1. Board of Directors Meeting 2. Market Housing & Showroom Help 3. "The Time is Right Now" 4. "Take Care of your Customer" 5. 2012 Home Furnishings Conference 6. "Coop-etition" 7. Chapter's Corner 8. High Point Pre-Market Hotels 9. New IHFRA Members 10. Industry Events
High Point Pre-Market
Hotel Rates The High Point Market Authority has negotiated rates at several of the surrounding hotels for the Spring 2012 Pre-Market.
NEW IHFRA MEMBERS!
In the month of January we gained 27 New Members!
New Affiliates
Crown Prints Dorothy Van Kessel
Rustic Heritage Ben Barnett
The Shadowlight Group Haden Edwards
New Reps
Brad Hopkins
Kevin Daigle
Jeff Howard
Tony Coleman
Brandon Francois
John Pinion
Mike Boring
Larry Wride
Brett Peterson
Daniel Frank
Robert Kolacki
Bruce Jacobson
William Clark
Mark Fillhouer
Doug Bewley
David Roffey
Christian Plourde
Mike Coffield
Eliot Lupton
David Shilesky
Dale Womeldorf
Mark Levesque
John Ghiorso
Pamela Mariani
Thank you to all our existing members who keep touting our benefis!!
Industry Calendar
High Point Pre-Market March 19 & 20
VCHFRA - SC Furniture Club Golf Tournament (Prosperity SC) April 12
IHFRA's Presidential Gala April 20
High Point Market April 21 - 26
City of Hope Dinner April 22
Furniture Industry Awards Gala (FIAG) April 23
KEM - Long Beach Show May 6 &7
VCHFRA - Richmond Furniture Club Golf Tournament May 9
Tri-State HFA Golf Tournament May 23
Attention Chapters: Board of Directors Meeting
Saturday, March 17, 2012 - Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro NC
Registration forms were emailed to all chapters on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. If your chapter will be sending a representative to the meeting please be sure to send in your form and payment by Monday, March 5, 2012. Please be aware of the cost difference if you will be attending dinner as well.
2012 Award Nominations!! All forms need to be sent back to the IHFRA office by Monday, February 20, 2012. Thus far we have only received 2 responses back. We will need to get recipient names in as soon as possible as we need to get the award orders sent in shortly.
If you have questions regarding the BOD or the Awards nominations please feel free to contact the IHFRA office.
High Point Market Housing & Showroom Help
Homes available for the April High Point Market -
3 Bedroom / 3 Bath 201 Misty Waters Lane (Jamestown)
Asking $2,200 for the week.
Newly purchased home with Wi/Fi. (They do have a cat). Master has a king bed, both Guest rooms have a queen.
In need of showroom help for the April Market?Contact the IHFRA office for listing.
The Time is Right Now
As I read through the emails from all of you last month, one question stood out…”When is the right time for a retailer to do a high impact promotion?”
One of the best things about my side of this industry, you know the misunderstood high impact promotion side, is that it is always a good time to conduct a positive cash raising event. I like to describe what we do as "retail on steroids”. We come in, give the retailer the hope that they need, and provide positive cash flow. That is our goal, and most importantly for our cash raising events, our goal is to help keep your retailer in business.
We have all heard the saying "live in the moment”, but do we ever really listen? Most retailers I talk to on a daily basis are not even close to thinking that way. Most are all saying the same thing…”It will just have to get better next month.” It is what we have been saying for several years now. And, yes, I can say "we” because I spent 17 years as a retailer. At times we over think things and then opportunities have passed us by. For example, many retailers need the help with cash flow that a high impact, positive cash raising event can supply. However, they procrastinate and at times it becomes necessary for them to close the doors because they waited too late. I see it all the time. And, as a former retailer, I can say one of the hardest things to do is to face the reality that you need help. Retailers, many whom have been doing business the exact same way for generations, find it very hard to admit that they cannot do it themselves. That is where our side of the industry can come in and supply the tools necessary to give the retailer the boost to help them ride the storm.
As a rep, you see the challenges that the retailers are facing everyday. And, obviously it directly affects your income as well. My goal with this monthly article is to make sure you all have a clear understanding of what we do on the high impact promotion side of the industry and that we really can help. We can provide positive cash raising events that will improve the cash flow and keep the retailer in the game. But, as I stated earlier, many times, by the time they have called us, it is too late for recovery. Remember, the right time is now.
To plan for the future as a retailer, it is imperative that they live in the moment and do three things:
Acknowledge that they need help. Investigate what help is out there Make the decision to move forward
I refer to the above as AIM. If the retailer takes the first step and acknowledges that they need help with cash flow, then they are already on the path to recovery. Investigation is also an important part of the mix. We have many wonderful companies in the promotion business, and your retailer is sure to find the perfect partnership. But, they must look into who will provide the services that they need. And, most importantly, they must take that leap of faith, and make the decision to move forward with a positive cash raising event. This is really the hardest step of all for the retailer. Keep in mind, most retailers are just doing business exactly as their parents and sometimes grandparents did it. I know I am not telling you anything that you don’t already know. Again, they need to realize the right time is now.
