Several companies grew during the pandemic, finding ways to expand amid stiff headwinds and once-in-a-generation challenges. Old Brick Furniture & Mattress Company, the HFA 2023 Retailer of the Year (stores with more than 50 employees), takes pandemic growth and expansion to another level. I have to give you the back
You Can’t Do Business Like That In my travels as HFA’s CEO, I have been blessed to see many different ways to sell home furnishings. I have always said you could give separate store owners the same store footprint and the same product lines and you would end up with
Matt Pridemore’s Life-Changing “Call” Last week I found myself traveling to Valdosta, GA to present one of the Home Furnishings Association’s Retailer of the Year awards. Matt Pridemore is HFA’s 2023 Emerging Star Award recipient. He owns many Badcock Home Furniture and More franchise stores (his first was the store
When I started at HFA, the first picture I saw of David Gunn he was wearing a western shirt and a cowboy hat. This bigger-than-life Texan had an intimidating appearance. When I met him, however, I realized his heart was bigger than life—the heart he has for the home furnishings
It feels so good to be back on the road again! Zoom calls are great, and they fill a purpose; however, there is no better way to get to know our members than to visit their stores. Honoring our HFA retailers of the year winners, meeting their teams, and seeing
I am not big on gold watches or plaques. While they are historical ways to thank people for their dedication and service, I find that too often, a watch ends up in a drawer and forgotten, and the plaque languishes dustily on a shelf. To me, there is power in
I always remind myself and other people that I am not a furniture retailer. I do have retail in my background, but I don’t own a furniture store. As CEO of the Home Furnishings Association, my job is to serve members and always advocate for them and their businesses. My
I have been to Washington, D.C. twice to discuss furniture industry issues on behalf of HFA and our members. It’s a trip HFA makes annually to meet face-to-face with our lawmakers and various government agencies to make sure our voices are heard as people who make a living in the
As I write this, people throughout the country are dealing with crippling winter storms and need a helping hand. My area in Texas has been hit especially hard. In the six days my stores were closed, most of my employees were without power. City water facilities experienced power failures, generator
We use facial recognition traffic counters on our front doors to get as accurate of a count as possible of the people entering our furniture stores. It also captures a small image of each individual. A couple of years ago, we discovered that on more than 30 occasions, a particular
Imagine going back to 1990 when the internet was emerging. Furniture retailers relied heavily on newspapers, radio, and TV. Everyone
Crime pays (a lot), according to Riskified data. Our recent analysis of how fraudsters make money shows it takes just
Consumers have an abundance of choice when it comes to e-commerce. Countless brands and retailers vie for consumer attention and
It has been projected that somewhere between the years 2045-2050, the USA will no longer have a majority race. This
[High Point, 9/29/23] – The Home Furnishings Association (HFA) is excited to announce nominations are now open for its prestigious
What’s Next in Retail? Insights from Todd Wanek Join us for an exclusive conversation with Todd Wanek, Chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries. As we approach
Elevate Your Customer’s eCommerce Experience Want to learn the secrets to creating an engaging, captivating online shopping journey? Join us for our webinar and unlock
