Nov/Dec 2012—Presidents Making History

RetailerN

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Vol. 1 Issue 7

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ovember / Decem

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2012

INSIGHTS FOR TODAY’S HOME FURNISHINGS PROFESSIONAL

www.RetailerNOWmag.com

National Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings AssociationWHFANHFA

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Now & Then—2013 is here!

13. The New Association Presidents 20. Mad Money for Mad Men33. The Integrated Model

High Point Market Wrap-up

26. Showroom Design Tips28. Hot Products from Market

count onIT

yourVOICE

featuresNOW

10. Retailer2Retailer 11. Roving Reporter 29. Caught on Camera30. InstaNOW Contest

I N S I D E

04. A Message from the WHFA President06. Editor’s Letter08. TechNOW—Inbox36. Membership Marketplace 39. Product Focus—Lighting43. Quick-Fire Marketing44. Industry Scoop46. Calendar48. The Now List

13.

30.

26.

On the Cover

Four Hands Showroom—Learn design tips from the Showroom Design Competition winners on page 26.

Photo © VanderVeen Photographers


A big, "Thanks" to our partner, High Point Market Authority for assisting us with our cover and feature story photo shots.

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Editorial Collaborators:Andrew Tepperman, Tepperman’s Carol Bell, Contents Interiors Donny Hinton, Colortyme Marty Cramer, Cramer’s Home Furnishings Rick Howard, Sklar Furnishings Travis Garrish, Forma Furniture

2012 National Home Furnishings Association OfficersMarc Schewel, President, Schewel Furniture, VADianne Ray, Chairman, Garden City Furniture, SCCherie Rose, President Elect, The Rose Collection, CARick Howard, Sr. Vice President & Treasurer, FLJohn Wells III, Sr. Vice President, Wells Home Furnishings, WV

2012 Western Home Furnishings Association OfficersAngel Lopez, Exec. Committee Chair, Dearden's, Los Angeles, CAChris Sanders, President, Everton Mattress Factory, IDValerie Watters, President Elect, Valerie’s Furniture & Accents, AZLael Thompson, Vice President, Broyhill Home Collections, COChuck Kill, Treasurer, Bedmart, AZTom Slater, Secretary, Slater’s Home Furnishings, CA

Southern Home Furnishings AssociationRobert Dossenbach, President, Dossenbach’s Finer Furniture, NC Southeastern Home Furnishings Association Wogan S. Badcock III, President, W.S. Badcock Corporation

For a complete Board of Director listing, visit retailerNOWmag.com

NHFA StaffSteve DeHaan, NHFA Executive Vice President • (800) 888-9590 x6124Karin Mayfield, Sr. Director of Membership • (800) 888-9590 x6154Jordan Boyst, Member Services Rep • (800) 888-9590 x6132Dianne Therry, Member Services Rep • (800) 888-9590 x6167

WHFA StaffSharron Bradley, WHFA Executive Director • (916) 960-0345Karpice Crawford, Membership Director • (916) 960-0346Mike Hill, Member Services Rep • (916) 960-0263Eric Malone, Member Services Rep • (916) 960-0291

National Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings AssociationSEHFA SHFAWHFANHFA

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association Southern Home Furnishings Association

Contact Information:Mailing – Editorial:

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RetailerNOWthePlayers

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Tim TimmonsAssociate [email protected]

Cindi WilliamsBusiness [email protected]

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Retailer Now, ISSN# 2166-5249 is published monthly (except March and December) by the Western Home Furnishings Association, 500 Giuseppe Court, Ste 6, Roseville, CA 95678. Application to Mail at the Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Roseville, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: please address changes to: RetailerNOW, The Western Home Furnishings Association, 500 Giuseppe Court, Ste 6, Roseville CA 95678.

If you would like to stop receiving RetailerNOW, please send an email to [email protected].

If you would like to only receive an electronic version of RetailerNOW, please send an email to [email protected]. © 2012 National and Western Home Furnishings Associations. Published by the National Home Furnishings Association and Western Home Furnishings Association. Material herein may not be reproduced, copied or reprinted without prior written consent of the publisher. Acceptance of advertising or indication of sponsorship does not imply endorsement of publisher or National and Western Home Furnishings Associations. The views expressed in this publication may not reflect those of the publisher, editor or National Home Furniture Association, Western Home Furnishings Association and Western Retail Services Corp. Content herein is for general information only; readers are encouraged to consult their own attorney, accountant, tax expert and other professionals for specific advice before taking any action.

What we are so passionate about. . .

To have the courage to pursue purposeful dialogues that challenge conventional thinking, to engage and entertain our readers by delivering content that creates a fervent following ready to change the landscape of our industry.

RetailerNOW is the magazine for today’s home furnishings professional. Developed for a specialized community, RetailerNOW brings a unique editorial focus on progressive and relevant issues concerning the home furnishings industry in the retailer’s voice, with a focus on issues impacting retailers NOW.

Q: What are you thankful for this year?

I am thankful that in a serious world, I can always find something to laugh about.

—Tim

New England Chapter

After 4 years of planning a technology platform upgrade, we successfully launched it in May. I’m thankful to my entire team and their ability to manage this major disruption without losing site of growing our business.

—Andrew

FORM •FUNCTION •FASHION

Contact your Emerald Home sales representative or call 253-922-1400

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Find Relevance, Be Responsive, Be Ready

What has happened to this point? The first 10 months have been a predictable challenge for retailers and manufacturers. We have been overexposed to the political noise machine that has completely drowned out effective retail advertising especially for our members found within the

swing states. Further consolidations continue to exist within our industry, most notably in the mattress category. Now two entities will control over 60 percent of the mattress business. Corporate-owned chain furniture and mattress retail stores are in rapid expansion and market share growth modes. Non-traditional and hybrid distribution channels are growing larger and increasing the competition at the retail level.NOW WHAT? Relevance, responsive and ready are the words that we really need to know the meaning of and implement as we march into the end of the fourth quarter and into the New Year. In my travels over the last 11 months, I have witnessed a growing number of retailers that have no brand differentiation or uniqueness, and do very little to differentiate themselves from their competitors. We need to walk in our own stores with the consumer’s eyes, challenge our teams and ask the question, “What can we do to be better, in terms of product variation, service and providing a great experience?” We

can also challenge our manufacturers to help the retailer with product differentiation, uniqueness, market analysis and creative efforts. Unfortunately, many retailers are left picking up the pieces due to diminishing service levels, increased product distribution and the increasing margins requested by their suppliers due to the objective of raising their shareholder value. For those manufacturers and suppliers that have taken a progressive approach to the aforementioned deficiencies I applaud your efforts!It is important to find out what our customers want and how to cater to their request. We need to find manufacturers that will act like partners and care about your success. We need to think in terms, the store is the brand and investigate second and third tier suppliers when considering purchasing category assortments because of their eagerness to “think outside of the box” solutions and service. Don’t be a “me-too” company. Find relevance and convey your message to the consumer. As we go into the New Year, use what we have learned in the past to create a better future for the industry.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” —Henry Ford

Chris Sanders,

A Farewell Message from the WHFA President

President’s Message

Check out past issues of RetailerNOW online at RetailerNOWmag.com

Chris SandersEverton Mattress &Furniture GalleryWHFA President

[email protected]

It’s hard to believe that another year is almost behind us. Time is moving so fast that you blink and the world around you has changed. Every year I like to take a few minutes to reflect and prepare for what’s ahead. One of my biggest personal achievements this year (aside from this magazine), was running in my first 5k. For 29 years,

I have never been a runner—I was the person that found every excuse possible to get out of running. But last January I decided it was time to try something new, and really challenge myself. So I made a goal of running in a 5k within the year. When I crossed the finish line, it felt great knowing that I pushed myself to do something I never believed possible. Now I am preparing for 2013, and challenging myself with new goals and distances.You should be creating goals for your business as well. While I doubt you will want to run a 5k (then again, maybe it would be fun!), what can you do to grow? This year, while better than the past few years, was still challenging for many. The consumer is holding onto their hard-earned dollars. How can you gain your customer’s business in the upcoming year? Look at what you accomplished this year, and craft goals for where you want

your company to be in a month, six months and a year. Write the goals down and post them in a place where you will see them daily. It is motivating to see check marks on what you have already accomplished and what you still need to tackle.Sit down with each employee and review his/her past year. Create new goals that will challenge and motivate them in the upcoming year. Then work with them throughout the year to meet those goals.Who knows what 2013 has in store, but I am hopeful that the economy will continue to recover. I am also excited to see what the New Year holds for the industry. It will be a history-making year for your Association, with two females taking the helm as NHFA and WHFA Presidents. This issue features your new Association Presidents, Cherie Rose and Valerie Watters. I am lucky to have had to chance to work with both of these wonderful ladies over the years—both are inspiring small business owners who will bring their knowledge, passion and fun to the industry. I hope you enjoy learning about these two inspiring women, and work on making 2013 the best year for you, your business and your employees.

(916) [email protected]@retailerNOW

Melissa DresslerEditor, RetailerNOW

from the editor

What I’m Loving…I absolutely love this daybed by Massoud. This colorful, fun design would be perfect at the end of a bed, or in my office. This daybed brings together leather and 100 percent natural, multi-colored silk. It would be a perfect spot for afternoon daydreaming (which is how I come up with my best article ideas). ;)

Follow other products I love on my blog and on Pinterest.Blog: www.retailerNOWmag.com www.pinterest.com/retailerNOW

Editor’s Message


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Tech NOW

Our Reader's EmailJust had a chance to go through magazine—AMAZING. Thank you to the staff for a great job! So proud of everything.Dianne Ray Garden City Furniture, Garden City, SC

Inbox

TechNOW & ThenTECHNOLOGY OVER THE YEARS

Christopher Latham Sholes

invents and sells the typewriter prototype to

Remington & Sons.

1873

1876 Alexander

Graham Bell patents the telephone.

1888 The first Kodak camera was produced.

Life got a little more comfortable when the first air conditioning unit was created.1902

1906 Can you hear me now? Radio broadcasts start, connecting people hundreds of miles away.

1927The first television is created.

1939 A prototype of the first digital computer is created

The Polaroid Camera is developed and delivers users photos within 60 seconds.1947

1964 IBM rolls out the first mass-produced computer operating system (OS/360 for all you geeky people).

1965 The minicomputer is developed. Since it is so small, it has an $18,000 price tag.

1971The first email was delivered.

