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Retail Education

Home furnishings and lighting retailers face many challenges in this ever-changing economy. From new consumer expectations to online competition, today's retailers work hard to ensure their customers have access to on-trend products and great customer service. In this section, you'll find all things retailing — news, features, analysis and tools — needed to make your retail business a success.

Idea Board: Traditional Design

South by Southwest Traditional design gets a little rugged in living rooms when covered in geometric-patterned upholstery and paired with rich browns and iron finishes. Part of the Quintessence…

Hanging Out

Reflecting a growing interest in designing outdoor living spaces, these pendants suited for outdoor use bring a range of styles, from farmhouse to nautical.   With a solid brass body and Antique…

Reinventing Tradition

We’ve all heard the saying “Don’t mess with a good thing.” While that laissez-faire strategy may work just fine for your grandmother’s sticky buns recipe or possibly your stock portfolio, businesses…
Mosaic-tiled bathtub from West Coast Mosaic
Imagine bathing in this tub from West Coast Mosaics.

Mosaic Moments at KBIS

This year, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) launched the Salon by KBIS space, a new section of the show dedicated to artisan, small-batch and international companies with something…
NRF Lars Peterson
IKEA U.S. President Lars Peterson spoke on how diversity and inclusion initiatives have been good for business and retaining talent.

Retail Voices

Just two years ago, industry headlines were rife with store closings, bankruptcies, mass layoffs and even media reports of zombie retailers. “I would say that retail is back, but that would be wrong…
Inside Out Performance by the Yard
At Showtime, Inside Out introduced a new program called Performance by the Yard, which features favorite basics.

Looming Ahead

If the recent Showtime Fabric Fair was any indication, and it is, the name of the game in upholstered furniture at spring market will be texture, mod patterns, performance and plenty of color. Trend…
rawpixel piggy bank
(Photo: Unsplash user rawpixel)

How to Woo Value Shoppers

Who doesn’t love a good deal? Very few people, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Consumer View quarterly survey. For the fall 2018 edition, the NRF surveyed more than 3,000 U.S.…
Unsplash Twitter video
(Photo: Unsplash user Marten Bjork)

4 Social Video Tools That Make Editing Easy

According to research from Wyzowl, 83 percent of business owners surveyed think that video gives them a good ROI. If you can get over the growing pains of incorporating video into your marketing…
Coins stacked on a table
Photo: Pexels

Holiday Sales Miss Expectations: What the Latest Numbers Mean for Retailers and Designers

The U.S. Census Bureau released some startling numbers on the recent holiday season shopping numbers, and they didn't provide a lot of optimism for economists and the stock market. The bureau found…
Michael Alan Furniture & Design
Michael Alan Furniture & Design in Lake Havasu City, AZ, offers design services in a retail environment that includes curated one-of-a-kind pieces.

The Whole Experience

When design is in your blood, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else. For Chris Cooley, owner of Michael Alan Furniture & Design in Lake Havasu City, AZ, a lifetime career in interiors began at…
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