The National Home Furnishings Association (“NHFA”) and HomeFurnishings.com, LLC announced that through a strategic transfer of ownership, HomeFurnishings.com will no longer limit participation to National Home Furnishings Association members. Launched in October 2009 as a web marketing initiative for retailer members of the NHFA to connect with consumers, the portal continues to grow as it now includes over 3,000 retailer microsites and over 50,000 consumer site visits per month.
NHFA Past Chairman Doug Kays, who helped spearhead the program, is now the CEO of HomeFurnishings.com, LLC, which was formed by Kays and marketing and technology experts JGSullivan Interactive, Inc. "Demand from other industry groups to participate helped drive the decision by the parties to form a new company outside of NHFA and take this portal to the next level," said Kays. The NHFA remains an integral industry partner in the promotion of the retailer and supplier to consumer web portal, although membership in the NHFA will no longer be a requirement of participation on the site.
“We are currently designing programs for buying groups, vertical retail companies, manufacturers and suppliers within the industry so they and their related retailers may connect online with the consumers who are using HomeFurnishings.com as their pre-buy shopping resource,” Kays added.
The expanded program will also extend to provide a brand-aligned solution for manufacturers' dealer locators. For manufacturers that don't have a dealer locator, HomeFurnishings.com can become that resource. For brands that have retailers without brand-aligned web pages, HomeFurnishings.com will fill that gap and help the brand take the consumer to a page with the dealer's location and contact information as well as brand messaging and promotions.
Doug Kays has worked as an executive in the home furnishings industry for the past 30 years. A past chairman of the National Home Furnishings Association, Kays has also served as General In-House Counsel and as V.P. of Operations for the largest independent furniture retailer in the U.S. and as V.P. of Operations for the Western U.S. for the largest publicly traded furniture retailer in the U.S. His background in law, operations and real estate help him recognize opportunities and design distinctive solutions for retailers.
With over 70% of consumers researching their purchases online before visiting a furniture store, brands and retailers need to connect with consumers online, where they are making their purchase decisions. HomeFurnishings.com and its rich library of articles and planning tools is the all-Industry solution for bringing retailers and suppliers face-to-face with consumers on the Internet.
National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is the nation’s largest organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers. NHFA’s membership comprises 2500 business entities representing over 9,000 stores in all 50 states and several foreign countries. NHFA’s mission and vision encompasses the association’s commitment to helping home furnishings retailers operate highly profitable businesses that provide an exceptional level of service to the consumers who buy their furniture. The mission of National Home Furnishings Association is to provide its members with the information, education, products and services they need to remain successful. NHFA’s vision is to excel as the definitive resource for information and leadership for home furnishings retailers.
JGSullivan Interactive has been in business for over 55 years, as a marketing and software development firm specializing in Internet programs, site development, and print-on-demand applications for Fortune 1000 clients. JGSullivan Interactive provides cost-effective print and digital-on-demand systems for manufacturers and their dealers around the world. Its Dealer E-Channel (DEC) software platform has managed over 30,000 independent dealer sites in various industries, connecting them to manufacturers, distributors, associations, buying groups and consumers. For more information, visit www.jgsullivan.com.