Pong becomes one of the first mass-produced video games. The inventor of the game goes on to found Atari.1972

The first shipments of bar-coded products arrives in stores and laser scanners are used to read the codes.1974

1975Microsoft is born.

1983The first cellular phone network starts in the U.S.

1981 Commodore VIC-20 hits the market, the first color computer less than $300.

The fax machine gains popularity.1987

1989 The World Wide Web is invented.

1984 Apple releases the Macintosh.

1993 The web has 130 sites.

Imagine what your kids would do if you replace Xbox for a week with Pong—lol!


Tech Now

2012 Pinterest becomes the fastest site in history to break the 10 million unique user mark.

1994Two Stanford students create

“Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web” which is eventually renamed Yahoo!

1998Google it

—Google opens as a major Internet search engine.

1999The Blackberry is introduced and people can now access email from anywhere.

The world can now buy iPods. Wikipedia is launched.2001

Friendster, considered one of the first modern social networking sites, is launched.2002

2003 LinkedIn launches to connect professionals on the World Wide Web. MySpace also launches and becomes the social network for the younger generation.

2004 Facebook is created and available only to college students.

YouTube begins. There are more than 8 billion Web pages.2005

2006 Facebook opens to the general public. Tweets start flying as Twitter opens up for business.

2008 Google unveils the first Android OS

2009

The Internet had at least 27 billion web pages and could have had as many as 58 billion web pages. It’s almost impossible to count because of the rapid changes.

2010 Apple introduces the world to the iPad tablet. An estimated 1.97 billion people around the world use the Internet. The Internet surpasses newspapers as a primary way for Americans to get news. Pinterest launches.

2011 Social media commerce begins to rise with the increase of smartphone and tablet usage.

Our Reader's EmailI just finished reading the latest edition of RetailerNOW magazine and want to congratulate all of you in the quality of this publication. I found it very informative and a publication we can all be proud of.Jeff Child RC Willey, Salt Lake City, UT

The first smart phone, the Ericsson GS88, appears. The Web has one million sites.1997

2007 The first Apple iPhone is sold.

60% of all U.S. households owns at least one computer. The dot.com bubble burst.2000

Inbox


Colin Huges Almira Fine Furniture Unionville, OntarioWhere do you see

your business going in the next five years?

Retailer2Retailer

Your Voice

At Almira, repeat business and referrals from past customers continue to account for a large percentage of our sales. Being customer service-oriented, friends tell friends about their experiences dealing with us which fuels our sales. That said, going forward I see the growth in smartphones and Internet searches and realize we need to be constantly updating our website, social media sites, email lists as well as looking to expand into online sales, even if it is just in our local trading area. Read the rest of Colin's answer online: retailerNOWmag.com.

Dorian Stacy Sims Stacy Furniture & Design

Grapevine, Allen & Plano, TX

PFP Clients state it best!“I can honestly say that in the end I have no complaints… The planning and execution was incredible. Brandon and the PFP staffexceeded my expectations by delivering everything they promised, THE BOTTOM LINE!” (read the entire letter on the PFP website)

Frank ThomasPresident, Kay Furniture Company, Smithville, MO

Listen to our clients on our website and hear what they have to say about PFP. Visit www.PFpromotions.com to learn more.

800-472-5242 www.PFpromotions.com

#1 In High Impact Events

Make that first step. Call or Click today!

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We are working on our business plan to grow our business and prepare for the dynamic industry changes planned for North Texas. Stacy Furniture will continue to be the first place to shop for a wide selection of medium to high-end quality products and an outstanding service experience. We will remain dedicated to seeking out new, innovative ways to be green and reduce waste while increasing our services and efficiencies. As the economy continues to improve, we plan to readdress our expansion plans started in 2008 and look forward to building more stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Q


“Homes now have two living r o o m s ; o n e inside and one outs ide that is the biggest room of the house ,” sa id Steve Lowsky,

president, Pride Family Brands, cast aluminum furnishing manufacturer and longtime exhibitor, during the recent International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market held in Chicago’s famed Merchandise Mart, September 20-23, 2012. Dressing every facet of this “outdoor room” was the focus as hundreds of manufacturers and thousands of retailers converged for the only show in North America dedicated to the casual and outdoor furnishings industry.

TREND: Indoor style—Outdoor durability

Across three floors of permanent showrooms and a single temporary floor, exhibitors from around the world showcased their casual finery including patio furnishings of every construction and design style and outdoor accessories crafted for fun as well as function. Whether lighting or rugs; wicker or wood; pillows or umbrellas; fire pits or fabrics, the latest introductions featured ever expanding interior style partnered with enhanced exterior performance. Cast aluminum continued to blend elegance within outdoor while retro strap furnishings seemed to be making a come-back for spring 2013. As the category continues to grow for specialty retailers, the opportunities it offers are being recognized by traditional furnishings retailers as well.

Despite current challenges, a positive outlook prevailed throughout the showrooms. “I had been away from the show for a couple years and

recently returned,” said Gail Williams, owner Sunshine Furniture, Vero Beach, Fla. and winner of the coveted 2012 Apollo Award for retailing excellence. “I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality and collections being exhibited. My customers are furnishing a second or possibly a third home and require that something extra. They look to me to locate the latest outdoor trends.”

TREND: One-of-a-kind spaces

One trend on display took its cue from indoor furnishings; total customization. Retailers were introduced to lines and collections designed to deliver one of a kind retreats through growing options in custom finishes, fabrics, and features.

TREND: Beyond the casual season

Sales potential beyond Labor Day continues to be a request of specialty retailers and this year’s market provided plenty of options. Whether extending the enjoyment of the outdoors by hours or by weeks, fire features were the answer with additions in styles and function from fireside dining to chat seat grilling, the fire trend was on.

TREND: Textiles take center stage

The bright attitude of the market was mirrored in the bright colors trending across categories. Color, however, appeared to be matched in popularity only by the explosion in overall use of textiles. Outdoor durable fabrics were featured in unique textures and weaves as well as increased applications from designer pillows to retractable awnings, outdoor l ighting covers to multi-layered draperies. A popular stop on the show floor included the debut of a program allowing retailers to promote performance fabric choices direct to their customers. “The consumer is looking to move outdoors,” said Suzie Roberts, vice president and business manager, Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, manufacturers of Sunbrella® branded fabrics. “We have seen a tremendous response from

specialty and traditional furniture retailers to TriVantage’s new kiosk fabric program that includes assistance with coordinated looks and access to cut yardage.”

TREND: Committed to casual

Off the show floor, market guests made time during the four-day event for educational seminars and annual social functions. The numerous benefits of a single category-focused showcase continued to receive high marks. “As a small business retailer, it is important that the time and resources I commit to shows pay benefits,” said Judy Singleton, owner, TropicAire, Columbia, S.C.

“With everything focused on the casual industry, I am able to take advantage of my entire time here and explore everything that is available.”

With the size and potential of outdoor rooms, the 2012 Casual Market made it obvious that now is not the time to sit this one (category) out.

Roving Reporter

Your VoiceThe International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market

| LAURIE RUDD, Laurie Rudd PR

A glimpse of the International C

asual Furniture Market

The Patio Prom— The Casual Industry Comes Together to Dazzle & Choose Partners



Presidents

Making HistoryTODAY'S WORLD isn’t the same world we lived in five years ago, 10 years ago or 50 years ago. It is continually evolving, with new trends, technologies and businesses being introduced daily. The rise of women in the business world is one of these changing trends. Women-owned businesses represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy. According to the National Women’s Business Council, the number of women-

owned businesses grew 44 percent from 1997 to 2007—twice as fast as the number of male-owned businesses. Today, there are 7.8 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., and 88 percent are small businesses.

Cherie Rose, owner of The Rose Collection in Los Gatos, California, will be taking over the helm as NHFA’s 2013 President, and Valerie Watters, owner of Valerie’s Furniture and Ac-cents in Cave Creek, Arizona, will become WHFA’s 2013 President. Both women ex-emplify the ideals of being Association Presi-dents. Each started their own businesses, have proved to be successful in a male-dominated industry, and were received with open arms.

“When I first started in the industry, I couldn’t believe how welcoming people were,” Cherie said. “There I was, a woman-owned, first generation storeowner, that was also a single mom at the time, and I went into an industry I knew nothing about. Everyone was welcom-ing and helped me become the success that I am today. They were there mentoring me, helping along throughout the years. I think it says a lot about our industry—they took me in, embraced me and helped me along the way. We are really just one big family.”

Va l e r i e added , “Right off the bat,

I wasn’t shy about finding help. It was still the old boys club back then. All the big guys owned the stores out here, and had the big egos, but they were wonderful mentors. I would do anything I could to be around them and ask questions. They were all very willing to help and give me advice. I really got a lot of help from my vendors too.”

Words of Advice from a Past President"Listen and always take the opportunity to talk about being a member of our association."

—Dianne Ray, Garden City Furniture, Garden City Beach, SC NHFA 2011 President

Next year both the National Home

Furnishings Association and Western Home

Furnishings Association are making history—

and the spotlights will be on as two female Presidents take the

helm. While each Association has had

their fair share of female Presidents, there have

never been two in office at the same time.

Take a few minutes to learn more about these two powerful women who are your 2013 Association Presidents.

By Melissa DresslerPhotographs by VanderVeen Photographers


2013 NHFA President Cherie Rose

Owner, The Rose Collection Los Gatos, California

Cherie has always been a bright personality that brings people together. She has a strong entrepreneurial spirit that is as unique as she is, and she has successfully carved a niche for herself in an industry mostly powered by men. Cherie has an enduring spirit that is well respected within the industry.

—Lael Thompson, Broyhill Home Collections, Denver, CO


Presidents

"Business is coming back very strong—during the recession, having family work with me helped us survive."

Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, The Rose Collection is the place for tech-savvy residents to furnish their homes with traditional products with a fun and edgy twist. “The customer base here in Silicon Valley is actually a very traditional consumer,” owner Cherie Rose said, “But they want funky, fun and edgy pieces to accent it with.”Cherie accomplishes this unique product mix by offering traditional pieces, often with European flair, and trendy, edgy accents and accessories. The mix of the styles provides for a high-end shopping environment that is trendy, hip and fresh—just like the Silicon Valley.

