Posted November 15, 2010 |
The most popular grandfather clock chime by far is the Westminster Chime. Our studies have shown that even when customers purchase triple chime grandfather clocks, generally including also the Whittington and St Michaels Chime, the vast majority keep their clock set to the Westminster Chime selection all the time. This is true whether the grandfather clocks or grandmother clocks are Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, Hermle Floor Clocks, or other brands.
One new trend is the introduction on some grandfather clock movements and grandfather clock models of the Ludwig van Beethoven Ode to Joy Chime and the Franz Schubert Ave Maria Chime. These chimes have become wildly popular, and are available on many of the Howard Miller Quartz Chime clocks, including wall clocks, mantel clocks and some others. Fewer than a handful of the mechanical grandfather clocks include the Westminster, Ave Maria, and Ode to Joy Chimes.
Howard Miller, long-time leader and long-time maker of the high-end grandfather clocks industry, has aggressively entered several new markets. For many decades, Howard Miller has been known as a high-quality leader in the premium quality grandfather clock marketplace, as well as wall clocks, mantel clocks, desk clocks and shelf clocks, curio floor clocks, atomic clocks, mantle clocks, and much more.
Howard Miller, who as most regular readers of this Blog would know was the son of Herman Miller, the world reknown maker of primarily very high-end office furniture and furnishings, left Herman Miller over 70 years ago to start up his own company whose sole focus would be clocks, and clocks as home furnishings. Before leaving Herman Miller, Howard Miller makde many different clocks nearing the Herman Miller logo.
In much more recent years, Howard Miller started entering the furniture market, with more of a focus of what generally might be considered more home furnishings, including not only curio grandfather clocks, but also standalone curio cabinets, and much more recently wine and bar furnishings, including tables and stools and storage units. Even more recently, just within the last couple of years, Howard Miller has entered the Home Furnishings market in a big way, including personal storage units, as well as bedroom furniture and living room furnishings. It is a bold move by a Company whose core business has been in grandfather clocks, wall clocks and mantel clocks.
Yet Howard Miller does have a core competency in manufacturing, including in the USA, and their reputation for quality woodwork and furniture, recognizing that grandfather clocks are a form of office or living room furniture, and it is not a far stretch to have Howard Miller be well received for home furniture throughout North America and beyond.
Furniture is also an extremely competitive marketplace, and in the throes of the current economy and sluggish, putting it kindly, housing market, it must be a difficult time for even the most entrenched suppliers in this home furniture space. Howard Miller has chosen wisely by aligning the Company with Ty Pennington and his Extreme Makeover types of designs and sensibilities – it is a great selling point.
1-800-4CLOCKS.com has started carrying just parts of the Howard Miller Furniture line (we are at our core a clocks store after all), including Howard Miller Curios, Howard Miller Wine and Bar Furnishings, and Entertainment and Storage Cabinets. Please take a look at these sections on our website, and find a location near you where you can see them in person.
Take a look below at some of the Howard Miller non-clock and non-grandfather clocks items that are new from Howard Miller:
OK, now we are ready to hear from the most creative and loyal Howard Miller Clocks customers out there. Please let us know your ideas form a multi-use Howard Miller grandfather clock or grandmother clocks, Personal Storage Unit, Wine and Bar Furnishings, and Entertainment Storage cabinetry all-in-one. Incorporating a solid wood bed also made by Howard Miller. Throw in a few more ingredients and you may be able to build something where someone will either never have to or want to leave that fully furnished space again, ever.
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