Home Furnishings Association

08/20/2026

We're excited to welcome Connector Team Recruiting to the HFA community! 🎉

Connector Team Recruiting provides specialized recruiting and workforce solutions for the furniture and home furnishings industry, supporting organizations across retail, operations, procurement, supply chain, sales, and executive leadership. Their services include retained and contingency executive search, direct-hire placement, contract staffing, temporary workforce solutions, and strategic talent consulting.

Today's retailers face increasing competition, evolving skill requirements, and the challenge of finding professionals who bring both the right expertise and the right cultural fit. Connector Team Recruiting tackles these challenges head-on with over 20 years of industry-specialized recruiting experience, a targeted talent network, and a streamlined hiring process that reduces time-to-hire while improving candidate quality.

By acting as a long-term strategic partner rather than just a staffing vendor, Connector Team Recruiting helps organizations strengthen leadership teams, improve retention, and build scalable, high-performing teams for long-term success.

We're proud to have Connector Team Recruiting join the HFA family and look forward to the value they bring to the home furnishings industry.

👉 Learn more about Connector Team Recruiting and how they support retailers: https://hubs.ly/Q04s7d8R0

08/10/2026

Honest retailers play by the rules. Some importers don't, and it's costing you sales.

By understating declared values and mislabeling products, certain bad actors are dodging the tariffs that legitimate retailers pay in full, then turning around and undercutting you on major marketplaces. It's an uneven playing field, and it's time to talk about fixing it.

Tune in live on August 13 (3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT) as HFA CEO Peter Theran sits down with Keith Koenig (Chairman, CITY HOME) and HFA Lobbyist Chris Andresen for "Leveling the Playing Field: Tariff Enforcement and the Fight for Fair Competition."

Here's what you'll walk away with:
🔹 A clear picture of how tariff loopholes are being exploited
🔹 The real impact of undervaluation and false product coding on your bottom line
🔹 What HFA is doing on the government relations front, and how you can get involved

Whether you're a retailer, importer, or just tired of losing sales to marketplace pricing you can't compete with, this is your chance to get informed and get involved.

Save your seat: https://hubs.ly/Q04qWK570

08/04/2026

Are bad actors gaining an unfair edge on tariffs while honest retailers play by the rules?

Some foreign importers are understating declared values and using false product codes to dodge tariffs that legitimate retailers and importers pay in full. The result? Bad actors selling directly to US consumers on major marketplaces at prices no honest retailer can match.

Join HFA CEO Peter Theran, Keith Koenig (Chairman, CITY HOME), and HFA Lobbyist Chris Andresen on August 13 at 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT for a live conversation: "Leveling the Playing Field: Tariff Enforcement and the Fight for Fair Competition."

In this discussion, you'll learn:
✅ How exporters exploit tariff loopholes to gain an unfair competitive advantage
✅ How undervaluation and false product coding cost honest importers and fuel marketplace price disparities
✅ What HFA's government relations team is doing to push for stronger enforcement, and how you can help

If you're competing against marketplace pricing and want a fair shot in this industry, this is a conversation you can't afford to miss. Bring your questions, this will be an open discussion on what's really happening at the border and what retailers can do about it.

Register now: https://hubs.ly/Q04qWSs-0

07/30/2026

We're excited to welcome ACA to the HFA community!

Advertising Concepts of America (ACA) is a full-service marketing agency specializing in the furniture, mattress, appliance, and home furnishings industry. For more than 50 years, they've helped retailers drive traffic, increase sales, and strengthen their brands through strategic advertising, creative production, media planning, digital marketing, email campaigns, direct mail, television, radio, social media, and video content.

Today's retailers face increasing competition, rising advertising costs, changing consumer behavior, and the challenge of standing out in crowded markets. ACA tackles these challenges head-on with industry-specific marketing solutions, targeted campaigns, compelling creative, and measurable results — helping retailers attract more shoppers, improve conversion rates, and maximize return on investment.

By offering deep expertise in the furniture retail landscape, ACA helps retailers build stronger promotions, sharper branding strategies, and effective customer acquisition programs that keep them competitive in today's evolving marketplace.

We're proud to have ACA join the HFA family and look forward to the value and expertise they bring to the home furnishings industry.

