The long-term partnership marks the first-of-its-kind in the furniture and mattress category for both teams, owned by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and aims to engage their fans by offering unique experiences, while leaning into the brands’ shared mission and commitment to positively impact their communities. As part of the partnership, awareness and funds will be raised to help children in the foster care system find a permanent home.

“We are thrilled to partner with these two iconic Detroit teams,” said Todd Garten, Chief Marketing Officer of DSG. “We love the passion of the fan base and see this as a tremendous opportunity to enhance the fan experience, while also making a significant impact in the local community. We are committed to working with local organizations and agencies to help find a permanent home for every child in Michigan.”

To kick off that commitment, Ashley DSG will be donating 124 beds to Detroit-area foster children through their “Hope to Dream” initiative, which works to ensure all children have access to a safe place to sleep at night.

To celebrate the game-changing news and the Tigers 124^th season this summer, Ashley will be giving away over $124,000 in furniture, mattresses, team merchandise, and fan experiences in July and August. As part of the giveaways, one sweepstakes winner will receive a $24,000 Ashley shopping spree and four (4) tickets to the Detroit Tigers game of their choice.

The brand will be holding a series of themed events in their 7 metro Detroit locations, including:

●     July 12: 124 FREE rides with Lyft to/from the Tigers’ home game at Comerica Park

●     July 13: Shop Detroit’s “Local Love Days” Presented by Ashley

●     July 27: First 124 guests at each Ashley Detroit location and the Windsor, ON location will receive a free branded Detroit Tigers x Ashley Stanley Tumbler

●     August 10: Detroit Tigers x Red Wings Alumni Meet & Greet

○     Dearborn store only

●     August 24: FREE Detroit Tigers + Red Wings Swag All Day

○     All Detroit stores: Westland, Woodhaven, Auburn Hills, Madison Heights, Novi, Dearborn, Sterling Heights, and Windsor, ON location

In addition, from July 1 to August 31, shoppers in the Detroit market can mention Ashley’s exclusive partnerships to receive 20% off their purchase*.

For additional details on the partnership and its corresponding events, please visit https://ashley-dsg.com/detroit.

* Minimum purchase of $1999 required to receive 20% off. Valid at participating Ashley locations only. Not valid on previous purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Exclusions apply. Ashley Exclusive products may be excluded from some discount & promotional offers, varies by store location. See store for details. Offer valid 7/1/2024-8/31/2024.

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“As the key buying destination for outdoor furnishings, Universal is excited to be a part of Casual Market,” said President Sean O’Connor. “It provides us with the opportunity to gain exposure to new potential customers.”

Universal will showcase multiple designs from its Coastal Living Outdoor collection, which includes dining and lounging furnishings in multiple weather-resistant materials such as powder coated aluminum, grade-A teak, cast concrete and all-weather wicker.

The new Saratoga Collection, introduced at spring High Point Market will be featured in the space. This modern Adirondack-inspired collection features outdoor seating, lounging, and dining furniture characterized by its angled seat back and classic wide planking. Crafted from solid teak (with a warm weathered-teak finish) and cast aluminum, accented with cast concrete details, each piece exudes a sense of rustic elegance and simplicity.

The antimicrobial foam cushions in the Coastal Living Outdoor collection can be customized with one of more than 500 fabrics, including both Sunbrella brand fabrics and InsideOut performance fabrics. And customers can opt for COM upholstery to tailor their pieces to specific preferences.

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Continuing this year’s event theme of “WIN,” the retail co-op will present a gangbuster cluster of education sessions, vendor trainings, exhibitor arrays and social activities, all laser-focused on helping independent store owners win their marketplace.

The group’s return engagement at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center runs Aug. 25-28, and members can save $200 on a three-night package including hotel and two event badges by registering by this Friday, July 5.

