September 2012—Reinvention

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SEPTEMBER 2012

INSIGHTS FOR TODAY’S HOME FURNISHINGS PROFESSIONAL

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Reinvention

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Reinvention 12. Fraser Furniture Reinvention 15. The Times are Changing18. Fashion in the New Millennium28. Death of a Brand

Sustainable Future

20. Just Me? Or is it Hot Out There23. The Greener Generation24. Green Giants

Vegas Wrap-up

36. Hot Products from Market38. CLICK—Las Vegas Market

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On the Cover12.

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09. Roving Reporter 09. Inspired Reads10. Retailer2Retailer26. Community Today31. What’s Selling NOW33. Idea's Worth Sharing

I N S I D E

04. A Message from the SHFA President06. Editor’s Letter08. TechNOW—Inbox40. Membership Marketplace 43. Quick-Fire Marketing44. Industry Scoop47. Calendar48. The Now List

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36. Bedgear|A840

This sunny collection from Hickory Chair is on display in the front platform area of Fraser Furniture. Fraser’s has found Hickory Chair to be a hot and desirable item for designers, since there is a wide array of customizable options, allowing for a unique look for each piece.

Reinvention

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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

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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.

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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.

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When Dossenbach Furniture opened its doors in 1946 in Sanford, NC, times were a little different. We sold everything from furniture and appliances to shotguns and lawn mowers. My grandfather believed a handshake from a customer

receiving a new line of credit was just as good as a signature—boy have times changed.We have seen a lot of changes happen in our industry over the last 66 years. Big-box stores made us shift our product inventory since we could no longer be competitive on items like small appliances, lawn mowers and seasonal items. Today, we focus just on home furnishings.The last 10 years probably affected us the most. Back in the good ol’ days of 2005 and 2006, we had enough inventory to supply three to four stores—even though we only had one location. For some reason, when times are good, you don’t really think about all of the

“extra” you are buying—you just roll with it. When the recession hit, in a way it was a blessing that we had so much inventory. Instead of having to scrounge up money to buy new products, we were able to sustain with selling off our overstock of inventory. As we all know, it was a tough time—and it still is.I believe this is the new norm—the heydays we saw during the last decade are long gone. We need to adjust our businesses to operate at this new norm. How can we reinvent our mind-sets and business practices for this day and age? Customers don’t seem as loyal as they once where; how do we stop the price-conscious consumer from only looking for the next great deal? At Dossenbach’s, we are keeping our inventory lean. We are also starting to focus more on American-made products, since it seems to be important to many customers right now. We need to reinvent our message, educate our customers about quality, and provide them with excellent service.

One day, I see our numbers returning to where they were during those great years of 2005 and 2006, but I don’t expect it to happen overnight. And I am not counting on a sudden spike in business. I think it will be at least 10 to 12 years until sales come back to what they used to be, and even then, it will probably be considered “normal” because of the gradual increase. Right now, we are working hard on being successful in the new norm, and finding ways to build our business.

A Message from the SHFA President

President’s Message

Robert DossenbachSHFA PresidentDossenbach Finer FurnitureSanford, NC

Check out past issues of RetailerNOW online at RetailerNOWmag.com

JULY 2012INSIGHTS FOR TODAY’S HOME FURNISHINGS PROFESSIONAL

RetailerNO

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“The N

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JULY 2012


LAS VEGAS MARKET

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Haute for the Home

One of the most famous companies to ever reinvent itself is a company that many of us use products from every minute of the day. Do you own an iPhone, iPad, iMac, iPod, or a Mac Book Pro? Then you bought into the Apple “reinvention”.Many of us love to talk about the Apple experience (including myself). Their stores

are sleek, their salespeople helpful, their technology cutting-edge. But a long time ago, they weren’t necessarily associated with those words. After initial success with the Macintosh computer, Apple’s business stalled in the mid-1980s. I remember we had old Macintosh computers in our schools, they were boxy and really only good for playing Oregon Trail (as I am sure much of the “next generation” group remembers as well).

The company struggled for years and their products weren’t really associated with the word “cool”. It wasn’t until Steve Jobs came back to the company in the late '90s that Apple started to find its “cool” factor again and became the product that we now know and love. Jobs was always interested in reinventing himself, and his business—he never wanted to just settle. He wanted to reinvent his business until it was the best. This drive to reinvent it is what led to the creation of the iPod—the key piece of technology that revolutionized the future for Apple.Our industry is at a crossroads—we can either continue down the same path of price wars, static sales and “no, no, no’s”, or we can invigorate the consumer and get them excited about fashioning their homes with the latest furniture styles. Don’t settle for just being an “OK” retailer, strive for being the best. What’s there to lose?

(916) [email protected]@retailerNOW

Melissa DresslerEditor, RetailerNOW

from the editor

What I’m Loving…The Seat Belt Chairs Maybe it’s because I am a fan of The Hunger Games, and the chair was in it, but I fell in love with The Phillips Collection’s Seat Belt Chair during the Las Vegas Market (and I’m bummed that I didn’t get a mini seat belt chair). These chairs are fun, funky, and comfortable! I love that they come in an assortment of bold colors—which is perfect for such a unique piece of furniture.

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

Editor’s Message

8 S E P T E M B E R | 2 0 1 2 www.retailerNOWmag.com www.retailerNOWmag.com S E P T E M B E R | 2 0 1 2 9

@RetailerNOW: Recession Generation Opts to Rent Not Buy Houses to Cars http://bloom.bg/OYjcZN via @BloombergNews@gitomer: GIVE VALUE: you strengthen relationships by giving value to others -- not facts about you.

Our Reader's Tweet

@AMSAreaRugs: Just read the last 3 issues of @RetailerNOW cover to cover! Such great #socialmedia #mktg tips pic.twitter.com/5OBZccAg

Top Tweets

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Connect with us @ retailerNOWmag.com

Fashiondecor.com

Fashion + Décor brings fashion and the home together through their StylePairs. See how runway trends are translated into the home—and spark ideas for your employees and your customers.

EmAil mArkETing Email marketing is one of the easiest ways to get your message out to your customers. Be sure to follow these seven tips from Elevate Your Email Marketing, Website Magazine. SubjECT linE iS kEy: First impressions are critical—subject lines that include your company’s name and specifics about the email typically have higher open rates. WHo’S iT “From”: People don’t like receiving automated emails. Send an email from [email protected] instead of info@ abcfurniture.com. mAil mErgE: People love to see their own names. Take the time to personalize your emails through mail merge. VAriETy: While consistency is essential with any email campaign, variety will help spice it up and could increase open and click through rates. QuAliTy oVEr QuAnTiTy: It’s more important to send out content-rich emails than sending out multiple emails. Make sure your message is important. ConTEnT SuggESTionS: Create better email blasts by listening to what your customers want. TEST, TEST, TEST: Test how your email will look through multiple email providers and make sure each link works before sending it out.

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magic Plan (iPhone and iPad)

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FACEbook SuggESTionSStill not sure how to get people talking on your Facebook page? Here are six ways to promote engagement: PoST PHoToS

Fill in THE blAnk QuESTionS: “The first piece of furniture I bought was _______.” PHoTo CAPTionS: Ask your followers to come up with a creative caption QuESTionS

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Roving Reporter

Your Voice

The friendly staff at the World Market Center was a gracious host for this summer Market. Although there wasn’t the usual fanfare of keynote speakers or theatrical performances,

the staff made me feel welcomed from the very start of my visit. Not really anything new to report in furniture, as this is not the market

for new intros, so off I went to see very vibrant color palettes from the accessory companies. Hot colors with shades and hues that are off the charts; I found that there was no “safe zone” when it came to picking colors for merchandise or wall color. Everyone was working to be noticed.

Showrooms had their game on with striking visual presentations and unique, eye-catching displays. There were no last minute arrivals;

everyone was open and ready for business on Monday morning. An interesting trend I see happening is the change of point-of-sale areas. They don’t stop at just furniture polish and mattress pads anymore—a large area in Building C was dedicated to temporary vendors showing everything from women’s jewelry and handbags, to kitchen and room air fresheners. I was amazed to see so many different things for the home, some in great presentation kiosks, which are easy to merchandise. This area piqued my interest the most because it was different, new and edgy—and furniture retailers were shopping there. Some retailers will look at this trend and dismiss it. An area in your store with some well-chosen items for a specific time of year or season will definitely not make you rich, but it will excite your staff as well as your customers and get everyone talking. Some retailers can even use this type of merchandise as a tool for in-store events. Retail needs to change all the time to stay fresh, and a trip to market can make that process much easier!

Las Vegas Summer Market

| CARMINE CARUSO, Owner of Carmine Design

The new question

Ten years after the worldwide bestseller Good to Great, Jim Collins returns with another groundbreaking work, this time to ask: Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of research, buttressed by rigorous analysis and infused with engaging stories, Collins and his colleague, Morten Hansen, enumerate the principles for building a truly great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, and fast-moving times.

Inspired Reads Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck— Why Some Thrive Despite Them All

The new study

Great by Choice distinguishes itself from Collins’s prior work by its focus not just on performance, but also on the type of unstable environments faced by leaders today.

“Here at RC Willey our whole management team is reading and discussing 'Great By Choice' by Jim Collins.”

—Clark Yospe, RC Willey

See more highlights from the Las Vegas Market on page 36


W. jordan barrick Quality Furniture, Mesquite, TX

Q What can the industry learn from the younger, incoming generation?

