NHFA Reports Excellent Response To Co-Branded HGTV-NHFA Website

Furniture World News

NHFA announced that the Preferred Retailer Program established through a partnership with HGTV and the National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is gaining momentum among furniture retailers eager to harness HGTV’s brand power to educate, motivate and connect with consumers. Announced earlier this year, the program has now attracted 700 retail stores nationwide, a segment of the industry representing more than $4 billion in annual sales. The program is slated to launch October 2008, serving the industry as the first consumer education and awareness program for the home furnishings market. The $20 million, multi-tiered marketing effort will leverage the strength of the Internet with a co-branded HGTV-NHFA website to enhance interest in the industry on a national scope. It will serve visitors with interactive tools, articles, design ideas, and localized listings of participating Preferred Retailers. This new web resource will also be promoted to consumers through a dynamic collection of national print ads, on-air commercials, and in-store materials created and produced by HGTV. “HGTV is a nationally-recognized brand synonymous with education and inspiration for the home,” said Cherie Oswald, and senior vice president of new business development for HGTV. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for retailers to talk directly to consumers about their needs, and to do so with brand authority. We will equip hundreds of Preferred Retailers nationwide with service-oriented marketing tools that educate and motivate customers to give them the confidence that will drive increased furniture sales.” Robert VanHoose of Big Sandy Superstores serves customers at nearly 20 furniture and appliance retail locations across Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. VanHoose decided to join the Preferred Retailer Program to further position his family-owned business as credible resource of expert information and quality merchandise for his customers. “The HGTV-NHFA Preferred Retailer Program combines the brand strength of HGTV and the best practices of NHFA to deliver a great partnership that connects with our target market and adds credibility to our product,” said VanHoose. “The program will give our business a competitive advantage and reach our customers on a national scale.” Participants in the HGTV-NHFA Preferred Retailer Program agree to adhere to established standards that improve the customer experience, including membership in the NHFA, ethics guidelines and community involvement. It also will be available to manufacturers. Those interested in learning more about the program may contact Cherie Oswald at coswald@scrippsnetworks.com or NHFA Executive Vice President Steve DeHaan at sdehaan@nhfa.org. More information is also available at www.nhfa.org. About Home & Garden Television HGTV, America’s leader in home and lifestyle programming, is distributed to more than 95.8 million U.S. households and is one of cable’s top-rated networks. HGTV’s website, http://www.HGTV.com, is the nation’s leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of 5.5 million unique visitors per month. HGTV owns 33 percent of HGTV Canada and provides much of the Canadian network’s daily programming. The network’s branded programming also can be seen in 127 territories across all seven continents and selected programming is available to service men and women on board Navy ships and through American Forces Radio & Television Service (AFRTS) which services more than 1,000 outlets. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, HGTV is wholly owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), which also operates Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com), DIY Network (http://www.diynetwork.com), Fine Living Network (http://www.fineliving.com), and Great American Country (http://www.gactv.com). About NHFA The National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) is the nation’s largest organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers. NHFA’s membership comprises 2800 corporate entities representing 10,000 stores in all 50 states and several foreign countries. NHFA’s mission and vision encompass the association’s commitment to helping home furnishings retailers operate highly profitable businesses that provide an exceptional level of service to the consumers who buy their furniture.