Highlights of the Convention will include:

• A sports-themed Sunday night All-Star Welcome Reception
• The annual Dealer of the Year and Hall of Fame presentations
• A Women in Business “Bunco Night”
• A cocktail reception for the 40-something Young Professionals group
• A Furniture Technology Source Town Hall lunch
• Dedicated presentations by AVB’s marketing, service and HR wings featuring special
  guest presenters
• There also will be state-of-the-industry updates by AVB’s CEO Jim Ristow and the executive leadership team; limited-quantity show specials at the bi-annual Stampede and an expansive EXPO show floor featuring the latest and greatest merchandise across the appliance and home furnishings spectrums.

Attendees can keep on top of Convention 2024 by visiting AVBevents.com and using the event hashtag #WIN24 on Facebook and Instagram.

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“Broad River Retail extends its sincerest congratulations to these exceptional individuals for their remarkable academic achievements,” said Manny Rodrigues, Broad River Retail chief operating officer said. “In these individuals, we’ve seen an unwavering dedication to academic excellence. We wish them every success as they continue their journey towards what is undoubtedly a bright future.”

The Founders Scholarship Fund winners are:
+ Amahri Boykin​
+ Mark Deulley
+ Denasia Dixon
+ Emelyne Henderson
+ Kaiya McDonald
+ Tamya Ormond
+ Claire Phillips
+ Vincent Sayles​
+ Jenna Webb

Scholarships were granted across five tiered levels (bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond) with amounts reaching up to $15,000 per year, split evenly between two semesters. Funds may be utilized for academic-related expenses including tuition, books, fees, and school-approved housing.

“It brings us great joy to present these scholarships to such remarkable individuals,” said Charlie Malouf, president and chief executive officer of Broad River Retail. “Education can transform lives in profound ways. The Founders Scholarship Fund was established in 2019 as a gesture of appreciation from our co-founders and demonstrates Broad River Retail’s dedication to furnishings life’s best memories for our Memory Makers and their families by helping to offset the cost of higher education.”

Senior Financial Analyst and parent of one of this year’s scholarship recipients, Allie Webb, initially learned of the scholarship from the CEO’s 2023 podcast interview with the winners. When information 2024 became available, Webb forwarded the application to her daughter, Jenna.

“We were beyond thrilled and relieved when Jenna won. Her cost of attendance after merit scholarships at The College of Charleston is still between $33,000 to 40,000 a year, so the full amount will be applied to her tuition and will help significantly as she finishes her bachelor’s degree in environmental geosciences,” Webb said.

Allie Webb, a Senior Financial Analyst and parent of one of this year’s scholarship recipients, discovered the scholarship through the company’s podcast, Stories from the River. When the 2024 details were released, Webb eagerly passed the information to
her daughter, Jenna.

“We were beyond thrilled and relieved when Jenna won,” said Webb. “The scholarship will help significantly as she finishes her bachelor’s degree in environmental geosciences.”

Nineteen candidates were considered for the Founders Scholarship Fund awards for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Candidates completed an application and responded to writing prompts, including an essay titled “Life’s Best Memories.”

“The Founders Scholarship Fund is one of the many ways we can live out our purpose of furnishing life’s best memories,” said Director of Memory Maker Experience, Heather Greenwood. “It is an honor to support our Memory Makers and their children as they create their own best memories. Broad River is proud to help the recipients make their dreams a reality.”

Broad River Retail created the Founders Scholarship Fund in 2018 to help offer academic opportunities to Memory Makers and their families. To date, the fund has awarded over $250,000 to 31 recipients. This initiative aims to assist aspiring students in pursuit of higher
education without the weight of financial constraints.

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Sleep in Heavenly Peace shares in Hope to Dream’s mission of providing beds to children who would otherwise go without. Together, they have created a powerful alliance focused on delivering a good night’s sleep and a sense of security to those most in need. This crucial partnership has positively impacted the lives of countless children and families throughout the United States and across several countries.  

