Comments on: Hillsdale Furniture dismantles independent rep network

By: Brian McCullough

Brian McCullough — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 16:57:49 +0000

I think this is a positive move for Hillsdale. Covid taught them many things about their business, the vulnerabilities they faced internally, challenges with the factories they worked with, their customer base and their product development needs. Change is always met with criticism, but I feel they are making changes to try and strengthen their relationships and customer service all the way around. Having a sales team that is solely focused on their business and improved ordering processes will help them better maintain their current customer base while they develop new product and categories. This will also make them more important to the factories that supply them and improve their in-stock position.
More than likely, they are currently a limited category supplier to most of their customers. This should afford them the ability to work with and maintain their current customer base while they transition and grow to bigger and better things. I believe their transition is both calculated and well thought out.
As a current customer we will continue to buy from them and support their vision of growth. I hope the majority of their current customer base feels the same and will continue to stick with them as they grow.

By: Peggy Christmas

Peggy Christmas — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 00:52:50 +0000

When you have management that disregards decades of accomplishments and squanders the achievement of taking down your largest competitor, Fashion Beg Group, for a new “collections” approach that the company has already been doing for 20 years you’ve clearly picked the wrong team to lead. Spending millions on a new portal and new approach that mirrors Amazon when you can’t even print a catalog, and it doesn’t even work. In house sales that consists of 3 or 4 managers with less experience than one of the newest fired reps, there’s a problem. The arrogance is stunning to say the least. The acronym crowd has no place in the furniture industry. Regardless of who the buyers are, big or small, you need people on the ground and faces to talk to. I don’t wish them good luck as their ship has sailed. What a waste…

By: Bryan Humphreys

Bryan Humphreys — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 11:51:43 +0000

Well, best of luck with that strategy, it’s been tried a few times over the years. Last company I remember pulling it off was Ethan Allen, perhaps the industries next Nat Ancell is getting ready to emerge.

By: philip ISON

philip ISON — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:42:32 +0000

In reply to Thomas Leflein. well we will hire them for our upholstery plants American made Ison furniture manufacturing inc,

By: ray allegrezza

ray allegrezza — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:39:45 +0000

In reply to Mike Candice. It would help if you could be a bit more specific. thanks.

By: Mike Candice

Mike Candice — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 22:37:44 +0000

Fake news.

By: Thomas Leflein

Thomas Leflein — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 21:25:34 +0000

That’s the first sign that they are on their way out. I remember when Thomasville did that and that was the beginning of their downfall. Without sales reps in the furniture industry , you can’t make it.
Maybe the owners should have looked at their own management team to see why things were not working. I don’t know Hillsdale Furniture at all. But I do know that good sales reps can make a company very successful when given the chance.