Always having an entrepreneurial spirit, Cherie started her first business in 1985, a wallpaper store called The Hang Up. The store eventually evolved into a home decorating center, with Cherie offering window coverings, flooring, and other home improvement items. After a client asked Cherie to start carrying upholstered goods, and she saw some initial success, she ventured into the furniture industry.

“A client of mine called asking if I would put a piece of upholstery goods in the home decorating center. I put a sofa, chair and a cocktail table in my decorating center and as a result, I started getting furniture sales. I went back to school and got my interior design degree. Then I opened my home furnishings and interior design business, The Rose Collection,” she said.

A fire in 1995 forced Cherie to relocate her store to a 5,000 square foot location in Los Gatos. “I originally planned to rebuild after the fire and have two store locations,” she said.

“But the landlord of my building in Willow Glen wasn’t insured and lost the building.”

Today, The Rose Collection is Cherie’s passion and she is focused on building a successful business for her children to carry on. All four of her children work in the business and it is a dream come true for her to spend each day with her family, “We all have our highs and lows together, but they are what keeps me going every day,” she added.

During the height of the recession, it helped to have her family work with her. While many retailers in her area were closing down, Cherie and her kids did whatever was needed to stay open, including taking pay cuts. Cherie credits her family’s hard work to their survival, “Now business is coming back very strong. Whenever the stock market does well, we do well. We have already hired additional staff and are growing.”

With the worst of the recession behind her, Cherie and her children are looking to new business opportunities, including eCommerce. The Rose Collection plans to open their eCommerce business in early 2013 and offer their tech-savvy customers another way of buying furniture—from the comfort of their own homes.

“People in the Silicon Valley are very comfortable buying on the Internet, so this gives us a great opportunity to keep one store location and grow our business online. I have seen the success that companies like Wayfair have had with eCommerce, and I really have embraced the idea,” Cherie said. “I know I can be competitive and still get a good ROI. People get worried because the return rate is 10-12 percent, but I am lucky to have a storefront where I can sell returned items. I will only sell items that I would be able to sell in my store anyway. We will also have a design element on the site, so we will hopefully be able to help the customer with their room layout and color schemes to get the return rate even lower. I think if we can do that, it will be a huge success.”

Having already encountered many customers who are shopping online for furniture, Cherie sees this as a natural progression for the business. Also, having her four tech-savvy children working in the business, she sees that the younger generations have already embraced this style of shopping. Her goal for the future is to have at least 50 percent of sales coming from ecommerce—with her family and Silicon Valley behind her, it is definitely a realistic plan.

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w.harrywhophotography.com

2013 NHFA PRESIDENT—CHERIE ROSE


2013 WHFA President Valerie Watters Valerie’s Furniture & Accents Cave Creek, Arizona

Valerie has a genuine passion for our industry. She is truly a giver with an unselfish demeanor towards the effort she displays within her business and she will certainly exhibit that behavior as the next President of WHFA; her personality is contagious.

—Chris Sanders, 2012 WHFA President Everton Mattress, Twin Falls, ID


"I treat my customers like family and make my store an inviting atmosphere. I am also very involved in my community."

Presidents

Valerie Watters never had any plans of owning her own business—or working in the furniture industry. As a young kid growing up in Northern Michigan, she loved reading old Westerns and dreamt of one day moving out West, marrying a cowboy and having a ranch.At 21, and desperate for a job after moving to California, a friend encouraged her to interview for a part time position at a furniture store. Valerie went in, interviewed and was hired. “There was no training,” she said. “They just put me in the store. I didn’t even know how to open the register!”

Always being a curious self-learner, Valerie headed to the library and read every book she could find about furniture. She talked to other salespeople and learned how to sell.

“In less than three months, they made me manager,” she added. “And of course, no training! So I went back to the library, got books on managing people and became fairly successful for their store.”

Three years after working for the company, they moved her to Arizona to open two new stores. “I worked for them for eight years, gaining immense knowledge of the industry. But after averaging 78 hours a week, I decided to get out of the business. Of course my friends had other plans. They all said I needed to open my own store.”

Valerie toyed with the idea, and knew that if she did it she had to be unique and different from the competition. She also reflected on her love of old Western books and antiques. Slowly the focus of Valerie’s Furniture & Accents was born. “I wanted to be higher-end, unique and different enough to not have to compete with other furniture retailers,” Valerie said. “I have always been very proud to be American, so 23 years ago I decided to primarily sell American-made products and focus on local artists and regional looks. I wanted to offer handcrafted items from Arizona, New Mexico and California—items that would make my store unique, and it did.”

Starting off with almost nothing, Valerie opened up a small 3,000 square foot store in Scottsdale, and headed back to the library, “I did my homework, and went back to the library to learn how to open my own business. This was before the Internet, obviously! I also went to every store in the valley, saw what they did, didn’t do and then developed my own plan and ideas from there.”

In 2002, finally able to buy her own building, she moved Valerie’s Furniture & Accents to the small town of Cave Creek, just north of Scottsdale and then “went heavy duty Western.” Today, she has become known as the Western décor authority and has developed a niche of Western furnishings, “I have loyal customers that have been shopping with me since the beginning. Many of them live out of state, but every time they come into town, they stop by to say hi. I am also proud to have over 15 vendors that have grown their businesses with me for the last 23 years. It is the relationships that matter to me the most.”

Staying true to her brand, and herself, she has never swayed from her Made in American brand. “Three years ago, when business was really bad, I thought about getting some lower end furniture lines just to create some cash flow,” Valerie said. “I kept thinking I had to do it. Then one morning, I realized I couldn’t do it, because I struggled for 20 years to get the reputation of who I am, and I didn’t want to lose that. So I decided to stick to my guns and continue to be USA Made—ironically, over the last few years it has finally now become kind of the ‘in thing’.”

Sticking to her guns and being involved with her community, and the industry, has kept her successful. “I have always been involved in the community, and I have always been fair and square with people. I treat my customers like family and make my store an inviting atmosphere. Plus, I like to have fun! It may sound cliché, but good customer service is what has kept me in business, and I hope to be providing it for a long time.”

2013 WHFA PRESIDENT—VALERIE WATTERS

WHFA 2013 PresidentValerie Watters

Making History, continued The Year AheadBoth Cherie and Valerie are excited about the year ahead. As the economy strengthens, this is a great time to continue building the Association and our members’ businesses.

"I want to share my experiences as a small retailer and my insight on the consumer. There are opportunities for all of us to get involved in the industry. Even a small business like mine can have a presence on a national level.

I also think the fact that two women are Presidents of the Associations, in still a very male dominated industry, is a great thing. It says so much about the women in our industry as well as the industry itself. I want to set an example for more women-owned businesses to participate and get involved. It isn’t the same old boys club of the past. Hopefully people will see this with two women at the helm, and inspire them to become more involved.

My goal this year is to go to the White House. I want to share the success of small, independent retailers in our industry with the President." Cherie Rose, 2013 NHFA President

"I am excited to bring anything I can to the table—even if it is just my enthusiasm and perspective of being a smaller store—which I think is important. Usually you see the big guys involved in the industry, and are always the leaders, but things are changing. You can be a small business and still have a huge impact on the industry. You have the same knowledge and passion. I would love to see the return of smaller, specialty stores, and encourage more women to enter the industry.

I guess if I had a platform for the year, it would be that furniture is fashion. We need to get that message out to the consumer. Women are spending $5,000 for a Gucci purse, but they won’t spend $5,000 on a cool ottoman. It is all about image, and we need to work together to get that message out to the female consumer." Valerie Watters, 2013 WHFA President

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Advertising NOW

MAD MONEYBy Bill Napier

Which 50% Of Your Ad Budget Is Your Agency Wasting?

MAD MENfor

Most marketers may know the proverbial saying from John Wannamaker—the

father of modern advertising: “I know 50% of my advertising dollars are wasted, I just don’t know which 50%”?I’m writing this article because of the feedback, emails and phone calls I received from last month’s article: “The Death Of A Brand as We Know It”.

The quote above speaks to the reality that many marketing programs are not easily justified on basic return-on-investment measures, and that advertising in particular ends up being a leap of faith because it’s expensive and the direct benefits are VERY difficult to quantify, if at all…especially today!

Buy Now

Save Now

YADA YADA YADA

20


Advertising NOW

A major top 100 retailer called me about the article and through our discussion it became “painfully self-evident” that he had no clue what was happening with his advertising/marketing strategy… except that it wasn’t working anymore like it used to. As we talked, I related to him how I thought consumers were “consuming media today”. I could tell, through his deafening silence, this was a “deer in the headlights” moment for him. After I thought about our discussion for a few days, I became quite frustrated and angry that his agency was NOT his best friend anymore because they were pushing old strategies and tactics, making the same old MAD MONEY in the new retail world order.

For the record, I owned agencies in the 80s and 90s. We were extremely successful with clients like Gerber, PepsiCo, Ragu, General Mills and many small and large B2B clients. I have also directed the inside marketing for several large companies, so what I’m about to share with you comes from both sides of the aisle… Agency and Client side.

You probably hire an agency for a few different reasons. Some of which are:

h They have a track record of growing businesses.

h The landscape and multiple channels for “messaging” are confusing and you need someone to help guide and direct your store’s messaging.

h You just don’t have the time to learn and invest in this confusing landscape.

So here are my thoughts, or should I say “RANTS” about how your agency is not your best friend anymore, if they even were in the first place.

Basically, ad agencies and marketing firms are glorified salesmen and middlemen—they make their MAD MONEY off of MAD MARK-UPS and commissions.

If you check Adweek, Advertising Age, Brandweek, etc. accounts are listed by “billings” or how much clients spend on media each year… or how much YOU spent with them. When an agency takes on a client, they usually handle

creative, media placement, consumer research, etc. For doing so, they mark everything up, especially the media placement—usually by about 7 to 17.5 percent give or take. Why 17.5 percent? I dunno. Maybe it’s the most agencies think they can get away with before anyone asks questions. In the old days, at my former agency, we marked up all

“costs” 15 percent, and then we applied an additional mark-up of 17.65 percent on top of that. That was then, however, this is now and the “ad” world is very, very different today!

There are a couple different ways agencies get compensated for their “efforts”. These are:

Retainer Relationship: This is when the client (YOU) pays the agency a flat monthly fee that covers all their internal costs and sometimes basic media and maintenance. Outside costs are billed to the client either direct, or with that awesome mark-up I mentioned previously. This relationship, and its costs, usually have some sort of client/market exclusivity attached to it.

