The Furniture First Board of Directors recently approved Lucas Home Furnishings, Kokomo, IN, as the newest member of the national buying group. Lucas carries a full line of home furnishings, including the outdoor category, and supports many “Made in America” manufacturers. Founded in 2002, they have continued to expand to three retail locations in the Kokomo area.
Like most Furniture First members, Lucas Home Furnishings is a family-owned business that has succeeded by serving their community by standing behind their merchandise and offering stellar service. The addition of this store brings the Furniture First membership rolls to 210 stockholders, with 445 furniture stores in 47 states.
The qualifications for membership in the national buying group result in a high-quality cooperative. Furniture First only takes on stores that are full-line independents that have been in business for more than five years, though the average age of member businesses is more than 45 years. Stores are required to have good credit and meet minimum volume requirements. Most members, whether they have a single storefront or a chain of locations, serve the solid middle market of consumers. Since the buying group is geographically exclusive by representation, members are rarely in direct competition with each other, adding to the overall willingness to share and collaborate.
Furniture First will show at the October High Point Market in the IHFC building, G770. The showroom will feature merchandise from a variety of vendor partners. One of the events Furniture First has planned is a group shop of the products, highlighting several upholstery and outdoor furniture vendors. SnapRetail, Furniture First’s partner for email marketing, will be presenting a seminar covering “How to Do a Month’s Worth of Marketing in 2 Hours…or Less.” Members can also attend Furniture First’s popular “Best of Market” review to discuss the hottest products seen in High Point. This networking opportunity allows the retailers to hear first-hand about merchandising success stories and learn where to check out new products.