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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.

Richard Alan Passport Program January 2018 Lightovation
The Passport book given to RA&A retail accounts to be stamped after each tour through an RA&A vendor showroom.

Richard Alan & Assoc. Debuts Passport Program

In an effort to revitalize the buying experience at market, sales rep Richard Alan of Richard Alan & Assoc. (RA&A) launched the RA&A Passport program at January’s Lightovation. With help…
Handley floor lamp with three black iron rod as a base with ivory shade
Let’s hear it for the brass!

Back in Brass

Long gone (and thankfully so) are the days when the single-minded pursuit of maintaining “the perfect home” rested squarely on the flawlessly dressed shoulders of the lady of the house. But while our…
Computer on desk next to potted plant and iPhone
Photo: Pexels

The Complete Digital Marketing Reference Guide for Small Businesses

In the March issue of Lighting & Decor, we're laying out a four-step plan to help lighting and home furnishings retailers and interior designers build a solid digital marketing strategy — a…
Light dining room in open floor plan
With open plan living, dining rooms need to learn how to join in. Photo by Dennis Anderson.

How to Light an Open Concept Dining Room

Rethinking How We Light Dining Rooms When I was growing up, the dining room was reserved strictly for company. As a family, we always ate in the kitchen. We rarely ventured into the dining room — it…
Aura pendants hanging in urban kitchen and above dining room table, pendants from Kichler Lighting
The products that homeowners are spending the most on in their kitchens and bathrooms pay surprise you. (Photo: Aura pendants from Kichler Lighting)

What Products Homeowners Want in Their Kitchens and Baths

Want to know what kitchen and bath products homeowners want? The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) latest research crunches the numbers from 2016, the most recent data available, to find…
Interior of home with plant, sofa and dresser.
(Photo: Unsplash user Alexandra Gorn)

SFC Highlights Green Furnishings Trends in New Consumer Study

Green home decor products may be good for the environment and our health, but are people actually willing to buy them? The Sustainable Furnishings Council’s (SFC) newly-released Green Home…
Three-season porch with plants, one chair and a lamp overhead
What are you pinning to your Pinterest boards? This one is on LIghtology's Junalo theme board.

How to Win at Pinterest

A picture is worth a thousand words, or if you’re Pinterest, better make that two million. The social media platform's app recently broke the 200 millionth user mark. And for those of us who have…
AdobeStock voice search
(Photo: naka - stock.adobe.com)

The Voice Search Revolution

Just when we were all designing responsive websites to meet mobile search demands, consumers have turned the tables on us again. Last year, Google announced that 20 percent of queries through its…
A laptop and a tablet out on a table
Ready to hit the ground running on your digital marketing goals this year? Here are the tools you'll need. (Photo: Pexels)

5 Inexpensive Marketing Tools and How to Use Them

If you teared up at this Heineken commercial or followed the fine print on a dollop of butter to reveal a secret message from Denny’s, you know as well as anyone that great marketing can be…
The inside lobby of the International Builders Show
Miss KBIS this year? We've got you covered.

The Death of Farmhouse and Other Trends I Saw at KBIS

There is a lot for kitchen and bath designers to see and learn at Lightovation, so if you chose it over this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), I don’t blame you. Still, I went to KBIS,…
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