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Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
June 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 2012
Does this sound familiar?
You have the burning desire to take vacation while secretly worried about what you will miss relaxing on the sunny beach in Hawaii? Will the work load multiply? Will customers seek out other vendors/stores? Will the boss finally realize he doesnt need you? You fear appearing less-than-dedicated to your boss?
A huge bundle of worries.
Hows this for a revolutionary discovery?
Taking time away from work and the everyday routine allows the body (and mind) to replenish and repair itself. We all need it. And be assured that the office wont fall apart in your absence. Maybe leave the iPhone at homeno calls or e-mails.
There are very capable people at your workplace who can take care of issues while you are away.
Some think they are taking a vacation (or even an extended weekend) but they just moved their offices outdoors because they spend most of their time off doing work.
Its not a mystery; you need rest and relaxation. Come to the realization that you cannot do your job properly without some personal time off. Without a doubt, one can easily become angry, bitter, frustrated, resentful or overly fatigued without a break. Not the right road to go down. Would you not agree?
It starts with the employer (the boss) recognizing and encouraging the relevance/importance of time off. Like any other business responsibility, make plans for vacation ahead of timeincluding your own and when others are off as well. Strategize in advance who will cover what during vacation times. No surprises. Be prepared and organized, and theres no panic necessary.
Recent research has shown that close to 50 percent of the work force does not use their full vacation time. This is very unfortunate for several reasons:
¢ Vacations Can Keep Us Healthy
Taking regular time off to recharge the batteries
¢ Vacations Stave Off Burnout
Relaxation leads to higher creativity and production
¢ Vacations Promote Overall Well-being
Improved quality of sleep and better mood
¢ Vacations Relieve Stress in Lasting Ways
Free time usually brings stress relief
¢ Vacations Promote Creativity
Helps us reconnect with ourselves
¢ Vacations Can Help You With Job Performance
Increased quality of work
¢ Vacations Can Strengthen Bonds
Keep personal relationships strong.
Take the break; you need the environmental change for that week away, so you can return to work rejuvenated and refreshed. Better equipped to handle whatever comes along next. Make the company miss younot a bad idea. Just make sure you are worth missing.
Good managers recognize that its in the employers best interest to have well-rested and re-motivated associates. They find ways to help staff take time off. No excuses, though; the place will not collapse if one takes a bit of time off. Its the right thing to do.
Its in your favor to take vacation for yourself and allow others to do the same. Employees who get breaks from work generally do a better and more focused job in the long run. Keep in mind: Good people will eventually leave if they work in a culture that doesnt support their quality of life. Excellent management is about getting solid results in the long run, not just the short-term.
The best way I could put itthough people like to portray themselves as making sacrifices for their business, they arent, in fact, helping anyone by not taking vacations. We dont need misconstrued heroes and team players with that mentality.
Take the time off. Youve earned it. Use it. Believe it or not, it will benefit all involved.
Tip: San Diego is a great place to visit!
June 19,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 2012
Welcome to the drive-thru furniture era! Theres a new twist in online ordering, drive-thru furniture, that offers all of the convenience of Chilis To Go. You simply place your furniture order online, drive down to your local store and have your purchases loaded into your car or truckwithout having to get out of your vehicle.
Nebraska Furniture Marts Drive-Thru Pickup promises to have shoppers on their way in 10 minutes, or about the same time it takes to buy a Happy Meal. After ordering online, you drive to the dedicated pick-up area, which is covered, and then enter your order code into an ATM-style terminal. According to the company, the 10-minute goal is based on average wait times in 2011.
Nebraska Furniture Mart isnt the only retailer using the click-and-drive approach. Sears has long offered online customers the option of avoiding shipping charges by picking up furniture, mattresses and other purchasesusually in about five minutes.
However, while Sears may be quicker, most customers have to come in to the store to start the pick-up process. Its likely many shoppers will prefer the convenience of Nebraska Furniture Marts drive-up approachparticularly moms who may have kids in the car, especially on bad weather days.
Whats interesting about this drive-thru furniture innovation is that it seems to spring from shopper preferences rather than from the Internet theorists who once predicted that online furniture retailing would evolve in a completely different way. Back in the late 90s, some industry prognosticators believed purely online furniture stores would be a threat to brick-and-mortar furniture stores.
Of course, those predictions fizzled with the death of several dot-com furniture dealers around 2000. Since then, many existing furniture store chainsfollowing the click-and-mortar example of retailers like Pottery Barnhave been successful with online purchasing aimed at helping customers complete purchases they may have initiated inside the retail store days or hours earlier.
With the new iteration of online selling, retailers had to learn to create in-store signage and other messages to offer customers the convenience of point-and-click shopping once theyve returned home and reached a decision on selecting a stores red sofa, for example, versus a blue one. Sometimes, customers also make add-on purchases at the stores Web sitelike buying a rug that may have been recommended during the store visit.
Some stores are also designing in-store vignettes designed to build interest in their online offerings. In many cases, these store displays may include a room package of as many as a dozen closely coordinated itemsand signage telling customers that package can be viewed online. If a store display connects with a shoppers design appetite, but shes not ready to buy right away, offering a package online can lead to future interactions with heronline and in the store.
Drive-thru furniture pickup reminds us just how hard retailers need to work to appeal to a shoppers need for convenience. Customer pick-up areas are often less than an afterthought to many furniture stores. What Nebraska Furniture Mart has done is make the pickup area nearly as important as the front door of the storewith attractive graphics, bank-style terminals and drive-up lanes, and a roof covering to make pickups just as easy on a rainy day as a hot day.
Theres little doubt that youll see other furniture stores following Nebraska Furniture Marts example. As they do, Im willing to wager that some stores will even install window displays and poster-style graphics in their own pick-up areas to inspire additional purchases with messages like Why not come back to pick up a new mattress just as easily?
Of course, only a minority of customers have vehicles capable of hauling home bulky furniture, but its obvious that some retailers think investing in their pick-up operations is important in winning over those customers who dont want to pay a delivery fee or arrange to meet a delivery person at home.
The message in all of this is that it might be time to look at your own store and ask yourself what you can do to make your store even more convenient? Never mind that youd prefer customers come in and browse and seek help; think of ways to sell furniture to todays time-starved shoppers who seem to be putting higher value on convenience than many might assume. HFB
June 18,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on June 19, 2012
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z6684116754&z=1600249622
Carolina Furniture Concepts has opened Klaussner Solutions Studios in its to North Carolina furniture stores.
Read Full Article...
June 18,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on June 19, 2012
Home furnishings and electronics retailer Conn's Inc. (NASDAQ: CONN) has opened its 65th store.
The new 45,000-square-foot store, located in Waco, Texas, is a Conn's Home Plus store that features more than 23,000 square feet devoted to furniture and bedding.
In addition to stores in Texas, Beaumont, Texas-based Conn's has stores in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
June 18,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on June 19, 2012
Watkins & Shepard Trucking has opened a new terminal facility in Grove City, Ohio.
The terminal will augment the current regularly scheduled transportation services from carpet and flooring manufacturers in Dalton, Ga., and southern California, as well as from furniture manufacturers and distributors in North Carolina, Mississippi and California. The new terminal began operation earlier this month.
"Our new terminal in Grove City will provide improved service for our existing and new customers in central and southern Ohio." said Walt Ainsworth, president and COO. "The opening of this terminal completes our Midwest infrastructure as the premium service provider in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Headquartered in Helena, Mont., Watkins & Shepard serves 48 states and four Western provinces of Canada.
"Adding a terminal in this key geographic area has been a goal of the company's for a number of years and will position us for strategic market growth for years to come," said Ray Kuntz, CEO.