Thanks for reading this article and please keep sending me your questions. I will address all of them I promise. As I have stated in a previous article, I am not a writer, but I am passionate about my industry. And, finally, I must give thanks to the Dragon app for my iPad…I couldn’t "write” this article without you!.
This article was provided Whalquist Management Corp. Whalquist is a home furnishings liquidation firm out of Little Rock, AR. If you have questions regarding this article or Whalquist services contact Angela Edwards, VP of Sales & Marketing at angelae@wahlqusitmanagement.com
Make 2012 the Year of Taking Care of Your Customer
With the books shut on the calendar year 2011, it’s time to consider what 2012 is going to bring. Reading the various economists in the Wall Street Journal, the Economist and other financial publications it appears that growth in 2012 is predicted to be about what we got in 2011. Some worry we are going to fall back into a recession while others believe that jobs that this will not occur and growth will happen. But overall, no one expects housing to get better or too much worse. No one expects the job market to get real bad and should see some business confidence bringing more jobs.
The editorial comments in Furniture Today, for our industry seem to indicate about the same. Talking with major customers and suppliers we sense that first half of the year will be decent because of the income tax season effect. After that though, we will run head on into the election which will probably depress consumer confidence and therefore their ability or willingness to spend money on discretionary purchases like furniture.
With that to look forward to, the winners will be those who pay attention to their customers wants and needs. The way we do business may change because of technology like online ordering or social media, but the fundamentals of taking care of the customer are still the same.
With the filing of Chapter 11 by the Room Stores, the last vestige of the old Heilig Myers organization closes a chapter in its history. In its heyday Heilig was gobbling up stores and chains like eating morning cereal. Factories were stumbling over themselves to do business with this giant preparing to take over our industry. A lesson that comes to mind is that the thin line from success to disappearance is ever present. Hands on, hard work, humility and a slavish desire to serve their customers has profited many top 100 firms. When management gets smug and forgets that mission decline is inevitable.
Progressive Furniture will not be showing in Las Vegas for the first time in five years. One reason is because the market authority didn’t really reach out to them when the lease was up and figure out how to meet their needs to stay.
Don’t take your customers for granted. Each promotion, every room package, all sales efforts are in need of scrutiny to ensure that your customers needs are met. Business will be out there in 2012, but it will require a disciplined effort to let your customers know you want their business.
This article was provided by Emmet Root, a member of the At-Large chapter of IHFRA. Emmet is a part of Furniture Sales of America - a funriture wholesale and rep company for the Midwest and Rocky Mountian states (www.furnituresales.biz)
2012 Home Furnishings Industry Conference
May 6-8, 2012 - The Westin Mission Hills - Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs CA
The Home Furnishings Industry Conference will be held in Palm Springs! The event is hosted by the National Home Furnishings Associaiton (NHFA) and the Western Home Furnishings Associaiton (WHFA).
Early bird specials on hotel rooms as well as a BOGO promo for multiple registrants.
Retail has always been a dog-eat-dog world, but today the line between competition and cooperation has become blurry and more retailers are exploring the benefits of joining forces with even their oldest rivals. Top 30 U.S. Furniture Retailer American Furniture Warehouse was one of the first to pioneer this, but smaller furniture retailers nationwide are beginning to explore what we call "coop-etition”.
Jake Jabs of AFW is known for being one of the most forward-thinking furniture retailers in the industry, so it didn’t take long for him to decide to partner up with his competition in an effort to grow his business. When Wayfair approached Tony Mitchell & Jake Jabs about the partnership program, Get It Near Me, they knew how much they could benefit from partnering with one of their biggest competitors.
By partnering with Wayfair and using the Get It Near Me program, they would be able to take advantage of local shoppers who were using Wayfair.com to research furniture and get them into a showroom to make the purchase. Wayfair was effectively referring the shoppers who wouldn’t buy online to AFW’s showrooms where they could make the purchase locally.
This was in 2009. With AFW still taking advantage of the Get It Near Me partnership, it’s needless to say that the program works, and their decision to partner with an online retailer hasn’t hurt their business. We encourage all retailers, large and small, to consider the benefits of working with their competition, whether it be the showroom across town or an online retailer like Wayfair.
For questions, comments, or informationon the GetItNearMe program please contact Andrew Garcia in Wayfair’s Strategic Initiatives department – agarcia@csnstores.com
CHAPTER'S CORNER!
Mid-Atlantic HFA - Winter Luncheon with Tom Conley
The Mid-Atlantic Home Furnishings Associaiton will be holding a specail winter luncheon on February 29, 2012at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD at 12pm. Tickets will be $15 per person ($10 for your guest!).
