Shop Talk

Endless Aisle
Oscar Sachs
3 Benefits to Creating an Endless Aisle

As the battle between brick-and-mortar furniture retailers and online giants like Amazon wages on, retailers are now transitioning to zero inventory and putting excess inventory in an online shop. This strategy, often referred to as an “endless aisle,” is being used by big-box and specialty retailers alike. Stores can reach

Woman putting her hand up to say stop.
Carol Wood
Sexual Harassment 101 for Retailers

How to handle sexual harassment claims can be overwhelming and terrifying for every business—from small furniture stores to major retail chains. But it shouldn’t be. Regrettably, at some point, some who run or manage retail stores become aware of sexual harassment. Here are a few tips that will help you

businessman on hands and knees looking for something
Dan Schneider
Hidden Figures

It’s time to take a second look at your store’s fixed costs Industry knowledge is what makes you good at what you do. It’s likely, if you’re reading this magazine, that you’ve learned from hard-won years of experience how to navigate the challenges and rewards of the home furnishings industry.

Donate Excess Inventory
Home Furnishings Association
Donate to Your Bottom Line

Being charitable and being profitable do not have to be mutually exclusive. That’s what home furnishings companies will find out by turning their excess inventory into donations that benefit charitable groups in their communities and beyond. For furniture retailers, finding the best way to move unprofitable stock remains a challenge.

Photo of Rogers City Home Furnishings
Robert Bell
Lessons from dad

Edward Bruski taught his son a lot about running a family business. Those lessons and Larry Bruski’s determination have made Rogers City Home Furnishings the success it is. Larry Bruski was 24 and in the furniture business barely two years, but he was already in trouble. It was 1976 and

Marketing Plan
Bob Phibbs
Got 60 minutes? Let’s build a marketing plan

Without one you’ll never know who your target customer is —or how to reach them. You’ve been running your furniture store for years now and you’re confident you know who your customer is and, just as important, how to reach them. At least you think you know. Ask yourself this

Measuring Performace
David McMahon
Performance Metrics

Getting Your Numbers Right Improvement in your furniture store starts with two things: Awareness and desire. The awareness of how you’re performing against standards allows you to understand your strengths and weaknesses. It’s through the measurement against these standards, or metrics, that you can find gaps. Knowing your gaps and

Photo of a businesswoman
Wayne Rivers
What Do Family-Owned Business CEOs Do?

More important, what should they do? At a peer group meeting of eight successful construction industry CEOs years ago, the members began discussing how to get the most out of an industry standard software package. One CEO asked another a question about how to key in data to produce a

Photo of The RoomPlace
Connie Post
Pole Position

The RoomPlace Races Toward Victory Lane with a Hot New Design The turbulence left in the wake of a lead Indy car on a race track has a name and it’s not pretty: dirty air. Standing in the parking lot of a long-shuttered Levitz warehouse store in Indianapolis, I can

Back to School Sign
Ginny Gaylor
Back to School

Brick-and-mortar stores aren’t going anywhere. At least, for now. Colleges and universities know this. That’s why they’re creating retail schools to train the next generation of merchants. Don’t have the time (or money) to go back to college? We’re bringing college to you! If you can still recall the days

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