Retailer2RetailerYour Voice

I don’t think it is a question of the young teaching the formerly young anything. I think if the current generation can look at the incoming generation, and the way they shop, and learn everything necessary to stay culturally relevant. For example, we Google everything. I mean everything. Take a look at your phone. If you cannot pin, hash tag, plus one, like, add, comment, subscribe, or even find your company online, you might as well close up shop. It’s that serious. There is a conversation happening about your business through social media and on cost-per-click advertising search engines, one that you may not have known existed. You may have the best quality product, sale prices, and the friendliest service reps in the world but if you’re not answering your customers online, and with the right attitude, you severely hamper your potential.

I believe the most important idea the industry can learn or remember from the younger and incoming generation is our excitement and passion. Coming into a business with fresh eyes and an open mind allows for great opportunity. One large shift I see the younger generation really grabbing onto is in the form of marketing. Before we would simply shout our marketing message across every media channel to bring people into our stores, but now marketing has turned into more of a two-way conversation with our customers via Facebook, Twitter, and now Pinterest. We have the technology to engage with our customers, learning more about their needs, and wants while also giving us vehicles to show off what we can do in a non-promotional way.In my opinion, our industry is truly a great industry, and if we have passion and dedication for what we do while remembering we are never too big to ask questions or stop learning, innovation will follow.

jacob Cross Selden’s Home Furnishings Tacoma, WA

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Problem Solved.

o attract a younger, fashion-savvy clientele while remaining true to its current base of more traditionally oriented Baby Boomers, the 132-year-old Montreal retailer renovated its 80,000-square-foot showroom, revitalized its logo, broadened its product mix and expanded its website and social media efforts last year at a total cost exceeding C$1 million.

As part of the new approach, Fraser Furniture also added six stunning galleries. Featured sources include Baker Furniture, Hickory Chair, Michael Weiss, Thom Filicia/Vanguard and Christopher Guy, many of which are exclusives in its market. The sixth gallery, an exclusive new collection of multi-func-tional, space-saving contemporary furniture from Resource Furniture/Clei, occupies a prominent 2,500-square-foot loca-tion on the store’s second floor.

Each gallery features a distinct ambience, including signage, music, interactive flat-screen televisions and original art from Galerie d’Este, a local art gallery.

On the first floor, Cafe Fraser was revamped to provide a more inviting place for customers to take a break and enjoy an espresso. The reception area also was remodeled with a large video screen providing a very engaging welcome.

“We wanted to make a strong statement that we are the best destination for upscale, fashionable furnishings in the Mon-treal area,” said Ross Fraser, president. “To grow, we had to revitalize our merchandise assortment and take a fresh look at every aspect of how we do business—where are we today, and where do we see ourselves tomorrow?”


Recognizing that the future depends on deepening ties with a new group of younger consumers, Fraser Furniture unveiled a major repositioning of its brand in 2011.


Reinvention

Fraser’s journey of reinvention started in 2010 with the hiring of Carol Alfieri, director of sales and marketing. With strong experience as a furniture retailer, bridal retailer, university administrator and newspaper executive, Alfieri “brought a new energy and dynamic perspective” to the Fraser team, says Fraser.

The first step that Fraser and Alfieri took was to determine current shortcomings and emerging opportunities. With the store’s Baby Boomer clientele aging and, in many cases, downsizing, establishing a new base of loyal customers was identi-fied as a top priority. Two under-served markets were identified—affluent pro-fessionals (such as lawyers, doctors and investment brokers) 35 to 40 years of age and French-speaking residents.

Fraser’s next move was to assess the store’s merchandise assortment. The review led to the realization that Fraser Furniture was sourcing product from far too many sup-pliers, a situation that reduced the level of support it was receiving and weakened its

brand identity. The study also pointed out the overabundance of traditional styles on the store floor.

“We weren’t as important to our vendors as we should have been,” says Fraser. “And consumers didn’t see us clearly as a design leader in touch with the latest trends.”

The analysis led to a “major shakeup and re-merchandising,” says Fraser. The retailer dropped its weaker performers, mostly in the traditional style category, and strengthened its contemporary offerings from a select group of designer lines.

The move enabled Fraser to obtain exclusive distribution rights on well-known brands such as Baker, Christopher Guy and Vanguard’s Thom Filicia collection. And by increasing its volume with key vendors, Fraser also improved its ability to negotiate favorable pricing and service terms.

“Instead of having just a few pieces of Michael Weiss or Hickory Chair scattered throughout the store, we now have extensive gallery presentations that show a range of fashion-forward styles from these top manufacturers.”

While Fraser hasn’t abandoned its deep roots in traditional styling, contemporary and transitional designs now make up about 60 percent of

Five Key Steps in Fraser’s Repositioning X Merchandise analysis: Before making any changes, President Ross Fraser and his sales and marketing director, Carol Alfieri, conducted a detailed analysis of the entire store to determine what merchandise should stay and what should go.

Y Market research: Two surveys by Fraser’s ad agency, Rinaldi, provided valuable insights into how customers perceive the store.

Z Logo refresh: The development of a bold, updated logo positioned this fourth-generation, 132-year-old retailer in a fresh light.

Social media expansion: Today’s consumers decide where they want to shop in new ways, with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter providing critical touch points.

\ Events and outreach: Nothing beats an in-store experience, so Fraser held two major events to make its target audience aware of its many changes.

its assortment, versus 15 of 20 percent a few years ago. The change reflects the growing importance of contemporary in the Montreal marketplace, especially among younger consumers.

“Our new offering of products is better targeted to young professionals on the lookout for signature items that are beautiful and distinctive,” says Alfieri. “Even many of our longstanding customers, who traditionally have more classical tastes, want to redecorate with furnishings that have a more contemporary or transitional feel.”

With 36 employees—including 11 design consultants—Fraser Furniture offers a full range of design services. The store is located in Quartier du design Royalmount, the design district in Town of Mount Royal’s industrial sector.


Photo by: Ryan Lindberg, www.ryanlindberg.com

“Because we are in an area that is away from the mass market stores, it’s important that we establish ourselves as the leading destination for quality furnishings,” says Fraser. “These days, with so much research being done on the Internet, shoppers visit only one or two stores before making a decision. We need to do everything we can to draw them in and, once they’re here, make sure we find the right product for their needs.”

To reach a greater number of younger consumers, Fraser Furniture enhanced its website content and stepped up its social media presence. The retailer is now active on Facebook and Twitter, communicating news, sharing photos and conducting an ongoing dialogue with current and potential customers.

As part of its repositioning, Fraser also redesigned its logo and other marketing materials with the help of Rinaldi Communication Marketing, a fully integrated ad agency based in Montreal. The updated logo, incorporated into new signage in front of the store, features a contemporary font, with a large script “F” from the previous logo in the background. The new tagline underneath the store name is “Mobilier Exceptionnnel” or “Exceptional Furniture.”

Bottom: Bold new exterior signage sets the tone for shoppers visiting Fraser Furniture’s Montreal showroom.

Top: Fraser’s new Hickory Chair gallery spotlights this dining set combining Choate table & Amsterdam chairs.

“Our old tagline was ‘The Best Furniture Money Can Buy.’ That was fine during the ‘90s and early 2000s but today it just sounds expensive,” says Fraser. “We needed a tagline that speaks to everything we are—exceptional products, people, service and selection.”

Rinaldi conducted two surveys of Fraser’s customer base to develop the logo, soliciting input on the brand’s identity and strengths.

“Most Montreal residents are French-speaking,” says Fraser. “We wanted our logo to make a stronger connection with that community and convey a sophisticated tone, while also referencing our rich family legacy that extends across four generations.”

Fraser Furniture was founded in 1880 by two Fraser brothers as an auction house. In the 1950s, Ian Fraser—Ross’ father—broadened the store’s product mix to include stylish new furniture imported from Europe. Today, the store sources product from leading sources worldwide.

Fraser Furniture unveiled its updated store presentation and other changes at a “soft opening” on Sept. 26 of last year. On Oct. 26, it held a special media tour, attended by two dozen print, TV and web reporters. It followed that up with a VIP event on Nov. 26, attended by more than 500 designers, architects, decorators and clients. A video of the VIP gathering has been seen more than 1,500 times by viewers in North America and Europe.

Highway billboards and magazine ads with eye-catching imagery of young customers and stylish furniture draw additional attention to the store’s new identity.

Since last fall, Fraser has seen a 65 percent increase in its web traffic compared to the period before the changes. The “open rates” on its e-blasts and newsletters have climbed to 44 percent, an impressive number in an era where most email marketing messages go ignored.

As a privately owned company, Fraser doesn’t disclose sales. But Ross Fraser says he’s encouraged by the progress his store has made in market share and revenue so far, particularly in light of continued softness in the Canadian economy.

“I wish we had taken these steps several years earlier,” he says. “But I’m glad they’re in place now—it puts us in a much more relevant position to satisfy the changing wants and needs of today’s consumer.”

Fraser adds that four other higher-end traditional furniture stores in the Montreal market are in the process of closing their doors.

“Our segment of the market is highly competitive,” says Fraser. “The pie is getting smaller because of changing demographics and buying patterns and you have to fight for every dollar.”

He adds that while the major changes the company sought to make have now been implemented, Fraser Furniture will continue to evolve with the market.