Tom Conley, President & CEO of the High Point Market Authority will be the guest speaker. He will shead some light on the changes taking place in High Point as well as provide information on getting your retailers to market. Fox News interview with Tom Conley
Greater Metropolitian Furnishings Associaiton - Unification of the GNYHFA & MFA of NJ Chapters
It's official! The Greater NY HFA and the MFA of New Jersey have merged as one chapter as of March 1, 2012. The new chapter will be open to all those involved in the home furnishings industry. Meetings, events, and gatherings will be held to incorporate all members within the associaiton.
Pat Cory of Cory's 1st Home Delivery, has been named as the new President, heading up the GMFA Exectuve Committee. Tommy Leflein and Mike Fischer will hold Vice President positions. Russell Beinenstock will reside at Secetary, and Roy Levine as Treasurer. Abe Feinblum and Rick Aaronson have been chosen for At-Large Executive Board Members.
Alan Granetz, former MFA of NJ Executive Director will remain in the position for GMFA. Jennifer Sova will take on the role of managing social and member communications. Other Board Members Include: Albin Grundner, Andy Gans, Frank Arroyo, Brad Pyne, Chris Clarizio, Chris De Lisa, Eric Bernstein, Amy Filippone, Jim Lubas, Kevin Snyder, Lenny Kharitonov, Harris Kirsch, Harvey Leis, Ron Cooper, Mark Scharff, Tony Bellarosa, and Jeff Horowitz.
Don't miss out on the exciting changes that are taking place! For more informaiton about the Greater Metropolitian Furnishings Associaiton contact Alan Granetz at (908) 725-3460 or GreaterMFA@gmail.com.
Midwest Furniture Club- 2nd Annual Benefits Day
The Midwest Furniture Club has become one of the largest membership driven chapters of IHFRA. On Friday, February 10, 2012 they held their 2nd annual member benefits meeting in Willowbrook IL. Attending the annual meeting were representatives from High Point Market, IHFRA, Office Depot and Office Max. In addition, Club members spoke about their experience with the benefits of membership in the Midwest Furniture Club.
Tom Connolly, head of the High Point Market Authority, addressed the membership on the changes and updates to the 2012 High Point Market. Mr. Connolly highlighted the upgraded buyer’s concierage service, improvements to wifi and cell service in the buildings and one the street, and the growth of international and designer attendees. Jennifer Sova, an administrator with IHFRA outlines the host of benefits and services extended to IHFRA members, including new initiatives with insurance, discounts at office supply stores and many other savings opportunities.
Brad Cofoid and Judy Walsh, co-Chair of the Social Committee organized the event and were pleased with the turn out. "We focus on making sure the annual dues are a great investment for our members and they understand the value of the organization,” said Mr. Cofoid. "Too many of our members don’t enjoy the full benefits the Club offers and this event tries to change that.” In addition, Mark Dilling detailed plans for the 10th Annual Bill Krause Golf Outing to be held June 19th at Whisper Creek in Huntley, IL. The annual charity event is a highlight of the Club’s activities and honors a past President of the Club.
The Midwest Furniture Show was also discussed at length. The Show returns to Schaumburg again this year and the improvements and new initiatives. Geoff Weed, the show coordinator, reported a spike in new exhibitors and expansion of several spaces with major manufacturers such as Ashley, Aspen, Natuzzi, John Thomas, Simply Amish, Homelegance and Pulaski. New exhibitors include World Imports, Woodpecker and Lifeline Manufacturing. Mr. Weed noted that bedding companies such as Serta, Englander, Restonic and Clare Bedding were among the first to resign, citing continuing success at the show. The Midwest Furniture Show will be held September 6th and 7th at the Schaumburg Convention Center.
The Midwest Furniture Club is centered in Chicago and serves independent sales representatives, retailers and the design community in the Upper Midwest. The Club has won IHFRA’s Club of the Year award in three of the last four years and currently has the largest membership in the IHFRA community.
The International Home Furnishings Association
209 S. Main Street (IHFC-M001 LL) PO Box 670 High Point, NC 27261
This is a monthly publication of the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assocaition.
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This article was provided Whalquist Management Corp. 
The Home Furnishings Industry Conference will be held in Palm Springs! The event is hosted by the National Home Furnishings Associaiton (NHFA) and the Western Home Furnishings Associaiton (WHFA).
Jake Jabs of AFW is known for being one of the most forward-thinking furniture retailers in the industry, so it didn’t take long for him to decide to partner up with his competition in an effort to grow his business. When Wayfair approached Tony Mitchell & Jake Jabs about the partnership program, Get It Near Me, they knew how much they could benefit from partnering with one of their biggest competitors.
The 
It's official! The Greater NY HFA and the MFA of New Jersey have merged as one chapter as of March 1, 2012. 
The Midwest Furniture Club has become one of the largest membership driven chapters of IHFRA. On Friday, February 10, 2012 they held their 2nd annual member benefits meeting in Willowbrook IL. Attending the annual meeting were representatives from High Point Market, IHFRA, Office Depot and Office Max. In addition, Club members spoke about their experience with the benefits of membership in the Midwest Furniture Club.
