Retail Observer

DECEMBER 2016 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 35 This year's convention was unique in its emphasis on mattresses, bedding, and furniture. BrandSource members, who began arriving on Sunday, were essentially given an education on new offerings by its many suppliers. On the convention's first day, they were introduced to a gallery of new products from furniture and bedding suppliers such as Liberty, Douglas, Chromcraft, Twin Star, United Furniture, Tempur-Sealy, Ashley, Serta/Simmons and a whole host of others. On the second day, members were once again treated to a showcase of new arrivals, this time from a roster of furniture dealers. In conjunction with the menagerie of new products on display for members was a series of seminars designed to inform and educate. Some of these included "How to Run a High Impact Promotion" by Phil Gutsell, owner of the consulting firm Gutsell & Associates, the "Best of the Best" practice luncheon by BrandSource consultant Ray Allegrezza, and "Executive In-Sight Panel" by Bill West, Seta's chief sales officer, and Steve Rusing, senior vice president of national accounts at Sealy. The following day, Mike Allen, executive vice president of Home Furnishings, was on hand to speak to members. In order to demonstrate that the convention's purpose was not solely held for business purposes, BrandSource included plenty of extracurricular activities to keep its members entertained. In addition to sampling new products throughout the course of the convention, members were invited to participate in several contests and drawings. In the end, one lucky winner took home a Polaris Razor off-road vehicle while another won a trip to the South Pacific! Attendees also had an opportunity to take advantage of a multitude of great deals on appliances, consumer electronics, mattresses and bedding at "The Stampede" as well as the furniture treasure hunt at the end of the convention. This past August's convention was also significant in that it gave members a glimpse of BrandSource's success. CEO Jim Ristow spoke of the group's recent growth spurt in which BrandSource signed 500 new members since the start of the year. These additions represented the largest membership growth in the history of the organization. Ristow also informed attendees about BrandSource's partnership with the Home Furnishings Association (HFA), which will provide buying group benefits to 1,000 of its retail members. Ristow's address inevitably touched on the future of the buying group and its members. He spoke of the need to evolve businesses to appeal to a new breed of customer. In order to accomplish this, the CEO outlined a three-pronged approach that would take advantage of the far-reaching changes in the marketplace caused by the loss of

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