They Are a-Changin’

DATE nigHT AT THE SuPErmArkETMost people go to the grocery store, grab a cart, and start to peruse the aisles. Shoppers do that at Wegmans Food Markets too, a family-owned regional supermarket chain headquartered near Rochester, NY, but they also go there to be entertained.

Wegmans understands Shoppertainment, that unique combination of shopping and entertainment that keeps customers close. On a typical Friday night at Wegmans you might find people enjoying a wine tasting in the store’s Pub. (Yes, you read that right. Some Wegmans have an honest to goodness, in-store full service restaurant). You could encounter a family taking advantage of a free movie night, couples ballroom dancing or rocking out to a live band. Wegmans cult following is so strong that earlier this year a high school honored the chain with a full on production of “Wegmans…The Musical!” How cool is that?

THE inTErnET EFFECTOne of the big things on many retail minds today is showrooming and how to combat it. Make no mistake: online retailers want your customers. During the holidays last year Amazon promoted its price-checking phone app by giving shoppers a discount on items purchased that were scanned while in other retailers’ stores. This was a wake-up call for every retailer who competes with Amazon to get busy looking for new ideas to make their stores more important than anything they sell. Marketers

By Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender

We knew times were changing when the minister officiating

at Georganne’s daughter’s wedding used an e-book version of the Bible on his iPad instead of the traditional book. We’d seen iPads used in creative ways in plenty of retail stores, but this was a new one for us.

Technology is everywhere, close your eyes for five minutes and something new will have come along. Pretty soon the iPad won’t be the only thing that’s new to retail operations. Technology is important, but it needs to be used to supplement the customer’s in-store experience. And it’s all about the experience. People can buy what you sell in any number of places, but they can’t get it from anyone else the way they can get it from you. That’s retail trend number one.

THE TIMES

Reinvention


ConSumEr TrEnDSYour customers are changing, too. There’s a new kid in town, a consumer who likes to share the cool things they find. Trendwatching.com, a company that scans the globe for emerging consumer trends, insights and innovations calls them Socialites.

Socialites are shoppers who have moved from “I gotta have it” to “I gotta share it”. They’re curators who enjoy telling the world via social medias about their favorite products, places, and experiences. Imagine the impact this could have on your business!

Socialites play into what Trendswatching.com calls the F-Factor, a trend that is critically important to retailers. If your customers interact about your product and/or store with their networks of friends, fans, and followers, your store better be worth the trip. The F-Factor helps customers determine where to go to buy.

FriEnDS Don’T lET FriEnDS SEArCH AlonEYou need to book a hotel, but you aren’t familiar with the city, so you go to a site like TripAdvisor.com and read the reviews. The thing is you have absolutely no idea who wrote them. Those nasty comments could have been written by a cheesed off competitor. Enter Bing and Decide Search with friends, the search engine that allows you to interact with Facebook and Twitter friends to get the inside scoop on all the things you’re all searching for.

gooD, olD -FASHionED rETAil ingEnuiTyNot every new trend has to do with technology. More and more we’re hearing about independent retailers looking for new ways to reach customers. Mobile stores are huge, just ask Amy Chase, owner of Haberdash Vintage in Boston, Massachusetts. Amy’s mobile shop is a truck that moves to a new area each day, using social medias to help shoppers find her. But Amy isn’t alone, mobile shops are popping up all over the U.S.; even big names like designer Cynthia Rowley, and the chain store Madewell, are using mobile shops to increase visibility and sales.

call it the internet Effect; it’s created expectations and opportunities for all sorts of retailers. And it’s made it easier for shoppers. For example:

• Macy’s, Walmart, Best Buy, Sears, and the Container Store have opened, or are opening in-store, Internet return centers, item pickup locations, free shipping outlets, payment booths and even drive-through customer service centers.

• The Home Shopping Network lets you order product via telephone, online, or mobile app. Or you can be really lazy and order with your TV remote control. You may be a couch potato, but at least you’ll be well dressed.

• You don’t need cash or credit cards at Starbucks any longer, there’s an app for that. Simply set up a Starbucks account, buy a Starbucks gift card, enter the number on the back of the card into your smartphone, and load the card with cash from your credit or debit card. When you’re ready to pay, initiate the app and your phone will display a barcode that the barista will scan. Simple, easy, in and out.

But it gets better.• With Apple’s Easy Pay app you never have to interact with a real

person again. The Easy Pay app jumps to attention whenever you enter an Apple store. Simply choose the accessory piece you wish to purchase (it doesn’t work with computers or tablets), open the app, scan the barcode, log-in with your Apple ID and you’re good to go. The app thanks you for your purchase and sends you a receipt via e-mail.

But it gets even better.• Online grocer Peapod has made it easy for tired commuters

waiting for their trains to arrive at Chicago “L” stations to do their shopping. Instead of gray walls dotted with graffiti and lined with advertisements, the “L” stations have been transformed into life-size virtual supermarket aisles. Need milk, eggs, and laundry detergent? Easy. Scan the barcode on the virtual store shelf and the items will be delivered to your home within a day of placing the order.

This future technology is easier than you might think. Start off with QR Codes, those funny little black and white boxes that hold a wealth of information. We’re seeing QR codes everywhere these days: in magazines, on ads, billboards, store windows… an airplane pulling a sign with a King Kong sized QR code behind it. Good luck trying to scan that baby!

The best use of QR codes is right on the sales floor. Home Depot, Best Buy, and Macy’s are committed to QR codes. You‘ll find them in-store on signage, POP materials, as shelf talkers, and on the hang-tags that go home with the customers after purchase. Want to teach customers how to use your product? Use QR codes, they’re free and easy to make. Google QR codes and hundreds of free sites will pop up. You’ll be in the information sharing business in no time flat.

Reinvention


adding ways you can get the word out about your new services, conveniences, events, product, technologies, etc.

; Ask your team to do the same exercise. Let them know that it’s okay to think outside the box and that no idea is a bad idea. You’ll be surprised at how many ideas they’ll generate—things you may never have thought up by yourself.

Retail trends will come and go, what excites shoppers today will bore them to tears tomorrow. Keep up with what’s new, hot, and happening. And when you see a trend with potential, don’t be afraid to use it to your advantage!

COPYRIGHT KIZER & BENDER 2012. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender are professional speakers, authors and consultants whose client list reads like a “Who’s Who” in business. Companies internationally depend upon them for timely advice on consumers and the changing retail market place. For more information, visit www.kizerandbender.com or email [email protected].

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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So, WHAT DoES THiS mEAn To mE?We could fill this entire magazine with retail trends that will ultimately change how you do business. Early adoption is critical because customers today expect you to have all the answers. We’ve created this exercise to give you a starting point and to get your creative juices flowing:

; Draw three columns on a sheet of paper.

; In the left column, list new trends you’ve seen or enjoyed in other businesses that you think would work well for your business.

; In the center column, list ways you can spin each idea to make it easy-to-implement and unique to your store.

; Keep this worksheet in a convenient place, but don’t look at it for a day or two. You need some time to move away from your initial thoughts.

; In a few days, review the ideas in the center column. Then use the right column to expand on them,

Reinvention


Reinvention

Fashion in a New MillenniumBy Cheminne Taylor-Smith

Look at who is talking about home design online and in the media today and you’ll see an interesting trend. Among bloggers, online magazines, and those-in-the-know, the real trendsetting news is that it’s no longer about just the home—it’s about a lifestyle.

focus is squarely on finding your own style, and expressing it through every facet of your life, including home, clothing, food, travel, and design. In

fact, there is a stronger appreciation for design as a whole, and for custom looks. Whether it’s the specialty shops in Target, brick-and-mortar stores like Anthropologie, or online lifestyle retailers like Gilt, Fab, and One Kings Lane, retailing is reinventing itself to fit today’s consumer needs. It’s curated and it’s personal, offering the idea of discovery, of something new, and with a strong focus on fashion.

Millennials Are in FashionWhat is pushing this new emphasis on lifestyle and fashion? It’s the largest consumer generation in history. No, not the baby boomers, but the millennials. Born between 1977 and 1994, and nearly 80 million strong in the United States alone, millennials are projected to spend more than $200 billion each year starting in 2017, and will spend $10 trillion in their lifetimes.

And as with past generations, these young up-and-comers are influencing their parents and grandparents when it comes to how they shop and how they consume information. One example of that influence is that the millennials were the first on Facebook, but now their grandparents are the fastest-growing demographic on that social media site.

The millennials are very sophisticated shoppers and, according to AdAge, 84 percent of that demographic said social opinions influence their purchasing decisions. They want to express themselves through every single purchase, and they want those purchases to truly reflect who they are and how the world perceives them. That focuses their attention on design, on uniqueness, and on fashion.

Josh Allen Dykstra, founder of the consulting firm Strengths Doctors and a millennial himself, says that his generation will definitely buy things because of what having those things says about them. That isn’t necessarily a new concept, but the idea that every aspect of their lives must be fashionable, creative, and “designed” is a new way of looking at an old idea.


Reinvention

Lifestyle RetailingMacy’s has decided to implement a three-year plan to get ready for this demographic and its huge spending power, and they are looking squarely at lifestyle retailing, which includes curation of a complete fashion look, no matter what the product is.

Like many lifestyle retailers, that means quick hits of collections that are here today and gone tomorrow, capturing the concept of fashion’s ever-changing and on-trend runway looks. Yes, that means being faster on the draw with what is on offer in stores, but that also translates into smaller inventories and the idea that one’s home should change fashions as quickly as one’s closet does.

