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
I’m David Gunn of Knight Furniture, your HFA president for 2021. I’ve never looked more forward to a new year than this one. Yet as painful as 2020 was on many levels, I did learn a few lessons. I was reminded never to take anything, or anyone, for granted. It
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
After 68 years as a single-store business, Sheely’s Furniture and Appliance is expanding its footprint. The Home Furnishings Association member in North Lima, Ohio, will open a second store in September in Aurora, about 30 miles outside Cleveland. The new location is part of the company’s strategic initiative for growth
Your furniture store isn’t the only operation about to reopen soon. Your manufacturers are gearing up as well. In the latest Home Furnishings Association Live Webinar, financial analysts Wayne and David McMahon from the accounting firm PerformNow told retailers that now is the time to reevaluate whom they do business
Dianne Ray remembers when the old Southern Home Furnishings Association offered a popular benefit that members could provide for their employees: medical insurance. That was in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s – before health care became more complicated and less affordable. “I have always been keenly interested in getting back
Ask furniture retailers what would help them sell more furniture and you’re likely to hear the same response from most: more traffic through their front doors. Jerry Murphey with retail traffic counter DoorCounts thinks retailers have it backwards. “Most retailers already have a healthy amount of traffic coming into their
Coverage you can count on (and afford). For years, Home Furnishings Association member Barry Seidman was happy letting a longtime friend handle the business insurance needs for his store, Barney’s Furniture in Springfield, Ill. Even when the HFA’s insurance agents asked Seidman if he’d like a free audit and quote,
Furniture merchants spend heavily to bring shoppers into stores and onto their websites. They invest in search, promotions, social media,
Geo-fencing is one of the most talked-about tools in local advertising, and one of the most misunderstood. For furniture retailers,
Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) is one of the most important metrics for furniture retailers. Here’s what it means,
It’s been a busy week on the tariff front, and this is HFA’s third advocacy update for home furnishings retailers
Customer expectations in the furniture industry continue to evolve. These days, they compare every brand to big players like Amazon,
Turn social media engagement into in-store visits. In this webinar, discover how to create content that motivates customers to move from scrolling to shopping. Join
Succession planning is critical to protecting the future of a home furnishings retail business, yet many owners wait too long to start. Whether the transition