👉 Learn more about ACA and how they support retailers: https://hubs.ly/Q04pvrQs0

07/24/2026

Following the expiration of the temporary 10% global tariff rate, new Section 301 tariffs officially took effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 24th — and there's almost no grace period.

Here's what you need to know:
✅ Plan for up to 12.5% in additional duty as a conservative estimate
✅ A narrow exemption applies only to goods already in transit before July 24th — and they must be entered by July 28th
✅ Section 232 products (like certain upholstered furniture, steel, and aluminum) are excluded from this new duty

The scope and complexity mean every shipment needs individual review — don't apply a blanket rate across your product line.

👉 Read the full breakdown and our 6 recommended action steps: https://hubs.ly/Q04qDZtj0

New Section 301 tariffs takes effect. Learn key actions to protect your business and manage increased landed costs.

07/22/2026

Big moves in trade policy this week, and furniture retailers need to be paying attention.

New tariffs on Brazilian imports just took effect. A new tariff on Canadian goods is coming next month. And a separate tariff deadline hits this Friday, raising real questions about what comes next.

Here's why this matters: these policies can affect materials, supplier costs, and what shows up on the price tag at your store.

👉 Get the full breakdown and what to watch for next: https://hubs.ly/Q04qm2Dh0

New tariffs on Brazil & Canada and Section 122 deadline moves closer. Stay informed on what to watch before Friday's deadline.

07/13/2026

Our upcoming live event, "Inventory Management Transformation: The New Retail Back End," is right around the corner and seats are going fast.

Join HFA CEO Peter Theran and three powerhouse panelists for a real, honest conversation about what it takes to run a smooth, profitable back-end operation in today's furniture retail environment.

Whether you are a single-location retailer or managing multiple stores, the insights from this session will be immediately applicable to your business.

Panelists:
🔹 Robyn Messerly, CIO, Nebraska Furniture Mart
🔹 Billy Lindler, CEO, USSI
🔹 Anthony Delonardo, VP of Sales, https://hubs.ly/Q04njCkC0

📅 July 16, 2026
🕐 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT
🔗 Register here: https://hubs.ly/Q04njskc0

07/07/2026

Would ChatGPT recommend your furniture store to a local shopper? 🤔🛋️

As more consumers use AI search tools like Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini to find local retailers and products, staying visible is more important than ever. If your store isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, you might be losing sales to your competitors without even realizing it.

HFA is hosting a live event on July 9, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET to help you navigate this shift! HFA CEO Peter Theran sits down with Freedman, Founder of Dovr Media, to break down what AI search means for independent furniture retailers.

What we will explore:
✅ Why AI visibility is the new keyword search for local retailers.
✅ How AI search tools are changing how consumers research products.
✅ The competitive risks of being "left out" of AI answers.
✅ How to evaluate your store’s presence using the free AI Readiness Score.

👇 Click the link below to sign up!
https://hubs.ly/Q04mQW4y0

07/06/2026

Is your back-end operation keeping up with your customers' expectations?

Join us for a live event, "Inventory Management Transformation: The New Retail Back End," hosted by HFA CEO Peter Theran alongside three industry experts who are transforming how furniture retailers operate behind the scenes.

From real-time inventory visibility to warehouse automation and smarter fulfillment, this session is packed with real-world insights and actionable takeaways you can bring back to your business.

Panelists include:
🔹 Robyn Messerly, CIO, Nebraska Furniture Mart
🔹 Billy Lindler, CEO, USSI
🔹 Anthony Delonardo, VP of Sales, https://hubs.ly/Q04njsqB0

📅 July 16, 2026
🕐 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT

Spots are limited. Save yours today!
🔗 https://hubs.ly/Q04ngfvd0

07/03/2026

Wishing our entire HFA family a safe, happy, and relaxing Fourth of July! 🎆

Today is all about celebrating freedom, family, and the comfort of home. We are so incredibly grateful for our incredible community of furniture retailers who help bring families together in comfortable, beautiful spaces all year round.

How are you celebrating today? Catching some local fireworks, hosting a family backyard BBQ, or just enjoying some quiet time on a comfortable couch? Let us know in the comments below! 👇

Have a safe and wonderful holiday from the entire HFA team! ❤️🤍💙