“We are thrilled to mark the fifth anniversary of our partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace by donating 1,000 mattresses,” said Ruthie Bautista, Vice President of Hope to Dream. “This is a testament to the unwavering commitment of both organizations towards improving the lives of children across the nation. Our shared dedication to ensuring every child has a safe and comfortable place to sleep has been the driving force behind this successful collaboration.” 

Sleep in Heavenly Peace aligns perfectly with Hope to Dream’s aim of providing proper bedding solutions to children facing difficult circumstances. By delivering quality mattresses and bedding accessories, these organizations bring warmth, comfort, and a sense of stability to countless lives. In April 2024, Sleep in Heavenly Peace built and delivered their 200,000th bed. Hope to Dream and local Ashley stores have supplied over 8,000 beds towards this achievement over the course of the partnership. A portion of every mattress purchased at participating Ashley stores helps Hope to Dream provide beds to children in need.   

“We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing partnership with Hope to Dream,” said Luke Mickelson, Founder and Head of Development of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. “This donation of 1,000 mattresses will go a long way in helping us continue our mission of ensuring no child has to sleep on the floor. Our shared dedication to improving the lives of children in need has been the key to our success, and we look forward to continuing this impactful partnership in the years to come.” 

Together, Hope to Dream and Sleep in Heavenly Peace remain committed to helping children experience the transformative power of a good night’s sleep. 

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“Independent furniture stores selling Meridian have seen increased traffic with younger customers coming in to furnish their living space with more contemporary pieces,” said Michael Rosilio, president of Meridian Furniture. “Social media has made it possible to reach customers that otherwise might not have known about us.”

Best Buy Furniture, located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a three-store traditional brick-and-mortar chain that features the brand, promoted through leading influencers and a strong social media presence. According to Best Buy Furniture Chief Executive Jordan Lulu, Meridian Furniture, which offers top quality, trendy furniture with unique designs, has been a go-to partner, especially when targeting celebrity influencers.

“Not only were the product styles what they wanted, but the price points were unbelievable,” said Lulu. “Meridian gives us the designer looks influencers and celebrities want for half the price. We’ve done a lot of work on influencing. We had never seen such a big increase in sales before posting on social media and running ads on Instagram, Facebook and Google, and we do all that in-house. And it helps that Meridian has the overall aesthetic, appeal, and packaging that young consumers love.”

Influencers well-known to the TikTok generation such as “Food God,” formerly known as Jonathan Cheban, who made appearances on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” and YouTube star Jake Paul have taken to Instagram and TikTok to share their homes being furnished by Best Buy Furniture, and Lulu has furnished homes for free in exchange for social media posts. Part of why the 26-year-old’s marketing approach is successful is because he’s connecting with influencers that millennials and Gen Z are interested in. So far, Best Buy Furniture has garnered over 174,000 followers across all social media platforms, with at least one social media influencer—Ed Bassmaster—who pranked salespeople on the floor garnering more than a million views.

“We’re shifting a lot of our attention online, to our e-commerce website. Customers can purchase Meridian Furniture at any of the three Best Buy Furniture suburban locations, two in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and we can place an order and ship something directly to California or Missouri or Boston or any other city in the U.S. for really competitive pricing,” Lulu said. “It’s rare for manufacturers to give us that backend system and support to be able to cater to all these customers.” 

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The Eclipse HOPE mattress collection, distinguished by its stylish cover with pink highlights, offers a variety of premium mattress offerings, with the top-of-the-line model featuring BIA’s patented Spinal Zone Version III, a product that has micro coils embedded in the lumbar region of the mattress for additional support and comfort. With over 1,200 coils in the queen size model, the HOPE mattress not only provides for a restful night’s sleep, but is a prime example of cause marketing that resonates with consumers.

With every purchase of the HOPE mattress, BIA donates five percent to the Susan G. Komen foundation, a leading breast cancer awareness organization.

“We are proud to partner with the Komen foundation to help raise awareness for breast cancer prevention. By offering the product in the summer, it enables dealers to have the time to order, plan and start promoting the program prior to October,” said BIA Chief Operating Officer, Phil Carlitz. “Our goal is to arm dealers with everything they need to promote and drive traffic this fall when consumer interest and awareness is at its height and raise as much as we can for this cause.”

