Blog - Home Furnishings Association

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HFA/Piper Sandler survey for Q4 2020

Q4 momentum driving positive 2021 Outlook The crazy year that was 2020 ended strongly for home furnishing retailers, according to our new HFA/Piper Sandler survey. After easing off a little in November, strong sales in December fueled Q4, which was up 16% year over year even with a continued lack of product in many instances. Since this new year began, conversations we have had with retailers are finding that many are seeing a brisk start to 2021. While others feel it’s been a decent start, In most cases, our home furnishings retailer members are in positive territory early in this

February 4, 2021

The furnishings industry is craving contact

Shop Talk

The furnishings industry is craving contact

I am craving contact! I think in home furnishings, we all are craving contact right now. Our industry has many wonderful attributes, but the one thing that I fell in love with and that resonates with me is our business’ collegial nature. We are part of a customer-centric industry, and as such, we all like to interact with people. That carries from the showroom floor to furniture markets to industry events. When I first joined HFA’s leadership team, I was told that in the home furnishings industry, when you meet someone for the first time, it’s a handshake, and the

February 3, 2021

Policy Matters

Biden’s Plan for economic recovery

Early Agenda for President Biden Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Biden has signed several dozen executive orders to bolster the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic response and accelerate economic recovery. Many of these actions are supported by broad stakeholder groups that share the urgency of confronting and ending the spread of COVID-19 and reopening the economy as soon as possible. As part of the Biden Administration COVID-19 response, the President has proposed the ‘America Rescue Plan,’ a $1.9 trillion legislative package with several elements including: Funding for vaccine development and administration $100 billion to increase testing, PPE manufacturing, and state

February 2, 2021

Policy Matters

Home Furnishings Regulatory Issues to Watch in 2021

One of the more consequential impacts of the Trump Administration had been its focus on reducing federal regulation. The administration accomplished this through agency rulemaking and Executive Order; the Republican House and Senate participated via the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows for a simple majority vote in the Senate to disapprove and vacate regulations. The Biden Administration will prioritize reversing some of these Trump Administration actions while focusing on a broader regulatory strategy to re-build the federal structure. Several potential regulations directly impact the overall home furnishings supply chain; manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers. Upholstered Furniture Flammability For decades,

January 25, 2021

Policy Matters

SlideShare: What’s your cut of the $900B COVID-19 Stimulus Package?

Learn if you qualify for a PPP loan, how to apply for one, and how to increase your existing loan. HFA’s Lobbyist Chris Andresen spoke with HFA CEO Mark Schumacher in a webinar on Jan 14th where retailers learned more about the elements of additional COVID-19 relief and how it will impact them. The SlideShare below highlights what retailers learned as Chris Andresen broke down the new package, including expanded employee tax credits, the new definition of forgivable expenses, and what the “easier” forgiveness requirements are. To watch the full webinar and discussion on this topic, click here. To

January 22, 2021

Policy Matters

Political Priorities for 2021 will be Ambitious

The events from the week of January 4th, 2021, will significantly impact the political priorities for 2021. By winning two Senate runoffs in Georgia, Democrats are preparing to control a 50-50 Senate now that President Joe Biden has been sworn into office with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote. The riot and invasion of the US Capitol on January 6th prompt members in both parties to determine what comes next in response to President Trump and his supporters; many will continue to serve in Congress, but any level of trust has been destroyed in the short-term. Democrats are

January 21, 2021