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Casual News Now The leading source for casual/outdoor industry news and insight. Part of the Home News Now group.

Brad Schweig of Sunnyland Outdoor Living in Dallas posed a simple question to the Outdoor Furniture Independent Retailer...
28/01/2025

Brad Schweig of Sunnyland Outdoor Living in Dallas posed a simple question to the Outdoor Furniture Independent Retailers Group on Facebook — “Would anyone be interested in starting an advertising co-op?” The answers he received have led to a bigger idea.

Brad Schweig of Sunnyland Outdoor Living in Dallas posed a simple question to the Outdoor Furniture Independent Retailers Group on Facebook — “Would anyone be interested in starting an advertising co-op?” Several retailers from around the country reported back that they were interested in this...

Lloyd Flanders will open its first Las Vegas showroom in A-119 at the World Market Center just in time for Las Vegas Mar...
27/01/2025

Lloyd Flanders will open its first Las Vegas showroom in A-119 at the World Market Center just in time for Las Vegas Market.

Lloyd Flanders will open its first Las Vegas showroom in A-119 at the World Market Center just in time for Las Vegas Market. The showroom will help bolster the company’s West Coast business, says Bryan Echols, senior vice president of sales and marketing. It also allows the company to reach more d...

In a new showroom this Las Vegas Market, Tropitone President Frank Verna gives us the lowdown on 5 new collections its l...
27/01/2025

In a new showroom this Las Vegas Market, Tropitone President Frank Verna gives us the lowdown on 5 new collections its launching.

Tropitone first opened its Las Vegas Market showroom last January, and this January it has moved to a new showroom in B-128. President Frank Verna explains to Casual News Now that because the company turned over its entire product offering, it wanted to get in front of new full-line retailers and de...

Executives who attend AHFA’s 2025 Marketing/PR Conference Feb. 19-20 will gain the insights needed to align their market...
20/01/2025

Executives who attend AHFA’s 2025 Marketing/PR Conference Feb. 19-20 will gain the insights needed to align their marketing strategies with these and other trends shaping the home landscape in 2025 and beyond. Jaye Anna Mize from global forecasting agency Fashion Snoops is the keynote presenter for the conference being held Feb. 19-20 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Forces that influence both consumer decision-making and marketing strategies today include the rising demand for wellness-focused spaces, sustainable product solutions, the influence of digital innovations and changing family dynamics, just to name a few. Executives who attend AHFA’s 2025 Marketin...

Sunset West is set to introduce a new line of Natural Teak Tables as well as present its entire Malibu collection — incl...
19/01/2025

Sunset West is set to introduce a new line of Natural Teak Tables as well as present its entire Malibu collection — including deep seating, dining and occasional pieces — for the first time on the West Coast at the upcoming Las Vegas Market.

Sunset West is set to introduce a new line of Natural Teak Tables as well as present its entire Malibu collection — including deep seating, dining and occasional pieces — for the first time on the West Coast at the upcoming Las Vegas Market. Coordinating well with the company’s recently introd...

Designer Shelly Rosenberg says that spending time outdoors is beneficial for everyone, especially those with disabilitie...
18/01/2025

Designer Shelly Rosenberg says that spending time outdoors is beneficial for everyone, especially those with disabilities. So her goal is to create beautiful environments that are accessible to all.

Shelly Rosenberg of Dallas-based design firm Acorn & Oak has two goals in exterior design: to act as a partner with the natural world to make beautiful and fulfilling environments — and to help those with disabilities have full access to the outdoors. As it turns out, her involvement with designin...

Business may slow down for some in the casual industry during the cooler months, but there’s no bad time to step up your...
17/01/2025

Business may slow down for some in the casual industry during the cooler months, but there’s no bad time to step up your game and make the most of the next few months. Editor-in-Chief Alex Milstein offers a few things to consider.

With all of the challenges the home furnishings industry is facing, you might think things are slowing down. But from those I’ve spoken with, many retailers and manufacturers are still reporting high sales numbers.  That’s likely to continue through 2025, especially as businesses have learned f...

R&A Marketing introduces R&A Web AI, an advanced tool powered by artificial intelligence and designed exclusively for fu...
16/01/2025

R&A Marketing introduces R&A Web AI, an advanced tool powered by artificial intelligence and designed exclusively for furniture retailers on the R&A Web platform. In addition to high-tech image capabilities, the tool uses AI-powered page layouts to ensure a smooth browsing experience. It can even help with content creation for blogs or website copy.

R&A Marketing introduces R&A Web AI, an advanced tool powered by artificial intelligence and designed exclusively for furniture retailers on the R&A Web platform. This tool simplifies the creation and management of web content, enabling retailers to engage directly with their local customers through...

Acknowledging that it’s tough to find and keep employees, Editor-in-Chief Alex Milstein offers suggestions and shares a ...
15/01/2025

Acknowledging that it’s tough to find and keep employees, Editor-in-Chief Alex Milstein offers suggestions and shares a personal story that may help you find just the right staffer.

It can be tough finding dedicated workers to sell outdoor furniture — or any furniture, for that matter. People aren’t typically passionate about the product. But when employers show them how to go beyond the furniture and make the sale about the buyer, everything changes.  That’s why I enjoy...