Project Based: This relationship is what it states. The agency gives you a budget for a “project” you requested and you are billed for those “agreed upon” costs. But, buyer beware, because many times these budgets change because “you” or the “agency” made changes to the project and as such, someone has to pay for those changes… and that would be you! Agencies Love this, because you’re already financially vested and getting more for the project, especially if it’s your idea, creates incremental income. This is what we refer to a

“plum” assignment.

A combination of the above: This is where you pay a monthly fee which covers the basics: open communication, strategy discussions and some basic creative and then you pay for the tactics as you agree to them… yep, that 17.65 percent-plus thing.

Here’s my problem from the discussion I had with the retailer. His agency was still selling him on traditional media: TV commercials, radio commercials and print (ROP or circulars). They had a website, but the agency did not help manage that or offer any “new media” advice or strategies…

Your ad agency is not your best friend anymore.


dirt, or worse. Anyone can create a 50 to 70 percent off everything, maybe change out the graphics with some Presidents, a turkey, New Year hats, or an American Flag. Add a shamrock, some fireworks, some Holiday themes along with a back to school program and you have your “year’s marketing plan”…and I just gave it to you for free!

Now we add to that some dude screaming to “Buy Now, Save Now”… yada, yada and you have a recipe for sameness and irrelevance. Come on people, if you yelled at your girlfriend or wife to, “Do something now”, etc., please write back to me with: How that works out for you… don’t bother, I already know!

Yep, that’s what you’re paying for: tired, overdone pedestrian tactics with no new strategic ideas just recycled ideas for every day. But what really upsets me is some of these agencies have multiple clients in multiple markets and guess what? They/you are paying for this agency’s services: retainer, project, etc., and guess what they/you are getting for your investment? The same strategy, same creative and the same lame results they sold to their Client “A”, but with a different voiceover and end tag. Why? Because each client is in a different market (MSA) and they don’t see the recycling. I call that “churning & burning”, more MAD MONEY for them, need I explain more? I could make an ugly “price-off” commercial with moving pictures, copy and voice on PowerPoint and it would be equal to, or better than, what you’re paying these agencies for! (I have a PowerPoint presentation with all of these attributes on my LinkedIn profile. It took me three hours to make.)

Advertising NOW

OUCH! This is a MAD MONEY approach to marketing for the MAD MEN. Ok, I agree that we need to maintain some sort of a presence with traditional media channels, but not as a primary marketing medium anymore. Did you know that print advertising revenues today equate to what they were in the 1950s? Why you ask? DUH, no one reads newspapers anymore in this soon to be extinguished marketing medium. The same is quickly becoming true with traditional TV/cable. Have you read the articles about consumers

“disconnecting” from cable?

In June, Netflix streamed 1 billion shows with no commercials. My cable lets me “catch up” on missed shows with minimal or no commercials. My DVR lets me skip through commercials, so who makes out here? The MAD MEN armed with all that data that promotes reach and frequency, but increasingly, these numbers, in my opinion, are becoming much more curious/dubious than fact.

Now what really gets me about this is what agencies are doing to our retail base. I would say the media messages for home furnishings are as creative as

...you’re paying for tired, overdone

pedestrian tactics with no new strategic ideas just recycled ideas for

every day


So, have I hit a nerve yet?

When I was in the business, our platform was to “teach our clients” everything we knew, as we expected them to teach us everything they knew. By doing this, we created a true partnership. The free flow of ideas and critiques forced us to think smarter, be different and very relevant just to keep their business. We always challenged pedestrian ideas—always. We believed that our customer and our business with them would get ambushed with better ideas, better creative and better results if we did not consistently, “Set the standards by which the competition competes.”

Today, in our industry, it’s not the case. MAD MEN are comfortable because their clients are NOT informed or educated as to changing consumer dynamics, the changing media dynamics and so much more that is happening at lightning speed in retail today. They want it this way! Why, because they haven’t invested in learning the new paradigm and they’re comfortable with what they know and how it has consistently delivered MAD MONEY to their bottom line. If this was not the case, they wouldn’t accept

“pedestrian” as your brand’s messaging strategy. I know this to be true, because 90 percent-plus in this industry have no strategy or tactics as it pertains to the Internet because the agencies and the marketing people don’t want to go out of their comfort zone for their clients.

So, you still don’t believe me? Check out your agencies Internet/web presence. This is the client’s “first face” of an agency, and it’s their primary calling card to potential new business opportunities. It shows them who they are, what they do, how they do it and who they do it for; with case studies and more. I’ll bet you their web and Internet presence is old, tired, boring and non-inspiring. I’ll bet they have not invested in their own business to bring it into the last decade, much

A strategic plan should

have everything in it.

It should be a complete

landscape with the

S.W.O.T & P.E.S.T

analysis. This should

be reviewed in every

quarterly meeting and

updated immediately

after those meetings

with any changes

relative to competitive

environment, the

economy, new products

and more.

Advertising NOW

less today, using all of the awesome technology afforded to businesses today. This is the first flag, for if they don’t take pride in their own brand, how can they justify taking your money for your brand? Ask them that hard question: Why haven’t they led by example? (I’d love to hear the excuses and secretive rationale they would have for this).

I’ve written tons on the changing consumers, Generation X and Y, and how they consume information, where they get it from, and how they interact with it. The problem is that this industry isn’t adapting to it, and I believe the protection of the Mad Man’s income has a lot to do with it. OK, you, their customers, are also responsible because you allow this to happen because you are not educating yourselves!

The fact is: Mad Men want to keep you hooked on “Outbound (Traditional) Marketing” when in fact today it’s about “Inbound (New Media) Marketing”. They don’t want to change, because they don’t want to invest in the paradigm shift. That costs money and takes away from their comfy revenues/profits. As such, by not leading by example, they only provide and recycle “what they know”, stifling new ideas, new revenue streams and new brand opportunities for your retail business.

OK, you’re saying you have Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I bet your agency charges you between $500/month to $8,000/month to manage these for you. I don’t even want to talk about this, the strategies and tactics implemented on these platforms infuriates me, and I’ve already written a ton on these subjects in this magazine or in our retail blogs.

So, what do you do?

STEP ONE: Get a marketing person “on-staff” that is a real marketing person, not a furniture person that came up through the ranks, for that’s all they know: furniture! This person must have knowledge, experience and the creative expertise to manage and direct the efforts of your brand and the agency. Continued on p.24


Advertising NOW

Yep, this will cost money to do, especially if they are good at their job. But, if they are really good, you will save a ton of money by not paying all that money to the agency. A great marketing person directs the creative, the copy and the execution—saving many hours that the agency previously billed you for. Soon, you’ll find much of what you paid the agency for can be done in-house, limiting your agency to great creative and strategy on demand.

Make sure this person’s success and failures are tied to the agency’s success and your lift/profitability. This person should be extremely knowledgeable about how old media is bought and placed as well as new media and future “trends”. They should spend their time “focused” on inbound marketing, the creative, the channels and the results. Knowing the product is not a requirement, that’s for the buyers and merchandisers. Knowing how to get the product to the right consumer and create leads to your salespeople is their job description. Their compensation should be tied to your business success and not limited, but open ended. The more you succeed, the more they should succeed.

Demand transparency. Know what everything costs, how you are billed, what you are billed, their mark-ups, everything. They know your profits/margins, it should be reciprocated. All concerned should be fully vested in each other’s

success and profitability. That’s what a partnership is.

Yes your agency, if they’re any good, needs to make money. They should be paid for creative, brand platforms and copy. If they do it right, they should be paid handsomely for it. If you’re paying for strategy, you should pay them for a strategic plan and its results. A strategic plan should have everything in it. It should be a complete landscape with the S.W.O.T & P.E.S.T analysis. This should be reviewed in every quarterly meeting and updated immediately after those meetings with any changes relative to competitive environment, the economy, new products and more. A strategic plan is not about media buys, the media schedule, costs and placements. That part of the plan is about tactics, not strategy. Strategy is not everything is on sale—that platform is a cop out and if that’s all they’ve got, fire them. Their compensation should be tied to your business success and not limited, but open ended. The more you succeed, the more they make. Yep, it’s sort of like piecework in furniture, the more you make, the more you make.

There is so much more I could RANT about here, but we have a limited space to do so. I could write a book about this for I am passionate on setting those standards by which the competition must compete… and you should be too!

About Bill Napier: Bill is a specialist in creating, guiding and deploying successful marketing B2B & B2C solutions integrating traditional marketing strategies with the web and social media. He has worked in the home furnishings industry for over 12 years, as the chief marketing officer for some of the industry's largest manufacturers and creating some of the largest promotions ever launched within the industry. Contact Bill at [email protected], (612) 217-1297or www.social4retail.com.

MAD MONEY for MAD MEN

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Winning in the retail arena takes more than just the right product at the right price. In this fiercely competitive world, if a business does not change and evolve to meet new needs and demands, they will be chosen last in the most important game of all – the consumer game. Winning businesses are winners because they do things differently.

If you’re looking for a better way to flow product, manage your customer’s experience, and add to your profitability at the same time, we can help.


Design Tips

You go to Market to buy new products and learn about the new trends, but it is also a great opportunity to get new showroom design inspiration. You need to keep your store fresh to attract today’s consumer and manufacturers are often on the cutting-edge of new design trends.For the last five years, High Point Market Authority has been honoring those manufacturers that excel in providing superior showroom design during the Fall Market Showroom Design Competition. This year’s winners are: Bernhardt, Best of Market Award; Surya, Fashion Focus Award; and Four Hands, People’s Choice Award. RetailerNOW caught up with the winners, and got these four tips on how to bring their award-winning ideas into your store.

Transport Your Customer

Years ago, Bernhardt’s Creative Director, Ron Fiore, was in Paris when a store stopped him in his tracks. Large iron doors separated those on the outside from the warm, inviting store featuring a library where people were enjoying their coffee. The environment was warm and inviting—drawing the person from the outside, in.

Inspired by this scene, Ron wanted to create that same inviting feeling in Bernhardt’s High Point showroom. The entryway was turned into a large library, with large-scale bookcases, furniture, and layers of accents. The whole feeling was a romantic scene that drew in Market-goers.

“Focus on something that is aspirational in your store,” Ron said. “It doesn’t have to be a library—that is pretty aggressive. But think romantically and think about transporting your customer’s mindset. Where would you want to be transported?”