That idea that furniture follows fashion is a good thing—creating a “want” among consumers and leading them away from thinking of home furnishings as just a utilitarian commodity. That is the idea behind the latest marketing campaign for the High Point Market.

Fashion Week for Home FurnishingsThe High Point Market really is the home fashion industry’s version of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and the Market’s new campaign, Fashion Focus, highlights the close relationship between home and fashion.

Home decor has always found inspiration on the fashion runways, from color trends to fabrics to construction. The link between fashion design and home design is strong, and the High Point Market’s new Fashion Focus campaign is designed to highlight that close relationship, and to showcase the High Point Market’s role as the most exciting fashion event in home furnishings. It’s also meant to highlight the amazing designs offered at the Market, and the curated looks featured in many of its showrooms.

At the April High Point Market, fashion shoots with models were held in showrooms and locations throughout Market to develop the creative for the new campaign, which is making its debut in the Oct. 13-18 Market promotions. The images for the campaign feature a full clothing collection called Pretty Birdie by Stephanie Teague, a Greensboro, N.C.-based fashion designer who has shown her line at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The integrated Fashion Focus campaign—including social media, print, direct mail, and other targeted communications vehicles—is designed to promote the Market to the retail and design communities, but to also capture that lifestyle trend.

Focusing on fashion and curation is key to reaching those millennials and capturing their purchasing power, but it’s also a fresh approach for other generations as well.

Where Do We Go From Here?So where will the fashionable millennials lead us, and how can we best respond to their needs? According to research by Gilt, mass customization and personalization will be important to this group in the future. They will expect choices and opportunities to fine-tune products to fit their own look or style, and that includes furniture.

According to the latest research, this is only the start. In the past, people would have a desire to purchase and would browse and research the purchase. Then they would buy it. Today, steps are being skipped as customers expect instant gratification. Don’t expect them to order—or to wait. They want it now.

Category expansion will also be a strong trend to follow, which means looking outside the box for new categories to complement home furnishings. That can be anything from clothing to jewelry to books, as long as it fits a viewpoint and/or the store’s audience. A quirky and fun example of that is Fleet Plummer in Greensboro, N.C., a retailer that found its niche by offering greeting cards and clothing next to the upholstery and lamps.

Millennials are very loyal when they find what they like. Retailers can help promote that loyalty through events and through social media. That demographic is also mobile, so be sure you have an online presence, and that you offer online shopping. They also respond well to social shopping, another step in the curation process where they receive offers and coupons for referring friends to the retailer. It’s called share-to-buy and it’s gaining in popularity.

Finally, keep in mind that millennials are always looking for new sources of curation. They are looking for tastemakers, not necessarily someone who knows furniture, but someone who knows style. Be sure you’re in front of those tastemakers, and that they know your brand. And be sure you’re keeping up with the latest trends in fashion. After all, millennials want to take those looks right off the runway and into their homes.

Cheminne Taylor-Smith is the VP of Marketing for the High Point Market Authority, organizers of the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. Find the High Point Market online at highpointmarket.org, or using the tag #hpmkt.


Sustainable Section

Just Me, By Jeff Hiller

Or Is It Getting Hot Out There?

I just spent a week working with several companies in Missouri, and from Springfield to St. Louis, the hottest topic was the weather. Not the usual,

“How’s the weather?” small talk between strangers, but a nervous, “When is this going to end?” conversation about the 100 degree heat. Being from

Texas, triple-digit temperatures don’t affect me much, but it was big news to them, especially those on the fringes of the Corn Belt looking ahead to a dreadful harvest.

And they are not alone. 2012 has been the hottest year in the U.S. since official record-keeping began in 1895. More than 40,000 local daily heat records have been broken according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This follows a record-breaking summer in 2011 and coincides with records being shattered around the globe.

“This is not a climate model or a prediction but actual observations,” writes NASA scientist James Hansen, “Our analysis shows that it is no longer enough to say that global warming will increase the likelihood of extreme weather… there is virtually no explanation other than climate change.”

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

So what does this have to do with home furnishings? A fair amount, actually. Our industry is the No. 3 user of wood, and deforestation is a significant contributor to the climate change issue. Estimates from scientific experts interpreting recent studies on the impact of deforestation range from 12 to 20 percent.

Wood is primarily made out of carbon, so when trees are cut and refuse is burned or left to rot, that releases carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary culprit in climate change. Secondarily, growing plants breathe CO2 and sequester the carbon, so if they are not replaced, they cannot counterbalance the ever increasing CO2 emissions that come from burning fossil fuels.

Efforts from government and industry are helping. Global forest coverage declined -2 percent between the years 1990 and 2000, and only -1 percent over the next 10. There are still hot spots, but forests in North America have stabilized, the U.S. and Europe are growing slightly, and China is actually up +17 percent due to an aggressive planting program. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that global CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels are up over 30 percent since 2000 with no end in sight. The more fuel we burn, the more emissions we create, making it impossible for the seas and forests to absorb. In fact, more than half of all the CO2 we create drifts into the atmosphere where it can last for more than 150 years. These are the facts, not politics (please).

...there is virtually no explanation other than climate change.

2012 has been the hottest year in the U.S. since official record-keeping began in 1895.

1990 2000 2010 P 10 yrs

South America 946 904 864 -5%Africa 749 709 674 -5%Oceania 199 198 191 -4%North/Cent America

708 705 705 0%

Asia 576 570 593 4%Europe 989 998 1,005 1%WORLD 4168 4,085 4,033 -1%

-2 percent -1 percentGlobal Forest Coverage


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The ugly is illegal logging. World Wildlife Fund’s Global Forest & Trade Network estimates that up to 15 percent of all global hardwoods are produced through illegal logging which by definition involves deforestation. You don’t replant what you steal. The problem is acute in South America, West Africa, the Russian border with China and parts of Southeast Asia. In addition to depleting forests, it also depresses market prices about 10 percent, costing developing countries as much as $15 billion a year.

What to Do?

The most significant thing anyone in home furnishings can do is ask the right questions, whether a manufacturer, retailer or designer. The first question should be, “What wood is this and where does it come from?” The second should be, “Can you prove it to me?” something that should resonate with my friends in Missouri, the “Show Me” state.

Like any business, the market for wood is driven by supply and demand. The more that is demanded, the more that is supplied and the lower the prices fall. The issue right now is a demand issue. Not enough buyers are requesting for legal wood that is certified as part of a sustainable operation, instead accepting whatever they get. The more buyers that ask, the harder it will be for suppliers to turn a blind eye.

Acceptable proofs are certifications provided by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for all wood types, also Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) for domestic wood.

You may also see certifications if the source trees are grown on plantations, a commercially sustainable cycle of growing, harvesting, selling and replacing.

Will this simple act solve the problem? Far from it, but every little bit helps. Just as recycled content copier paper was a novelty 20 years ago, and hybrid

cars 10 years ago, it is not too hard to imagine a day when 100 percent of the wood used in furniture is legally sourced and sustainably managed. Just ask for it.

Jeff Hiller is past president of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, a 400-member non-profit coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers. He is a Senior Partner in JB Training Solutions, a leading national skills training company. Learn more at sustainablefurnishings.org

Our industry is the No. 3 user of wood, and deforestation is a significant contri-butor to the climate change issue.


For free directions to hundreds of green sources visit www.sustainablefurnishings.org

Joe RuggieroDESIGNINGreenLeader

Where to find real green

Book: Act One by Moss Hart

Concert: Judy Garland at the Palace

Hotel: Galicci Aix en Provence

Dessert: Profiteroles

Furniture: My Bergen Chair from Miles Talbott

Color: Green

“We must all be respectful of the wonders we are inspired by each and every day. Why not live a better way?”

Some personal faves...

joeruggurio_trade_left.indd 1 9/29/10 5:12:10 PM


Sustainable Section

The Greener GenerationBy Melissa Dressler

From an early age, Gen Y was taught to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. They celebrated Earth Day in school and were taught

about global warming from early on. They learned about endangered species, overflowing landfills and a large plastic wasteland that’s floating in the middle of the Pacific—all which has helped shaped an eco-friendly generation that is concerned about their wellbeing, and the Earth’s.

Because of this, many Gen Y are looking to “green” their homes, and lifestyles. When it comes to vehicles, many are opting for fuel-efficient vehicles, or none at all. Urbanites are going back to public transportation and opting to not own cars.

Some say it has been easily forced upon this generation because green products are more readily available. Others think it’s due to the education and global awareness this generation has been raised with. Whatever the cause, 47 percent of Generation Y said they would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly services, products or brands (Maritz Research). With Gen Y coming in with a whopping 71 million people, that’s a lot of consumers who are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

So what does this mean for the future of sustainable furniture? With a more eco-conscious generation, they will want to know where, and how, their furniture is being made. Find ways to educate your consumer on what goes into your products, and where they come from. If you offer mainly sustainable furnishings, market to this generation and inform them that you are the place for sustainable products. Of course, it may take some time for this generation to have enough green (cash) to afford the higher prices of most sustainably-made furnishings. As their incomes grow, you can expect to see the demand for sustainable products also grow.

They also want to buy from companies that are making a conscious effort to be eco-friendly—and work for them. Seventy-five percent of MBA students said they would consider earning 10-20 percent less in exchange for working for a socially responsible corporation (Accenture). So start scoring Gen Y consumers, and employees, by looking into “greening” your products, and your business practices.

