Furniture World Articles

Editor's Corner: "Bear of Very Little Brain"  - 11/30/2018

Winnie-the-Pooh, Lael Thompson, and Things that seem Thingish.

Bedding & Mattress Sales: What's Next  - 11/27/2018

While plans have an annoying tendency to go haywire, having no plan at all is begging for failure.

Planning For Uncertainty in 2019  - 11/26/2018

Downturns can be times of opportunity, and it's best to prepare for uncertain economic times.

Open up your Retail Toolboox for 2019  - 11/26/2018

Six retail tools you should take out of your tool box to make sure physical assets, policies and procedures can do a good job for you in 2019.

How To Budget For Success  - 11/26/2018

Only about one in thirty independent furniture store owners produce an annual budget and know how to use it.

Retail Success: Saxon-Clark  - 11/25/2018

Florida-based retailer helps their customers actualize their dreams for beautiful homes.

Retail Success: Del Sol Furniture  - 9/22/2018

Innovative player in Phoenix, AZ caters to Spanish and English speaking customers with innovative programs.

Warehouse Improvement Metrics  - 9/22/2018

Here are the metrics every home furnishings retailer needs to use to improve warehouse facilities and processes.

The Changing Meaning of Sustainable  - 9/22/2018

A special section that looks at the evolution of demand for sustainable, healthy, and ethically produced furnishings.

Design & Designer Series: Chip Wade  - 9/22/2018

Interior and furniture designer, media personality and consultant, shares his thoughts about design, sales & marketing.

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales  - 9/22/2018

How to get the be-back customer back by David Benbow, author of How to Win the Battle For Mattress Sales.

Winning Strategy For Getting Referrals  - 9/22/2018

Here's how Furniture World readers can create a buzz around their businesses resulting in more sales and less ad costs.

High Point Market Point/Counterpoint  - 9/22/2018

Ed Tashjian and Bill Napier duke it out over the future of the High Point Market.

The Curse of 4 Percent Unemployment  - 9/22/2018

How to hire the best and most loyal employees in today's tight job market.

Editor's Corner: Do No Harm?  - 9/22/2018

The desire to do business with companies that embrace an umbrella of sustainable causes is trending upward.

The New Home Furnishings Business  - 7/4/2018

A recent study of 350-plus retailers and manufacturers pinpoints growth opportunities for furniture retailers.

Design & Designer Series: Kim Salmela  - 7/4/2018

Kim Salmela doesn’t believe in making safe furnishings decisions. She says, “There are no rules. That’s the rule!”

Five Steps to Luxury Bedding Success  - 7/4/2018

The luxury sale isn’t a buzzword, it’s not a flash in the pan, nor is it a money grab. Luxury selling is a mindset.

Warehouse Improvement Checklist  - 7/4/2018

Scores of ideas to help furniture retailers improve facilities, processes and warehouse metrics.

Strategies For Selling Higher-End Bedding  - 7/4/2018

Whether your top bed is $4,000 or $40,000, here are sales strategies to help you present and sell your best.

Technology Point/Counterpoint  - 7/4/2018

Everybody is buzzing about VR/AR. Will the early adapters . . . the Amazons, Wayfairs and Frontgates eat your lunch?

Seven Tiresome Habits of Moderately Successful Salespeople  - 7/4/2018

A list of seven poor retail habits RSAs hang onto, but give your shoppers a negative impression.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 7/4/2018

Interesting excerpts from summer 1925 issues of Furniture World Magazine

Editor's Corner: The Rapport Report  - 7/4/2018

Rapport is the glue that binds people together in families, organizations and relationships, including sales.

Increase Gross Margin Seven Ways - Part 2  - 5/23/2018

Field-proven ways to maximize your realized gross margin.

Retail Success: Welcome Amish Furniture  - 5/23/2018

Minnesota based Welcome Amish Furniture, is both a name and a greeting to 60,000 square feet of Amish designs!

Don't Waste Down Time!  - 5/23/2018

If you are a retail owner/manager you probably don't have a lot of down time. But what about your RSAs?

Design & Designer Series: Catina Suarez Roscoe  - 5/23/2018

Furniture designer and ASFD president discusses women in our industry and the value of leaving open avenues for creativity in product design & retail displays.

