September 2018 Issue
For most traditional furniture retailers, the most pressing problem is the lack of traffic.
Whether the Internet presence in the furniture industry has been twenty-five or thirty years for certain, it has had an impact on how consumers shopped for and purchased furniture.
In many metropolitan areas, critically low inventories and subsequent skyrocketing home prices and rental rates are locking out new home buyers and impeding moves at a time when the economy is growing and employment is high.
Sometimes it is a challenge to write a column about our monthly theme that enhances a reader’s take-away from the issue. Not because there are not a lot of good things to add to a discussion about any important aspect of our businesses, but because a heck of a lot of it has already been said.
Picturesque sunsets, dining al fresco and evenings spent around a fire pit—it’s the new American norm. More people are living outdoors than ever before. What was once called “patio furniture” has morphed into a fast-growing category poised for continued growth as consumers view the great outdoors as an extension of their living space.
Leib Oehmig is perhaps the leading authority on Glen Raven’s iconic Sunbrella fabric. Oehmig, who became CEO of the technical fabric manufacturer last October, began his career with Glen Raven 30 years ago at Sunbrella’s flagship plant in Anderson, S.C. One of his first projects was to work with the team that designed and oversaw construction of the current Sunbrella plant in the mid 1990s.
Published 12 times a year, Home Furnishings Business (HFB) is the only furniture industry trade publication dedicated to covering the business of furniture retail today. Home Furnishings Business is available in print or digital format and offers valuable strategies and intelligence for retailers who want to conduct a successful business today and tomorrow.