Nothing drives congressional activity like a deadline – in this case, the August recess and November midterm elections have created a unique environment spurring action on priority issues for both parties. Democrats have controlled the White House, House, and Senate since January 2021 but cannot advance large parts of their
Current events, some that have no direct relationship to the home furnishings industry, can sometimes disrupt our advocacy processes. We are experiencing this with the STURDY Act. We have been looking to wrap up this long-time legislative struggle relating to tip-over issues. It passed a key committee vote and awaits
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since a series of tariffs were imposed on China by the Trump Administration. This so-called trade war was started primarily to address the trade imbalance between the U.S. and China. There were several tariffs imposed over the summer of 2018 in four
Often when we talk about our government relations action team (GRAT) and our advocacy efforts, it is always about works in progress. We focus on those issues that are at hand, and that need a resolution of some sort. Finally, we have the chance to discuss something we worked on
For the first time since 2019, many of our HFA members came together in Washington for what we affectionately refer to as our DC Fly-In. Each attendee is a member of our Government Relations Action Team (GRAT). This has always been an annual chance to get in front of key
Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) denied an industry request, co-signed by HFA, to extend the comment period for their clothing storage unit tip-over safety standard. Public comments are due to the CPSC by April 19, 2022. It is critical that the furniture retail voice is represented as they
On January 19th, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously, 4-0, to advance its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) on a mandatory safety standard for Clothing Storage Unit tip-overs. The text in the CPSC proposal was initially published in July 2021, but the Commission did not receive a staff
Build Back Better Congressional Democrats and the White House spent the last several months of 2021 working to enact President Biden’s signature legislative priority, the Build Back Better Act. This proposed legislative piece is key to advancing the Administration’s economic recovery agenda. The House passed its version before Thanksgiving in
When I look at 2021 through the lens of advocacy, I must tell you that it was a game-changer for our industry and the home furnishings association. That’s something I say on many different levels. First, the sheer volume of issues we weighed in on, the positions we presented, and
On the surface, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, which passed the House in June 2021 and is under consideration in the Senate, seems straightforward. It heralds strict new mandatory requirements to address furniture tip-overs. Unfortunately, the intentions of the STURDY Act simply don’t translate
David Enos of Phelps Digital gives you 5 digital mistakes to avoid in order to improve your digital marketing results.
“How do I build out a successful digital marketing budget?” That’s the question that every retailer asks when starting campaigns,
Inventory management is at the top of every retailer’s mind. It is the foundation of your business and a dynamically
I’ll spare you the run-up to how we wound up in Switzerland over the Thanksgiving holiday. Still, my family and
Have you noticed that you now have to be good at three things? In our case at HFA, like every
Congress and the Trump administration are preparing another Covid-19 relief package. The Home Furnishings Association’s Washington representative, Chris Andresen, and government relations liaison Doug Clark
Everyone is trying to figure out what the “new normal” will look like when your stores reopen. What will recovery look like to you and