Selling Face To Face  - 5/23/2018

How to make the job of sales the EASIEST high paying position in your company.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 5/23/2018

Excerpts from summer 1918 issues of Furniture World about women, World War I, furniture shortages at retail and advances in technology.

Every Shopper A Knocker  - 5/23/2018

100 years ago the word "knocker" was common furniture industry parlance (often used in Furniture World Magazine) to mean a wholesale sales rep or manufacturer's rep.

Point/Counterpoint: The Times They Are a-Changin'?  - 3/23/2018

Bill says, follow the money to the Baby Boom generation. Ed says “The Times They Are a-Changin'”.

Design & Designer: Kerrie Kelly  - 3/23/2018

Author, retailer, interior/ product designer Kerrie Kelly talks about consumers, trends, customer engagement and retailing.

Find Your Top Line Performance  - 3/23/2018

Does your total Gross Margin after deducting Cost of Goods Sold give you a full performance picture?

Retail Sustainable Success Story: "The Arrangement"  - 3/23/2018

Texas retailer provides “The Best of the New West” with an elevated design sensibility, a commitment to customer service, sustainability and conservation.

Get More Referrals - Part 1  - 3/23/2018

You can teach your retail home furnishings business to market itself, so you can harness the magic of word-of-mouth marketing and referrals.

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales: Follow-Up, The Key To Success  - 3/23/2018

Here's how to build sales by using a follow-up system that creates top-of-mind awareness.

Your Employees: Do They Love Their Job?  - 3/23/2018

Getting your employees to fully engage in your company's mission and values takes focus and effort. But it's worth it!

What To Do When Your Reviews Scream Yelp?  - 3/23/2018

Survey of Yelp reviews identifies problem areas for furniture retailers, plus strategies for avoidance/correction.

Don't Ignore Empty Nesters  - 3/23/2018

Engaging them online by using incentives and calls to action is crucial to increasing store traffic and sales.

Getting Your Slice of The Pie  - 3/23/2018

Although a pie is finite, retailers can expand their market from a large to extra-large with pepperoni!

Machine Learning: The Next Big Thing  - 3/23/2018

Machine learning is, at its core, all about using data in order to remain ahead of your customers' buying behaviors.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 3/23/2018

Interesting excerpts from Spring 1918 issues including how to care for furniture delivery horses!

EDITOR'S CORNER  - 3/23/2018

The Answer Is a-Trendin'

Point/Counterpoint: Do Manufacturing Brands Matter?  - 1/14/2018

Bill says, furniture brands don't matter anymore. Ed has a more nuanced view. Both say it's the Elephant in the room.

Design & Designer: Nancy Fire  - 1/14/2018

Product designer and trend expert Nancy Fire talks about consumer design preferences, color and style trends for 2018.

Retail Grit  - 1/14/2018

What is Grit? Why does it matter? How can you create a retail culture of Grit?

Discover Color Purple  - 1/14/2018

Pantone recently announced its color of the year. How did this color get chosen and how should we use it?

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales: Closing The Sale -Part 2  - 1/14/2018

Here's how to make a great closing argument and avoid the many pitfalls that can result in lost sales.

Retail Success Story: Harkness Furniture  - 1/14/2018

This Tacoma, Washington based furniture store doesn't worry too much about the competition!

Case Study: Written & Delivered Sales  - 1/14/2018

Attention to written & delivered sales increased annual cash flow more than $100,000 for this average sized retailer.

Time To Party Like It's 2023  - 1/14/2018

RSAs may think a month ahead, and managers may think a year ahead, savvy business people are thinking about 2023.

Three Fundamental Retailing Tools For 2018  - 1/14/2018

These tools will amplify your message, capture prospect information, and supercharge your advertising spend.

Who Cares About Service?  - 1/14/2018

Most of us retailers say we care about service, but isn't it mostly just for mottos, mailings, mission statements and group hugs?

EDITOR'S CORNER: Workplace harassment... what can be done?  - 1/14/2018

I’m confident that many of you have given some recent thought to updating your workplace harassment policies and education.