Furniture First NextGen Cruise Mixes Networking, Seminars & Play

Furniture World News Desk on 9/22/2023

Furniture First Next Gen members onboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Sea

Furniture First’s NextGen group recently completed a group cruise to Cozumel, Mexico on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Sea. Fourteen member stores attended along with sponsors Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) and TD Retail Card Services.

On the first day at sea presentations were made by Seth Atkinson and James Moquin of SSB, including a preview of Furniture First’s new exclusive Mattress 1st line, which will be launched in Furniture First’s new showroom at the October Market. The session included a mattress-specific sales training that focuses on customer feedback. Following the session, the group networked and discussed a wide range of topics.

On the fourth day of the cruise presentations were made by Chris Guido and David Phipps of TD retail Card Services on today’s financial environment, including how to combat pressures and changes caused by inflation and methods used by the Federal Reserve to curb it. TD’s presentation included a “game show” hosted by Chris and David where members had the chance to win prizes by answering questions related to TD and Furniture First.

Between info sessions and networking, the Next Gen group had a bit of fun. A three-day ship-wide scavenger hunt divided attendees into four teams and concluded with fun prizes for the winning team. The team rivalry continued with a friendly waterslide competition with most of the group trying the ship’s onboard Flow-Rider surfing simulator.

Member Erica Frizzell of Frizzell Furniture in Bemidji, MN said of the trip “I have had the privilege of attending all the trips that have been sponsored in the past years and I have to say that each time that I have gone, I always look forward to connecting with friends that I have made throughout the years and meeting members that I haven't had the chance to connect with at Symposium. This trip provides the perfect atmosphere to really get to know other members of Furniture First and find out what their struggles as well as their successes have been in their businesses. I believe the opportunity to network with other members in NextGen helps all of us to become better business leaders and I believe also makes Furniture First stronger as a buying group as a whole.”

Frizzell continued, “Since my husband Will Frizzell and I have been involved in NextGen, we have had the opportunity to join the Gamma Performance Group [one of Furniture First’s in-house performance groups] and have grown our business with a second location that we opened in November of 2019. We truly believe that all of this would not have happened without the support of the NextGen group!”

Furniture First, a national cooperative buying group for independent retailers, is opening a four-story building at 336 South Main Street in High Point next month. “Furniture First on Main” will house tenants as well as Furniture First, with TD Retail Card Services and Knorr Marketing on the third floor, and Vaughan Bassett set to occupy the fourth floor in time for the April 2024 Market. While the Furniture First showroom is closed to non-members, all retailers are invited to visit the Industry Service Center on the first floor where fifteen marketing and service partners will have tables to meet with potential clients.

Furniture First serves full line independent retailers with sales over $2 million. Collectively, the group sells $3 billion at retail. A portion of the third floor of their new High Point building is still available for lease, including the main street facing balcony. Interested parties should contact Marc DeLille at Price Commercial Properties by calling 336-812-3175.

For more information on Furniture First Membership, please visit www.JoinFurnitureFirst.com or call 800-411-3477.