March 1, 2014
The furniture industry gets younger every year. In order to embrace the new generation of retailers and welcome them into the business, RetailerNOW features a different member of the Next Generation NOW social network in every issue. Next Generation NOW is the premiere social scene for the new era of furniture professionals. Join the conversation at social.ngnow.org!
For this month’s spotlight, we introduce 21-year-old Stephanie Smith of Chariho Furniture in Richmond, Rhode Island.
RetailerNOW: Tell me about your industry history.
Stephanie: My dad opened the furniture store before I was born with their wedding money, so I was always around furniture. I wasn’t encouraged or discouraged to get involved; however, in the past two years I’ve taken an interest to interior design, so my dad took me down to the High Point Market. I’ve gotten more and more involved in the past couple years.
RetailerNOW: Are you aiming to be an interior designer?
Stephanie: I’m graduating in May with my psychology degree and I am going to try and put that towards here. I’d also like to go for an interior design degree. However, my grandmother will be retiring in May so I will be taking her spot. So as time permits, I would like to get my certification. I guess we’ll see!
RetailerNOW: Does your store sell sustainable products?
Stephanie: Yes. We actually carry quite a few upholstery lines that are very eco-friendly, and we carry 20 Amish brands. Simply Amish is one of them. That one company has more than 6,000 items so we’ve got quite a variety. We’ve got everything from reproductions to contemporary American leather, but it’s all American-made.
RetailerNOW: Why do you think it’s important to stock both American-made and sustainable products?
Stephanie: My dad has always been a firm believer in American-made, and I’ve just been brought up that way, supporting our jobs and supporting ourselves, creating more jobs for people in America. It’s hard if you actually think about trying to find stuff that is American made, like clothes and everything, and eco-friendly, too. Green is just the right thing to do.
RetailerNOW: How do you convey the value of those products to your customers?
Stephanie: We do have customers who have been to other furniture stores and the frame of the sofa will break or it’ll have rips in it, something like that. We have a lifetime warranty on all of our frames. We flip over chairs. We do what we have to do to show the customer that what we carry is good. We carry Harden Furniture, and we’ve had people come back after 30 years and say they still have their sofa from Harden. I think it’s more a lesson learned, and when they do come in here, it’s a little bit of sticker shock. But you get what you pay for and I think people realize that after experiencing it.
RetailerNOW: How have you seen the industry change throughout your life?
Stephanie: It definitely has improved in the past couple years. I listen a lot to Jerry Epperson. I didn’t think quality was always such a big thing, and I think now, if you can afford to buy quality, people are realizing that’s a better way to go. I think the economy definitely seems like it’s getting better.
RetailerNOW: What challenges have you personally had to face as a female part of the next generation?
Stephanie: It’s definitely tough going to Market and meeting with reps and stuff. They have a lot of respect for my dad and they want his opinions. They talk to him. I feel like I’ve kind of been introduced but, not that I’m not taken seriously because I’m a young female new to the industry, I’m still trying to figure out how to get that attention and to make people notice that I am serious about this and I do have a lot of passion for what I’m doing.
RetailerNOW: What are the biggest challenges store owners face today?
Stephanie: I think it’s tough to find a good and honest team to work for the company. We definitely have a good, trustworthy team here. I don’t know how other family businesses are run, but it’s also a challenge living with someone and working with someone. Trying to balance whether you bring this home or you don’t bring this home is interesting.
RetailerNOW: What advice do you have for other family businesses?
Stephanie: Have patience. My dad has an eye for all sorts of things and since I’ve been working here we’ve brought on many more contemporary lines. I’m learning from him and he’s learning from me. I definitely think patience is necessary.
RetailerNOW: What do you think the industry needs to do to adapt to changing technology?
Stephanie: I see more and more online purchases, and I think that’s kind of tough. We show all of our brands online but it’s kind of hard to show all of the pieces. I don’t think it’s hurting the furniture business, but seeing a sofa on the computer screen and actually sitting in it… Buying is an emotional thing, so when you get to sit in something and feel something, it’s totally different from looking at it on a computer screen.
RetailerNOW: Do you think the industry is moving more towards online business?
Stephanie: I hope not! But I think it depends on the age group, also. You usually don’t see 50- and 60-year-old people wanting to buy something online. I have had a customer in her early 30s who bought something online and they delivered it and she absolutely hated it. I hope it’s not going towards more purchases online, but it is still good to see what’s out there and what you can get.
RetailerNOW: What advice do you have for new retailers?
Stephanie: It’s overwhelming at first. The hardest challenge for me was that this table can come in 20 different finishes, six different leg styles, and each company is different. There are a lot of different things you need to know. At first, I thought I would never remember it, there’s too much to study—but it comes to you after a while and you get more and more enthusiastic about your product if you’re proud of what you’re selling. You start knowing the facts after you’ve been exposed to it for a little while.
RetailerNOW: What advice do you have for retailers that have been in the business for awhile?
Stephanie: Not that I want to seem stereotypical, but it would be nice for the next generation coming in if you give us opportunities and take us seriously. It’s hard to come by opportunities that people are passionate about. When you have someone who’s been in the business for so long, someone fresh and new coming in might be a little scary. But I think everyone should have the chance to prove that they are worthy.
RetailerNOW: What benefits do you see in belonging to a group like Next Generation NOW?
Stephanie: I was down at the High Point Market in October and I went to the Surya party and there was someone passing out buttons for Next Generation NOW. I didn’t really know anything about it so I went to the website. I thought it was interesting and nice to know that there are other people your age coming into the industry. I’ve been meeting some people on there, getting to know the ropes a little bit. I think it’s great to get to know people your age, and I do like the videos they do online. I’m still trying to learn how to use the website. Knowing that there are other people out there going through the same things and being able to connect to them and ask questions if you need guidance with anything is great.
Next Generation NOW (NGN or Next Gen NOW) is a community of young, passionate and engaged home furnishings professionals. Next Gen NOW seeks to give a voice to the unique needs of future generations entering the workforce to educate the industry on how to attract and keep young talent. Connect with members online at social.ngnow.org or on twitter @ngnow.
