Best Ideas get NHFA retailers rolling
Smart cars, reduced hours among the winners
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 9, 2008
HIGH POINT — From energy-efficient Smart cars sporting retailer logos to employee incentive strategies, the suggestions were plentiful at the Best Idea luncheon at the 2008 All-Industry convention in the Bahamas in May.
Participants in the event later voted by e-mail on the top ideas, and chose as winners:
* David Harkness, Harkness Furniture, Tacoma, Wash., first place for his strategy involving HSA health savings account insurance strategy.
* Doug Wolf, Wolf Furniture Enterprises, Bellwood, Pa., second place for his initiative to reduce store hours during low traffic periods.
* Mike Spiller, Spiller Furniture, Tuscaloosa, Ala., third place for suggesting creative employee contests.
“The Best Idea luncheon gives our members a chance to exchange proven ideas and strategies with their peers,” said Doug Kays, National Home Furnishings Assn. president. “It’s a fun, roundtable format that generates great ideas and discussions. Over the years it has become one of the NHFA’s most popular events.”
The NHFA and the American Home Furnishings Alliance organized the All-Industry Convention.
This year’s Best Idea luncheon was sponsored by American Express and moderated by Joe Milevsky of Kennesaw, Ga.-based JRM Sales & Management. After the convention, JRM e-mailed a detailed list of the ideas to attendees, who then voted for the best ones. Harkness won a $500 gift certificate for his idea, and Wolf and Spiller each received a $250 gift certificate.
Other top ideas included:
* Eliminate the costly practice of having two locations for customer pick-up, from Joe Quintal, Rotman’s Furniture.
* Partner with manufacturers to create a national “Win a Room Full” Web-based contest for consumers, from Jerry Wingate, Micro D.
* Put a store logo on an eye-catching eco-friendly Smart car, from John Wells, Wells Home Furnishings.
* Create an incentive plan for employees in the warehouse, and for employees of a third-party delivery agent, from Mike Horrobin, Tepperman’s.
* Develop designer notebooks based on the main styles sold in the store, from Leslie Carothers, The Kaleidoscope Partnership.
* Design ads that feature a bobble-head figure, from Wil Schock, Schocks Furniture Crafters.
* Target the bridal industry by sponsoring a bridal fair at the store, from Bob Sherman, Serta Mattress.
* Give each piece of furniture sold a birth certificate, from Phil Mandeville, American West/ZLN.
* Educate and encourage store management about the power of leading with a positive attitude, from George Kaftan, Carls Furniture.
To view the best ideas in their entirety, visit www.jrmsales-mgmt.com/bestidea.htm.
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