Gen Y’s 15 Green Brand FavsThese brands are already cashing in on Gen Y’s eco-friendliness. What can your store do to be added to this list?

Whole FoodsTrader Joe’sToyotaHondaGoogleAvedaZipcarAmerican ApparelIkea7th GenerationAppleThe Body ShopStarbucksNetflixMethod

people in generation yof gen y will pay more for environmentally friendly

services, brand or products.

would consider earning 10-20% less for a socially

responsible company.

75% 47% 71 Million

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Gat CREEK Eco Friendly... Made in the U.S.A. Gat Creek, located in West Virgina, is a custom manufacturer of solid-wood furniture. The company works exclusively with sustainably-harvested, domestic hardwoods and manufactures 100 percent of its products in the U.S.A. Gat Creek is a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and has earned Silver Exemplary status for its holistic manufacturing practices. Gat Creek builds a full range of styles for every room in the home and has won a number of national design awards, including a 2008 IDEA Silver Medal.

www.gatcreek.com [email protected] Berkeley Springs, WV Phone: (304) 258-2818High Point showroom: Atrium on Main #216

CRESEnt FinE FuRnituREWaverly is a contemporary lifestyle design crafted in solid Acacia with a wire-brushed finish. Waverly features minimalist bronze bar pulls that provide a striking contrast to the warm Driftwood finish.The cases feature clean lines with floating tops, beveled posts and a looped end frame with open space at the bottom—subtle detailing that lighten the overall look. Full extension, ball bearing, side mounted drawer guides support the English dovetailed solid wood drawers, which close over blind parting rails to keep the look clean and contemporary. Other modern conveniences such as cedar-lined drawers and a powered nightstand round out the features. www.cresent.com Gallatin, TN Phone: (615) 975-4862 Twitter: @cresentfurn

GreenGiants

Sustainable Furnishings Council All the furniture on these pages is manufactured by companies belonging to the Sustainable Furnishings Council, whose mission is to:• Raise awareness of sustainability issues• Assist companies in adopting good practices• Serve as an information clearinghouse• Create a symbol of assuranace for consumers

The SFC is vital in developing solid standards and certification process within the home furnishings industry.

in our industry

www.sustainablefurnishings.org Chapel Hill, NC Phone: (919) 967-1137

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SiMPLy aMiSh The Monarch Collection, shown here in solid Cherry with a Gold Dust finish, is handcrafted in the U.S.A. by Amish craftsmen. So not only is our furniture made responsibly, but the very lifestyle of those making the furniture reflects an ideology dedicated to living a life based on sustainability.

www.simplyamish.com [email protected] Arcola, IL Phone: (217) 268-4504

WESt BRoS FuRnituRE PHASE collection combines West Bros’ solid wood construction with clean lines and modern sophistication. Made from Walnut wood the solid wood collection is clean, distinct lines converge to create the perfect balance of modern luxury. Located in Ontario, Canada, West Bros has been producing meticulously crafted high quality, sustainable solid wood furniture in North America for almost two decades.

www.westbrosfurniture.com Hannover, Ontario Phone: (519) 364-7770

RoWE FuRnituREAs a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and with the launch of the EcoRowe initiative, Rowe Furniture has made a solid commitment to eco-friendly manufacturing processes and sustainable product development. EcoRowe focuses on three crucial elements in our future—a selection of fabrics produced from natural, renewable fibers; the use of wood from replenished, domestic forests for the frames and the choice of two eco-friendly seat cushion cores.The Rowe family of brands includes Rowe, Robin Bruce and Clayton Marcus. Sustainably manufactured in the USA since 1946.

www.rowefurniture.com Elliston, VA Phone: (800) 340-7693

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Green is often thought of as just another buzzword, but many businesses have had success in offering sustainable

furnishings to their customers. This month, we partnered with the Sustainable Furnishings Council

for our Community Today column, and talked to SFC members Kent Schneider, Verde Home,

Atlanta, GA, and Linda Areh, ModernDomicile, Edgewater, NJ, about offering customers a sustainable and eco-friendly product.

Your Voice

RetailernoW: Why is it important to you and your business to offer sustainable furnishings?

Verde Home

Atlanta, GA Founded in 2006 SFC Member Since 2011 www.verdehomeinc.com

LinDa: Approximately 70 percent of our products are sustainable to some degree. One of our manufacturers uses recycled men’s ties to make pillows, while another repurposes seatbelts to make chairs featured in the movie “The Hunger Games”.KEnt: As you know, there are varying definitions of “green”. As we define “green” furnishings, I would say that at least 90 percent meet one or more of our defined dimensions. Naturally some will be “greener” than others but we offer a wide range.

KEnt: Aside from the ecological importance of choosing sustainability, we like to look at it as a value added. Most of the pieces that meet the criteria to be called “sustainable” are made at a higher level of craftsmanship and detail. The producers are often transparent with manufacturing processes, which gives us a richer depth of information when talking to clients about the features and benefits of each product.LinDa: I believe it is our responsibility to preserve the environment for future generations. In keeping with this focus on sustainability, our firm provides eco-friendly options. Many of the products we carry are made from either renewable or recyclable materials.

ModernDomicile

Edgewater, NJ Founded in 2008 SFC Member Since 2010 www.moderndomicile.com

RetailernoW: What percentage of the furniture on your floor could be considered “green”?


Sustainable Section

Sustainably Harvested WoodAs a founding member of the Sustainable

Furnishings Council, we are dedicated to using wood from domestic, replenished forests.

Eco-cushion OptionsOur cushions are partially plant based

reducing the use of petroleum.

Fabric OptionsWe provide a selection of fabrics produced from

natural resources and renewable fibers.

RELAX, YOUR SOFA IS SUSTAINABLY MANUFACTURED

To learn about our additional commitments to sustainable manufacturing, visit www.rowefurniture.com.

KEnt: This is definitely done on a customer-by-customer basis. Some customers want to know everything about a particular piece and how it was made. For those customers we try to have a great depth of information available to us, and love to get into the details and tell the story of how everything is produced. Others simply want a nice looking sofa. For this customer we focus on aspects of quality and finish. We may never even bring up the term “sustainable” but it is always at the core of what they are buying. The unfortunate truth of retail right now, at least in our market, is that price is still ruling the sales conversation and people often equate the term “eco-friendly” with

“more expensive”. It has been more helpful for us to approach these customers from a value and quality standpoint.LinDa: When customers are interested in purchasing a product, they ask pertinent questions, and we are somewhat able to assess their knowledge of sustainability. They tend to gravitate towards our unusual items, and there is always a story about the materials used, which most of the time are sustainable. This makes the conversation easy. We have some very knowledgeable customers who understand a lot about sustainable options available, and in those cases we learn some things as well!

RetailernoW: How do you educate your customers about sustainable furnishings?


Reinvention

The Death of a BrandAs We Know It.

In August I wrote a short article about The Death of a Salesman. I now refer to it as my obituary as a former CMO of many fine

companies I had the privilege to work with.

I’ve never claimed I’m an easy guy to work with because mediocrity and complacency are not in my DNA. I’ve been both blessed and cursed with “passion”. Passion for everything: passion for being a great dad, a great employee, a great leader and passion for being different than everybody else when it comes to leading the marketing of an organization.

Because of this passion, I often find myself at odds with “traditional” organizations. I hate traditional… it’s pedestrian and the results are always predictable. This leads me to rant about what a brand is, or should I say “is not” in our industry today.

In our industry, research has shown that consumers really don’t know or care about any of our brands. As matter of fact, I believe the number is less than 19 percent. That’s getting uncomfortably close to Congress’s approval rating.

I remember in the ‘90s GAP had these awesome commercials featuring people swing dancing to swing music. When the commercials came on, I’d turn them up—loved the music, loved the energy, loved the visual “candy”. I ended up shopping there because I loved “cool casual”!

This platform rocketed them up in brand awareness, likeability and more.

But the most important statistic was their sales grew sometimes 17 percent+ per quarter! They were on fire, crushing the competition.

So the geniuses at GAP decided it was tired and wanted to try something new. They fired the marketing guy, hired a new person and went to everyday low prices and more. The result? Their business tanked!

The brand our industry promotes is “cheap”. Cheap everything, sale

this, closeout that—always a race to the bottom. No aspiration, no engagement, no connection, except for those consumers who like feeding on the bottom, yep bottom feeders— I think the slang is: Mediocrity and commoditization rules here!

What went wrong? In the ‘60s and through most of the ‘90s, BRANDS RULED. There was a perceived value of owning a branded item: people believed in brands, they sought them out, they bragged about it. Not anymore. Now when asked they brag about “what they paid for it”. How sad is that? Your brand has now been

“tagged” cheap.

In our industry there is one company that stands out: IKEA. You say they aren’t your competition? You are wrong! 126 million Gen X & Y love cool, hip and the stuff they sell.

The first item your son or daughter purchases when they move out? A bed, and they are most likely going to buy it at IKEA. IKEA is cool and everyone at that age wants “cool”.

Speaking of IKEA, have you seen what they’ve just done? They’ve made their iconic catalog into an interactive home design catalog. It is the most amazing innovation for home furnishings I’ve seen. You can take a bed, hold its position, show bedspreads and scroll the style until

you see what you like, take a snap shot and you are now your own HGTV Design Star (well at least in your mind).

Look at their commercials: clever, fun, funny and relevant. They are mavericks and they do NOT aspire to

being a “pedestrian to your father’s Oldsmobile brand”.

