IHFRA Developer

It's Never Too Late! (to join or renew)

To take your mind off the unrelenting heatwave blanketing the country, IHFRA has announced a renewal deal so cool that even the ice cubes are jealous!
But a deal this sharp won’t last forever, especially in this heat, so you have to act fast and you have to use the special code JULY19.
Beginning today, IHFRA members who have not yet renewed can do so for only $77.50, half off the regular renewal price!
This will make you a member in good standing till the end of the year, qualify you for your IHFRA pin as well as for the full assortment of incredible member benefits that include everything from a cost-effective and comprehensive health care package to deep discounts on printing, office supplies, deals on hotels, car rentals, shipping, identify theft and much more.
For a complete rundown on all benefits you enjoy as a member of IHFRA, click here: https://ihfra-cloud.flywheelstaging.com/benefits/
There’s never been a better time to renew your membership at IHFRA and there’s never been a better deal, but you have to act quickly, and you have to use the special code, JULY19.

by IHFRA Developer

Midwest Furniture Club Announces Dates for Upcoming Furniture Show

 
Dates Announced for 13^thAnnual Midwest Furniture Show
13^thAnnual Show To Be Held September 17^th,18^thand 19^th, 2019 in Niles IL
CHICAGO, IL April 19- The 2019 version of the Midwest Furniture Show is set for September 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th. The Midwest Furniture Club is returning the event to the White Eagle Conference Center in Niles IL, a nearby suburb just north of Chicago.“We were very happy with our new venue last year,” says Allan Landau, the Show’s Coordinator for the fourth year. “Our customers like the fact that Niles is closer to Chicago than other locations” The Midwest Furniture Club produces the annual show.
Exhibitor sign up has already begun. “We’re off to a good start already,” says Landau. “Last year we ran out of space, so we’re trying to get back to our traditional vendor base and make sure they get their rental space reserved.”
The Show runs September 17^th, 18^thand 19^th, 2019. Tuesday, September 17 will be a Preview Event running from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. On Wednesday September 18^thand Thursday, September 19^ththe Show opens at 8 am, closing at 6 pm on Wednesday and closing at 4 pm on Thursday.
Kirk Handley is the President of the Midwest Furniture Club. “This Show is something we do for our retailers in the Upper Midwest who don’t go to markets. We improve some things every year. We’re excited to try a Preview Event on Tuesday night to give our independent dealers another option to come work with us. We have some great traditions to welcome our returning attendees such as hosting a free lunch and drinks for attendees, as well as prize drawings, as well bringing in manufacturer’s and special deals for our customers. On Wednesday night, we will host a cocktail party for attendees and exhibitors to mingle.”
 
The Midwest Furniture Show is a regional furniture, bedding and accessories show that is run by the Midwest Furniture Club, the largest IHFRA chapter in the United States. Each year the show attracts around 25 exhibitors and 300 retailers from across the Upper Midwest.
 
“We love this show because 90% of our account base doesn’t travel to High Point or Las Vegas. This show drives a lot of business for us,” reports Ashley representative Geoff Weed. Weed is one of the original founders of the Midwest Furniture Show. He represents Ashley, one of the cornerstones of the Show. “We include marketing partners, our management, our new concepts and product lines and invite our entire account base to come and get deals. And we show it all: motion, stationary, bedroom, dining room, bedding, accessories, home office, entertainment and outdoor furniture. Our dealers appreciate it.”
 
“The goals of the show remain the same,” says Allen Landau, one of the Show’s co-coordinators. “We want all the retailers in Chicago and the upper Midwest markets to have the chance to see new furniture and accessories, see new lines, and talk with professionals in marketing, freight and back room operations. We come together to make their business more successful. The timing of the show is designed to help our furniture retailers and interior design community make the most of the fourth quarter and tax time 2017.”
 
"This is a working show. Exhibitors write business and retailers get to see a number of vendors in one quick day. They can eat breakfast at home and be back home for dinner,” says Handley.
“But we hope they stay all day. We will have coffee in the morning, a free lunch at noon and a social hour in the late afternoon of the 18^th.”
 
The cost for exhibitors is remaining at $3.50 a square foot for spaces over 500 feet. A deposit of $2 a square foot is necessary to hold the reservation. Smaller spaces (under 500 feet) are available for service companies, advertising and marketing firms, transportation companies and accessory vendors at a rate of $4 per foot.
 
Space is still available for manufacturers or furniture service companies who want to participate. "For $3.50, our exhibitors get the whole package: rental space, marketing, pipe-and-drape and carpeting, a prime venue, free breakfast and lunch for exhibitors and attendees, access to many independent retailers in a major market, staging and storage assistance, and a lively social hour. Our only requirement, other than paying rent, is that each rental space have an active member of the Midwest Furniture Club in their space,” says Handley.
 
Anyone interested in attending or exhibiting can registerwww.midwestfurnitureshow.comor contact the Club at midwestfurnitureshow@gmail.com. Contact Allan Landau directly at 847-751-8279 with any questions. For updates follow us on Twitter at MidwestFurnShow, #midwestfurnitureshow or on Facebook.
 

by IHFRA Developer

Time to Get Smart(er)!

