On the Record with Furniture Today

Rebecca Miller, founder of ARTful Communication, and Michael Wentworth, principal of Greybox Intel, share insights on their partnership to help companies develop stronger emotional connections between their brands and consumers using analyses of emotional engagement, trust and other key data points, coupled with a powerful brand engagement marketing campaigns.

Rizwan Somji, CEO of Cymax, shares his insights on the changes the pandemic has had on consumer shopping behaviors and reveals a couple of key categories that have emerged as a result.

Retiring La-Z-Boy CEO Kurt Darrow and his successor, CFO Melinda Whittington, join editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter to give their take on leadership transition, vision for one of the industry’s iconic brands.

Mann Armistead & Epperson Managing Director Jerry Epperson joins Furniture Today editors Tom Russell and Powell Slaughter to share his thoughts on supply chain woes’ impact on retailers, the industry’s longer term outlook and the need to raise prices for furniture. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

A first-ever Furniture Today’s Best Places to Work program launches this month, and this episode of On The Record has the inside scoop on how retail stores can capture a spot on this prestigious list. Peter Burke, president of Best Companies Group, shares insights into how companies can attract and retain their best employees, learn more about their organizations and become one of the Best Places to Work. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

In a sequel to last week’s podcast, Jeremy Hoff joins editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter to talk about how his years of experience will guide his leadership of 12 industry brands under one Hooker Furniture umbrella. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Long before Jeremy Hoff took the helm at Hooker Furniture, Furniture Today’s Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin sat down with him to talk about his insights on leadership, product development and other issues. In next week’s podcast, Furniture Today editors have another conversation with Hoff, now as CEO ready to lead this venerable company into the future. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Caroline Hipple, the first woman-president of the Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, shares her insights on what it takes for women to succeed in the home furnishings industry and reveals what’s next for the Hall of Fame. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Supply chain management veteran and Stone & Leigh CEO Steve Wolfe joins editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter to share an outlook on shipping capacity restraints. Bottom line is that big surcharges, limited space on vessels are a fact of life at least for the next few months. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Furniture Today’s editors share their insights on where the industry is headed in 2021 and what will be the key issues retailers, manufacturers and suppliers will face in an unpredictable year. Tune in to find out what’s next. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

CEO Gat Caperton talks with Furniture Today editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter about Gat Creek's expansion plans and opportunities for the domestic wood furniture producer. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

While many focus on fostering repeat purchase and planned obsolescence, Lovesac CEO Shawn Nelson wants to sell consumers the last sofa they ever need. Find out his unique take on reinventing traditional consumer product models in this one-of-a-kind On The Record interview. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Carl Lovett, vice president of sales, talks with editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter about how Sunpan’s calculated risks paid off during a year of major challenges. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

LeadsRx CEO AJ Brown visits On The Record to share new strategies for measuring and improving digital advertising performance. Along the way he’ll reveal how these strategies helped brick-and-mortar furniture retailer The Great American Home Store dramatically improve its e-commerce performance in the middle of the pandemic. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Chairman and CEO Rob Spilman talks with editors Thomas Russell and Powell Slaughter about how the company has managed its business during the pandemic, sharing insights on both Bassett’s retail and manufacturing segments.    Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings. 

Doug Stewart, author of the just released book 5-1/2 Mentors: How to Learn, Grow, and Develop from Everyone and Everything, has turned the traditional mentorship paradigm on its head. Find out how your ideal mentor may be closer than you think in this informative and entertaining discussion. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

High Point Market Authority CEO Tom Conley discusses initiatives to give High Point year-round relevance to buyers through market and building collaborations around HPxD, First Tuesday and the High Point Showroom Assn. and how those developments could play out moving forward. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Steen Knigge, director of U.S. marketing, a Danish contemporary furniture chain with 15 U.S. franchises, reveals the dramatic impact of the company’s addition of e-commerce to its U.S. business following the closure of stores due to COVID-19 earlier this year. Find out how this shift could impact the company’s entry into new markets in 2021 and beyond.  Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Dallas George, managing director for the U.S. for Netherlands-based Eichholtz, says that despite the fits and starts to its strategy following the market disruption of COVID-19, Eichholtz is moving full steam ahead to offer affordable luxury across a wide palette of home furnishings products. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

