Blog - Home Furnishings Association

The Latest News

American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame New Home People Theme

News

Koenig sees Hall of Fame mission in furniture ‘golden era’

If the furniture industry has a prophet of prosperity, it’s Keith Koenig. “I think this is home furnishings’ golden era,” the CEO of City Furniture proclaimed on a Home Furnishings Association webinar in May. “Opportunity of a lifetime, if we play our cards right.” The last six months of strong furniture sales have reinforced Koenig’s optimism. And now he’s sharing it with the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation. Keith Koenig, a Hall of Fame inductee, serves as capital campaign co-chairman for the foundation’s drive to develop a permanent new home in the High Point, N.C., furniture market district.

November 10, 2020

Shop Talk

Not in stock? Sell the customer what you do have

Retailers are facing a good news/bad news situation as we head further into the fourth quarter. Let’s get into the good news first – and there is a lot of it! Consumer demand for furniture is high. According to Smith Leonard, new orders continued to soar in August, increasing 51 percent over the same month last year, following a 39 percent reported increase in July and a 30 percent increase reported in June. Add to that the fact that consumer confidence is at its highest since the pandemic hit in March, according to the Wall Street Journal. Retail analysts are predicting

November 10, 2020

Image shows an industrial facility with solar panels on its roof

Shop Talk

Ashley installs huge rooftop solar power system

Ashley Furniture Industries’ advanced manufacturing and distribution facility in Leesport, Pa., uses a lot of electricity – more than 10 million kilowatt hours a year. But 90 percent of that will be offset by the solar panel installation on its roof. Ashley, a member of the Home Furnishings Association, partnered with SunPeak to design and install the roof-mounted system consisting of 28,776 solar panels. When operational, the array is expected to generate more than 9.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That is roughly equivalent to the amount of power consumed by 786 average American households, the company said in

November 5, 2020

Membership

From Facebook to storefront to online: New HFA member Relaxerie takes off

David Howell and Grant Sparks are more than just business partners. They’re childhood friends who grew up together and went to school together. So when Sparks was looking for someone to help grow the mattress store he started, he knew just whom to turn to. Howell and Sparks, the Home Furnishings Association’s newest members, own Relaxerie Sleep Shop, a two-store chain just outside Indianapolis that Howell says they hope to grow to 10 stores within five years. Ambitious? Maybe, but Howell says sales continue to grow over the previous month, and their e-commerce line is just now starting to gain traction. “We’re really excited how people have responded to our (business) model,” says

November 5, 2020

Membership

After a rough 2019 and 2020, Riley’s Furniture is ready to celebrate the future

Like most furniture retailers, Home Furnishings Association member Riley’s Furniture and Mattress has endured a difficult 2020. The coronavirus pandemic forced the store in Monroe, Ohio, to shut down for more than two months following a state mandate from Gov. Mike DeWine. The closing came just eight months after founder Riley Griffiths, 75, died in July 2019 from pancreatic cancer. “The pandemic hit about the time we got our feet under us,” said Shannon Bannerman, chief executive officer of Riley’s Furniture and Mattress. “It’s been a whirlwind. Quite a year to dive in.” After more than a year of heartbreak and challenges, Bannerman and the Riley’s Furniture

November 5, 2020

Image depicts people in the furniture showroom

News

Fall market builds hopes for 2021

Christy O’Hara ventured to High Point, N.C., for the October market and was disappointed that some of her suppliers didn’t. So, she won’t be carrying their products, the owner of new Home Furnishings Association member Steel Roots Home Décor said. Her two-year-old Chapel Hill, N.C., business offers home furnishings, lighting, rugs, design services and more. Manufacturers that didn’t come to market shouldn’t expect consumers to visit stores, O’Hara added, noting that some canceled her appointments after she’d already arrived in High Point. But they’ll get another chance in April, she allowed. The market offered opportunities for HFA members Looking ahead

November 5, 2020