BrandSource Sharpens Focus on Furniture Biz

Furniture World News Desk on 3/16/2021

With more and more furniture dealers migrating to the BrandSource buying group, the dealer co-op reports that it has increased its home furnishings content accordingly for next week's Summit 21 trade show.

Building on last summer's exclusive Virtual Convention interview with Ashley division president Rick Coppola, BrandSource has prepared an extensive program of furniture-focused presentations for its spring meeting and expo under the group’s home furnishings merchandising director Seth Weisblatt.

Dubbed The Furniture Channel, the lineup includes a series of one-on-one interviews with leading furniture industry execs and experts, including Michael Campbell, CEO of Leather Italia;  David Crimmins, sales senior VP at Flexsteel; and a return engagement by Ashley's Coppola, who heads North American sales for the company.

“The Furniture Channel is an attempt to speak to the heart and soul of our industry — the mom-and-pop retailers who are fighting on behalf of their families and communities to remain a valued shopping destination,” Weisblatt said. “The goal of the ‘Channel’ is to provide retailers with insight into the industry in short chunks, and to identify new partners that will help them accomplish their goals.”

Also on deck are Larry Furiani, dealer relations VP for Coaster Company of America, and Steve Riley, former chief furniture merchant at Nebraska Furniture Mart.

In the course of their conversations, Weisblatt and his guests will:

• Examine how retailers large and small are working through the industry’s supply chain constraints
• Discuss strategic solutions that support the independent retailer
• Share their predictions for retailing in a post-pandemic world
• Offer insights on meeting the demands of a changing consumer.

“I've never seen such a tough environment for retailers,” Weisblatt observed. “This a scary time for many of our stores. But BrandSource and AVB Marketing, our e-commerce and digital marketing arm, are here to provide dealers with the tools they need stay in front of the ever-changing customer, to stave off the fierce competition, and to help ensure their profitability.”

The Furniture Channel will also present product introductions, vendor trainings and, as an added bonus, a chance to win a Yeti Cooler, courtesy of Furniture of America, by visiting the virtual Furniture Channel booth during the show.

BrandSource’s annual industrywide event, running March 23-25, will also feature a state-of-the-union update from CEO Jim Ristow; a virtual appliance and home furnishings expo; a series of on-demand educational sessions; interactive Social Hours; and 777 Lunch & Learn, a daily short-form panel discussion with seven top manufacturers, each answering seven questions in seven minutes.

As the show's “Double Down” theme suggests, Summit 21 is designed to inspire dealers to double down this year on business, knowledge, digital marketing … and success.

About BrandSource: BrandSource is the leading merchandising organization for independent appliance, home furnishings and consumer tech dealers. Its parent company, AVB, is a $19.5 billion member-driven co-op that provides merchandising, financing and digital marketing services to nearly 5,000 independent dealers in the U.S. and Canada. BrandSource’s affiliates include ProSource (consumer tech and custom integration); TRIB Group (rent-to-own); Mega Group (Canada); and HFA Buying Source, serving home furnishings dealers nationwide.