Retail Education
Home furnishings and lighting retailers face many challenges in this ever-changing economy. From new consumer expectations to online competition, today's retailers work hard to ensure their customers have access to on-trend products and great customer service. In this section, you'll find all things retailing — news, features, analysis and tools — needed to make your retail business a success.
Casual Market Chicago 2018 Preview
Held in the Merchandise Mart Sept. 25-28, this year’s show is the place to be to scout new intros for outdoor and casual spaces.
In creating the Knot lounge chair, designers at Janus et Cie used a…
How to A/B Test an Email
According to research from eMarketer, the median email marketing ROI is 122 percent — four times higher than any other digital marketing channel. But, no business will ever reach that return unless…
How to Bring Manufacturing to the U.S., According to the Reshoring Initiative
One of the main arguments for tariffs involves improving U.S. manufacturing. In theory, if it costs too much or the same to manufacture offshore, then companies would move production back to the U.S…
Retail Jobs Up, But Not In Furniture and Home Furnishings Sector
By just about any measure, the U.S. economy is doing very well. Unemployment remains low. Consumers are spending and fueling the economy. Though the threat of tariffs remains poised to wreck much of…
Instagram May Be Getting a Shopping Platform: What Retailers and Designers Need to Know
This week, a report from The Verge announced that Facebook was working on a separate shopping app for Instagram, one that would allow users to shop products in posts and even on stories. There's no…
What Sofas-in-a-Box Actually Feel and Look Like
After almost two years and hundreds (okay probably tens) of couches sat on, I consider myself to be a couch connoisseur, maybe even a bit of a couch snob.
You see, I have a lot of demands for my…
Chasing IMAP
Most consistent marketgoers would describe the summer show scene as sleepy, but for lighting retailers who attended the first meeting of the Facebook group Lighting Showroom Coalition at the new…
How to Thrive in a Retail Renaissance
No one should doubt that the retail industry continues to grow and change. Whether it is referred to as an apocalypse or a renaissance is a matter of one's optimism and willingness to adapt to a…
How to Get Verified on Instagram
The process around who gets verified on Instagram and how to get that blue checkmark just got a lot less murky. Last week, Instagram unveiled a new function that allows users to apply for…
How Retailers Meet the Demand for Personalized Design
Consumers are starting to discover what those in the industry have long known: Furniture and fashion can make an equally powerful statement, and a look that exemplifies your unique aesthetic and…