Leadership Development

Leader vs manager. White two street signs with arrow on metal pole with word Leader and Manager. Directional road. Crossroads Road Sign, Two Arrow. Blue sky background.
Home Furnishings Association
Leadership vs. Management: Why Understanding the Difference Matters

In a retail furniture store, layouts are constantly refreshed, delivery deadlines are tight, and customer expectations are always evolving—it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations. As a retail leader, you might focus on schedules, solving customer issues, and keeping inventory on track. All of that is essential,

colleagues having a meeting sitting at a white table.
Home Furnishings Association
How Retail Leaders Can Improve Their Communication Skills

The success of your business often hinges on the people working the floor, managing deliveries, handling customers, and selling products. And the glue that holds it all together? Communication. Whether you’re the owner of a family-run store, a sales manager overseeing a large showroom, or a warehouse lead managing operations, your

A young business woman making decisions with question marks. makde with Freepik.com
Home Furnishings Association
A Practical Guide for Making Difficult Decisions

Decision-making is a daily responsibility when you are an owner or manager in a home furnishings business. However, not all decisions are created equal. Some are routine—adjusting a store display, scheduling a team member, and ordering top-selling inventory. Others, however, carry much more weight: Should we expand to a second

Five people, average age 35, average race caucasian, holding a golden trophy in a furniture store.
Home Furnishings Association
From Star Seller to Store Leader: How to Turn Top Performers into Leaders

Every retail furniture store has that one sales associate—charismatic, confident, and consistently at the top of the leaderboard. Their closing ratio is impressive, their product knowledge is unmatched, and customers often ask for them by name. Naturally, this top performer seems the perfect choice when it’s time to fill a

Businessman making poor decisions in business. Man shouting as other men are jumping off a cliff.
Home Furnishings Association
7 Common Leadership Mistakes and How to Fix Them

In the dynamic world of home furnishings retail, effective leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s critical to success. Whether running a single showroom or overseeing multiple locations, your ability to lead your team directly impacts customer satisfaction, sales performance, and employee retention. Yet even the most experienced store owners and managers

You might also like

More From The HFA

  Smart Buying Strategies for Better Inventory Decisions Making the right inventory decisions can be the difference between record sales and costly overstocks. This session

Register To Attend

Smarter Media Strategies for Furniture Retailers In today’s crowded advertising landscape, every dollar counts—and standing out has never been harder. Are your media channels truly

Register To Attend
Photo of an Award
Pillar Adwards

What are the Pillar Awards? Presented by the Home Furnishings Association, the Pillar Awards celebrate the home furnishings industry’s highest

Join Us