Nationwide Marketing Group and Furniture Marketing Group Form Alliance

Furniture World Magazine

The Furniture Marketing Group, one of the nation’s largest volume buying groups in the furniture industry, and the Nationwide Marketing Group, already the largest independent retail appliance, electronics, and furniture buying group in the United States, have formed a strategic alliance that forms the nation’s largest furniture marketing organization. This new alliance will effectively double FMG’s buying power to approximately $2 billion at retail. Currently FMG, based in High Point, NC, represents 63 large independent furniture retailers with over 375 locations nationwide. Nationwide, the parent company of Furniture Smart, is the country’s largest combined Appliance, Electronic, Furniture group and is comprised of more than 6,500 retail electronics, appliance and furniture stores, generating some $9 billion dollars in sales, and is based in Winston-Salem, NC. “The massive scale and industry leading appliance and electronics volume of Nationwide have enabled us to create an impressive and unparalleled member support infrastructure,” said Ed Kelly, President, NMG. Bob Cremer, President, FMG, said, “today the challenges facing independent furniture retailers have never been greater. We see this relationship creating operating efficiencies and synergies which will help the members of FMG grow stronger and more profitable for many years to come.” “Over the years FMG has attracted some of the best furniture retailers in the country who were willing to share and learn and give back to the industry. Now with the association of Nationwide’s Furniture Smart division with FMG, we will create one organization with an unmatched umbrella of leading edge purchasing, advertising, marketing, communications and training services and initiatives that can be customized, directed and implemented to the furniture industry ,” Mike Herschel, Executive Director, FMG. “We are especially interested in utilizing Nationwide’s Digital Communications Center to correspond with the FMG members using streaming-video to promote our exciting furniture programs with many of the top manufacturers and importers in the country.” Bill Bazemore, Executive Director of Furniture Smart, said, “the new alliance will enable Furniture Smart, now the largest member of FMG, opportunities to expand brands and help bring new imports to our dealers.” In a recent presentation to FMG members, Robert Weisner, Executive Vice President, NMG said, “Nationwide’s sophisticated and time-tested order management and warehousing system will be customized to serve members of the furniture category. With nearly 40 warehouses throughout the U.S. and a proven central billing system, the benefits of ordering direct containers can be greatly increased. Weisner said that a knowledgeable and helpful sales team is one of the major competitive edges enjoyed by independent furniture and appliance retailers. Nationwide’s exclusive, computer-based product and sales training and certification programs are the industries’ largest. In addition, thousands of sales people annually attend Nationwide’s live selling skills and management workshops conducted from coast to coast.