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
In Shakespeare’s King Lear, an aging king divides his kingdom among his daughters based on flattery. The daughter who speaks honestly is disowned, and Lear ultimately loses everything. This story is a cautionary tale for family furniture business owners: poor succession can erode not only the business you’ve built but
“We need to talk.” Those four words can be intimidating in any relationship. In family-run furniture businesses, they can feel even heavier—especially when what you need to say is: “Mom, Dad, I’m ready to lead.” For decades, your parents have poured their energy into building the store, the brand, and
Longevity is one of the most defining shifts of our time. Americans are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, and that reality is reshaping how family-owned and closely held businesses must approach succession planning, leadership, and financial planning for home furnishings retailers, in particular, where family involvement runs deep
Defining Roles, Purpose, and a Path to Leadership Bringing a son, daughter, or younger family member into your retail furniture business can be rewarding and challenging. There’s pride in continuing the family legacy and hope in watching a new generation step forward. But without the right structure, what starts with
Sometimes those extra years play havoc with your retail succession planning Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a paper called “Death in the United States.” While this might seem to be a morbidly unusual article for the Home Furnishings Association, please bear with me because the data
The furniture industry has had a brutal few years. COVID-19 froze factories, snarled ports, and exposed the fragility of single-source
When the Home Furnishings Association named Room & Board the 2026 HFA Retailer of the Year (50+ Employees), it recognized
There is an important update for home furnishings retailers and other importers affected by IEEPA tariffs: the refund process is
If You Replaced Your Delivery Tech Tomorrow, Would Your Customers Notice? It’s a question worth sitting with. If you swapped
A furniture eCommerce website needs to do more than display products. It should communicate scale, material, and quality without the
How Visible Is Your Store in AI? What are AI search tools saying about your store, and are they saying anything at all? In
AI & Retail Transformation: Your Roadmap to Smart Adoption The technology landscape for home furnishings retailers is evolving fast. For furniture retailers, simply adopting
MEMBER-ONLY DISCUSSION: Technology Connect with fellow HFA member retailers to exchange insights, challenges, and successes in using technology and AI