The BridgeTower Media team joins forces as Designers Today’s Jane Dagmi moderates the cross-talk between Furniture Today editors, who share a lively back and forth on what they saw and what attracted a second look at the recent High Point Market. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

CV International Director of Pricing and Procurement Rachel Shames joins editors Tom Russell and Powell Slaughter to share an update on capacity and cost issues on the water and on the ground, and gives a look ahead into how those could play out in 2021. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation CEO Karen McNeill shares plans for honoring the 2020 inductees, as well as the work being done by the foundation to preserve and share the legacies within the furniture industry and find ways to support consumers’ interest in the home. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

A.R.T’s Doug Rozenboom, whose career has spanned power brands including Thomasville, Pottery Barn and Walmart, shares the twists and turns that led him back to his first love — designing furniture — and reveals the surprising new directions retailers will find at A.R.T. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Eric Grindley, CEO and founder of Esquire Advertising, sits down with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin to share detailed, actionable insights into a new digital advertising methods that allow retailers to track ROI to the dollar and directly connect dollars spent to products purchased. Grindley will also reveal even more detailed insights at Furniture Today’s all-digital Leadership Conference, Dec. 1-3. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

In this week’s On the Record podcast, Premarket Sponsors Committee Chairman and Vaughan-Bassett President Doug Bassett joins The Home Front’s Tom Russell and Powell Slaughter to discuss the kickoff to “fall market season” and how the next six weeks will help the industry make hay while the sun shines at retail and address high consumer demand for furniture. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson offers insights into the leadership strategies that have guided his rejuvenation of the company since taking over as CEO exactly one year ago. In that time he has tightened the company’s focus around core principles and recommitted the e-commerce giant to its retail roots. Find out how he did it as he goes On The Record. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin recently talked with designer Thom Filicia, who was setting up for Premarket in the Vanguard Furniture showroom. Find out how Filicia has stayed in touch with the industry amid COVID-19 and why he believes designers "will be a part of the solution" to move things forward after the pandemic. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Join Furniture Today senior editors Tom Russell and Powell Slaughter for the first installment of their new podcast, “The Home Front,” a spin off from “On The Record.” Starting Sept. 24 on every other Thursday, they’ll give their take on developments impacting case goods and upholstery. These veteran editors will combine their years of experience covering the industry with insights from special guests to shed light on topics ranging from style trends to supply chain issues and more. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Sandra Espinet, author and designer to the stars, reveals the inspiration behind her new fabric line and shares her positive approach to overcoming challenges. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer at International Market Centers, is at the center of COVID-19's disruptive impact on markets and tradeshows. In a candid conversation with Furniture Today's Bill McLoughlin, she reveals the short and long-term shifts it's like to have on the markets, retailer-vendor interactions and the future of new product cadences. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Nikki Baird, Aptos vice president of innovation, uncovers some of the most successful new strategies retailers are utilizing to manage the pandemic-inflicted shift toward e-commerce. Sitting down with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin, Baird discussed the best practices customer acquisition, maximizing website effectiveness and managing the critically important transition from the online to the in-store experience. Find out how you can take your digital game to the next level in this fast-paced, informative discussion. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Joe Scaretta, founder and Co-CEO of CS Hudson, has helped retailers across the country re-merchandise in the wake of COVID-19. He sits down with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin to share best practices for companies dealing with these new realities, including how pop-up activations may offer a key to thriving in a pandemic-disrupted merchandising environment. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Success begins and ends with understanding the consumer. Get it right, you’re a winner. Get it wrong, you’re history. That was the unfiltered assessment of veteran marketing executive Warren Kornblum, during a recent On The Record discussion with Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin. The former Global Chief Marketing Officer at Toys R Us, Chief Strategic Officer at Rooms To Go and Interim Chief Marketing Officer at Serta Simmons Bedding offered a candid assessment of what it takes to succeed in today’s disrupted marketplace. Kornblum will outline how these factors are reshaping the bedding industry at Furniture Today’s upcoming Bedding Conference, Aug. 18-20, 2020.   Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin is joined by Furniture Today editors Powell Slaughter and Thomas Russell to talk about the Bounce Back 2020 cover story, red hot retail and the supply chain issues it's causing, and a disrupted market season that could see bigger crowds at Premarket and a change in manufacturers' product introduction cadence and market strategies.   Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

