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.
2018: State Of Business
The National Small Business Association (NSBA), a nonpartisan lobbying group, found in its 2017 year-end survey that more than one-third of small business owners feel very confident about their…
Home Smarts
Back in March, I attended the bi-annual Light + Building fair in Frankfurt, Germany. The show’s tagline, “digital future meets hotspot for design,” accurately depicts the emphasis on both…
5 Farmhouse Fandeliers Worth Falling For
Old habits die hard, especially when they’re a little bit rustic, a little bit industrial and totally bursting with casual charm. Maybe that’s why — even when experts put their money on the…
5 Good Reasons to Leave the Outdoors Out
Designers and their clients continue to pre-occupy themselves with bringing the outdoors in, and it’s not really hard to see why. Fiddle-leaf fig trees and split-leaf Philodendrons, floral motifs and…
Made in Post-Globalized America
In 2016, Kerri Hall drove an hour from North Carolina to Virginia to pick up items she’d bought at an auction. Vaughan Furniture filed for bankruptcy and had auctioned off equipment in its factories…
Domestic Casegoods Today
When news hit that high-end casegoods and upholstery producer Harden Furniture was closing the doors of its factory in McConnellsville, NY, industry observers shook their collective heads in…
2018 Showroom of the Year Award Finalists Announced
Finalists for the 2018 Showroom of the Year Awards, honoring exceptional lighting retailers, have been announced. The 9th annual awards program is co-sponsored by Lighting & Decor magazine and…
What Amazon's Alexa Blueprints Means for Smart Homes
When Amazon first released the Echo with its voice assistant Alexa, many consumers thought "Yeah, this is cool, but do I really need this?" While consumers can connect to their Echo via bluetooth,…
5 Dining Room Ideas for a Modern Family
Being a parent requires a certain degree of sacrifice. Moms and dads give up time alone, a good night’s sleep, a car interior free of greasy fingerprints and goldfish cracker crumbs…The list goes on…
How to Remember to Post on Social Media
How often has this scenario happened to you?
You plan to post something to Facebook as soon as you get to your showroom office. But once you get there, a sales associate asks you a question. Then a…