Room to Room Furniture named Retailer of the Year

The Tupelo store gets a coveted national honor

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) -Staff at Room to Room Furniture knew they had been nominated by their peers for Retailer of the Year, but when word came that the store beat out furniture stores across the nation, it took everyone by surprise.

“It was a shock, I think we were not necessarily expecting that,” said Amber Beane, who is the assistant store manager at Room to Room Furniture.  She has been there nearly eleven years and says being named Retailer of the Year by the Home Furnishings Association is not only a big honor but also highlights the culture created by owner Lisa Hawkins.

“Lisa always talks about, it’s not always about the building, even though we have a lot of square footage to be able to supply a lot of resources and a lot of things for your home, but it’s really about the people. She is all about developing and pouring into people to help them reach and achieve goals and we come together as a family and work hard, sometimes she says it’s dysfunctional but we come together to help the customers,” Beane said.

Room to Room opened in 2003 at its current location on Cliff Gookin.  Hawkins had previously owned a kids clothing store, the Velveteen Rabbit.  Beane says Hawkins has helped staff stay focused on customer service, and delivering a quality product at an affordable price.

“It’s been challenging over the last two years especially because there have been a lot of price increases manufacturers are experiencing, ocean surcharges and freight surcharges so it’s a balancing act.  We try to provide products at our good, better best program so we can achieve all budget prices to help take care of the customer and offer really good finance offers,” Beane said.

Now that Room to Room Furniture has been named Retailer of the Year, don’t expect Lisa Hawkins, Amber Beane and the rest of the crew to sit back and take it easy.

They are planning a community-wide celebration to thank loyal customers and friends, and they are also planning on keeping the same customer service and attention to detail that helped win them the coveted honor.

And that celebration is set for next Thursday from 4 until 6.  That is when the Retailer of the Year award will be presented to Room to Room Furniture.