COVID-19 confronts retailers and manufacturers with unprecedented logistical challenges. Furniture Today Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin and Josh DeLay, vice president of business development at J.B. Hunt, recently sat down with a panel of leading retail and manufacturing logistics experts to explore innovative strategies to keep goods flowing and meet changing consumer needs. Guests include Scott Prillaman, vice president case goods operations, Hooker Furniture; Charlie Workmon, executive vice president, operations, Broad River Retail; and Ward Dingmann, senior vice president of supply chain, Bob’s Discount Furniture.   Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

“Levin is back!” The new Levin Furniture dream team — Robert Levin, John Schultz and Matt Schultz — talk with Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin about relaunching this venerated retail brand and their outlook for its future. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Fresh off the launch of 200 new private label SKUs, Feather CEO Jay Reno goes “On The Record” to discuss the future of furniture subscriptions, dealing with COVID-19 and the company’s plan for expansion to new urban markets. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Author, keynote speaker and retail expert Steve Dennis joins guest host Thomas Lester for an in-depth discussion about retails most disruptive forces and what companies need to do to survive them. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings

Serial entrepreneur and founder of Dwell Studio and The Inside, Christiane Lemieux has uncovered the secret of disruption. Discussing her new book "Frictionless: Why the Future of Everything Will be Fast, Fluid and Made Just For You," she explains how companies that remove obstacles and give consumers back time have come to dominate the marketplace. Find out how to reduce friction in your business in this insight-packed discussion. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishing

During the COVID-19 pandemic, wood resources and retailers alike are seeing more opportunity to develop, merchandise and sell home office furniture and casual dining. In today's On The Record podcast, Tom Russell, Furniture Today senior editor of case goods and global sourcing, discusses these trends with with four industry experts: Jeremy Hoff, president of Hooker Furniture Legacy Brands; John Iasiello, senior vice president of strategic planning and business development at Riverside Furniture; Jeff Harris, president and CEO of Furnitureland South; and Kyle Johansen, executive director of merchandising at HOM Furniture. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Furniture Today’s Editor in Chief Bill McLoughlin hosts a panel of retail thought leaders including Jeff Harris, CEO of Furnitureland South, and Andrew Koenig, president of City Furniture, to discuss the evolving nature of the furniture business in a world being reshaped by a pandemic. Find out how these industry innovators are planning for the remainder of 2020 and beyond. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Custom furniture maker Prominence Furniture is looking to capture attention for a new patented sleeper sofa design with an appearance on popular TV show Shark Tank. Drake Leonard, director of operations, shares inside insights on “chumming for the sharks,” with this unique knock-down design. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Sarreid COO Brad Cates joins Furniture Today editor Thomas Russell to discuss how the high-end resource is using digital technology to manage its business through the impact of COVID-19 disruption. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Podium’s Nick Miller goes On The Record to share new strategies to drive better customer reviews, strengthen Google search and create new sales strategies aimed at helping consumers feel safer in a post-COVID19 selling environment. For any retailer looking to power up their e-commerce game and improve conversion rates, this is a must-listen. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Manish Hirapara, CEO of digital strategy firm Peak Activity, shares insights on a new low-touch conversion model that is helping furniture retailers improve sales performance, even in the face of COVID-related store closings. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Senior Editor Thomas Russell talks with American Home Furnishings Alliance CEO Andy Counts to discuss the industry’s evolving role during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of our ongoing Home Furnishings Education Network series. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Bill McLoughlin, editor in chief of Furniture Today, sits down with author, columnist and small-business expert Gene Marks to discuss the ramifications of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and explore ways that companies can access the recently passed CARES Act to protect their businesses. Marks appears regularly on MSNBC and Fox News and writes regularly for The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Forbes, Inc. Magazine and Fox Business. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Furniture industry real estate veteran Julius Feinblum, owner of Julius Feinblum Real Estate, reveals best practices and insider strategies designed to help companies deal with leasing and mortgage disruptions caused by the recent coronavirus pandemic. He also discusses the road to recovery and the key opportunities that may emerge as business begins to reopen. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

Longtime industry upholstery executive Randy Spak reflects on the benefits of Mexico furniture production, including his latest upholstery development project with Urban Roads in Mexico. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

From his own personal experience with a Polio epidemic in the 1950s through the furniture industry’s myriad ups and downs, industry sage Jerry Epperson puts today’s events in perspective and offers actionable guidance for those looking to weather this storm. Sponsored by Klaussner Home Furnishings 

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