Lisa Veeck talks to dealers who are making the bottom line more comfortable with furniture sales
With office product sales stagnant or, worse, declining, it’s no secret that most independent dealers are looking for alternatives to boost their bottom lines. For many, furniture is a natural focus. But since furniture is a bigger investment and takes up a lot more space than, say, a pen, it’s important to keep up with what customers are buying. Here, a selection of dealers that are doing well in the category share their views on current trends and tips for success.
Changing styles
Furniture accounts for about 20 percent of the $85–90 million in sales generated at Eakes Office Solutions, Grand Island, Nebraska. In fact, it has been a staple of the company’s offerings for the past 40 to 50 years. Eakes has nine staff designers and was recently named a 2025 Steelcase Premier Partner. However, according to furniture division manager Amy Abramson, this year has started off somewhat slower: “It’s been a bit harder to sell furniture so far, as with everything going on in the world, people are a bit more reserved with their expenses.”
Yet some items are still proving more popular than others. “Height-adjustable furniture is still our number one request in furniture—and not just the sit-to-stand desks,” she reports. “It’s about ergonomics. For example, I happen to be short and the standard desk and computer don’t really fit me well. It’s to make employees more comfortable and it helps with hiring.”
Abramson has also noticed a return to more collaborative spaces since the COVID-19 pandemic: “We’re seeing customers wanting integrated technology built into the furniture in shared spaces. Conference rooms aren’t like they used to be. They need to accommodate in-person or virtual meeting, to facilitate all kinds of needs. Meeting rooms might have soft seating off to the side or a table and chairs, good for discussing different ideas. It also varies by client. Healthcare likes to have access to technology everywhere for clear communication.”
As for color, customers are leaning toward the “naturesque,” she suggests: “The past few years we’ve seen cool colors; lots of gray. Now we are seeing more warmth, such as golden oak with yellow undertones. We are not finding many customers seeking recycled furniture, but we are seeing some demand for sustainable fabrics. There seems to be more interest in how furniture is made sustainably, though. For example, HON has a line of plastic products that it promotes as helping clean up the ocean. Steelcase plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. All are trying hard not to create waste. Made in the United States is definitely a trend.”
At Perry, in Temple, Texas, furniture brings in 50 percent of $25,000 annual sales. The company has sold furniture for years and in 2018 it made a strategic acquisition of a local furniture dealer. Of its 55 employees, 11–12 are dedicated to this category, with the others contributing whenever possible. Perry’s largest furniture customers are evenly split between healthcare, higher education and municipal and commercial. The vertical often dictates their choices.
“In healthcare, color is more neutral, while in schools it can be all over the place,” explains president H.B. Macey. “In both cases, it is frequently chosen to match the school, brand, or logo colors. Both sectors are also looking for longer-lasting furniture, which most often means metal legs and laminate tops.” He has also observed that trends tend to be geographical: “Texas wasn’t in as big a lockdown during COVID-19; as in some other states, collaborative spaces never really went away. What we are seeing now is more soft seating and more accessories, such as plant holders and laptop tables for use on soft seating.”
At Walker’s Supply Co., Rocklin, California, furniture generates 30-35 percent of total sales. Furniture sales director Stuart Cameron suggests that when it comes to trends, customers are lightening up: “There’s still a lot of gray, but in the last year or so, companies are choosing driftwood—lighter greys and browns—sandalwood and other lighter woods like maple. For private offices, we are seeing companies choosing fabric for a higher comfort level; and for open office spaces and meeting rooms, vinyl chairs with mesh backs are popular. We occasionally get orders for wood chairs, but most are metal, and I’d guess it’s been five years since we sold a large executive wood desk.
“Flexibility in these areas is also provided by big, nesting chairs and flip-top tables—pieces that offer easy reconfiguration,” he continues. “Folding tables are less popular, as companies seem willing to pay a little more for more flexible options versus their employees having to stack and unstack and move chairs and tables.”
Walker’s has also seen a shift in furniture based on customer size. “The last couple of years, we’ve gotten some very nice, good-sized projects,” says Cameron. “We’ve been working on a large install for about the last five or six months and have a few more that are waiting for the new fiscal year. Meanwhile, there’s been a pause in the more transactional sales. We still get small office redos for companies with three to five people, which is nice; they can be bought and installed in a week. But these have slowed down—I think because people are on pins and needles over today’s politics and world affairs—so smaller companies are holding on to their money. Overall, it’s been a very good year for furniture. It used to be the smaller transactional projects that kept the lights on; now it is flipping a bit.”