There’s a world of truth to the old saying that says, ‘If you’re not going forward, you’re probably going backwards.’   That applies to so many areas of life, especially  continuing education. 

While you certainly don’t need anyone to remind you that our industry is experiencing a steady series of paradigm shifts, we could all use some occasional help on how best to proactively deal with those changes.

With education topping the list of IHFRA’s many objectives, it’s only fitting that we’ve been seeking out a high-impact, reasonably priced education platform designed to let you learn at your own speed and pace while paving the road to put you in the passing lane of the fast track when it comes to growing your sales.

After months of research, IHFRA is proud to announce a partnership with veteran salesman, trainer, author and educator Victor Antonio Gonzalez, one of America’s premier business consultants and someone perhaps best known for being host of Spike TV's reality series, Life or Debt.

Victor is also the founder and creator of the Sellinger Group and the Sales Velocity Academy. http://www.salesvelocityacademy.com

So, what does all of this mean to you?  In a word, success!  Victor has created a library of close to 400 topic-specific sales and marketing training videos that are also segmented into thee levels of learning: Foundational, Advanced and Mastery.

Normally, the annual cost to access the library is $299, a bargain by anyone’s standards. However, IHFRA has negotiated a special rate for our members of only $99.00 a year!

For pennies a day, you can tap into a video library of hundreds of topic-specific sessions that will make you more valuable to your customers and your suppliers while teaching you how to sell smarter and with greater success.

Best of all, you don’t need to take time from being on the road to sit in a classroom. You can watch the videos at your pace and speed while selecting the topics you feel you need improvement on.

To learn more about the Sellinger Group, click here: http://www.SellingerGroup.com/brochure

For an in-depth look at Victor's training videos, please take a few moments to go here. 

We would like to give Victor an idea of how many IHFRA members plan to take advantage of this great deal, so please click here to respond.

by IHFRA Developer

IHFRA Announces Limited-Time Membership

Special $99* Limited Offer From IHFRA!

For those members who have not yet renewed their membership---and for independent reps who have never joined-- IHFRA is offering a special rate of just $99*, that will put you in good standing until December 2019. Use the promo code SPRING19.

As a member of IHFRA, you can participate in the group’s robust  package of benefits that run the gamut from competitively priced healthcare plans, substantial discounts on printing, office supplies, car rentals, identity theft programs and much more!

IHFRA is also getting ready to debut a new continuing education program that will only be available to current members and that alone is worth your membership!

IHFRA members also receive a lapel pin each year that not only identifies you as a member of our group but also gives you access to the key markets including the High Point and Vegas furniture markets.  

Need or want more info? Just click here:  https://ihfra-cloud.flywheelstaging.com/join-ihfra/

*for regular $155 membership. All membership types are discounted.

by IHFRA Developer

IHFRA's Ray Allegrezza talks shop with Bill McLoughlin, Editor in Chief of Furniture/Today

Ray Allegrezza, Executive Director at IHFRA, was recently invited by Furniture/Today to participate in a free-wheeling podcast hosted by Bill McLoughlin, Editor in Chief at the paper.

During the 45-minute session, Ray and Bill talked about IHFRA, the role of the independent sales rep, the impact of e-commerce and much more.

To listen in, click this link:

http://www.furnituretoday.com/blogpost/15716-past-present-and-future-furniture-business-all-45-minutes/

by IHFRA Developer

2019 LV Social is a Success!

IHFRA's kick-off event for market

The 3rd annual Las Vegas Cocktail Social was the "best attended ever" according to many who were there. The Troy Liquor Bar at the Golden Nugget provided a great venue with an outdoor patio overlooking the well-known Fremont Street Experience. Generous sponsors who helped make the event happen included Zenith, Ashley Furniture, Klaussner, IMC, Zuo Modern, Cozzia, Planned Furniture Promotions, Cory Home Delivery, Coaster, and Furniture Dealer.Net. A few lucky party-goers who had their name drawn received prizes including and HP All-in-One Printer, $25 gift cards to Office Depot/Office Max, 2 One-Night Stay coupons to Red Roof Inns, and a Ring Doorbell system provided by Best Buy for Business.

by IHFRA Developer

New IHFRA/Leflein Study Reveals Millennial Furniture Buying Insights

As part of an ongoing mission to bring market intelligence and insights to the home furnishings sector,  IHFRA recently asked Leflein Associates, Inc., a premier market research firm specializing in retail intelligence and millennial audience engagement to find out what matters most to this demographic group as they shop for furniture.
 
At some 83.1 million strong, Millennials spend about $600 billion each year, making them a force to be reckoned with.   And with many Millennials approaching their peak home-buying years, this group is influencing furniture trends as well.
 
With that in mind, Leflein Associates conducted a national online survey that gathered input from  330 adults between the ages of 18-34 who offered candid input about their furniture shopping plans and intentions.
 
