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
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
In retail today, delivery operations are not just a logistical necessity — they are a front-line component of customer satisfaction,
Stop Letting Warehouse Profits Slip Away Ignoring critical warehouse KPIs means leaving profit scattered across the warehouse floor. It’s not
Shopping for furniture is a universal experience, yet the way different generations approach this process varies significantly. From Gen Z
On September 29, 2025, the White House announced sweeping tariffs under Section 232 targeting imports of timber, wood products, furniture, and cabinetry.
For small and mid-sized furniture retailers in the U.S., the old rule “buy deep to get a better price” has
Navigating Leadership in a Family Business Stepping into greater responsibility within a family business comes with unique opportunities—and its own set of challenges. From
Stop the Loss: Proven Strategies to Cut Damage and Returns Furniture damage and customer returns don’t just cut into profits, they can also weaken
Stepping into greater responsibility within a family business comes with unique opportunities—and its own set of challenges. From managing generational
Furniture damage and customer returns don’t just cut into profits, they can also weaken customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty. In
