Keep your eyes on the target
Ray Allegrezza, Editor in Chief -- Furniture Today, February 10, 2008
I don't know about you, but I am getting sick and tired of all the doom-and-gloom stories we tell each other.
While I'll be the first one to admit that our industry is struggling, let me be just as quick to say that the last thing we need is another pity party.
Somebody needs to remind this industry that for all our groaning, we are still on target to sell $87 billion worth of home furnishings this year.
Now, if the success of my business involved selling into this market, I would dry my eyes in a hurry. I see much better that way, and with a shot at an $87 billion target, I'd want my vision to be as unrestricted as possible.
Speaking of people with great vision, I had the pleasure of talking to Nebraska Furniture Mart's Irv Blumkin during the recent Las Vegas Market.
Irv was asked to introduce Kathy Ireland, who threw an appreciation dinner to thank the industry and her partners for their support. Kathy asked Irv because NFM was the first retailer to take a chance on Kathy Ireland-branded home furnishings.
That one small fact speaks volumes about why NFM always seems to be in the passing lane of the industry's fast track. Irv and his team have vision. They take chances. They have the guts to go first. And consumers have rewarded NFM with their business and ongoing loyalty.
Sure, they have big stores. But I've been in big stores that were only that — big stores with a lot of stuff to sell. NFM is so much more than a store; it's a collection of specialty stores all under one roof.
In addition to having a great selection of furniture, bedding and accessories, NFM has an Apple store, Bose store, Sony store, Harmon@Home store, a TV store, a small appliance store and more.
Life is all about choices. Here are yours: You can sit around and tell yourself how bad things are, or you can remind yourself that consumers are going to buy more than $87 billion of furniture and make plans to get your share.
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