By Susie Slipperfoote

FOUR HANDS SHOWROOM—People's Choice Award SURYA SHOWROOM—Fashion Focus Award


Design Tips

Fashion, Fashion, Fashion

“Fashion should be important in our industry, even though it isn’t always. We are an extension of fashion into the home,” said Satya Tiwari, owner of Surya. Surya showcased the connec-tion between furniture and fashion by creating a dress crafted entirely of their rug swatches. Displayed on a mannequin, the dress featured the latest styles that are found in women’s fashion apparel.

“It is about connecting the dots for the consumer, and showing them the fashion behind a piece,” Satya added. “When a customer walks into your store and sees products that reflect the styles she is currently wearing, there is a subliminal connection to the fashion.”

An easy way to keep the latest styles in your store is by freshening up your accessories every season. Also talk to the customer about her fashion style and how she sees that style reflected in her home.

Upcycle Your Merchandising Displays

Looking for innovative, and inexpensive ways to add flair to your merchandising displays? Take an idea from the Four Hands showroom, which featured upcycling displays—a hot trend where you convert wasted materials into something new and usable. In the Four Hands showroom, upcycling could be seen in displays made out of paper bags, old paint cans, stones, books and more.

“We realize budget is a huge thing for the retailer, and the consumer, so we tried to get creative,” said Cameron Cook, public relations manager with Four Hands. “We had employ-ees bring in empty milk cartons, egg crates, beer cans, wine bottles—even corks—and make fun displays throughout the showroom.”

Have your employees bring in old items from their house, or find some old pallets in the warehouse, and have a fun DIY afternoon creating unique, innovative displays.

Focus

With every new design idea, you always need to keep in mind basic design principles. Whether you are creating a lifestyle vignette or an entryway, make sure there is focus to it. “Humans can only handle so much at a time, and the eye can only handle so much detail,” Ron said.

“You may have good settings, but if there is no attention to the focus of it, it will not work. Sets of threes always seem to work.”

Give the customers a show—and make sure it looks fantastic from every direction. “People always pay attention to the forward, but not the other way. Those sightlines are important as well. Make sure all of your displays look great from the front, and back,” he added.

BERNHARDT SHOWROOM—Best of Market Award

All Photos © VanderVeen Photographers


Market Wrap-up

HOT PRODUCTSA FEW GREAT PIECES FROM THE OCTOBER HIGH POINT MARKET

HICKORY CHAIR |hickorychair.comHampton's Alice Secretary breathes new life into a classic cabinet design.

THEODORE ALEXANDER | theodorealexander.comWords Take Flight, a louro preto veneered & aluminium aeronautical writing table.

WESLEY HALL |wesleyhall.comFrom the Manor Ottoman Collection a rectangle inset top in a leafy shade of green.

CHELSEA HOUSE |chelseahouseinc.ocmCeltic Knot Lamp, Lisa Khan Collection.

THIBAUT | thibautdesign.comThe shaped bottom rail of the Bedford Chair adds a special touch to this slipper chair.

CR LAINE |crlaine.comFrom the Fifty Shades of Green collection—Emerald City, the Claybourne Sofa has the look.


Market Wrap-up

A FEW GREAT PIECES FROM THE OCTOBER HIGH POINT MARKET

KAS RUGS | kasrugs.comBali Collection—Hand-tufted transitionals in poly-acrylic blend. Plum-black mosaic and black city view.

JS@HOME |The Lakeshore Cocktail table in the Lakeshore Collection by JS@Home.

Caught on CameraOur Roving Reporters (that’s you!) were everywhere during High Point Market—sending us the sites and sounds from the event. Check out what you saw during the Fall High Point Market!

@ramarketing: Check out this #besocial group in the @RAMarketing @furnsocialspot @BestBuyDirect booth! #subscribeNOW

@impeccable_nest: Me & Candice Olson! #hpmkt #subscribeNOW

@taraceaconcept: Guests & photos #subscribeNOW #HPMkt

@mkwinnette: La-Z-Boy... Go Tangerine Tango #hpmkt

@johnrichardcoll: Loving Lavender and Eglomise #hpmkt #subscribeNOW

Check out more of your Market photos at www.retailerNOWmag.com/click/photos

HOT PRODUCTS


Market Wrap-up

Six lucky readers were given the opportunity to take over the RetailerNOW Instagram and show us High Point Market through their “lens”. This fun and interactive contest put the spotlight on you, the reader. The social media community voted and these are the top photos from each day!

Insta DAY ONE—Samantha Shaffer,

R&A Marketing Samantha joined R&A Marketing last June

and has been busy spreading her love of social media to the retailers she helps as

an Account & Social Media Specialist.

Seeing Market Through Your Eyes

Good Morning #hpmkt Anyone know if these will take you on a magic carpet ride? @retailerNOW #hpmkt

@bestbuydirect at the @ngnow Ignite Session #hpmkt @retailerNOW

DAY TWO—Julie Browning Bova, Julie Browning Bova Designs

As a seasoned professional, Julie Browning Bova has worked in the design industry for over 20 years, collaborating with esteemed individuals

to strengthen her craft and is well-known for her equestrian-inspired product design.

#HPmkt Info center—all smiles this morning in the information center! Ready to answer all your questions and assist with your market experience!

Crisp red & patterns of blue at Stanford Furniture! 435 N Wrenn

#Equestrian details from Julie Browning Bova Home Collection for Stanford Furniture— #HPmkt 435 N. Wrenn

DAY THREE—Dana Helms, SocialNorthDana brings 10 years of experience in the home furnishings industry—from retail to cutting-edge

technology and recently became the Social Media Community Manager for the social

media strategy firm, Social North.

Cresent Fine Furniture #hpmkt hosting. @WithIt event for competitive intelligence seminar

Celebrating @decormentorlisaferguson with the #elevate wall @socialnorth via @themrshelms and @juliarosien

Great end to a great day! #fourhands #hpmkt


DAY FOUR—Bradley Clifford, Bradley Clifford DesignBradley is a nationally known interior designer with over 20 years experience in the design and home furnishings field. He recently closed his showroom, Bravado Home & Design to focus on an e-commerce site, his new furniture brand and his steady interior design business in Portland, OR and Dallas, TX.

Beautiful ottoman by #HickoryChairco

Beautiful chair by @ThayerCoggin Refreshing to see original designs from the past being reintroduced.

Great new custom finishes at #VanguardFurn #hpmkt "Make it yours" by #MichaelWeiss

DAY FIVE—Sarah Berndt, Da Ming Kai, LLC Sarah is the Marketing & Sales Director for Da Ming Kai (DMK), a sourcing and manufacturing company that connects buyers and suppliers here and abroad.

DAY SIX—Dorian Stacy Sims, Stacy Furniture & Design Dorian has worked in the furniture industry for more than 20 years—working extremely hard to build her family business of Stacy Furniture & Design into what is now a multi-store retail organization with over 200 employees.

Last one! Post #hpmkt getaway? Suites @ MS, Ground Floor

Afternoon pick me up! Orange #chevron. #hpmkt Suites @ MS, M-8029

#hpmkt at Happy Hour! Suites @ MS Fred Conlon at Sugarpost 1-427

Check out this ray of morning sunshine. #sherrill furniture #RetailerNOW #hpmkt

Chaise to the left - chaise to the right. Too cute and comfy! #hpmkt #sammoore #furniture #chaise

Color my world. #massoud #hpmkt

Market Wrap-up

A Special Thanks to our partner

High Point Market Authority


Waverly is our new contemporary lifestyle furniture collection, designed for those of you seeking well-made furniture with modern features at an affordable price.

From our Family to Yours

Sol id Furni ture with a Conscience

www.cresent.com • Twitter: @cresentfurn


the INTEGRATED MODEL Our Industry’s Only Hope for SuccessBy Barry Abraham

It is no question that the home décor industry must change in order to survive. The various nodes of the marketplace—manufacturers and retailers—are increasingly struggling and going out of business. As

one recent commenter exclaimed on one of my Crunch Time blog posts, “the distribution network of the 20th century is dead.” But is it, really?

Retailers have seen their customer’s buying behavior change drastically, visiting online channels when they start shopping, instead of driving from store to store. The widespread and easy access to information available on the web has resulted in insidious shopping behaviors (like showrooming), which wreak havoc on retailers. Meanwhile, manufacturers are watching their generational retail relationships die off through store closures and downsizing, which in turn places extreme cost pressures on their businesses. Consequently, the consumer is losing the designing expertise and supportive relationships retailers have to offer.

This all too common scenario is a broken model. The status quo will only cause these businesses to join the ever-growing ranks of bankrupt brands and shuttered stores.

If the traditional retailing ecosystem is to survive, retailers must come together with manufacturers and designers for tighter collaboration and standards. These disparate industry stakeholders must join together in an integrated model in order to succeed in these rapidly changing times.

THE INTEGRATED MODEL Integrated models are not entirely unheard of in home décor. Ethan Allen, Restoration Hardware, and others have adopted these operational models where all content, pricing, and distribution is consistent across all retail platforms. For these companies, it doesn’t matter where the customer goes—to the physical store, an ecommerce retailer, or the manufacturer itself—she receives the exact same messaging, product content, advertised price, etc. This integrates all of the market nodes into a seamless shopping experience, building trust and purchase confidence for the consumer.

This successful model is available to our nation’s retailers and brands, but in order to capture it they must embrace the change together and shift to a fundamentally new model of business operation.

As part of that shift, retailers must recognize that the consumer’s buying behavior has changed forever and now begins online, and therefore their manufacturing partners must move their products to online channels if they hope to survive. However, this move must not harm the physical store’s business, either.

In addition, manufacturers must recapture control of their brand’s channel and content distribution, while practicing discipline when it comes to their pricing models. Thus, creating pricing parity between physical stores and Internet retailers.

DISTRIBUTION After the manufacturer’s products are present and available online, the next critical step toward a successful integrated model is through the level of a manufacturer’s control over the distribution of its brand and content.

In this Digital Age, anyone can scrape your website for images and product descriptions for ‘inventory’ on their own low-end retailing website. Unfortunately, brands have turned a blind eye to scraping practices in the hopes that the resulting traffic from this additional exposure will increase their sales. When your products are promoted on any unsanctioned site, the brand that you’ve spent decades developing and shaping is easily damaged or destroyed—almost in an instant.

