Furniture World Articles by
Janet Holt-Johnstone
Published: 10/12/2019
More than a century ago, Meyer Max launched his family’s venture into home furnishings retailing in Kensington, PA.
Published: 7/11/2019
Starting with a single 7,000 square foot store, Kentucky-based Furniture Fair has 11 locations, 300 plus employees, and growing!
Published: 5/30/2019
Domaci is a wonderland for eclectically minded, environmentally motivated consumers and perceptive designers.
Published: 3/23/2019
Seven days of business in six, with a focus on creating work-life balance.
Published: 1/6/2019
Interior designer and furnishings retailer Keith Baltimore shares his thoughts about the design & retail experience.
Published: 1/6/2019
Recognizing a void in the central Ohio marketplace, June Sedlak Mooney created an artfully selected boutique environment.
Published: 11/25/2018
Florida-based retailer helps
their customers actualize their dreams for beautiful homes.
Published: 9/22/2018
Innovative player in Phoenix, AZ caters to Spanish and English speaking customers with innovative programs.
Published: 5/23/2018
Minnesota based Welcome Amish Furniture, is both a name and a greeting to 60,000 square feet of Amish designs!
Published: 3/23/2018
Texas retailer provides “The Best of the New West” with an elevated design sensibility, a commitment to customer service, sustainability and conservation.
Published: 1/14/2018
This Tacoma, Washington based furniture store doesn't worry too much about the competition!
Published: 11/29/2017
Lindy’s has over 200,000 square feet of furniture showrooms and warehouse space, with prices for every budget.
Published: 9/23/2017
CEO Stefanie Lucas wants Boston Interiors' customers to feel like they are shopping with their best friend.
Published: 7/7/2017
BoConcept’s new flagship store will set the stage for expansion in the USA of the 300 store global furniture franchise.
Published: 6/1/2017
Starting with a push cart in 1912, The RoomPlace has grown to include 25 stores and 700 employees.
Published: 3/29/2017
Retailer combines and renovates stores, adds categories, while providing seamless customer service.
Published: 12/28/2016
Interview with top 100 retailer FFO Home, “Where great quality lives for less!”
Published: 11/29/2016
Detroit-based retailer Danto Furniture looks for smart ways to expand beyond it’s main location.
Published: 9/30/2016
Solutions to the ten biggest retail display problems.
Published: 7/7/2016
Design focused Florida-based retailer achieves strong growth with a design focus that covers all the bases.
Published: 6/2/2016
Relaxed vibe and unconventional selection, hours and business model fuels growth for this Arizona-based retailer.
Published: 3/25/2016
Vision, mission and corporate philosophy are very much alive at HOM Furniture, Gabberts and DOCK68.
Published: 1/4/2016
With three locations plus distribution center, this retailer focuses on delivering a family experience with lots of fun.
Published: 11/27/2015
Family run business with a reputation of putting customers first.
Published: 9/28/2015
New 150,000 square foot store has four separate store brands, and innovative design without a big box feel.
Published: 7/17/2015
Solid merchandising and advertising pay off for Leather by Design.
Published: 6/9/2015
Knoxville Tennessee retailer with a storied history creates a showplace with the help of store designer Connie Post.
Published: 3/24/2015
Edward and Michael Massood rebrand Thomasville of New Jersey as HOME INSPIRATIONS Thomasville, with a little help from their friends.
Published: 12/30/2014
Fast growing Memphis, TN based retailer has passion for the industry and sweats the details.
Published: 11/21/2014
Larry Schneiderman, head of the Minnesota-based six-store chain Schneiderman’s furniture talks about his life at retail, what he learned and who he learned if from along the way.
Published: 9/29/2014
Critelli’s makes a big deal of it’s centenary celebration.
Published: 7/9/2014
Art Van Furniture is the top family owned furniture retailer in the Midwest and the fifteenth largest in the United States.Get the story about how “Mr. Van” made it happen.
Published: 5/22/2014
Kane’s, now the 43rd largest furniture chain in the United States has a history of managing the bottom line.
Published: 3/17/2014
A case study on thriving through four generations. Chicago area based retail chain shares secrets on how they’ve stayed successful when so many mid to high-end stores have not.
Published: 1/3/2014
A detailed look at how Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale used W. Edwards Deming’s
teachings to change the corporate culture of retail giant Gallery Furniture. Read how McIngvale scrapped sales commissions and quotas, got rid of his accounts payable department, instituted same day delivery and learned how to foster leadership within his organization.
Published: 12/10/2013
Houston-based Exclusive Furniture is known as the place “Where Low Prices Live!”. This focus on price has been paired with a store-wide effort to create a relaxed and friendly customer experience.
Published: 9/30/2013
Vertically integrated retailer relies on word of mouth to appeal to the high end.
Published: 5/30/2013
With his long-time partner and friend, Nelson Bercier, President of Sit ‘n Sleep, Larry Miller just opened his thirty-second store. They have plans for expansion to 40 stores over the next three years. More than 300 highly trained employees serve Sit ‘n Sleep’s clients’ needs and sales have surged past $100 million annually.
Published: 4/1/2013
Leopold’s Fine Home Furnishings: Beyond the ordinary since 1859.
Published: 4/1/2013
Ideas for using color to create eye-catching displays on your retail floor.