When respondents were asked to select the top three attributes most important to them when purchasing furniture, just over half the group (51%), cited quality as the key determinant.  That was closely followed by comfort, the answer given by 50%. Price, while important, was listed as the top driver only by 44%, followed by style, the answer given by 37% of the respondents.


Worth noting, the survey determined that the females in the survey were likely to cite the importance of comfort (54% vs 45%) than the men. Similarly, more women (43% vs 31% men) felt style was important.
 
The study also asked the respondents to share the reasons that would prompt them to make an in-store visit to purchase furniture.
 
While the majority of Millennials (54%) said they would go to a furniture store to “see and feel the furniture in person,” far more women (51% vs 35%) said they would visit the store for design assistance.  More men, meanwhile, (46% vs 33%) said they would go into the store because the furniture is fully assembled.
 
The Leflein study also identified specific types of furniture that the group said they would have to see or try out in person before making a purchase.
 
The top three items proved to be beds/mattresses, the answer given by 51%; sofas/sectionals/loveseats, the response from 39% and chairs and recliners, the answer given by 34% of the 330 Millennials responding.
 
When it comes to sofas/sectionals/loveseats, more women (47% vs 32% men) wanted to see these products in person.
 
Fewer than 20% of the Millennials polled reported a need to see the following items before making a purchase: kitchen islands (18%), bookcases (18%), bar stools (17%), accent tables (17%), end  & side tables (17%), cribs, headboard, sideboard and buffets (16%) followed by wall art and nightstands at 15% each.

 
With sales patterns top of mind, the study asked the group to share when they either last visited  a brick and mortar furniture store, looked at furniture online or searched social media for previously owned furniture.
 
The good news for home furnishing  retailers is that nearly three-quarters of the group (72%), said they have searched or shopped either in-store or online for furniture within the past month.
 
Reflecting the steady growth of online furniture sales, the survey found that only 7% of the Millennials shopped exclusively for furniture in store.

 
“This information, culled by Leflein Associates, Inc., especially in light of the current uncertainty the market is facing, is particularly valuable to any supplier, retailer or independent rep looking to garner a share of the ever-important Millennial market,” said IHFRA Executive Director Ray Allegrezza.
 
For additional information about the survey or about Leflein Associates, Inc., click here http://www.leflein.com
 

by IHFRA Developer

Hall of Fame Invites IHFRA Members To Join

As a courtesy to all active IHFRA members, the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame has extended a special offer of membership for only $100.  For that, IHFRA members receive
*A beautiful Welcome Presentation Kit outlining the Hall’s services, products and benefits.
*access to all photography from the events surround the induction
*A fully tax-deductible donation to the Hall of Fame, a federally recognized 501 © (3) charitable nonprofit organization.
*Exclusive special fee benefits that non-IHFRA cannot receive.
 
Membership also gives IHFRA members the opportunity to nominate candidates for Induction in the Hall of Fame; Purchase one Celebration ticket for $150 (non-members pay $300).
IHFRA members can also invite a retailer as their guest and purchase a pair (two) tickets for only $250. Non-members pay $600.
 
Also, IHFRA members are publicly acknowledged with Visual Brand Recognition in the Induction Celebration Journal and in the quarterly Hall of Fame newsletter.
 
Membership also brings the personal reward of knowing that you have significantly impacted the preservation of the Home Furnishings Industry’s history.
 
The Hall of Fame salutes leaders, vision and success.  As a key part of this industry, IHFRA merits a seat at this table.
 
For more information, click here: https://www.homefurnishingshalloffame.com
 

by IHFRA Developer

IHFRA Has Your Back—Launches Identify Theft Protection for members

In the event you just read this headline and wonder if there is a good reason to protect yourself and your family against identity theft, we can give you a host of reasons.  In fact, we can offer you some 60 million of them.
Those 60 million reasons represent some 60 million Americans that became victims of some form of fraud and or identity theft so far this year.
And if you were among the 60 million people impacted, it probably didn’t matter if it came at the hands of employment or tax-related fraud or credit card fraud or telephone or utilities fraud or bank fraud.
To help minimize the chance that you might be next, IHFRA has partnered with Family-IDProtect.com to help protect you and your family.
The company is offering IHFRA members—their families and their friends—a very affordable and comprehensive suite of services to help manage your personal identity and private information during various life events, including assistance in situations you may confront in natural disasters.
For less than $5.00 a month, you can have individual protection and for less than $7.00 a month, you can protect you and your family.
Benefits include:

• *Individual and family identify theft resolution
• *$50,000 ID theft expense recovery reimbursement insurance
• *Personal Disaster Services
• *Travel Identity Assist Services
• *Social Media Services
• *Document Replacement Services
• *Protection for Minors Services
• *Marriage and Divorce Identity Services
• *Medical Identity Services….and more.

For more information, visit the company at www.family-idprotect.com

The promo code to use is IHFRA10
Click here for more information
 
 
 
 

by IHFRA Developer