Missouri's Wright Furniture & Flooring joins Furniture First

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 3, 2012

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Three-store Wright Furniture & Flooring of Hannibal, Mo., has joined the Furniture First buying group.

Wright is a family-owned, full-line furniture business with the store in Hannibal, as well as Waters Furniture in Vandalia, Mo., and Howards Furniture & Mattress in Bowling Green, Mo.

The Harrisburg, Pa.-based buying group now has 193 owner members with 413 furniture stores in 47 states.

"Furniture First offers a competitive advantage to independents in a difficult economy," said Bill Hartman, the group's president. He said the group's programs add to retailers' bottom lines "with rebates, discounts and operational efficiencies," and help improve margins and competitiveness with benefits such as its private label goods.

Furniture First also said that its October High Point Market plans include presenting its new private label, Serta-made Mattress 1st lineup in its showroom on the second floor of the Radio Building, 164 S. Main St. The exclusive line focuses on the promotional end of the mattress market.

In addition, Furniture First plans a series of member-only group shops to introduce new lines and highlight its private labels. Furniture First's showroom will display products from several of its suppliers, but the space also will serve as a business resource for members attending market.