AtHome and now this. I am guessing it is the economy.

[omahamom]

So sorry to hear that. It is never easy to hear of companies going out of business (or changing their business model pretty drastically in this case).

[apbnash]

Our CEO Bill Shaw feels that home decor no longer lends itself to the party plan/direct selling business model. The marketplace has changed tremendously over the last 8 years and what was once nearly a 3 billion dollar industry is now a 200 to 300 million dollar industry. It is his personal opinion that we were the best in home decor and that home decor is not currently, nor will it ever be, a viable product category for the direct sales industry. It is a sad day for those of who love Willow House home decor but I do think it was the correct decision, all things considered.

[springtime]

I am also bummed. I loved SLAH products and bought so much myself I joined as a consultant. SLAH/WH products are such nice, high quality. Rarely did an item not exceed my expectations in person. Although the Sara Blaine jewelry is lovely it is just not my style. I am so disappointed since I loved the products. Of course I dont blame them for the decision.

To a pp - I doubt Amazon is the competition on these products but I am not sure what is.

The catalogs were beautiful - sniff sniff

[cabimom]

I don't buy Bill Shaw's message at all about home decor. Celebrating Home, Signature Homestyles, Pampered Chef, Longaberger and the new company Biltmore Inspirations are all doing just fine. His statement that there isn't a need for home decor and plastic containers anymore is an insult.

Let's take a trip around memory lane. Bill Shaw has a hand in starting Southern Living at Home, then he leaves and takes many leaders and their teams with him to start Entertaining at Home. Then magically investors appear and the 2 companies combine to make Willow House and then boom-Willow House decides to close the home decor division after how many hundreds of people invest their time and money into his business'? I know at first I was just disappointed, but now I am angry. I smell a rat.

[liz.jewels]

So disappointing! I've bought Willow house home decor items just in the past year too! I'm sorry to hear it.

Did I hear that they are bringing on another product line?