Strickland Companies, Birmingham, Alabama, has three divisions: paper, packaging and office products, including furniture and janitorial products. While 10 percent of total sales currently comes from furniture, this figure is expected to grow.
“We have 10 to 12 sales reps that have been focused on furniture, but now we are encouraging all our reps in all our divisions to sell it as well,” explains office products division manager Dennis Null. “So now we have doubled our salesforce. Our reps are very open to it—especially once they see how well one or two of them are doing at it, as it means more money for them.”
Unlike at Walker’s, large wood desks seem to be back in style at Strickland: “We see some call for collaborative spaces, but one trend I’ve noticed is more customers buying the classic wood desk. They are looking for a more traditional look for their private offices. At first, I thought it might be a specific customer age, but it’s not. It’s all ages.”
As for color, “We are seeing mostly the traditional gray and black colors, although some in healthcare and education will go with brighter ones,” he continues. “For seating, most is leather or vinyl, depending on the area.”
Strickland doesn’t have its own in-house designers but relies on its manufacturer partners with design capabilities to compete in the market.
Sizing up the competition
While furniture has not been hit as hard by the Amazon effect as office products, this does not mean the category is completely immune. “At Eakes, we occasionally run into Amazon as a competitor, but it is mostly just a transactional sale, where someone wants a chair and is cost driven,” says Abramson. “Also, some manufacturers have open lines and sell to wholesalers and Amazon with better prices, so we have to be aware of that. But with furniture, customers are buying our support. They know it doesn’t stop with the sale and that creates loyalty. They’ll remember the time a castor on a piece of furniture broke and we fixed it for them.”
At Perry, meanwhile, it’s about focusing on what counts. “Office product sales are diminishing, so the idea is to concentrate on areas Amazon can’t or won’t sell in,” explains Macey. “Shipping costs for furniture are prohibitive for Amazon, which can sell a transactional chair but doesn’t do whole projects. It has no design or installation team. We have four full-time designers on staff who come up with plans for customers and allow them to make edits to ensure they get the looks and functionality they need.” There is one potential competitor Macey is keeping an eye on, though: “Staples exited the furniture market four to five years ago but then got back into it a few months ago. I don’t know if we will see an impact or not but, either way, it will be interesting to see what happens.”
For Walker’s, the trend toward a “softer” office has made Wayfair a bigger competitor in the furniture market than Amazon. “It follows the trend toward resimercial, with softer seating in the mid-market,” reports Null. “Customers will see a chair on Wayfair in emerald green with walnut legs, which adds a pop of color they think will look perfect in the lobby, where people rarely sit, so quality isn’t really an issue. I encourage them to get it, as we can provide the same chair color or a close match, but not at the same price point. I’d rather have them get the $129 accent piece versus the whole project.”
Words of advice
Dealers hoping to succeed in this category need a keen understanding of its distinct dynamics. “Furniture sales are more consultative versus product oriented, and this requires good relationships and sales training,” says Abramson. “You need to invest in your team, and a good design team is essential. We usually use it as a closer—we show clients in real time what the space will look like, in person or virtually, and let them make edits. It lets them take ownership and gives us a 95-99 percent close rate.”
Macey similarly believes Perry’s success is due to its exceptional team and advises other dealers to “find good talent. Having the right people in the right place with a good leader is key to success.”
For dealers looking to dive deeper into the furniture market, Cameron suggests: “Lean on people with knowledge and experience; form relationships and partnerships; and look for guidance from a Walker’s or a Guernsey that has a successful furniture department. You can buy gloves from a dozen places, but with furniture, you need to form deep relationships with manufacturers. You can’t jump ship because you see a chair 5 percent lower and admit your mistakes. If a chair was supposed to be green and came purple, and it was your error, admit it. That’s when you are seen as a true partner and not just a problem customer. However, you also have to hold them to a standard. I have been in the furniture industry for 18 years. Early on in my career, I met a guy who set his standard by asking, ‘Is it good enough for my mom?’”
A spirit of partnership is also key for Null: “Lean into your strengths, your relationships, because your customers know you. They are looking to simplify their lives. One vendor means one invoice, one person to contact. So, dive into it and build those relationships.”