The purchasing department has adapted its work processes to the new normal created by the COVID-19 pandemic
One of the main changes the product department has had to make to adapt its processes to the new normal under the pandemic is the switch from trade fairs to offices and from live displays to virtual displays.
According to the department staff, David Aldea, Ignacio Pérez, Ezequiel Pérez, Alberto Rodríguez, and Mireia Sánchez with supply support from Ana Alva and Sergio González, “the main difference between work before and now is having to make purchase decisions by looking at an online sample rather than the physical product, which has made it more difficult to decide and get the right product”.
New ways of working
This readaptation has led to the team introducing new processes in their work. They say that the most difficult part has been handling the management of deadlines with suppliers because trade fairs used to set the pace of work when they were happening.
Furthermore, the lack of international fairs has also meant that suppliers have stopped launching new products and this has made the purchasing process even more difficult, as the whole process has slowed down and there are also increased maritime transport costs.
Decor trends
However, despite the lack of new products from suppliers, the purchasing team has kept its eye on the latest trends and made purchases accordingly.
The team advises that for this season the style is natural materials such as rattan, bamboo, and wood; round shapes in furniture and abstract shapes and bright colours in vases, figures, and frames, reminiscent of pieces of art; decorative products in ceramic with imperfect finishes; and plants, which are simply essential.