CrossCheck Blog

Furniture dealers and home furnishings industry stakeholders located within the United States will assemble for business enhancing education and community building at the Furniture First Symposium 2018. Furniture First is a “purchasing cooperative with more than 223 stockholder members, representing over 484 furniture stores in 47 states.” The event will take place May 14 – 16 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., providing ample business opportunities including:

Formed in 1981, the Veterinary Hospital Management Association (VHMA) operates with a mission to support and enhance U.S. and Canadian veterinary management professionals. VHMA welcomes hospital administrators, practice managers, office managers, veterinarians, consultants, and students currently enrolled in veterinary medicine or business management courses at a recognized university.

Since 1994, the University of Innovative Distribution (UID), in partnership with Purdue University, has supplied building materials industry professionals with educational programming “focused on the unique needs of the wholesale-distribution industry.” UID invites CEOs, branch managers, sales and marketing managers, purchasing managers, sales personnel, human resources directors, operations managers, manufacturers’ personnel working with distributors, inventory managers and training managers located within the U.S. and abroad to attend UID 2018 on March 11 – 14. The annual event provides hands-on learning experiences led by top industry personnel — industry experts, consultants, authors and university professors — and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. UID 2018 takes place at the JW Marriott Indianapolis Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to the American Pet Products Association, 68 percent of U.S. households — 84.6 million — share their home with one or more companion animals. A survey by AAA and Kurgo Pet Products revealed that 84 percent of respondents regularly drive with their companion animals for a variety of outings from veterinary visits to road trips. Well-intentioned consumers may not think twice about safety before loading Simba into the car and heading out on the road. Veterinary offices can help protect pawed patients by educating clients on proper vehicle safety precautions and guidelines. Below, the CrossCheck editorial team has provided key discussion points.

Each winter a familiar pattern occurs; consumers located in colder reigons pack up boating equipment and move their vessels into storage, leading to a seasonal decline in consumer visits and sales. While the downtime can cause concern among boating dealers, the slower pace provides an opportunity for business improvement. To draw in consumers during the colder months and increase customer satisfaction rates and revenue, dealers can consider applying one or more of the following strategies.

Dental offices recognize that building a loyal clientele is essential for both new and established practices. Allocating resources to an ongoing recruitment plan while providing exceptional oral health care and performing routine responsibilities can appear daunting. However, minimal and or unsuccessful marketing efforts can lead potential clients to competitors. To successfully increase patient numbers and revenue, U.S. Dental offices can implement the five following strategies.

From February 3 – 7, the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) will host the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) 2018 conference in Orlando, Florida. The nonprofit organization invites veterinarians, veterinary technicians, practice managers, support staff and students practicing within the U.S. and abroad to attend the annual event formerly known as the NAVC Conference. VMX 2018 presents dynamic educational sessions, an extensive exhibit hall featuring the latest industry technologies and an entertainment lineup including concerts and socials.

Furniture dealers located across the globe are preparing for the 2018 Winter Las Vegas Market (LVM) scheduled for January 28 – February 1. Held at the World Market Center campus (WMC) in Las Vegas, the largest home furnishings and décor market in the west showcases over 4,000 brands in a 5 million plus square-foot venue. Alongside product discovery, Winter LVM 2018 presents a schedule packed with seminars and events tailored to dealer needs. To plan accordingly, attendees can review the following programs selected by the CrossCheck editorial team.

In a 2016 survey of U.S. adults, the Pew Research Center found that 45 percent “have used cellphones while inside a physical store to look up online reviews of products they were interested in, or to try and find better prices online.” This phenomenon, known as showrooming, occurs when consumers examine and or test merchandise in stores then compare pricing online and leave the business for a competitor’s lower priced item(s) or to research prices at home. The result? Lost sales. The good news? According to the National Retail Federation (NRF):

With much of the country experiencing mild temperatures this season, many riders have delayed winterizing their motorcycles. It’s still not too late, however, for motorcycle dealers in colder climates to advise consumers on how to prevent damage by providing winter preparation information in stores.