Attend the Furniture First buying group meeting
This is one of the most important items on our agenda, and it continues to be an increasingly important part of our business. At these biannual meetings, members offer the group’s buyers advice on what to buy, but that’s just the start. We talk with each other about what we’re seeing at Market. None of us can complete our entire merchandising mix with only items from Furniture First. So, we share information about where to find those harder to locate pieces. We also have a Best Ideas session, where we discuss our most effective strategies for improving store operations, and we take advantage of the opportunity to share experiences with our retail colleagues.
It’s a busy schedule, we hit 50-75 showrooms in three and a half days, and we’re dining with a supplier most nights. The minute we get in the car here in Pennsylvania, the timer is running and we’re on go. When we return, though, we not only have a great selection of on-trend products, we have new insights into today’s consumers, new ideas for running our store, better relationships with our key suppliers, new resources, and a solid foundation for success in the new season.