Meanwhile, our brands are still printing catalogs, spending 100s of thousands, if not millions, of dollars a year on these antiquated tools. We invest in clever “in-store” graphics and we invest in $500 commercials for SALE, SALE, SALE, with cheap graphics, and lousy voiceovers. Then the end result is we complain we can’t make a decent margin. Einstein’s Theory of Insanity, anyone?

Take a look at most of the manufacturer websites in our industry. They are not good, and since I’ve already printed my obituary, I can safely say they stink! Add that to the bulk of retailers who also have lousy sites, if they even have one, and you have a strategy for disaster.

In our industry, research has shown that consumers really don’t know or care about any of our brands. As matter of fact, I be-lieve the number is less than 19%. That’s getting uncomfortably close to Congress’s approval rating.

By Bill Napier


As We Know It.

The product photography stinks, the information about the product is minimal and the navigation is non-existent. I’m sure this is all done because you really don’t want to sell anyone, right? You don’t want them to visualize that awesome looking sofa in their home, right? Oh, I know, it’s about saving money and “hoping” things will change… back to the good old days. Well, I’m here to tell you that car dealers do not sell Oldsmobiles anymore, and hoping that you can buy a new Oldsmobile and find spare parts somewhere is a failed strategy of hope again.

OK, manufacturers, I know you are defending yourself saying you rely on your retailer to do all this. What are you thinking?! You’re going to let 1,000 retailers define in 1,000 different ways who you are, what you are and why you’re the “one” they want? Einstein again, people. The first rule of a brand is you create it, you define it, you control it, and you develop the tools to ensure it is positioned the way you want it to be perceived by your target consumer.

But that is only the beginning in developing a brand. Based off your 5P’s—yep, I added one—Product, Promotion, Price, Place and PROMISE. Your brand is a PROMISE. A promise, that if the consumer does what you want, searches you out and ultimately buys your stuff, that promise is fulfilled. If you don’t fulfill that “promise”, you’ve sold a “one-off” and your lifetime value of that customer is toast.

IKEA does this the best… granted maybe for first time buyers, but they know who their market is: Gen X and Gen Y. They know how to target them, engage them and always aspire to be different in how they promote their brand platform. Sure there are a couple people that I know of that do this well: Sheely’s Furniture, Sam’s Furniture, Baer’s and more that I wish I could

name. They use video, online chat, awesome designs, blogs and more to capture their customer and explain to them why they (their brand) will be fulfilled based off their “promise”.

So, if and when you develop a great brand platform, be careful that someone doesn’t hijack it and commoditize it to the bottom feeders. Instead of sitting there hoping, printing catalogs and useless P.O.S. and “thinking” your way into a brand, start “acting your way into a brand”.

WEbSiTES: First, invest whatever it takes for a consumer to “find your brand”, learn about it, engage them with it and help them find that retailer that shares your same value proposition.

Instead of wasting your money in materials that will be obsolete in six months, take that money and help your retailer do the same with their web presence. Maybe a brand gallery inside their site promoting your brand the way “you want it done”.

SoCiAl mEDiA PrESEnCEYep, this stuff again. Well, you can’t deny its influence in how people now engage with a brand and make buying decisions.

linkEDin For brAnDSWhy haven’t manufacturer brands connected with retailers here? This is such an awesome way to introduce new products, have discussions, and get new ideas, leads and more. It is the best B2B networks out there… bar none! You could develop an open or closed group and talk to your retailers about new products and then re-direct them to an area on your website.

blogS & ViDEoIt is statistically quantifiable that if you embrace these platforms you will get 57%+ more leads.

People are tuning out TV, print—Newsweek just announced they are strictly digital now, Netflix streamed 1 billion shows—in June. Consumers “find what they want. Where they want. When they want and receive it. How they want.” You must be everywhere they “want to be” and that is online with relevant content. Want proof?

Here are samples of what happens when we blog or push out relevant content on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, G+, LinkedIn and more. P.30

Reinvention


Call 1-877-536-4786 to sign-upVisit www.Web4Retail.com for more info

for Furniture Retailersand Manufacturers

E-Commerce Websites

Feature Online ShoppingOn Your WebsiteFeature Online ShoppingOn Your Website

$399per month

packagesstarting at

We average between 300-400 people a day, BUT when we push out content, the numbers skyrocket. On July 25, we pushed out our Commoditization Blog and had 3,900+ visitors.

So, in summation, if you think that having a name, a product, a distribution channel and a colleague that has a sign on their door saying “FURNITURE”, you are destined for irrelevance—sooner than you think.

Last question: What is your ROI in not investing in your brand for TODAY’S consumer? I bet I know, do you?

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. Comments? Questions? Contact Bill Napier, Napier Marketing Group, Inc., [email protected], (612) 217-1297, www.social4retail.com.

The Death of a Brand

Reinvention

The first rule of a brand is you create it, you define it, you control it, and you develop the tools to ensure it is positioned the way you want it to be perceived by your target consumer.


AffiliatesWhat’s Selling

Submitted by: Valerie WattersStore Name: Valerie’s Furniture & AccentsLocation: Cave Creek, AZManufacturer: Parker Southern FurnitureProduct Name: Swan Head RockerIs the product: Made In America: Yes Warehouse ready: No, Special Order Container Product: NoCost: Average: $600Retail Price: Average: $1,249Product level: Med-high depending on fabric or leather choiceWhy do you think it is a successful seller: We take a traditional design and put fabulous fabric

and leather combos together that gives it an updated flair. Plus it is comfortable to both women and men!How available is the product from the manufacturer: 3-4 weeksAdditional information about the product: There are many finishes available, one of our most popular is a scrubbed black.

What’s SellingEvery month, What’s Selling Now features best sellers from across the country— in different styles, categories and price points. Here’s what’s selling now…

Look for these symbols to let you know more about the products: Made in America Warehouse Ready Container Product


PROFITABILITY + SECOND CHANCE + QUALITY OF LIFE

INDEPENDENTFURNITURERETAILER

PROFITMANAGEMENTPROMOTIONS


IDEAS WORTH SPREADINGOften times we hear that the best ideas you hear aren’t from industry consultants, manufacturers or vendors—it’s from each other. Who knows your business better than your peers? You never know, their best idea might save your company thousands of dollars.

A Simple Idea But A Good OneThe Great Recession struck Schewel Furniture Company with a vengeance, pushing sales and profits into a precipitous decline from their 2006 highs. Among the draconian cost-saving mea-sures instituted was a freeze on all wages and salaries, which most employees seemed to accept as reasonable and neces-sary, grateful that they still had a job and that their paychecks had held steady.While sales hardly recovered in 2011, at least they stabilized; the company appeared to have survived the worst, and with that realization came rumblings that four years was a long time to go without a raise.Having seen too many false starts in the past, I issued this chal-lenge to our store managers at our annual meeting in May 2011: Post three months of sales increases (by as little as one dollar) in the seven remaining months of the year, and the freeze would thaw. Every person would get a 3 percent raise.They went back to their stores, spread the gospel, and infused their staffs with a new energy. The next month, June, saw a rise. Sales faltered in July and August, but exploded 10 percent in September. In October the company eked out a miniscule half-a-percent gain, and the challenge was met.But that was just the beginning. Because October marked the first of nine consecutive months of sales increases—some as high as 25 percent—before the string finally ran out in a disappointing July.Was this outstanding performance a cause-and-effect phenom-enon or mere coincidence? While external factors—such as a resurgent economy and some innovative advertising—would lead an objective observer to tip the scales of judgment toward the latter conclusion, I would like to think that improved morale, generated by this simple idea, played some small part.Marc Schewel Schewel Furniture Lynchburg, VA

CHALLENGE STAFF TO POST THREE MONTHS OF SALES INCREASES FOR A COMPANY-WIDE RAISE.

LUNCH WITH THE BOSS—THE SHARING OF GOALS, IDEAS AND FEELINGS.

PROMOTE FREE SKY BOX TICKETS TO LOCAL SPORTING EVENTS AND GAIN PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMER INFORMATION.

A SIMPLE THANK YOU AND REFER A FRIEND PROMOTION WITH A $50 INCENTIVE AT BOTH ENDS.

