May 2016 Issue
As the traditional Mom and Pop furniture distribution channel matured shrinking into an ever-narrowing product offering, forsaking categories such as small appliances and housewares, retailers began to lose traffic. Each move resulted in fewer reasons for the consumer to come into the store and discover that bedroom group that they couldn't live without.
With the increasing demands of today's overcommitted, technology-driven lifestyles, it's no surprise consumers want to sit down and put their feet up. The motion upholstery category reflects this trend with 5.1 percent year to year growth from 2014 to 2015.
Is an election year partly responsible for a healthy economy? Are furniture sales higher and unemployment rates lower? Looking back over the past 20 years and the elections those years encompassed yields interesting results.
Many of the articles you have read over the last decade in this magazine and others have carried a common message. That message has probably also been reinforced by every speaker you have heard at conferences and your own experience at your store.
Institutions, companies, and, yes, magazines evolve through stages of growth. Each stage addresses the needs of its constituency while pushing the boundaries of its mission.