With the weather too cold for outdoor lifestyles in the winter, the store decided to offer fitness equipment to keep cus...
15/01/2025

With the weather too cold for outdoor lifestyles in the winter, the store decided to offer fitness equipment to keep customers coming in year-round. It has turned into a winning strategy, says Liz Clark, who handles marketing for the family-owned retailer in Neptune, New Jersey.

The good news is that Fitness Lifestyles is by the Jersey Shore, which means that in summer, it’s prime real estate for a high-end patio store. The bad news is that Fitness Lifestyles is by the Jersey Shore, which means that in winter, lounging on the beach is difficult, if not impossible. The sol...

The International Casual Furnishings Association is offering travel incentives and programming enhancements to drive inc...
14/01/2025

The International Casual Furnishings Association is offering travel incentives and programming enhancements to drive increased industry participation in Casual Market Atlanta twice a year.

The International Casual Furnishings Association is offering travel incentives and programming enhancements to drive increased industry participation in Casual Market Atlanta twice a year. “We want to make it clear to retailers, manufacturers and sales reps that there are strategic benefits to att...

For Henry J.W. Vanderminden IV, incoming chair of the board of directors of the International Casual Furnishings Associa...
14/01/2025

For Henry J.W. Vanderminden IV, incoming chair of the board of directors of the International Casual Furnishings Association, even a family history of more than a century manufacturing casual furnishings didn’t provide a precedent for the tremendous industry growth businesses have experienced during the past four years.

For Henry J.W. Vanderminden IV, incoming chair of the board of directors of the International Casual Furnishings Association, even a family history of more than a century manufacturing casual furnishings didn’t provide a precedent for the tremendous industry growth businesses have experienced duri...

Outdoor showrooms are gearing up for Elevate Outdoor, a new daylong program for designers on Jan. 16 during winter Atlan...
13/01/2025

Outdoor showrooms are gearing up for Elevate Outdoor, a new daylong program for designers on Jan. 16 during winter Atlanta Market. Here’s a sampling of the outdoor products that will be on display next week.

Outdoor showrooms are gearing up for Elevate Outdoor, a new daylong program for designers on Jan. 16 during winter Atlanta Market. Here’s a sampling of the outdoor products that will be on display next week. OW Lee is reintroducing the popular Pasadera collection for 2024-25. Pasadera is an iron c...

The last three years have been critical to the integration of Sunset West into its new parent company. Now with two bi-c...
19/11/2024

The last three years have been critical to the integration of Sunset West into its new parent company. Now with two bi-coastal warehouses and synergies with Ho**er’s other brands, the outdoor brand is moving full speed ahead to service retail partners in a way not possible before the acquisition.

When mergers and acquisitions happen, integrating the two parties can be a complicated process that takes years. But when the dust settles and the united companies come out, the game is on. That’s the case for Sunset West, which recently had its best High Point Market ever in terms of new accounts...

The New York-based designer says you can be just as creative and dynamic in the design of your outdoor space as you woul...
18/11/2024

The New York-based designer says you can be just as creative and dynamic in the design of your outdoor space as you would be in your indoor space. Consumers just need to think of outdoor as an extension of their interior space, she says.

Designer Libby Langdon believes in the idea of aligning indoor spaces with outdoor spaces — and she has long taught that both with private clients from coast to coast and with her public followers, notably through her appearances on HGTV’s Small Space, Big Style and Fox TV’s Design Invasion. ....

Well-known sales representative Greg Johnson died in the Carrollwood community near Tampa, Florida last month. He had be...
16/11/2024

Well-known sales representative Greg Johnson died in the Carrollwood community near Tampa, Florida last month. He had been a manufacturer’s sales rep for multiple companies for 25 years.

Gregory D. Johnson of the Carrollwood community near Tampa, Florida, died on Oct. 25. He was 60. Johnson, a well-known sales representative in the casual industry, was born in Freeport, New York, to Donald Johnson and Marilyn d’Angelo on June 25, 1964. He went to school in Lynbrook, New York. He m...

The board of directors of Weir’s Furniture has named Dirk Smith as the company’s next chief executive officer He succeed...
15/11/2024

The board of directors of Weir’s Furniture has named Dirk Smith as the company’s next chief executive officer He succeeds Mark Moore, CEO since 2003, who is retiring. Smith joined Weir’s as director of merchandising in 2020. He has more than 25 years of sales management experience in the furniture and bedding industry.

The board of directors of Weir’s Furniture Village Inc., a family-owned business with roots in the Dallas community since 1948, has named Dirk Smith as the company’s next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2025.   He succeeds J. Mark Moore, who has been CEO since 2003 and will retire a...

Private equity firm Blackford Capital has invested substantially in the outdoor category over the past two years. It bro...
10/11/2024

Private equity firm Blackford Capital has invested substantially in the outdoor category over the past two years. It brought in John Snowden as the new CEO to oversee the company’s vision of building a comprehensive, omnichannel platform that capitalizes on the booming outdoor living market.

Blackford Capital is making huge moves in the outdoor industry. Just look at its past two years. In November 2022, the firm started its Patio Portfolio Platform by acquiring Starfire Direct, a major e-commerce retailer of outdoor furnishings. Less than a month later, the company announced the acquis...

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