Published: 1/10/2013
Simon Kaplan, CEO of 14-store Crest Furniture explains his philosophy of continuous improvement based on the teachings of such management and leadership luminaries as W. Edwards Deming, Major Dick Winters and Lao Tsu.
Published: 12/3/2012
This month’s retail history tracks the progress of retailer Bothwell Furniture founded as a furniture and bedding manufacturer in 1904. Today at 40,000 square feet it is one of southwestern Ontario’s largest furniture showrooms
Published: 9/25/2012
The RoomPlace celebrates 100 years in business. Marketing foresight and a focus on family are keys to its success.
Published: 7/12/2012
Design oriented Insideout Homestore, has fun while expanding its business with a new store theme, social networking initiatives and selling condo packages.
Published: 6/6/2012
A review of the Trends display at the recent Canadian Home Furnishing Market featuring twelve instructive vignettes. A little bit of whimsy can make the sale!
Published: 6/6/2012
This series, commemorating Furniture World’s 142nd year of publishing, continues with the story of how, after two decades of business in an expanding economy, an Alberta-based retailer successfully re-brands to express its vision, and attract new customers.
Published: 4/6/2012
This series, commemorating Furniture World’s 142nd year of publishing, continues with the interesting history of iconic Massachusetts based retailer Bernie & Phyl’s.
Published: 3/20/2012
Part 11: Retailers share interesting stories of growth, hardship and their strategies for success.
Published: 10/4/2011
Furniture retailers Sleep Country USA and United House Wrecking share interesting stories of growth, hardship and their strategies for success.
Published: 7/12/2011
FURNITURE WORLD’s retail readers share their stories of survival, growth and service. This series that commemorates Furniture World’s 140 year of publishing, continues with interesting stories from retailers Longs Bedding & Interiors, Verbargs Furniture and Design and Home Furniture.
Published: 7/12/2011
This year, the “Trends Display” at the Canadian Home Furnishings Market featured display ideas in the form of a huge clock surrounded by 12 creative and colorful vignettes.
Published: 3/15/2011
FURNITURE WORLD’s retail home furnishings store readers share their stories of survival, growth and service. This series that commemorates Furniture World’s 140 year of publishing continues with interesting stories from City Furniture, Gabberts Furniture and Furnitureland South.
Published: 1/5/2011
FURNITURE WORLD’s retail readers share their stories of survival, growth and service. Due to overwhelming response, this series that began in the March/April 140th year anniversary issue, will be continued into 2011. This time Art Van, Decorium, Stickley and Gorman’s are featured.
Published: 11/24/2010
FURNITURE WORLD’s retail readers share their stories of survival, growth and service. Due to overwhelming response, this series that began in the March/April 140th year anniversary issue, will be continued into 2011.
Published: 6/7/2010
Many of our most enterprising home furnishings retailers have shared their stories of survival, growth and service with FURNITURE WORLD readers. This is the second installment in a series that commemorates the 140th anniversary year of FURNITURE WORLD Magazine.
Published: 4/6/2010
Some of the best home furnishings retailers share their stories of survival, growth and service with FURNITURE WORLD readers. Due to overwhelming response from our retail readers, this will be the first installment of a multi-part series.
Published: 1/19/2010
Three furniture retailers in areas of high unemployment are enthusiastic about doing lots more business in 2010.
Published: 11/19/2009
Ruminations on the future of furniture retail and the internet. Continued from August/September FURNITURE WORLD.
Published: 8/19/2009
Two chains (Mig and Tig, and Mortise and Tenon), plus four partners on the leading edge of retail.
Published: 4/6/2009
Trends Display highlights ways to make furniture stand out while on a budget.
Published: 1/14/2009
Even in tough times, sports promotions, incentives and creative marketing can attract interest and retail traffic.
Published: 11/20/2008
Three savvy Canadian retailers, Paul Dekker, Steve Forberg and Dennis Novosel, look at ways to survive and thrive in a tough economy.
Published: 9/11/2008
For these retailers, sustainable retailing is more than a marketing slogan. It is an ongoing process of self improvement.
Published: 7/14/2008
Renate Karger is racking up the sales in a small footprint store by creating a unique brand and an innovative shopping experience.
Published: 5/9/2008
Once customers walk in the front door of Decorium, this retailer’s focus is on engaging them and keeping them focused on the home furnishings buying process.
Published: 3/9/2008
Janet Holt-Johnstone reviews fourteen “Trends” displays, each having a different visual ambience presented to offer retailers ideas for the benefit of “needy” customers.
Published: 1/2/2008
Retailer uses light and entertaining radio commercial format to promote a “Shop?North America”, environmental and quality message.
Published: 7/17/2007
The third in a series of articles that looks at sustainable furniture, ethics and organic furniture retailing. Three bedding retailers share their views on sustainable marketing. The new sustainable foams are discussed as is the problem of child labor in rug
production.
Published: 10/2/2006
Canadian Editor Janet Holt-Johnstone looks at how retail giant Home Furniture boosts traffic with cross marketing and innovative advertising.
Published: 9/6/2006
A three-store Ethan Allen franchise achieves dramatic growth rates by providing a high level of customer service and focusing on having fun. After their recent acquisition of an under-performing store in Annapolis, MD, they doubled the monthly comp sales in only five months with the same staff of designers.
Published: 12/13/2005
Purchasing from all domestic sources, this retailer focuses on quality, selection, customer service and education to achieve competitive advantage.