IDEAS continued

AffiliatesYour Voice

Bright Ideas


Knight Furniture Party Suite We recently partnered with a local minor league sports team, which has allowed us an opportunity to implement some newer technology as a way to be involved with both our community and our customers. We took the opportu-nity to have a sponsored suite which we furnished, so fans could have a great view of the game, in comfortable seats, and we would get several mentions every home game for the fans in the Knight Furniture Party Suite. We began using text message marketing as a way for fans to win tickets and get updates on our current specials and promotions. This would be displayed on the Jumbotron and announced

Refer a FriendIn recent years we, as well as many other retailers, have realized that the clients coming into our store are our best medium for advertisement. Word of mouth advertising is king in today’s world of social media. From Direct TV to Gap clothing, “Refer a Friend” coupons have been popular for years. So we have adopted a referral program in order to raise loyalty, awareness and traffic to our store. We simply created a card that has a thank you note on the top half and a detachable referral card on the bottom half. This card is given out with every purchase. Once the bot-tom half is returned, both the original customer and the new customer get a $50 coupon. The more people you refer, the more coupons you get! The card also doubles as a document folder so we can fold up receipts and other paperwork into the card and the customer has all of their important docu-ments in one place. We have already seen a tenfold return on our investment, so we will definitely continue to provide this service to our customers.Nick Gates Gates Home Furnishings Grants Pass, OR

The President’s LunchMy brother Pedro spoke about this at the most recent Home Furnishings Industry Conference, but it is worth repeating. The single most significant and effective idea we have implemented in the past few years has been “The President’s Lunch”. Every week, we invite six employees, from various departments, out to lunch. We ask them one simple question: If they were the President of our company, what would they change, or implement, in order to improve El Dorado? We take this opportunity to learn about them as individuals, including their personal and work goals. They also tell us how they feel about their work, and how they would improve the way they do their job. We mostly do very little talking and just listen. It is a great way of getting to know each and every one of our 900 employees as well as a wonderful way for them to interact with each other in the comfort of a shared meal.Our people have been an incredible source of ideas. We address all their concerns within the week, correcting any urgent needs immediately—sometimes during the lunch itself, and try to implement as many of their suggestions as possible, while always giving them full credit. We believe this has given us a competitive edge in employee retention as well as provided us with a unique perspective into our own business. It lets our people know we care about them as individuals and consider them our partners in our mutual success and growth.Jesús R. Capó El Dorado Furniture Miami, FL

to the fans several times in a game. We also used the same text platform for local radio stations to promote and have their listeners text in to win tickets to the Knight Furniture Party Suite and receive special promotions. FurnitureDealer.net then implemented a widget on our website for people to sign themselves up to receive the same updates. To be respectful, every subscriber always has the opportu-nity to opt-out. At the end of the season and after several relevant text blasts offering special promotions, we have over 800 subscribers to interact directly through their cell phones. Our constant challenge has been to place our brand where people will receive it and we can stay relevant, and this new practice has helped us do that. Joey Gunn Knight’s Furniture Sherman, TX

IDEAS WORTH SPREADING continued

Your Voice

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


I loved that more manufacturers, from large to small, are utilizing reclaimed wood. From exotic woods like acacia and mango, to teak and even old barn and home woods. I was really impressed by Groovystuff's young designers, particularly the table by Abigail Buchanan—beautiful, smart coffee table from teak logs and wood.

—Valerie Watters, Valerie’s Furniture & Accents, Cave Creek, AZ

Hot ProductsSizzling Products from the Summer Las Vegas Market

Palecek | Water Hyacinth Table Lamppalecek.comLamp is made of wood base and water-hyacinth that is hand-cut into a ball shape. Ivory chenille shade is topped with a round wood ball finial.

Phillips Collection | Pebble Coffee Tablephillipscollection.comPatina collection is a series of furniture finished to evoke the effects of time, wind and water, while resisting those elements beautifully. Indoors or outdoors.

omnia | Villa Sectional omnialeather.com With a wood finish in espresso this sofa wears a brindle pony pattern.

Market

nourison | Contour Smoke Teal Nourison.comAn affluent tone-on-tone color palette makes this abstract zebra print rug soar to the summit of sophistication. 100% polyester. Hand tufted.

Groovystuff | The Enclosure Collectiongroovystuff.comStudent Designer Abigail Buchanan focuses on rectilinear planes intersected by the curvature of reclaimed teak logs.


Market

Every Market sees a slew of new trends, and this summer Market was no different. Here's a few of the new trends that were seen around the Market hallways.Bright and bold colors: The 1980s are back, and bright, bold colors have come with it. White, white, white: Clean, sleek, and very in—white exudes elegance and while giving off a modern vibe.Wild Living: Hair-on hide furnishings were making rugged look luxurious. Earthy: From matted colors, to products made of natural elements, earthy was in.accessories: Rugs, pillows, mirrors, top of table—selling home furnishings isn’t just about the sofa—it’s about selling everything you need to make a house a home.

Studio a | Charkha Remnant on Standstudioahome.comFragment pieces from original old spinning wheels found in India are mounted on iron stands. No two are alike.

Lexinton | Aria Chestlexington.comFrom the Aquarius Line, focused on the interpretation of home furnishings as art—featuring pieces with the presence to stand alone.

Surya | Universal Collectionsurya.comUsing rich Pantone colors of Copper Penny and Golden Brown this plush pile rug is availabe in custom sizes.

Cyan Designs | Miss I.Candy Chaircyandesign.biz Part of a new line of boldly colored contemporary chairs.

Company C | Spring 2013companyc.comModern Traditions Collection Silhouettes of trees at dusk become moody and surreal against a fuchsia, orange and purple-tinged sky.Coastal Collection This intricate geometric medallion ripples out in colorful echoes, its densely embroidered pattern.

For more information about the hottest products at the Summer Las Vegas Market, connect with Las Vegas Market on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/lasvegasmarket.

CLICK!

For more photos visit www.retailerNOWmag.com

Next Generation-NOW hosted its Market Chatter Over Cocktails to a full house of retailers, vendors and manufacturers. After a round of speed networking, Kerry Lebensburger, president of sales, Ashley Furniture Industries, addressed the group, sharing his journey in the industry. He encouraged the group to, “continue to learn every single day of your lives.” Watch his entire speech, and learn more about Next Generation-NOW at social.ngnow.org.

The Retailer Resource Center in C-496, saw traffic from eager buyers looking for new services to better their business. The seminars saw constant traffic, with social media sessions continuing to be a hot topic. The RRC launched a new area, called The Social Spot, which had people learning how to Tweet, Like and Pin. The daily breakfast, sponsored by Surya, was a hit, with people coming back daily for Chef Tony’s bacon waffles. Buyers ended their Market days with a beer served by Diakon Logistics and a game of shuffleboard.

RRCRETAILERRESOURCE CENTERWestern Home Furnishings Association

Vegas

HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY


June 2-4, 2013

making it BIG keeping it EASY

www.homefurnishingsconference.com


EXCLUSIVE DEALS FOR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

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.org


South 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

Custom Music & Messaging 75 percent of your customers are influenced by the music playing in your store. Make sure the music you play matches your brand and is 100 percent licensed. Our new program with Retail Radio will help you create the right mood in your store by developing a customized music station just for your store!

NEW PROGRAM

Integrated MarketingReach your key customers and inspire them to purchase. Our program with Banner Marketing allows you to reach your customer through:

h Promotional Websites h Circulars & Inserts h Direct Mail Promotions h TV & Web Video h Email & Mobile Marketing h POP (In-store Signage) h Public Relations & ContentTruckSkin

Create exciting opportunities for promotions and profit with TruckSkin’s changeable advertising panels.

h Easily updated by you and your staff. h Easy ordering. h Design and approve online. h Change designs when you change promotions.

Sign4RetailAttract drive by traffic into your store with attractive street banners. Choose from a variety of styles or create a custom message. This new program offers discounted prices to members on new WindBlade Pole Banners, A-Frame signs, giant banners, sales tags and more.

Member Marketplace

“The combination of a consignment store and a full line home furnishings businessis perhaps the most exciting retail idea

in the last 25 years.” - Jerry Epperson

For more information contact Doug Wolf(814) 742-4380 x1127 / [email protected]

alleghenyconsignment.com

Leverage your existing customers, real estate, advertising and back office to create a unique marketing edge, increased sales and profits for your business. AFC is a turnkey system that includes everything you need to operate a successful consignment store. From training and operations manuals to web support, from store graphics and advertising materials to a complete, integrated, custom consignment business software package.

Your salespeople are already referring your customers to consignment stores…why shouldn’t it be yours?


At Zenith Global Logistics, our national 3PL warehousing is likely the most QC-driven and effi cient you’ll fi nd anywhere. You can count on

real-time data on inventory levels 24/7 and 100% traceability in a low-damage, furniture-only environment. Every step of the way, you’ll know

the status of your orders — from when your order is released for picking through when it’s loaded for shipment. First-in/fi rst-out, cutting/

lot matching, and product quarantining are always available, giving you complete control over inventory fl ow and product quality. So when

you’re seeking the path to fulfi llment, begin with a beacon of 3PL wisdom — Zenith Global Logistics. We make sure Every Move Counts.

the path to fulfi llment? start with wisdom.

PO Box 969 • Conover, NC 28613 • 800.937.3876 • ZenithCompanies.com

Domestic LTL Freight // Domestic Warehousing // Domestic Home Delivery // Ocean Transportation // International Warehousing & Consolidation


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

It’s Not Down or Up! It’s Up & Down!

Many in the marketing world, including those in advertising who have shaped the way marketing messages are developed, feel today’s marketing is an “either or scenario.” Either you go online, or you go offline. As black and white as that philosophy sounds, it’s not how our consumer operates. Consider your average day. You go to work and check your email, open up letters with bills, have phone conversations with manufacturer reps and check Facebook to see what your friends are doing. Since you utilize both online and offline media daily, why should we neglect Ms. Jones by only speaking to her one way instead of another?The difference between online and offline media is not the vehicle, but more in the conversation.

Offline, or “traditional”, media is predicated by utilizing a top-down philosophy. The whole concept was to find customers (media), convert them (salespeople) and then hopefully maintain the same customer for the next conversation with the same practices mentioned above.

Online, or “digital”, media is predicated through a bottom-up philosophy. Keeping customers in the conversation is the cornerstone of your marketing philosophy. By maintaining customers you can begin converting them into sales.

