Merchandiser features Island Furniture profile and more

BRIGHTON, Ontario - The Spring edition of the HGO Merchandiser contains very good news for furniture, mattress and major appliance retail store owners. It seem 2015 was the best year ever with sales setting a new high of $10.6 million. The industry has finally come out of the doldrums that fell upon the industry when the world went sideways in 2008.

The next best question is obviously: what comes next? But, that’s something we’re going to look at in our next issue, which will be published a few days before the 2016 Canadian Furniture Show.

Speaking of CFS, in this issue we update all of the happening with this country’s only national furniture trade event which is scheduled for Toronto’s International Centre beginning on May 28. Pierre Richard and his team have been working all out to make this a great event.

This industry is full of people who make a difference in the lives of those around them. In this issue, we profile a retailer whose sole business model is to provide meaningful employment opportunities for the developmentally challenged. Island Furniture, of St. John’s, Newfoundland, not only employs seven people suffering developmental challenges, a good portion of its earnings help other such people find dignity and purpose through the simple act of working in other communities across the province.

Bedroom remains a key category for the majority of furniture retailers. In this issue, we examine what retailers can expect from those manufacturers specialising in the category over the balance of 2016.

As usual, we close with a few words of retail wisdom from Donald Cooper. In his On Retail essay, Donald talks about the vital importance of clarity. Everyone on the team has to know what the business stands for, what it’s committed to and what its promise is the customer. Without that clarity, there’s failure.

I hope you agree it’s a good read.

Click here to download the Spring 2016 edition of the HGO Merchandiser.