“The striking pink accents on this mattress stand out in our showroom, and it will turn dealer’s heads. Women continue to the be the primary decision maker in mattress purchasing decisions and consumers will gravitate to the Eclipse HOPE display in support of this important cause,” he added.

The Eclipse HOPE mattress collection starts at $999 in queen and will be prominently displayed at BIA’s Las Vegas showroom space B-1118 at the World Market Center.

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The early reaction to Hickory Chair’s Hable Outdoor collections has inspired designers to extend the aesthetic of interior living spaces into client’s outdoor living spaces. While these four collections are available as stand-alone groupings, designers have discovered their strength as they were designed to mix perfectly together. The ability to select items from the Aswan Teak, Yara Woven and Ibis Metal collections will allow designers to create personalized outdoor living spaces for their clients.

“I was given complete creative freedom to design these outdoor collections,” Hable said. “This comes from a mutual trust between our companies and an alignment of vision for the future. Being at the heart of the collection comes with several criteria that I tried to meet … classic shapes, timeless design, special and appropriate in many kinds of settings from gardens, back porches and pool sides that would appeal to the talented designers across the industry that look to Hickory Chair for inspiration. The reaction has been wonderful, and seeing images from their installations has been truly inspirational for me!”

The Haret and Ibis collections were crafted in metal, Aswan in teak and Yara in a synthetic weave with teak feet. They showcase not only the distinctiveness of the materials, but also the talent of the craftspeople that have handcrafted each piece. Distinctive finishes were created for each collection. The company will support this new category and collection with a robust assortment of Hickory Chair outdoor fabrics and a collaboration with Sunbrella with its Trivantage Fusion fabric program.

The term Haret can be translated as the cabin at the heart of the forest, the caretaker and the center of things. This term is the perfect name for the largest of the Hable outdoor collections. Hand cast in aluminum and then powder coated in a choice of two
finishes, the lyrical lines of the product are contrasted by a unique fretwork pattern that creates a charming pattern on the
seat and back of seating pieces and the tops of the tables. The fret motif was designed exclusively for this collection.

The gentle scallop of the top rail was intended to provide a beautiful swaying motion to the back of the chair that follows the arc of the arms and the saber legs of the Haret collection. The series was thoughtfully designed to be elegant and beautiful even when its cushions are stored. Finished in Cloud White or Smoke Gray, its subtly silky surface is the finishing touch that seals its grace. The company also offers custom finishes on these two metal collections.

The Ibis collection is named for an Egyptian bird with a distinctive long curved beak that has been idolized from ancient times. Inspired from Susan’s travels to Egypt by hieroglyphics depicting birds with its long lines and beaks, the Ibis bird was revered for its dramatic features and its non-confrontational demeanor. Known as a symbol of integrity and balance, the Ibis collection reflects these attributes.

The Ibis collection’s graceful forms blend beautifully into nature. Crafted in metal, the Ibis collection is standard in an antiqued Verdigris finish. At Casual Market, a second finish, Cloud White, will be introduced for the Ibis collection.

The southern Egyptian city of Aswan is an ancient city located along the Nile River. It is arid, exotic and is considered the “Egyptian Paradise.” Known as one of the sunniest places on Earth, it is the inspiration for the new Aswan collection. Solid teak was chosen as its
textural Driftwood finish is reminiscent of the arid desert and the sound icons left from antiquity.

“Outdoor teak furniture will naturally develop a gray tone, and the grain will become more open over time,” Hable said. “I wanted to develop a finish that would already have this coloration and texture to enjoy. Each Aswan teak piece will naturally age like the standing statues and obelisks that have stood the test of time.”