And it’s not just the content-scrapers out there that can harm your online reputation. Control is first achieved when manufacturers choose their sanctioned retail partners wisely. Your sanctioned partners should be only those retailers who understand the value of brand control, while following a higher standard and upholding industry best practices. That means to avoid sanctioning just anybody and everybody who’s willing to do one or two deals per year.

It doesn’t stop there. Brands must administrate their content and the access to its use. Content is king, especially online where a company’s ability to be found by potential customers is directly linked to the quality and search-ability of their content. For manufacturers to survive in the online world, they must place tighter controls on their content (which includes images and product descriptions) to create that trust and value consistency that consumers look for.

AffiliatesNow & Then


Your brand has taken generations to build. Don’t allow those who will ultimately cause harm to your brand and your retail ecosystem to succeed with content-scraping practices. Supervise and protect the use of your content. With good partnerships and a controlled message, you will create consistency to the brand promise you offer your consumers, and trust within the buying community.

PRICING Finally, an integrated model can only work if there is parity of pricing across all retail channels. Currently, online retailers can charge significantly lower prices than their brick-and-mortar retail counterparts, a condition which has resulted in insidious customer shopping behaviors like showrooming. Albeit most online retailers must provide free shipping which will drive up their cost and sales price.

Pricing policies should allow for the extra overhead and costs that physical retailers experience with a lower pricing multiple. Conversely, these policies should enforce a slightly higher multiple for Internet retailers to create a comparability of price conclusion for the customer, no matter which retail channel she’s shopping. This creates pricing parity.

Even if the advertised price on the eCommerce platform is lower than the physical store’s, the customer may be more comfortable with a slightly higher price. This contentment exists because she is able to address questions, returns, and other information with a real, local person instead of a ‘robot’ (the Internet). Therefore, because it is at parity across all retail channels, the price is balancing on the customer’s choice of channel and the level of risk she is willing to undertake.

In order for the balance to continue, manufacturers should also be

disciplined when it comes to following the policies and enforcing them in the marketplace. They must be disciplined about stopping and penalizing violators that advertise a slashed price. There are examples of how Minimal Advertised Price (MAP) policies are enforced; manufacturers would set a MAP price, such as $200 for a dining chair, and would enforce that price to ensure that retailers, both offline and online, do not advertise to sell that chair for $195. If a retailer does advertise below that price, they are penalized. Samsung already has policies in place and charges dealers penalty fees if they advertise below their lowest allowed price. Other manufacturers have informed their retailers that if they advertise a lower price than MAP allows, the brand will decline to fill orders—outstanding or future—for that retailer.

It’s critical to note that MAP is all about setting a consistent, baseline advertised price. Manufacturers who attempt to govern the price at checkout or enforce a Manufacturer’s Recommended Price (MRP) could be treading on dangerous legal ground, since price-fixing and similar practices are illegal in many cases.

By incorporating and enforcing a standardized advertised pricing model like MAP across the entire industry, brands create a fair and competitive

marketplace for all of their retail channels.

THE END GAME Governance of brand and content distribution, and creating pricing parity all requires discipline and a commitment to our industry’s future.

Manufacturers must work all online channels as effectively as they would work their brick-and-mortar channels, policing all of the digital aspects of their business to ensure conformity to and consistency of content and pricing policies. They must take swift action against those who are causing a disruption in the new integrated business model.

In turn, retailers will have a net increase in their sales volumes, because close collaboration and strict adherence to standards creates an environment of fair and balanced competition in the marketplace. However, this can only occur if retailers work closely with manufacturers to maintain pricing discipline and report retailers who choose to carp the market.

The integrated model can work effectively to mend the damage our industry has seen over the last decade or more. We can be successful and strong once again, with such a commitment to collaboration toward mutual growth and prosperity.

Barry Abraham is a sales and marketing strategist, speaker, seminar leader, and entrepreneur who has been a veteran of four start-ups and VP of sales and marketing for two international technology companies. In 2005, Barry took a hiatus from the technology industry and founded the first fully automated granite countertop manufacturing company in the Pacific Northwest. He went on to found PureHome.com, a social trading hub for the home decor industry, which integrates manufacturers, retailers, and Pure Home's patent-pending contextual search technology on a platform designed to improve the user experience of the home decor consumer. Barry is currently the CEO of Pure Home Corporation, and lives in Kirkland, Washington with his amazing wife and two awesome teenagers.

...it doesn’t matter where the customer goes—to the physical store, an eCommerce retailer, or the manufacturer itself—she receives the exact same messaging, product content, advertised price, etc.

Now & Then

Reimagined. Reenergized. Reinvented.

This is the new Las Vegas Market — join us.

Winter 2013 brings you a more inspired buying experience fi lled with:

� More new lines to make your store stand out

� More introductions to excite your customers

� More emerging trends to freshen your o erings

� More exciting home furnishings, accessories and décor resources than ever!

To learn more and register: www.LasVegasMarket.com

MOREON EVERY LEVEL

Las Vegas Market January 28–February 1, 2013

www.LasVegasMarket.com

TODAY ’S TOTAL M ARKETPL ACE

Reimagined. Reenergized. Reinvented.

This is the new Las Vegas Market — join us.

Winter 2013 brings you a more inspired buying experience fi lled with:

� More new lines to make your store stand out

� More introductions to excite your customers

� More emerging trends to freshen your o erings

� More exciting home furnishings, accessories and décor resources than ever!

To learn more and register: www.LasVegasMarket.com

MOREON EVERY LEVEL

Las Vegas Market January 28–February 1, 2013

www.LasVegasMarket.com

TODAY ’S TOTAL M ARKETPL ACE

CALL YOUR MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND GET STARTED!

Retailers East of the Rocky Mountains, call

(800) 888-9590 www.nhfa.org

Retailers in the 12 Western states, call (800) 422-3778 www.whfa.orgNational Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings Association

SEHFA SHFAWHFANHFASouth Eastern Home Furnishings Association Southern Home Furnishings AssociationNational Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings Association

SEHFA SHFAWHFANHFASouth Eastern Home Furnishings Association Southern Home Furnishings Association

Member Marketplace

inventory Financing With competitive Centralized billing

Flexible Terms and Annual Rebates Put YOU back in the Driver’s Seat

Exclusive Member Benefits

✔ Pre-approved Credit Lines

✔ No Fees – FREE to all WHFA members

Qualified Members will have the choice*

❍ Extended Re-payment terms—

✔ 30/60/90 day scheduled liquidation

✔ 1-Pay 60 days

❍ Early Pay Discount (EPD) Reward Yourself!

❍ One payment for multiple invoices/suppliers

❍ Annual rebates back to you**

No BrandSource membership required

Centralized billing provides you with more flexibility and control at your fingertips. Easy online access allows you to manage your credit line, make payments, check due dates and search invoices. Simplify your accounts payable and make one regular payment to multiple vendors using the fast and friendly BSF central billing system.

*Based on suppliers participation

**Annual rebates of 10 basis points to WHFA members financing a minimum of $100,000 in a calendar year.

NEW

PROGRAM

Call Today for a complete listing of participating manufacturers.

Who may nominate a candidate?Any member of the home furnishings industry may nominate one or more candidates for Retailer of the Year. National Home Furnishings Association solicits nominations from members of the Association, NHFA sponsoring manufacturers and suppliers, International Home Furnishings Representatives Association, and the industry trade press. Others also are invited to participate.

Who may I nominate?Nominees must be stocking dealers or employed by a store selling furniture to the consumer on a day-to-day basis. Only members in good standing of NHFA are eligible. Officers of NHFA’s Board of Directors are ineligible for nomination and remain so until three (3) years after the completion of their terms.

What factors determine the recipients?Candidates are evaluated on these criteria: • Contributions to the industry • Community Service • Personal business achievements and company leadership

Who selects the Retailer of the Year?A Selection Committee evaluates each nominee based on the three criteria. Members of the committee may include: NHFA Board officers; a sponsor manufacturer; an industry supplier; a past recipient of the award; a principal of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association; and a representative of the home furnishings industry press. How is the selection process carried out?Each nominee must complete a questionnaire detailing his/her achievements, and it must be accompanied by supporting documentation such as testimonials, newspaper clippings and letters of commendation. The questionnaires and documentation are provided to the members of the Selection Committee, and each member then independently rates the candidates on a point system using the three criteria. Scores from each Selection Committee member are added together and the honor goes to the nominee receiving the most points in each category.

National Home Furnishings Association3910 Tinsley Drive, Suite 101 • High Point, NC 27265-3610 • (800) 888-9590 • www.nhfa.org

NHFA’s prestigious Retailer of the Year Awards are awarded annually. Any active member of the home furnishings industry may nominate one or more candidates.

Two (2) Awards will be presented: • Retailer with a sales volume under $10 million • Retailer with a sales volume $10 million or above

The recipients are selected for their outstanding contributions to the home furnishings industry, exemplary service to the community and personal business achievements.

RetailerYearof the

My nominee for NHFA’s 2013 Retailer of the Year is:Name

Company

Address

City State Zip

Telephone ( ) Fax ( )

Email

Fax this form to (336) 801-6102 or email Odetta Wash at [email protected]. DEADLINE: November 30, 2012.

2013

Gala & Awards Presentation April 22, 2013


Who may nominate a candidate?Any member of the home furnishings industry may nominate one or more candidates for Retailer of the Year. National Home Furnishings Association solicits nominations from members of the Association, NHFA sponsoring manufacturers and suppliers, International Home Furnishings Representatives Association, and the industry trade press. Others also are invited to participate.

Who may I nominate?Nominees must be stocking dealers or employed by a store selling furniture to the consumer on a day-to-day basis. Only members in good standing of NHFA are eligible. Officers of NHFA’s Board of Directors are ineligible for nomination and remain so until three (3) years after the completion of their terms.

What factors determine the recipients?Candidates are evaluated on these criteria: • Contributions to the industry • Community Service • Personal business achievements and company leadership

Who selects the Retailer of the Year?A Selection Committee evaluates each nominee based on the three criteria. Members of the committee may include: NHFA Board officers; a sponsor manufacturer; an industry supplier; a past recipient of the award; a principal of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association; and a representative of the home furnishings industry press. How is the selection process carried out?Each nominee must complete a questionnaire detailing his/her achievements, and it must be accompanied by supporting documentation such as testimonials, newspaper clippings and letters of commendation. The questionnaires and documentation are provided to the members of the Selection Committee, and each member then independently rates the candidates on a point system using the three criteria. Scores from each Selection Committee member are added together and the honor goes to the nominee receiving the most points in each category.

