The Home Furnishings Association advocates for furniture retailers. We’re on top of the issues retailers say matter. Each year we survey our members and are guided in our advocacy by the results and our Government Relations Action Team.
Here’s what retailers have to say about the issues that affect them most:
- 89.66% want a federal online sales tax; 63% said it’s very important
- 52.94% said raising the salary threshold for overtime exemption would NOT affect their business and staffing decisions
- 75% offer deferred interest financing options; 39.76% said it’s very important
- 90% said the furniture they sell meets voluntary tip-over standard; 21.25% said it’s very important
- 56.25% said raising the national minimum wage would affect business; 75% said a national paid sick leave would. 45% said labor issues are very important
- 80% said they’ve not had any ADA compliance issues with physical or online operations; 82.28% said there should be a longer time to remedy issues; 16.25% said it’s very important
- 30.36% said formaldehyde emissions standard rule is very important; 58.11% import products with composite wood. 75.56% said their suppliers are prepared to comply
- 25.97% said a national flammability standard would be very important
When asked what issues they’re most concerned about comments pertained to online sales tax, over regulation in general, freight industry, credit card costs, and the need for more U.S.-made products.
It’s important for retailers’ voices to be heard in Congress and in our state legislatures. Those who sit on the sidelines of politics, both during elections and afterwards, will have little say in public policy. Decisions made in Washington and in the state capitals affect hundreds of facets of your business—who you hire, how much you pay, what you can charge for your products, how much you will pay your suppliers, the quality of transportation you use to ship your goods, the taxes you pay, and so much more. We can’t afford to be mute; the furniture industry must speak out.
Speaking out is what we do through our calls to action—like those we’ve tackled so far this year on ADA compliance, a federal online sales tax and the Chinese tariffs—and our yearly fly-ins. This month we’re going to Washington to continue the discussions on a federal, online sales tax, tax reform, labor issues, trade, regulations on formaldehyde and flammability in furniture, furniture tip-over standards, trucking and supply chain regulations, data security and more.
There are bigger trade groups and associations out there—and we work with many of them on various coalitions, but the HFA is the only association looking out for the details that matter to furniture retailers.
