Over 153 Years of Service to the Furniture Industry
 Furniture World Logo

Furniture World Articles

All of the Furniture World Magazine Articles that have also been published online can be found here. Select a year to begin browsing the articles.

Articles published in 2018

Editor's Corner: "Bear of Very Little Brain"  - 11/30/2018

Winnie-the-Pooh, Lael Thompson, and Things that seem Thingish.

Bedding & Mattress Sales: What's Next  - 11/27/2018

While plans have an annoying tendency to go haywire, having no plan at all is begging for failure.

Planning For Uncertainty in 2019  - 11/26/2018

Downturns can be times of opportunity, and it's best to prepare for uncertain economic times.

Open up your Retail Toolboox for 2019  - 11/26/2018

Six retail tools you should take out of your tool box to make sure physical assets, policies and procedures can do a good job for you in 2019.

How To Budget For Success  - 11/26/2018

Only about one in thirty independent furniture store owners produce an annual budget and know how to use it.

Retail Success: Saxon-Clark  - 11/25/2018

Florida-based retailer helps their customers actualize their dreams for beautiful homes.

Retail Success: Del Sol Furniture  - 9/22/2018

Innovative player in Phoenix, AZ caters to Spanish and English speaking customers with innovative programs.

Warehouse Improvement Metrics  - 9/22/2018

Here are the metrics every home furnishings retailer needs to use to improve warehouse facilities and processes.

The Changing Meaning of Sustainable  - 9/22/2018

A special section that looks at the evolution of demand for sustainable, healthy, and ethically produced furnishings.

Design & Designer Series: Chip Wade  - 9/22/2018

Interior and furniture designer, media personality and consultant, shares his thoughts about design, sales & marketing.

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales: Strategies For I'll Be Back!  - 9/22/2018

How to get the be-back customer back by David Benbow, author of How to Win the Battle For Mattress Sales.

Winning Strategy For Getting Referrals  - 9/22/2018

Here's how Furniture World readers can create a buzz around their businesses resulting in more sales and less ad costs.

High Point Market Point/Counterpoint  - 9/22/2018

Ed Tashjian and Bill Napier duke it out over the future of the High Point Market.

The Curse of 4 Percent Unemployment  - 9/22/2018

How to hire the best and most loyal employees in today's tight job market.

Editor's Corner: Do No Harm?  - 9/22/2018

The desire to do business with companies that embrace an umbrella of sustainable causes is trending upward.

The New Home Furnishings Business  - 7/4/2018

A recent study of 350-plus retailers and manufacturers pinpoints growth opportunities for furniture retailers.

Design & Designer Series: Kim Salmela  - 7/4/2018

Kim Salmela doesn’t believe in making safe furnishings decisions. She says, “There are no rules. That’s the rule!”

Five Steps to Luxury Bedding Success  - 7/4/2018

The luxury sale isn’t a buzzword, it’s not a flash in the pan, nor is it a money grab. Luxury selling is a mindset.

Warehouse Improvement Checklist  - 7/4/2018

Scores of ideas to help furniture retailers improve facilities, processes and warehouse metrics.

Strategies For Selling Higher-End Bedding  - 7/4/2018

Whether your top bed is $4,000 or $40,000, here are sales strategies to help you present and sell your best.

Technology Point/Counterpoint  - 7/4/2018

Everybody is buzzing about VR/AR. Will the early adapters . . . the Amazons, Wayfairs and Frontgates eat your lunch?

Seven Tiresome Habits of Moderately Successful Salespeople  - 7/4/2018

A list of seven poor retail habits RSAs hang onto, but give your shoppers a negative impression.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 7/4/2018

Interesting excerpts from summer 1925 issues of Furniture World Magazine

Editor's Corner: The Rapport Report  - 7/4/2018

Rapport is the glue that binds people together in families, organizations and relationships, including sales.

Increase Gross Margin Seven Ways - Part 2  - 5/23/2018

Field-proven ways to maximize your realized gross margin.

Retail Success: Welcome Amish Furniture  - 5/23/2018

Minnesota based Welcome Amish Furniture, is both a name and a greeting to 60,000 square feet of Amish designs!

Don't Waste Down Time!  - 5/23/2018

If you are a retail owner/manager you probably don't have a lot of down time. But what about your RSAs?