National Home Furnishings Association3910 Tinsley Drive, Suite 101 • High Point, NC 27265-3610 • (800) 888-9590 • www.nhfa.org

NHFA’s prestigious Retailer of the Year Awards are awarded annually. Any active member of the home furnishings industry may nominate one or more candidates.

Two (2) Awards will be presented: • Retailer with a sales volume under $10 million • Retailer with a sales volume $10 million or above

The recipients are selected for their outstanding contributions to the home furnishings industry, exemplary service to the community and personal business achievements.

RetailerYearof the

My nominee for NHFA’s 2013 Retailer of the Year is:Name

Company

Address

City State Zip

Telephone ( ) Fax ( )

Email

Fax this form to (336) 801-6102 or email Odetta Wash at [email protected]. DEADLINE: November 30, 2012.

2013

Gala & Awards Presentation April 22, 2013

December 7, 2012


For more photos visit www.retailerNOWmag.com

PROFITABILITY + SECOND CHANCE + QUALITY OF LIFE

INDEPENDENTFURNITURERETAILER

PROFITMANAGEMENTPROMOTIONS


PROFITABILITY + SECOND CHANCE + QUALITY OF LIFE

INDEPENDENTFURNITURERETAILER

PROFITMANAGEMENTPROMOTIONS

Spotlight on Lighting An Inside Look at Today’s Top Lighting Trends

By Jack Johnson

AffiliatesProduct Focus

Any designer will tell you that lamps and lighting are the final touches that tie a room together. Just as jewelry completes an outfit, lighting completes a space. While every room needs a light source, gone are the

days where standard overhead light fixtures suffice. Instead, today’s decorative lighting choices help consumers express their personal taste and enhance their rooms’ décor—while giving retailers opportunities for greater profitability.

On-Trend Looks Knowing the looks today’s consumers want is the first step to selling lighting successfully. Our lamps are designed around four unique consumer-driven lifestyle directions we’ve identified: Casual Expressions, Industrial Evolution, Couture and Color Studio. Here’s a look at the unique personalities of these four lighting trends:

Casual Expressions This trend covers a wide variety of styles and materials while addressing an attitude of everyday elegance and relaxed living. The attitude is all about ordering dinner in, staying at home and cocooning. For this direction, lighting is laid-back, yet beautiful. Glass, metal, and wood are all used to create appealing updated silhouettes that range from classic to transitional. Also look for natural materials such as shells, twine, rattan and ceramics.

Industrial Evolution This look is relatively new on the scene and has a hip, edgy vibe that is popular with younger generations. It has a decidedly urban flair and is characterized by reclaimed wood, weathered finishes, aged metal hardware and repurposed materials for an industrial-inspired look. There’s nothing fussy or frilly with this direction. Lamps that complete this look are bold, distinctive and full of character.

Couture For the more glamorous, cosmopolitan design aesthetic, there’s Couture—a look that is at once luxurious and attainable, shimmering and solid. Lamps in this direction help dress up a room and are sure to attract attention. Shiny metal finishes, glass, mirrors and crystals are used to create ambiance and drama. These light fixtures add sparkle to a room the way jewels adorn a fashion ensemble.

Color Studio Following the growing trend of painted finishes in home furnishings, Color Studio brings color to lighting. From complex neutrals to bold hues, a new palette of colors and techniques can be seen in today’s lighting trends. Lamps in the Color Studio direction are designed to embrace color—either by complementing or contrasting with a room’s surrounding fabrics, finishes and furnishings. Plus, watch for new colors debuting in lamp shades as well.

The ‘Best’ Lamp Whether it’s a table lamp, floor lamp, accent lamp or buffet lamp—the ‘best’ lamp is always the one that sells. An important key to suggesting the best lighting fixture for your customer is determining their design preferences and the overall look of their room. If their style is traditional, recommend fixtures that have more timeless appeal and classic linen shades. If they prefer a contemporary look, seek out clean lines, reflective surfaces and drum shades. Transitional style preferences—the majority of today’s consumers—can be satisfied with a variety of materials and silhouettes that look updated but still fit within the growing lifestyle design aesthetic.

Regardless of a store’s product assortment or price points, lighting proves to be an excellent source of incremental sales. Not only are lamps a necessity in most rooms of the home, they’re also a fashionable

accessory that adds style and personality. And, consumers love the fact that they can take home their lighting purchase immediately.

Jack Johnson is Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stein World. With the unique vision to change the way home accents are designed and marketed to today’s consumers, Stein World creates and delivers lighting and accent furnishings from around the world. To learn more, visit steinworld.com.

For many retailers, lighting is a go-to category. It’s a product that turns easily, provides a simple add-on sale, and it’s a fashion item consumers can get excited about.

The Couture look in lighting from Stein World epitomizes glamour.

Just as with mirrors and accents, lighting offers retailers unlimited revenue opportunity.

June 2-4, 2013

making it BIG keeping it EASY

Sheraton New Orleans

CONFERENCEJune 2-4 • HFIC 2013

HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY

www.theHFIC.com


June 2-4, 2013

making it BIG keeping it EASY

Sheraton New Orleans

CONFERENCEJune 2-4 • HFIC 2013

HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY

www.theHFIC.com



National Home Furnishings Association Western Home Furnishings AssociationSEHFA SHFAWHFANHFA

South Eastern Home Furnishings Association Southern Home Furnishings Association

New England Chapter

Acuity A. Mutual Insurance CompanyAdvertising Concepts of AmericaAffordable FurnitureAICO/Amini Innovation Corp.American ExpressAmerican LeatherAshley Furniture Industries, Inc.AspenhomeAssociated Volume BuyersBanner MarketingBecker Designed, Inc.Bernards, Inc.Best Home FurnishingsBraxton Culler, Inc.California Furniture Manufacturers Assoc.Capital Marketing ConceptsCargo Consolidation ServicesCelerant TechnologyCentury FurnitureCentury LightingCoaster Company of AmericaColor AdCory Home Delivery ServiceCraftmaster Furniture, Inc.Cramco, Inc.Davis DirectDécor-Rest Furniture Ltd.Delivery SolutionsDiakon LogisticsDiamond Mattress Co.Dom GranatDSI CompaniesEkornesElements InternationalElite LeatherEmerald Home Furnishings

FlexsteelFurniture of AmericaFurniture OptionsFurniture WizardFurnitureDealer.netGE CapitalGreat American Furniture ServicesGuardian ProductsGuardsman/The Valspar Corp.Harden Furniture CompanyHigh Point Market AuthorityHolland HouseHomelegance USA Home Furnishings Business MagazineHookerHorich Parks Lebow AdvertisingImpact Consulting Services, Inc.Innovative Delivery SystemsJames Parker Insurance AssociatesJofran Sales, Inc.Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate, Inc.KincaidKing Hickory Furniture CoKlaussner Home FurnishingsLane Home FurnishingsLazar IndustriesLeaLiberty FurnitureLifestyle EnterprisesLinon Home Décor ProductsMagnussen HomeMail AmericaMassood LogisticsMed-Lift MobilityMicroD, Inc.Mohawk Finishing Products, Inc.

Myriad SoftwareNatuzzi Americas, Inc.NetSertiveNourison IndustriesOkinus Credit SolutionsPacific Furniture DealersPhoenix A.M.D. International, Inc.Profit Management PromotionsPROFITsystemsProtect-A-BedRestonic Mattress Corp.SAP RetailSerta Mattress CompaniesSimmonsSleep-EzzSource International, Inc./4 Sales FinanceSourthern MotionSphinx by Oriental WeaversStandard FurnitureSteve Silver Co.STORISSuryaTempur-PedicThe TV ShieldThe Uttermost CompanyTidewater Finance CompanyTropic Survival Advertising & MarketingTruckSkin, LLCTwin Star/Classic FlameTyler Net, Inc.United Furniture IndustriesValassis, Inc.Vaughan Furniture Co.Versatile SystemsWahlquist Management CorporationWorld Market CenterZenith Global

Our Associations gratefully recognize all of our supporters whose dedication and committment has strengthened our industry.

To become an industry partner contact:National Home Furnishings Association | 800.888.9590Western Home Furnishings Association | 800.422.3778


Quick-Fire Marketing is brought to you by R&A Marketing. Armed with more than 25 years of furniture retail marketing experience as a full-service traditional and digital marketing company, R&A is the industry’s premier agency for retailers in the home furnishings

and appliances/electronics industries. Visit us on the web www.ramarketing.com or email us at [email protected].

Quick Fire

3,000 Messages Your customers receive an average of 3,000 branded messages a day through a wide variety of assorted medias—online and offline. This does not mean 3,000 opportunities for our message to be heard. This means 3,000 opportunities for our message to be lost.

Convergence of Content, Search and SocialSocial is how customers hear about you, search is how they find you and content is how they qualify you. None of them alone are strong enough to succeed, but together retailers can use these tools to deploy an awesome online marketing strategy.

Online Conversations Start with Traditional MediaAs of 2010, online advertising only accounts for 14 percent of advertising spending nationwide while traditional medias accounted for the other 86 percent. That means there are eyeballs still absorbing traditional media and that is the greatest driver towards online activity. A mention that you’re online in a news broadcast or newspaper ad can help drive activity to your online storefront.

You can’t build a house by starting with the roof, and you can’t start converting online customers to your customers without setting the foundation for success.

Storefront=Online Storefront: Ensure that your online properties are the best that your budget can buy. Just like equipping your store with the best that you can buy your online properties need to reflect that as well. The consumer cannot see your storefront if your online presence does not reflect that storefront.

Online=Offline: Synergy between online appearance and offline messaging is more important than ever. Making sure your messages speak clearly and loudly on your online properties is just as important as selecting the right traditional medias to spread your message. Any blip in this synergy in one way or the other can lead to a lost sale.

Shareable: Does your message offline have the ability to be shared? The consumer controls the message the moment we promote it. With that knowledge, ensure that she has the ability to share it with her social community and what she is sharing makes sense.

