Family businesses form the backbone of the home furnishings industry. Stepping into a leadership role within such an enterprise brings a unique blend of privilege, responsibility, legacy, and complexity. Insights from several seasoned leaders offer valuable guidance for anyone taking on or preparing for such a role. Their experiences shed
Walk into most furniture or mattress stores, and you’ll see beautiful merchandising, strong sales teams, and aggressive promotional signage. But in many cases, financing is still treated like a closing tool. That’s the mistake. The highest-performing retailers in today’s environment don’t use financing to “save” a sale. They use financing
For business owners, change isn’t a seasonal disruption, it’s the daily reality. Customer traffic fluctuates, employee availability shifts, and unexpected challenges can turn even the most carefully crafted schedule upside down. In today’s fast-moving environment, staying competitive means staying flexible. That’s why more organizations are rethinking traditional scheduling models and
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
For many independent furniture retailers, succession planning is more complex than expected. The next generation often chooses different careers; employees rarely have the vendor credit support to carry on, and outside buyers may not value the business the way the owner does. Understanding the realities of exit strategies — 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
Simple, powerful leadership principles that drive performance and engagement on the sales floor and beyond. Whether you’re managing a large retail floor, a regional chain of home furnishings stores, or a small family-owned business, the demands on today’s retail leaders have never been greater. Between staffing challenges, customer expectations, and
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,
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
In a furniture retail operation, one of the biggest threats to customer trust is not always the product itself. It
Every checkout tells a story, and not all of them end in a sale. For many eCommerce brands, a lack
The Home Furnishings Association’s Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals whose careers have shaped the home furnishings industry through innovation, leadership, and
In today’s global market, supply chains are no longer simple, linear systems. A single product may involve raw materials from
Furniture shopping has evolved into a fluid, hybrid experience. Today’s consumers move seamlessly between online browsing and in-store visits, gathering
Leveling the Playing Field: Tariff Enforcement and the Fight for Fair Competition Join Home Furnishings Association CEO Peter Theran for a discussion with Keith Koenig,
Inventory Management Transformation: The New Retail Back End Behind every great customer experience is an operation that runs smoothly. Join Peter Theran, HFA CEO, for
