Thomas Lester

Greensboro

Digital Managing Editor at Home Accents Today

Retail Editor, @FurnitureToday; @emoryandhenry alum, left-handed, #pun artist, decent #bassist, learning guitar, #RetailRecon. Be kind always, no matter.

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Articles

At Home reportedly near Chapter 11 decision

1 week ago | hometextilestoday.com | Thomas Lester

Plano, Texas — A report from Bloomberg says At Home Group is preparing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The report, which cites unidentified people with knowledge of the matter, notes that the home décor specialist, owned by Hellman & Friedman, missed an interest payment on May 15 and entered a forbearance agreement with lenders on May 23.
At Home reportedly near Chapter 11 decision

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

PLANO, Texas — A report from Bloomberg says Top 100 retailer At Home Group is preparing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The report, which cites unidentified people with knowledge of the matter, notes that the Plano, Texas-based home décor specialist, owned by Hellman & Friedman, missed an interest payment on May 15 and entered a forbearance agreement with lenders on May 23.
Hudson’s holiday sale ‘checked all the retail boxes’

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

SANFORD, Fla. — Top 100 retailer Hudson’s Furniture‘s Memorial Day sale continued a solid run of business this year. “I think it’s interesting that most of the people and businesses we know, furniture and non-furniture, are having a successful year in spite of all the noise you hear,” CEO Josh Hudson told Furniture Today.
Grand Home Furnishings grades Memorial Day and May with high marks

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

ROANOKE, Va. — Top 100 retailer Grand Home Furnishings kicked off its Memorial Day promotions at the beginning of the month, with doorbusters and deals throughout. But even then, it saved some of its biggest salvos for the holiday weekend itself. So how did things rate? “Everybody reported strong traffic, strong sales,” Mike Virok, vice president of marketing for the Roanoke, Va.-based retailer, told Furniture Today.
Queen City Homestore’s Memorial Day a ‘robust event’

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For its first Memorial Day weekend with a stronger furniture assortment, things couldn’t have gone much better for Queen City Homestore. “It was a good holiday. It was a robust event,” David Horvath, category manager, furniture division, told Furniture Today.
Memorial Day on softer side for New Mexico retailer

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

TAOS, N.M. — For Taos Lifestyle here, Memorial Day Weekend was on the slow side. However, with its sale running through June 2, President and CEO Mary Domito believes things should still be OK. After all, the town is part of a remote resort destination in the desert that behaves a little differently than most markets. “What we’ll see is maybe they won’t shop over the weekend and then we’ll have enormous Tuesdays or Wednesdays,” Domito told Furniture Today.
Rent-A-Center adds to footprint in Eastern Kentucky

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

PLANO, Texas — Upbound Group, parent company of lease-to-own retailer Rent-A-Center, has opened a new Rent-A-Center location in Harlan, Ky.The new showroom is located at 168 Village Center Road, Suite 163, and is open every day but Sunday. “We’re excited to further expand in Kentucky with the opening of the new store in Harlan,” said Kevin Webb, Raintree‘s president.
Havertys lifer is company’s 2nd non-family leader

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

ATLANTA — The entirety of Steve Burdette‘s professional career has been spent with Top 100 retailer Havertys. Burdette, who assumed the role of CEO of the Atlanta-based retailer at the beginning of 2025, was recruited to the company by Clarence Smith in 1983 after he graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in finance. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and gained responsibilities with each step, becoming president in 2021.
Havertys ‘plays it straight’ into 140 years of success

1 week ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

ATLANTA — While it has been in business since 1885, the driving ethos behind Top 100 retailer Havertys was perhaps best captured by its third president, Rawson Haverty Sr., in the mid-2000s. In one of his final conversations before he passed, Haverty shared some advice with nephew Clarence Smith, Havertys‘ sixth president.
How Star Furniture is using art to help Houstonians in need

2 weeks ago | furnituretoday.com | Thomas Lester

HOUSTON — Star Furniture, part of Top 100 Berkshire Hathaway’s furniture division, is teaming up with local artists and the Interior Design Society to benefit the Furniture Bank of Houston. The Houston-based retailer is putting on a special art auction event on Thursday, June 19, at its Katy/West Houston location at 16666 Barker Springs Road.