January 15,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
IKEA is testing a new digital experience on Welcome to Bloxburg, a life-simulation game on the Roblox platform where players build and design homes. With millions of global monthly users, Roblox is considered one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world. The pilot, running in Sweden and Australia, explores how IKEA products can be experienced in interactive digital environments. It is designed as a small-scale test to evaluate customer engagement and learnings, while also exploring how IKEA can create a better everyday life for the many people in the digital world.
January 15,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
Product Genius AI yesterday announced the invention of Large Interaction Models (LIMs) and their application to e-commerce websites. The announcement, hosted at Google’s Booth at the National Retail Federation 2026 (NRF 2026), provided results from controlled A/B tests demonstrating a 36% average revenue lift when compared to the brands’ existing websites. The test involved millions of US online shoppers across 25 different brands such as Betsey Johnson, a subsidiary of Steve Madden.
January 15,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
IKEA U.S. announced plans for a new Plan and order point with Pick-up located in South Bay, California which is set to open to the public in Spring 2026. This new customer meeting point brings the IKEA experience closer to more residents of the San Diego metro area.
January 14,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
Luxury bedding manufacturer, Kingsdown, Inc., has partnered with Brown Squirrel Furniture, a well-known, family-owned retailer located in Knoxville, Tennessee, to create an exclusive, single-brand mattress department that has resulted in increasing sales by 25-percent.
January 14,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
Sensational Sofas & Interiors will close permanently after providing Memphis and surrounding communities with high-quality home furnishings for 37 years. The final sale for the family-owned company opens to the public January 16.
January 14,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
Meridian Furniture, a fast-growing brand known for its vast selection of high-style, affordably priced designs, is partnering with Ann Gish to present the luxury home textiles company’s new “Ready to Bed” program in its new Las Vegas Market showroom (B101).
January 14,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry
The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) announces its 2026 Global Logistics & Supply Chain Conference will be held June 15-17 at the Delta Hotels Virginia Beach Waterfront in Virginia Beach. This premier gathering will bring together home furnishings manufacturers, importers and retailers with transportation, logistics and supply chain professionals to explore the latest trends, challenges and innovations driving logistics and supply chain excellence worldwide.