Design & Designer Series: Catina Suarez Roscoe  - 5/23/2018

Furniture designer and ASFD president discusses women in our industry and the value of leaving open avenues for creativity in product design & retail displays.

Selling Face To Face  - 5/23/2018

How to make the job of sales the EASIEST high paying position in your company.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 5/23/2018

Excerpts from summer 1918 issues of Furniture World about women, World War I, furniture shortages at retail and advances in technology.

Every Shopper A Knocker  - 5/23/2018

100 years ago the word "knocker" was common furniture industry parlance (often used in Furniture World Magazine) to mean a wholesale sales rep or manufacturer's rep.

Point/Counterpoint: The Times They Are a-Changin'?  - 3/23/2018

Bill says, follow the money to the Baby Boom generation. Ed says “The Times They Are a-Changin'”.

Design & Designer: Kerrie Kelly  - 3/23/2018

Author, retailer, interior/ product designer Kerrie Kelly talks about consumers, trends, customer engagement and retailing.

Find Your Top Line Performance  - 3/23/2018

Does your total Gross Margin after deducting Cost of Goods Sold give you a full performance picture?

Retail Sustainable Success Story: "The Arrangement"  - 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.

Get More Referrals - Part 1  - 3/23/2018

You can teach your retail home furnishings business to market itself, so you can harness the magic of word-of-mouth marketing and referrals.

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales: Follow-Up, The Key To Success  - 3/23/2018

Here's how to build sales by using a follow-up system that creates top-of-mind awareness.

Your Employees: Do They Love Their Job?  - 3/23/2018

Getting your employees to fully engage in your company's mission and values takes focus and effort. But it's worth it!

What To Do When Your Reviews Scream Yelp?  - 3/23/2018

Survey of Yelp reviews identifies problem areas for furniture retailers, plus strategies for avoidance/correction.

Don't Ignore Empty Nesters  - 3/23/2018

Engaging them online by using incentives and calls to action is crucial to increasing store traffic and sales.

Getting Your Slice of The Pie  - 3/23/2018

Although a pie is finite, retailers can expand their market from a large to extra-large with pepperoni!

Machine Learning: The Next Big Thing  - 3/23/2018

Machine learning is, at its core, all about using data in order to remain ahead of your customers' buying behaviors.

100 Years Ago In Furniture World  - 3/23/2018

Interesting excerpts from Spring 1918 issues including how to care for furniture delivery horses!

EDITOR'S CORNER  - 3/23/2018

The Answer Is a-Trendin'

Point/Counterpoint: Do Manufacturing Brands Matter?  - 1/14/2018

Bill says, furniture brands don't matter anymore. Ed has a more nuanced view. Both say it's the Elephant in the room.

Design & Designer: Nancy Fire  - 1/14/2018

Product designer and trend expert Nancy Fire talks about consumer design preferences, color and style trends for 2018.

Retail Grit  - 1/14/2018

What is Grit? Why does it matter? How can you create a retail culture of Grit?

Discover Color Purple  - 1/14/2018

Pantone recently announced its color of the year. How did this color get chosen and how should we use it?

Better Bedding & Mattress Sales: Closing The Sale -Part 2  - 1/14/2018

Here's how to make a great closing argument and avoid the many pitfalls that can result in lost sales.

Retail Success Story: Harkness Furniture  - 1/14/2018

This Tacoma, Washington based furniture store doesn't worry too much about the competition!

Case Study: Written & Delivered Sales  - 1/14/2018

Attention to written & delivered sales increased annual cash flow more than $100,000 for this average sized retailer.

Time To Party Like It's 2023  - 1/14/2018

RSAs may think a month ahead, and managers may think a year ahead, savvy business people are thinking about 2023.

Three Fundamental Retailing Tools For 2018  - 1/14/2018

These tools will amplify your message, capture prospect information, and supercharge your advertising spend.

Who Cares About Service?  - 1/14/2018

Most of us retailers say we care about service, but isn't it mostly just for mottos, mailings, mission statements and group hugs?

EDITOR'S CORNER: Workplace harassment... what can be done?  - 1/14/2018

I’m confident that many of you have given some recent thought to updating your workplace harassment policies and education.