News

Photo shows a group of people walking with the U.S. Capitol in the background
Doug Clark
What is Washington doing to help?

Home Furnishings Association members are wrestling with difficult questions as the coronavirus crisis continues to threaten their livelihoods. Stay open or temporarily shut down? What happens if retailers simply stop paying their suppliers? To whom do we tell our stories to be heard? And what is our government doing to

Photo shows tables and chairs in front of a fireplace
Doug Clark
Furniture orders rise, then virus arrives, Smith reports

Bad news followed good, according to Ken Smith of High Point, N.C., accounting and consulting firm Smith Leonard. While reporting a 4 percent increase in residential home furnishings orders in December 2019 over December 2018, Smith noted the obvious, and ominous, new development: “The coronavirus situation is not helping us

Photo shows an image of a magnified virus
Doug Clark
Retailers must guard employees’ health

The best way for a business to keep its workforce healthy is simple: “Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday published interim guidance for businesses to plan and respond to the 2019 novel coronavirus. The virus, which has spread rapidly through parts

Image of a clock
Wayne Rivers
HFA Insights: Time is money. Are you using yours wisely?

Let’s talk about time management. Every family business is unique unto itself. But while there are no two that are alike, that doesn’t mean there are not similarities. When I meet with a family business – whether it‘s a construction company or a furniture store – we end up having

Picture shows four CPSC commissioners
Doug Clark
CPSC presses for Hodedah recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a strong and unusual warning last week to owners of Hodedah HI4DR four-drawer dressers. “CPSC tested the Hodedah HI4DR dresser and found that it is unstable and can tip over if not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that

Picture shows a chest of drawers
Doug Clark
IKEA agrees to pay $46 million for tip-over death

IKEA recalled millions of chests and dressers in June 2016 because of tip-over hazards. It repeated the recall announcement in November 2017. In between, on May 24, 2017, an IKEA dresser toppled over on 2-year-old Jozef Dudek in his Buena Park, Calif., bedroom. The blow injured the child’s neck, causing

Partnership
PartnerShip
3 Major Takeaways from the 2021 FedEx and UPS Rate Increases

FedEx and UPS rates are going up in 2021, and it’s more important than ever that HFA members know how to mitigate the effect on their business. Here are a few things you should know about the changes to come: FedEx and UPS small package rates are increasing an average

Photo shows interior of Hall of Fame
Doug Clark
Which furniture retailers belong in Hall of Fame?

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame includes many past and present retail leaders. Among them: Ronald G. Wanek, Art Van Elslander, Wogan S. Badcock Jr. and Sr., Eliot Tatelman, Keith Koenig, Manuel Capó, Robert Ching Wo and George B. Cartledge Sr. Jake Jabs of American Furniture Warehouse and Jim

Photo shows the U.S. Capitol building
Doug Clark
HFA-backed fire-safety bill advances

A furniture flammability bill strongly supported by the Home Furnishings Association passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote Monday. It takes a big step toward fire safety without potentially harmful flame-retardant chemicals. The Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA) would set a national standard based on California

HFA member Jordan's Furniture has all types of attractions to enhance "shoppertainment" at its stores.
Francesca Nicasio
Keep ’em coming back: HFA members share tips on growing repeat business

Repeat customers. Everyone tells retailers they need them, but it’s easier said than done. How do you get started? Improve your retail customer experience. When players like Amazon enable people to purchase products with the tap of a button, brick-and-mortar furniture retailers must step up their game and offer experiences

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