Susan’s intention for the Yara Woven collection was to design a woven pattern that would be completely sculpted by weaving a beautiful woven pattern with recycled synthetic cane on each piece by hand. Artisans start the process with one corner of the powder-coated aluminum frame and weave the cane like a basket until the end is tied off.

“The Graystone color of the synthetic woven material was inspired by my travel to Sea Ranch, California, where homes and buildings are designed to melt into the landscape,” she said. “Thoughtfully designed, the feet on the Yara sofa and loveseat are made from teak finished in the Aswan Teak finish.

“Warmth and a light breeze are some of my favorite things as a new season begins,” she added. “It is new growth, warm sunshine, and first light walks to survey new buds, leaves and even weeds that bring joy to my heart and purpose as I touch my paintbrush to canvas. It is not by chance that the lines of our unique outdoor designs mirror the natural world. Each collection has elements that reflect the pleasure in outdoor living. I believe that people will naturally linger longer in our thoughtfully designed furniture.”

Our employees are focused on making the finest indoor and now outdoor furnishings in the marketplace for our loyal clientele and their clients,” said Laura Holland, vice president of marketing at Hickory Chair. “Expanding into the outdoor category is a natural progression for our company. We believe that we have once again revealed the incredible talent, collaboration and vision our Hickory Chair family has not only for today, but the future.”

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Founded in 2014, Theptex (Thailand) Co., Ltd. specializes in high-quality, 100 percent natural latex sheets products, including mattresses of custom shapes, furniture and more. By using the GOLS certified organically grown latex from Thailand’s natural rubber trees, Theptex is able to produce products that have one of the highest percentages of natural latex in the mattress industry, boosting consumers’ health, one sleep at a time.

With close to 100 employees, Theptex is able to supply products to a wide range of countries, including Thailand, China, India, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Laos, Vietnam, Australia, USA, and Europe. Their innovative approach to health-forward mattresses sets them apart from their competitors, using varied approaches to not only aid in peaceful sleep, but to help with various health conditions as well, including orthopedic issues and pressure ulcers.

Their use of pinholes in their mattresses aid in cooling and heating properties naturally, producing a more restful and healthy sleep experience.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Theptex (Thailand) Co., Ltd. to our international network in an effort to expand our brand’s reach and to experience what the Thailand markets have to offer,” said Nick Bates, president of Spring Air International. “We look forward to many years of watching the company advance in this market while simultaneously advancing our international efforts.”

“With our company’s roots deeply seeded in Thailand’s culture and natural product, Theptex aims to provide a healthy, restful sleep to all consumers, regardless of which mattress they choose. Producing innovative and high-quality products are at the utmost importance to us, and through researching Spring Air’s mattresses, it is clear that their goals align with ours; we were impressed by their efforts on this front,” said Saurabh Gupta, a company director. “As we embark on this journey together, we are committed to achieving our mutual business objectives while creating long-lasting value for our consumers and stakeholders.”

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“The Slumberland Furniture mission is to improve the life of each customer, and this partnership with Acima Leasing ensures inclusivity for credit-challenged customers through a lease-purchase transaction,” said Kenny Larson, chief executive officer of Slumberland Furniture. “We aim to excel in customer satisfaction, and Acima Leasing will allow us to serve more customers by providing them with options to get the home furnishings they desire.”

“This partnership will enable Slumberland Furniture to help consumers in the Midwest with less-than-perfect credit to get brand-name mattresses and furniture,” said Mike Bagull, senior vice president, business development and partnerships at Acima. “We’re honored to be the first LTO company to work with Slumberland Furniture, and we look forward to a long and collaborative partnership.”

Acima Leasing provides innovative technology that enables underserved customers to shop without using credit. Through its flexible, point-of-sale platform, Acima Leasing offers lease-to-own solutions to retailers that allow customers to access bigger ticket items such as furniture, tires, mattresses, appliances, electronics, jewelry, and more. In turn, LTO customers are able to use and enjoy eligible brand-name merchandise with no long-term obligation, and they have multiple options, if desired, to purchase the leased merchandise.

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