Get with the Times: Why the Furniture Industry Can’t Afford to Go Backward

Old-School Sales Tactics Are Holding Us Back—Let’s Move Forward

The industry’s future belongs to digital-savvy reps. Time for a changing of the guard

Let’s be real—the furniture sales rep of today is nothing like your old-school road warrior of yesteryear, and that’s a good thing. Walk into any industry event, and you’ll overhear grizzled veterans of the biz sharing fond memories of “how it used to be.” They’re itching to roll back the clock to the days when the only “remote work” they knew involved dialing up a client from the backseat of a rental car on the way to the next showroom. The thought of getting everyone back in the office sounds like salvation to some, and they’d happily wave goodbye to Zoom calls and Slack messages for an old-school bullpen any day of the week.

But let’s pump the brakes for a minute. While it’s tempting to imagine the whole industry cruising backward, any deep look at the history of furniture sales shows us that it’s always?been on the move. From hometown shopkeepers doubling as craftspeople to the well-oiled machine that is today’s global furniture industry, the role of the sales rep has been—and will continue to be—one big ride. So buckle up, because there’s no turning back. This journey is forward-bound, whether we like it or not.

The Classic Road Warrior:

Origins of the Sales Rep

Before sales reps hit the road in their company cars, they were mostly tied to a single shop or a single town. Local artisans made pieces to order, and their own charisma and craftsmanship were their sales tools. But as the 20th century rolled in and manufacturing ramped up, furniture makers needed a bigger footprint. Enter the classic road warrior, the sales rep who brought catalogs of samples to furniture stores across the country. These were the days of hitting the pavement, filling up on black coffee and chain-smoking through marathon sales calls. They were the ultimate brand ambassadors, moving product the old-fashioned way: by making personal connections with store owners and buyers, one hand-shake at a time.

Showrooms, Volume Dealers, and the Dawn of Retail Giants

As the post-WWII boom brought more American homes (and living rooms) into the suburbs, the furniture industry saw a shift. People wanted to buy in bulk and they wanted options—a lot?of options. Reps had to work faster, smarter, and across a broader territory. Showrooms, big-box stores, and eventually the rise of category-killer stores like IKEA meant the role of the sales rep was evolving. They needed to know the ins and outs of corporate distribution channels, not just mom-and-pop retailers. And as the '80s and '90s ushered in mass-market retailing, furniture reps became less about the hands-on pitch and more about maximizing sales volume and understanding a company's supply chain.

From Brick-and-Mortar to E-Commerce Warriors

Then came the internet. Suddenly, anyone with a Wi-Fi connection could browse, order, and rate products from the comfort of their couch. For some reps, this was a nightmare—the art of the pitch was becoming obsolete. For others, it was an opportunity to reach more customers than they’d ever dreamed. Instead of lugging samples around in their trunk, reps were now crafting digital presentations, consulting through emails, and turning to social ...READ MORE