Coaster is introducing a new fixed-rate container program.
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — Retailers trying to navigate fluctuating freight costs and an unpredictable business environment surrounding tariffs have a new container option from Coaster Fine Furniture.
Through a partnership with Pinnacle Logistics, Coaster is introducing a new fixed-rate container option that sets pricing and increases potential access during peak periods. Officials said the new program is “specifically designed to help dealers located outside of Coaster’s distribution center areas, and in particular smaller independent dealers.” The move comes at a time when many furniture vendors are implementing price increases in response to tariff policies of the Trump administration.
Access to a range of container companies across many global locations at competitive rates is a key focus of the new program, officials noted. For retailers who have to negotiate the spot market, the program is a simplified alternative to traditional freight arrangements.
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“Coaster is addressing inflationary pricing by offering container-direct business to dealers who typically don’t have the resources or infrastructure to manage it themselves,” said Mindy Leitwein, national accounts manager at Coaster. “We’ve partnered with Pinnacle Logistics to support dealers who have never purchased via container previously or don’t have the in-house logistics expertise necessary to negotiate fixed contracts that will guarantee them stable freight rates.”
Leitwein said the new program levels the playing field for independent retailers, shielding them from the unpredictability of the global shipping market while guaranteeing they can purchase Coaster product at the lowest prices. This allows retailers to plan their business with final costs in place.
“During a time of major upheaval at the ports, there’s a lot we cannot control, but this new program allows us to control the most critical variable in direct shipments because it gives us more container inventory to choose from,” Leitwein said.
She explained that “when you bid on the spot market to arrange your own freight forwarder, your rate can change from the time you place your order with a factory to the time it ships. One day it could be $3,000 and the next, $8,000. Unfortunately, you never know exactly what your freight costs are unless you are big enough to negotiate a fixed contract.”
The Pinnacle Logistics program removes that variable in direct shipments, sustaining the retailer’s fixed rate with a year-long contract, “especially valuable given that there is no negotiated rate at the distribution center level,” Leitwein said.
The program uses a direct pricing model that allows dealers to consolidate product types — such as dining and bedroom furniture — into a single container from a single factory. This can significantly reduce per-item shipping costs and improve operational efficiency, officials noted. Dealers can often mix multiple product styles and finishes within the same container, reducing the common concern that by flowing containers a dealer will have too much of a single SKU. Under this model, Coaster customers can also get an all-inclusive rate with applicable fees and tariffs.
Coaster Fine Furniture is a second-generation company with five branches, and two U.S. distribution centers. The company employs more than 400 people.