How do you overcome these barriers? Three easy steps:

Barriers to Traditional Advertising Methods

1 2 3


the scoopThe Scoop

Sleepless in Lake Havasu

Michael Alan Furnishings and Serta Mattress Co. sponsored their fourth annual 24-hour Sleepless in Havasu for a Cure Fundraiser. This year’s event raised $25,206 to benefit the Cancer Association of Havasu's low cost Mammogram Screening Program.The event was held at Michael Alan Furnishings on Friday, September 28, where over 33 people obtained pledges to sponsor them in staying awake all night long. The event kicked off at 5 p.m. with the Bosom Buddies Cancer Survivor group, and was a night full of fun, including a silent auction. The event was also the kick off for the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Health Fair held on Sat. Oct. 6 at the Aquatic Center. With one out of eight women diagnosed with breast cancer, the Cancer Association of Havasu was able to fund $86,000 in mammogram screening for women in the community.

Top Image: From top to bottom: Jeanie Morgan, Carole Cathcart, Arlene Polster, Evie Cistaro, Carrie Hemme, Chris Cooley & Vanessa Liesen

Bob’s Discount Furniture Grants a Total of $45,000 to Cultural Arts Programs in Nine Schools from Maine to Maryland

Bob’s Discount Furniture, through its Bob’s Outreach program, recently announced the winners of its seventh annual Celebrate the Arts Contest, which will award $45,000 in cultural grants to nine schools across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. The money will be used to support and maintain the schools’ dance, music and fine arts programs during the 2012-13 school year.Each year, Bob’s Outreach receives thousands of submissions and randomly selects one K-12 school in each of the nine states (Conn., Maine, Mass., Md., N.H., N.J., N.Y., R.I. and Va.) where Bob’s Discount Furniture stores are located to win a $5,000 grant. In coming weeks the Bob’s Outreach Team will visit each winning school to award the grants and visit with students and faculty.This year’s winners are:• East Catholic High School, Manchester, CT• Oxon Hill Middle School, Fort Washington, MD• Ponaganset Middle School, North Scituate, RI• Sebago Education Alliance, Buxton, ME• St. Anna School, Leominster, MA• St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Alexandria, VA• Virginia Road Elementary School, North White Plains, NY• Washington Elementary School, Lyndhurst, NJ• Winchester School, Winchester, NH


The Scoop

Tepperman’s Promotes Masoud Negad to VP of Operations & Supply Chain

Tepperman’s is pleased to announce that Masoud Negad has been promoted to Vice President of Operations & Supply Chain. In this role, Mr. Negad will join Tepperman’s executive leadership team and will be responsible for supply chain, logistics, warehousing and home delivery for the Windsor-based furniture, mattress, appliance & electronics retail chain.

“I’m extremely pleased that Tepperman’s was able to fill this new position from within our existing team of talented leaders,” said Andrew Tepperman, President.

“We’re very proud of Masoud’s accomplishments. With this addition to our executive team, we’re the strongest we’ve ever been and our retailing future becomes that much more exciting.”

4th Annual NHFA New England Chapter’s Holiday Bash

Take a moment to celebrate the holidays with industry friends. Open to all members of the home furnishings community.December 12, 2012 6:15pm – 9:00 p.m. At Papa-Razzi Trattoria 155 Worcester Road (route 9) Framingham, MA 01702 paparazzitrattoria.comDoor prizes Music by Max No cover charge Complimentary food & drinks

RSVP: Joe Quintal New England Chapter President Rotmans, Worcester, MA [email protected] Or Odetta Wash – NHFA [email protected] (800) 888-9590 ext. 6116

Sleep Train Charity Golf Classic Raises a Record Breaking $600,000 for Foster Kids

Themed Annual Fundraising Event Donates Cash to Ensure Foster Youth Can Participate in Extra-curricular Activities Sleep Train, Sacramento, CA, hosted its 6th annual Charity Golf Classic on September 26 to raise money for foster youth. The fundraiser collected a record-breaking $600,000 to provide foster children with the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities like playing sports, learning a musical instrument, going on a class field trip, or attending summer camp, where they are often reunited with siblings. This year’s event puts total donations at over $2 million since the event began six years ago.The private 80s themed fundraiser drew in more than 400 participants who wore their best decade-inspired attire including leg warmers and MC hammer pants and featured an eighteen-hole golf tournament, costume contest, and live dinner auction.

“While the theme was fun, the reason for the annual fundraiser is serious—raising money to help current and transitional age foster youth participate in those life events that help shape us all, as well as assisting emancipated youth who are aging out of the foster system,” said Dale Carlsen, CEO and Founder of Sleep Train. “Within 18 months of aging out of the system, up to 50 percent of foster youth becomes homeless. An experience such as playing on a sports team can create a competitive nature and provide the self-confidence that helps them persevere on their own.”


MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE INDUSTRY EVENTS

CalendarShowtimeDecember 2-5, 2012High Point, NC Itma-showtime.com

HeimtextilJanuary 9-12, 2013Frankfurt, Germany Heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings MarketJanuary 9-16, 2013Atlanta, GA Americasmart.com/gift/jan-2013

Imm CologneJanuary 14-20, 2013Cologne, Germany imm-cologne.com

Dallas Total Home & Gift MarketJanuary 16-22, 2013Dallas, TX Dallasmarketcenter.com

Las Vegas MarketJanuary 28-February 1, 2013Las Vegas, NV Lasvegasmarket.com

62nd Edison Furniture & Accessory MarketFebruary 3-5, 2013Edison, NJ Kemexpo.com

Export Furniture Exhibition MalaysiaMarch 6-10, 2013Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Efe.my/2013thoughtfully designed for the way

people work • play • relaxVisit us in Las Vegas (WMC B801) • aspenhome.net

NHFAad.2012.thirdpage.indd 1 11/1/2012 10:17:47 AM

Street Scene High Point Market



TM

IMPORTANT!

GO ONLINE TO UPDATE

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

OR YOU WILL LOSE

YOUR FREE INDUSTRY

SUBSCRIPTION

www.RetailerNOWmag.com

ADVERTISER PHONE WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER PAGE#

Ashley Furniture Industries (608) 323-3377 ashleyfurniture.com 12

Aspenhome (602) 442-5600 aspenhome.net www.facebook.com/aspenhome @aspenhome 46

Cresent (615) 975-4862 cresent.com facebook.com/cresent.furniture @cresentfurn 32

Emerald Home Furnishings (800) 685-6646 emeraldhome.com facebook.com/EmeraldHome 03

High Point Market (336) 869-1000 highpointmarket.org highpointmarket.org/facebook @hpmarketnews 05

Home Furnishings Industry Conference (800) 422-3778 TheHFIC.com homefurnishingsconference/facebook 40

Las Vegas Market (888) 962-7469 lasvegasmarket.com www.facebook.com/wmclv @worldmarketctr 35

MicroD (800) 964-3876 microdinc.com facebook.com/microdinc @microdinc Back Cover

Mexports (956) 725-6441 mexportsinc.com 18

Nourison (201) 368-6900 nourison.com facebook.com/nourison @nourison IBC, 51

Planned Furniture Promotions (800) 472-5242 PFpromotions.com 10

Profit Management Promotions (215) 230-9001 pmpsales.com facebook.com/pmpsales @PowerfulSales 38

PROFITsystems (800) 888-5565 Profitsystems.com facebook.com/profitsystems @PROFITsystems 25

Serta (888) 557-3782 serta.com facebook.com/sertamattress @sertamattresses 07

STORIS (888) 478-6747 storis.com http://tinyurl.com/STORIS @STORIS 41

Surya (877) 275-7847 surya.com facebook.com/SuryaSocial IFC, 19

Wahlquist Management (800) 982-2375 wahlquistmanagement.com 47

NHFA / WHFA Sponsors (800) 888-9590 retailerNOWmag.com facebook.com/retailernow @retailerNow 42

Retailer of the Year Nomination (800) 888-9590 nhfa.org facebook.com/NationalHomeFurnishingsAssn @nhfa1 37

Ad Index


The Now ListKnow a fun fact or random piece

of trivia? Send it to [email protected] and see your name in The Now List!

Steve Jobs' annual salary was $1, just enough to keep company health benefits.

The original M&M colors were: red, yellow, brown, green, and violet.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

The world’s only underwater post office is located in Port Vila, Vanuatu. (Editor Note: I have mailed a postcard from here!)

In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch or clock is usually 10:10.

At the tone the time is 10:10

Forrester Research estimates that for every $100 spent on driving traffic to websites, companies spend only $1 converting that traffic into business.

A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court.

The Now List

Nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2011.

736 million pounds

Underwater Post Office

No piece of square dry paper can be folded in half more than 7 times. (We know some of you will try this!)

In the U.S. alone there are an estimated 8.1 million women-owned businesses that contribute $1.3 trillion to the national economy and employ 7.7 million people.

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. But then you have a headache.

Car accidents rise 10% during the first week of daylight savings time.

Bet you can't!

Dollar Sense

Flickr— Co-founded by Caterina Fake Cisco— Co-founded by Sandra LernerLiquid Paper—Founded by Bette Nesmith GrahamThe Body Shop— Founded by Anita RoddickRuth's Chris Steak House—Founded by Ruth FertelPC Connection— Co-founded by Patricia GallupBuild-A-Bear Workshop Inc.—Founded by Maxine ClarkProactiv—Co-founded by Katie Rodan and Kathy FieldsDiscovery Toys— Founded by Lane Nemeth

Women in Business

www.nourison.com

RetailerN

OW

Vol. 1 Issue 7

“NO

W & TH

EN” N

ovember / Decem

ber Issue N

OV / D

EC 2012

For more than 20 years, MicroD has led the way with innovative furniture merchandising solutions. That’s why more than 85% of the Top 100 furniture brands and retailers rely on MicroD.

We deliver the expertise, technology, and services to transform your online presence and drive customers to your stores.

• Visually Stunning Product Presentations• Engaging, Interactive User Experience• Powerful Room Planning & Personalization Tools• Integrated Promotions, Incentives & Hooks• Improved Search Results and Rankings• Latest Mobile Tagging Technology• Comprehensive Content Management Services • Mobile Friendly Websites

Premier Websites for the Furniture Industry

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Retailer Resource CenterPrepare Your Website for Smart Phone Users!

MicroD will explain the most important factors that will make your website attractive and highly useful when

accessed from a smart phone. See examples and learn best-practices that will attract smart phone users and

keep them coming back to your website.

Upcoming Market Seminar

Las Vegas MarketJanuary 28 - February 1

WMC Building C-496

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