Opportunity abounds at The Inspired Home Show 2024, according to the lead housewares merchant at Wayfair.
Paige Kelly, Wayfair’s Head of Housewares & More, told HomePage News the ability for her team to work with vendors personally is a major attraction of The Inspired Home Show in addition to its value as a forum for catching up on trends and new product innovations. Kelly added it’s an opportunity to help Wayfair gain a deeper opportunity into the dynamics and culture of the housewares and home furnishings industry.
Kelly also noted the forthcoming opening of Wayfair’s first full-range brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago metropolitan area is a key development in the e-tailer’s expanding home and housewares strategy. The physical store will become a vehicle for Wayfair to familiarize consumers who might not be aware of the depth of its assortment beyond its core furniture business.
Paige Kelly, Wayfair’s Head of Housewares & More
HomePage News Contributing Editor Mike Duff recently met with Kelly to discuss the progress of Wayfair’s housewares strategy and the company’s objectives at The Inspired Home Show 2024, March 17-19, at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
HomePage News: What are the goals for the Wayfair team at The Inspired Home Show?
Kelly: IHS is a great opportunity for us to have another touchpoint with our suppliers, as we always find it beneficial to meet in person. Even in short meetings, we manage to cover a lot of topics, and we’re eager to have those conversations. Plus, we’re excited to see new product introductions to ensure we’re staying up to date on key trends while also helping our supplier partners understand what they need to do to be successful working with Wayfair.
HPN: What do you plan to discuss with suppliers?
Kelly: For us, it’s exciting to talk about any new product introductions they have, how to continue to drive exposure for their products on Wayfair and our physical retail plans, including their placement in the store.
HPN: What are the benefits of attending the show that are difficult to achieve during the normal course of business communications and development?
Kelly: We appreciate being able to see so many of our supplier partners at one time under the same roof. It’s also a helpful way for us to generate excitement around the categories for our teams, especially those who are newer to the industry. Our teams also find it to be a great opportunity to understand upcoming trends; product features and functionality; and to learn more about the brands in the market.
HPN: How are you looking at the year ahead in housewares, and how has that business developed for Wayfair? What initiatives developed by Wayfair over the past year or two do you want to emphasize going forward?
Kelly: We’re excited about the year ahead for the housewares category on Wayfair, especially with the launch of our physical retail store just outside of Chicago this spring. We believe physical retail will allow our customers to get a better understanding of the product assortment we offer for the whole home.
HPN: What advantage does Wayfair offer the market as it advances its housewares strategy?
Kelly: At Wayfair, we’re always strengthening our end-to-end offerings for both our suppliers and our customers. Providing excellent service, product expertise, and fast, seamless delivery. These are just a few of the elements that allow us to provide our customers with the best shopping experience in home. And with the opening of our first large-format brick-and-mortar Wayfair store outside of Chicago this spring, we’re beyond excited to meet and please our customers in a whole new way.
HPN: What should housewares vendors understand about how Wayfair’s operation and e-commerce platform are evolving?
Kelly: We want to be easy to work with, and we believe in the importance of building strong relationships with our supplier partners. It’s been our focus to make sure we’re providing our suppliers with all of the relevant data they need to help them make decisions on how to drive their businesses forward. If there’s something our suppliers need, we’re always available to discuss, and we’re eager to continue to improve.
HPN: How important is the whole home business orientation to Wayfair?
Kelly: Very important. We want Wayfair to be the first place our customers think of when it comes to shopping for their homes. Whether that’s for housewares, furniture, decor or anything in between, it’s important that we’ve got just what our customers need.
