On the Record with Furniture Today

In a candid On The Record conversation, Bob Maricich, CEO of International Market Centers, outlines the recent disruptions caused by the COVID-19 virus, both to the Market Centers and to the industry at large. As a veteran leader in the industry, he also offers some candid perspective on what companies will need to do in order to work through these challenges. This is one discussion you don’t want to miss! Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Tom Conley, CEO of High Point Market Authority, reveals the challenges behind the decision to postpone High Point Market, what that postponement means for a June Market and where do we go from here. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Industry West co-founder Jordan England reveals the company’s unique path to success. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Broad River Retail’s Charlie Malouf has become a student of the business of retail, developing a passion for it that has translated into a company “weaponized” with a creative team, great ideas and the ability to reinvent and grow in myriad new ways. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Jonathan Bass, CEO of Whom Home, PTM Images and Badgley Mischka Home, says the current coronavirus crisis should make the industry re-evaluate sourcing strategies and look at the long-term opportunities of proximity manufacturing. “Each manufacturer is responsible to the world for how we source and manufacture,” he says. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

A veteran of the furniture industry’s digital world, Eric Dean brings his more than 20 years of experience to bear on the International Market Center’s new initiative to offer digital tools to better connections between buyers and vendors. “We believe there’s opportunity for digital to lift physical markets,” he says about the synergy between the two worlds. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

A-America’s Christian Rohrbach has travelled the globe, speaks six languages and is a student of geopolitics. He shares his insights on the changing nature of global sourcing and the geopolitical shifts that could shape its future. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Ron Bailey, owner of six Bailey’s Furniture stores and Carol Schroeder, author and owner of the highly successful Orange Tree Imports reveal their hard-earned secrets for delivering an exceptional in-store experience, engaging and retaining the best employees and neutralizing Amazon’s vaunted operational skills. If you want to Amazon-proof your retail store listening to these experts is a good first step! Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Retail merchandising veteran Steve Riley talks about best practices from shopping market showrooms to setting up retail displays to recruiting and training for a team that excels. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Join Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin and retailers from his Las Vegas Market roundtable as gift retailer Carol Schroeder of Orange Tree Imports in Wisconsin and Ron Bailey of six-store Bailey’s Furniture in Alaska discuss common retail challenges and their own engaging and creative solutions. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Find out why Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic thinks the bedding industry owes Casper a debt of gratitude and why boxed beds could soon be the predominant bedding format. This and more on this week’s On The Record podcast. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Ron Wanek, chairman of Ashley Furniture Industries reveals the secrets that helped grow Ashley from a small cabinet and occasional table maker into the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Find out where, how and why Millennials shop for furniture . . . or don’t. In the most widely downloaded Furniture Today podcast of 2019, a focus group of Millennial shoppers discusses their shopping preferences and pet peeves. The issues revealed in this discussion perfectly define the issues retailers today face. If you haven’t heard it yet, now’s the time. If you have, this is a great refresher heading into 2020.

Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin is joined by the editorial team to discuss what issues have moved to the forefront as 2019 draws to a close and what they expect to take center stage as we move in 2020.

Leather Italia’s Michael Campbell reflects on his start in the furniture industry and how his career developed from working a furniture retail showroom to eventually launching and heading up Leather Italia. The key tenets over the years, he says, have been to lead by example, to guard against complacency and to stay focused.

Whether it’s finding and retaining good employees, wrestling with rapid shifts in technology or fending off the market share advances of today’s e-commerce giants retail furniture leaders have no shortage of challenges. Four leading retailers took the stage at Furniture Today’s Leadership Conference last week and revealed that their number one challenge is . . .

To kick off the opening of its 2019 Leadership Conference Furniture Today offers an inside look back at 2018’s Retail CEO Panel featuring insights from Haverty’s Clarence Smith, Nebraska Furniture Mart’s Irv Blumkin, Brian Woods from Jerome’s and City Furniture’s Keith Koenig. Find out their biggest challenge . . . and how they plan to deal with it.

New Klaussner CEO Terry McNew discusses his leadership style from relationships to bottom line, with ideas from his tenure at boat manufacturer MasterCraft to his perspective as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Fellow podcast hosts Bill McLoughlin, of Furniture Today, and John Conrad, executive director of International Society of Furniture Designers and podcast host of Design Between the Lines, get together to talk about the value of industry designer and maker awards, the imperative to know your audience and a shared wonderment about the evolution of the industry.

Always at the forefront of change in home furnishings Christiane Lemieux, founder of Dwell Studio and new direct-to-consumer, custom-on-demand furniture site The Inside, has taken is taking the furniture industry into the future by building on its roots. Find out how in this don’t’ miss podcast.

Furniture Today editors Bill McLoughlin and David Perry take a dive into the mattress industry, look at sales – online, in-store and where those two worlds meet – and the consumers that buy them.

While some DTC companies get their start by addressing a gap in product offerings, Article’s CEO and co-founder Aamir Baig tells Furniture Today’s Bill McLoughlin that his company was addressing the process of getting the product from factory to end consumers, and prides itself in excelling at the final mile.

Charting a career path from his “discovery” on an elevator to TV shows to licensing product, designer Thom Filicia is celebrating new milestones in his design, creating “furniture designs that play well with others.”

Having learned the art of licensing at Ralph Lauren Home and starting her own business at 26, Stacy Garcia understands what it takes to build a compelling brand. Find out how grew a business that started in her basement into a global lifestyle brand.

Craig McAndrews, former Mattress Firm executive and executive professor at the University of Houston’s Sales Excellence Institute recently spoke at Furniture Today’s NEXT Conference. He revealed several potential disconnects between consumers current path to purchase and the way retailers sell them today. He also uncovered some new techniques that could help any sales professional jumpstart their business using social media. Here’s your chance to find out what you missed!

