The Home Furnishings Association (HFA) is now accepting nominations for its 2023 Retailer of the Year, Trailblazer, Emerging Star and Partner of the Year awards, as well as a new award category – Manufacturer of the Year.
The annual recognitions honor the best and brightest furniture retailers in the industry:
- Two HFA member retailers – large and small – will be recognized as Retailer of the Year. The large retailer category applies to businesses with 50 or more employees, while the small retailer award covers businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
- The Emerging Star award recognizes exemplary HFA members, 40 or younger.
- The Trailblazer award honors an HFA member who has been in the industry for at least 20 years.
- The Partner of the Year recognizes the HFA Solution Partner contributing to members’ success as a partner of HFA.
- The new Manufacturer of the Year award acknowledges an HFA Manufacturer that best supports HFA members through exceptional products that impact our members’ business and consistently supports the HFA.
Nominations, open through October 31, 2022, can be made here: myhfa.org/roty. Nominees will be notified and asked to complete an application in November 2022. A panel of judges comprising retail industry leaders, HFA partners and past honorees will select the winners.
“These are pure honors,” says HFA CEO Mark Schumacher. “What I mean by that is nominations come from peers, then nominees have to show how they have set high standards in customer experience, mentoring, sustainability, technology, philanthropy and store culture. A panel of industry leaders judges all. Clearly, HFA Retailer of the Year awards are earned!”
Schumacher adds: “2022 has been another challenging year. We will celebrate those companies and individuals who have weathered the ups and downs and maintained a standard of excellence.”
City Furniture, based in Tamarac, Florida, won last year’s large Retailer of the Year award. Room to Room was awarded HFA’s Small Retailer of the Year. Irv Bumkin, chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), garnered the Trailblazer Award, while Eric Beiter, general manager at Beiter’s Furniture Mattress Appliance in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, received the Emerging Star recognition. Partner of the Year went to Podium.
