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
Home furnishings retailers must create strategies for driving traffic to their physical stores as a critical component of their overall
SMS marketing for furniture retailers is crucial to any modern retail business’s strategy. Text messages have a high open rate,
After a stellar 2023 Holiday Season, most consumer analysts have been cheering the strong retail sales data spurred by manageable
Times are changing, and retail is no exception. In a world where innovation is becoming not just a desire but
The digital landscape is constantly in flux, evolving and transforming at an unprecedented pace. As we enter 2024, the importance
Traffic Mastery: Organic & Paid Advertising Join our panel of experts as we dive into the key strategies for maximizing your online presence. Learn how
Drive Traffic with Data Insights There is untapped potential for driving traffic to your store by using the data you collect. Industry experts will share