From her roots in fashion as a young teenage model, interior and furniture designer Libby Langdon has always felt the freedom to go after new ideas and new challenges, which has taken her career through some remarkable turns but always with her upbeat, go-for-it outlook.

Jena Hall, member of the Home Furnishings Hall of Fame and a founding member of WithIt recounts her early days in the furniture industry when designers were not welcome and women had little to no role. Find out how that all changed from someone who helped make those changes happen.

American Home Furnishings Hall of Famer and industry prognosticator Jerry Epperson uncovers the unique attributes that have foiled so many conglomerates in their attempt to tame the furniture business, and he reveals why anyone betting against the industry in the next decade is in for a big surprise.

Ethan Allen Chairman, President and CEO Farooq Kathwari shares insights from his newly released book, Trailblazer: From the Mountains of Kashmir to the Summit of Global Business and Beyond. In a wide-ranging conversation, Kathwari shares his principles of leadership along with lessons learned on the cricket pitch and stories from an iconic career in home furnishings. To Register For The Next Conference - Visit Here - http://bit.ly/pbmnext2019

Growing up in a Pennsylvania mill area, Jack Eger started in the mills at age 14 … and never left the business. He shares insights and anecdotes from a more than 40-year career in the textiles business. To Register For The Next Conference - Visit Here - http://bit.ly/pbmnext2019

Furniture Today editors go on the road: Thomas Russell shares his perspective on Vietnam’s growth as a global resource after his recent trip to visit 13 furniture and bedding factories there. Also, Bill McLoughlin stops at Coaster’s California headquarters to chat with Janice Yeh about her path into the furniture business.

Sit ‘n Sleep’s Larry and Drew Miller and Nelson Bercier sit down Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin to discuss the rapidly changing bedding marketplace and how the company is positioning itself for the next generation of consumers and company management.

AICO founder Michael Amini has always had a flair for fashion. But his origins in the furniture business might surprise you.

Furniture Today Bedding Editor Dave Perry joins Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin to discuss some surprising and noteworthy developments from the recent Las Vegas Market. The activity at this summer’s event is likely to ripple throughout the industry for the next year or more. Tune in to find out what happened.

In a wide ranging conversation with Furniture Today’s Bill McLoughlin, Century CEO Alex Shuford reveals why growing up fighting with siblings is good business training, the responsibility that comes with leadership and how he plans to avoid the third-generation curse. Sponsored by STORIS.

STI’s Sean and Anderson Gibbons share insights into the family owned-company’s unique approach to business, marketing and why trying to steer next generation away from the business never seems to work. Sponsored By Storis

Norwalk President Caroline Hipple shares insights gained from a career building innovative retail organizations, turning around struggling ones and finding a home for a self-confessed fabric geek at Norwalk. If you want to be a better manager and leader, this is a must listen! Sponsored By Storis

Ever wonder what marketing golf has to do with marketing furniture? Find out when Universal Furniture’s Neil MacKenzie goes On The Record with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin. Sponsored By Storis

Sitting down with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin, American Leather President Veronica Schnitzius outlines her path from maintenance manager to the president’s office and the fearless passion for learning and hard work that helped get her there. Sponsored by Storis

Born into the family furniture business Jason Phillips found his passion on “family vacations” that were actually buying trips. He reflects on growing up in a one-of-a-kind company, carving his own path and what the future holds for the next generation. Sponsored by Storis

Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin is joined by Sam Vlessing, founder and CEO of technology startup Bear Ogilvy, who uncorks the opportunity that manufacturers and retailers have to utilize major e-commerce platforms to compete on an even playing field with today’s e-commerce giants. Sponsored By Storis

Furniture Today’s Senior Retail Editor Clint Engel turns the table on Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin, grilling the long-time retail editor on his career, the changing retail environment and why furniture stores have avoided the consolidations that have impacted so many other industries. Sponsored By Storis

Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin sits down with a focus group of Millennial and Gen Z consumers to uncover their furniture shopping preferences. Do reviews really matter? Where do they look for information prior to purchase? Would they rather rent or buy? How high is high priced? Tune in to find out. Sponsored by STORIS

Hallie Pippas, showroom designer at Furnitureland South and formerly at Houston’s Gallery Furniture is a veteran merchandiser and student of retail. Sitting down with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin, Pippas shares the tricks of the trade as well as key insights she’s uncovered shopping other retail formats.

Furniture Today editors Bill McLoughlin, Thomas Russell, and Powell Slaughter discuss the recent imposition of 25% tariffs on a wide range of Chinese furniture, accessories and components; sharing insights gleaned from discussions with a wide range of industry insiders. Are price increases in the offing? What’s the outlook for emerging source countries? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Miskelly Furniture’s Alan Vonder Haar shares how he got his nickname, Dr. V, and shares his passion for teaching RSAs how to “sell the why” and teaching customers how to get a better night’s sleep.

ElRan’s third-generation Jesse Lubin shares insights about growing up in a family business, what he’s learned along the way and his hopes to grow the business for another 50 years. “Find a hole, fill a need, make it happen.”

In the Chair this week, Lori Gonzalez of Twin Star Home talks about her years of using consumer insights and a consumer-centric strategy — “You can’t just understand what consumers use and buy, but you must understand why” — and bringing that to her latest role as CEO of Twin Star Home.

Jamie Collins, executive vice president at Homelegance grew up in High Point, cut his teeth at Bassett, learned life lessons at Thomasville and has found fulfillment in the hustle and bustle of importer Homelegance. So what’s the secret to success in the furniture business? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Christopher Guy Harrison sits down with Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin to reflect on his design roots, plans for CG’s future, and the joy and satisfaction he gets from bringing his vision of creating “jewelry for the home” to life.