Neither of these philosophies exclusively helps out a furniture retailer. Because of the nature of our long buying cycle, we must strive to always acquire new customers. However, in acquiring new customers it’s vital to communicate with them after the purchase to ensure the next time they buy—it’s from us. So how do you build up an online following while maintaining a traditional traffic cycle? Place the two processes next to each other and integrate them.The goal is to acquire new customers while at the same time maintaining them for the long term. But how can you do this? Run an integrated promotion that requires participation in social media to gain access to a special or featured product. Then you will obtain new traffic while getting closer to converting them and keeping them on your social networks to continue the conversation. You will then begin leveraging the two ways to communicate to a customer while simultaneously growing your sales. Focusing on “either or” will lead you to the same spot most are in today—neither.

Attract new customers through word-of-mouth


the scoopThe Scoop

Bob’s Discount Furniture’s 25th annual Golf outing Raises over $447,000 For Local Children’s Charities

Every year Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation along with Planned Furniture Promotions, Inc. hosts a golfing event to raise money for local charities that help children in need. Their 25th charity golf outing and dinner held on July 17 raised more than $447,000.The funds raised during the event will benefit charities including the American Red Cross, Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Cancer Society’s Camp Rising Sun, Family & Children’s Aid, The Jimmy Fund and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

“This event is about the children in the communities we serve, and it’s a labor of love,” said Bob Kaufman, co-founder of Bob’s Discount Furniture. “We think it’s wonderful that for 25 straight years our employees, vendors and executive team have enthusiastically supported our commitment to these invaluable non-profit organizations that help so many children in need.”The charity golf outing started 25 years ago by Planned Furniture Promotions, the leading sales promotion company in the home furnishing industry. Bob’s Discount Furniture became an event partner when Kaufman and Gene Rosenberg, who is also the founder of Planned Furniture Promotions, opened Bob’s in 1991.

“Over the years, I have been to many of the facilities that support Bob’s Kids. Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and the joy that it brings them makes this all worthwhile,” said Rosenberg.

Visit www.BobsCares.com for more information on this foundation and the charities it supports.

hW home Girls Ride the Courage Classic Raising Money for Children’s hospitalThe HW Home girls rode in the 23rd annual Courage Classic benefitting the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Over 2,000 cyclists participated in the three-day, 157-mile ride from Leadville through Summit County to raise money for the Children’s fund. The Courage Classic is a challenging ride with strenuous mountain passes and represents riders of every age, shape, and cycling level.Courage Classic fund raising supports the Children’s Fund which according to couragetours.com, “Allow the hospital to quickly improve the care we offer to every child who walks through our doors. Children’s Colorado served 163,736 patients in 2011, and we expect to see even more infants, kids and teens in the years to come. A portion of Courage Classic fund-raising also goes to the Hospital Sports Program, which helps patients with physical disabilities experience freedom from physical challenges through activities like skiing, snowboarding, fishing and cycling.”The HW Home Girls have raised $20,288 for this year’s ride and are looking to add to that total. HW Home has sponsored the HW Home Girls cycling team for the last four years and ride under team captain and Boulder store manager, Bev Needham, who has been riding for the team for over 21 years. Bev Needham also has a daughter who is a nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado.This year the HW Home Girls are teaming up with Team Danze to combine their donations to create a $50,000 endowment which will allow them to determine how the funds will be allocated.

Giving Back—

$447,000 for Children’s Charities

$20,288 for Children’s Hospital

$8,200 for Heart & Stroke Foundation


The Scoop

Last month we featured this great photo of golfers enjoying the New England Chapter Golf Tournament. The foursome featured was Peter Bjerregaard, David Blume, Tony Traister and Beverly Kastel, from Ekornes.

tepperman’s Raises over $8,000 for heart & Stroke FoundationTepperman’s was the top fundraising team for the Heart & Stroke Foundation, raising over $6,800 for stroke and heart disease research and advocacy at the group’s annual Big Bike for Heart & Stroke fundraiser in late May. This was the second consecutive year for Tepperman’s Windsor location to participate in this annual event, with this year’s first place achievement coming on the heels of a 2nd place finish in the prior year.Tepperman’s Chatham-Kent location raised an additional $1,350, bringing Tepperman’s combined fundraising efforts to over $8,200.

“Our staff and their families made this happen,” said Noah Tepperman, Tepperman’s secretary/treasurer. “They were the ones who chose to ride the Big Bike, and they really put the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraising’. Both Andrew [Tepperman’s president] and I are very proud of the passion and commitment they’ve demonstrated.”Diane DeMarco, event coordinator for the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Windsor-area office, attended the event and expressed her appreciation. “Every dollar raised by the Big Bike Riders will go towards the elimination of heart disease and stroke, as well as towards reducing their impact through the advancement of research, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy,” she said.

nhFa announces their annual Membership Meeting

All members of National Home Furnishings Association and its affiliates are invited to the organization’s annual meeting where new officers and directors for 2013 will be elected.The meeting, held during the Fall High Point Market, is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 14, 2012 in NHFA’s Retailer Resource Center on the 1st floor of Plaza Suites. The meeting will be immediately followed by a presentation on the current state of the industry by analyst Jerry Epperson.



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


Calendar & Ad Index

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE INDUSTRY EVENTS

Dallas Total Home & Gift MarketSeptember 8-10, 2012

Dallas, TX www.dallasmarketcenter.com

Mid-Atlantic MarketSeptember 9-10, 2012

Fredericksburg, VA www.kemexpo.com

New York Home Fashions MarketSeptember 10-13, 2012

New York, NY www.homefashionproducts.com

Calendar

L.A. Mart Fall MarketSeptember 30 - October 2, 2012

Los Angeles, CA www.lamart.CA

International Casual Furniture & Accessories MarketSeptember 20-23, 2012

Chicago, IL www.casualmarket.com

High Point MarketOctober 13-18, 2012

High Point, NC www.highpointmarket.org

Petrified Wood Stump DrinkTable Natura From Palecek Summer Market 2012

ADVERTISER PHONE WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER PAGE#

Allegheny Consignment (814) 742-4380 alleghenyconsignment.com http://tinyurl.com/alleghenyFB 41

Cresent (615) 975-4862 cresent.com facebook.com/cresent.furniture @cresentfurn 24, 35

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

Gat Creek (304) 258-2818 gatcreek.com http://tinyurl.com/gatcreekFB 24

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

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

Nourison (201) 368-6900 nourison.com facebook.com/nourison @nourison Inside Back

Planned Furniture Promotions (800) 472-5242 PFpromotions.com 17

Profit Management Promotions (215) 230-9001 pmpsales.com facebook.com/pmpsales @PowerfulSales 32

PROFITsystems (800) 888-5565 Profitsystems.com facebook.com/profitsystems @PROFITsystems 11

Rowe (800) 340-7693 rowefurniture.com www.facebook.com/rowefurniture @rowefurniture 25, 27

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

SFC (919) 967-1137 sustainablefurnishings.org facebook.com/Sustainable-Furnishings-Council/ 25

Simply Amish (217) 268-4504 simplyamish.com @SimplyAmish 25

Surya (877) 275-7847 surya.com facebook.com/SuryaSocial Inside Cover

West Bros Furniture (519) 364-7770 westbrosfurniture.com http://tinyurl.com/westbrosFB @westfurn 25

Web4Retail (877) 536-4786 web4retail.com facebook.com/Web4Retail @web4retail 30

Zenith Global (800) 937-3876 zenithcompanies.com facebook.com/ZenithGlobalLogistics 42

NHFA / WHFA Sponsors (800) 888-9590 retailerNOWmag.com facebook.com/retailernow @retailerNow 46

WHFA Membership (800) 422-3778 whfa.org facebook.com/WesternHomeFurnishingsAssn 41

NHFA Membership (800) 888-9590 nhfa.org facebook.com/NationalHomeFurnishingsAssn @nhfa1 41


The Now ListA quick dose of fun facts, random trivia and useful

(or useless) bits of info

One out of ten children in Europe are conceived on an IKEA bed.

The average American spends 46 minutes commuting per day.

Use of humor in the workplace increases credibility and sales.

The word “lethologica” describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want to use.

Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

Actor Anthony Hopkins never blinked on film while playing the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter

If you could evaporate all the water out of all the oceans and spread the resulting salt over all the land on Earth, you would have a 500 foot layer coating everything. That’s a lot of salt!

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

The first two Apple stores sold a combined $599,000 in products over their first two days when they first opened in 2001. The stores were located in McLean, VA and Glendale, CA.

$599 Thousand

The Now List

The world’s most expensive ice cream can be found at Manhattan’s Serendipity 3. Called the “Grand Opulence” and costing $1,000, the lavish sundae features five scoops of the richest Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla, 23K edible gold leaf, Amedei Porceleana (the world’s most expensive chocolate) and covered with chunks of rare Chuao chocolate. It is then suffused with exotic candied fruits from Paris, gold dragets, truffles, Marzipan Cherries and topped with Grand Passion Caviar, an exclusive dessert caviar.

Dead Sea Salt Formations

$1,000 Sundae

al CaponeUsed Furniture Dealer832-2313

RetailerN

OW

Vol. 1 Issue 5

“Reinvention” SEPTEM

BER Issue SEP

TEMB

ER 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

High Point MarketOctober 13 - 18

Plaza SuitesRRC 1st Fl. Space #2

Premier Websites for the Furniture Industry

[email protected]

800.964.3876 ext. 2

“Stop the Madness:Open Your New Web Location Now”

An informative overview of the web channel land-scape and a discussion on how every retailer can have an effective and business generating web

presence at a cost you can afford!

Upcoming Market Seminar

Documents

September 2012—Reinvention