Wayfair is participating in The Inspired Home Show to enlist vendors in a campaign to strengthen the company’s position as a whole-home destination online and through its growing physical store presence.
While keeping pace with home decor and furniture trends, Wayfair continues to progress in its housewares business as the company works to meet the aspirations of a consumer who looks at the home differently than might have been the case a generation ago. The COVID-19 pandemic began a recasting of the home as a multi-function site for work, entertainment and relaxation as defined by each individual. As their relationships with their homes changed, so did the way consumers outfit households to address their lifestyle needs. From home office and gym to kitchen and dining room to patio and backyard, Wayfair is expanding a whole-home strategy to satisfy the range of consumer demands and wants while providing curated product presentations.
Wayfair is attending The Inspired Home Show to see what’s new and encourage vendors to join the company’s initiative to grow and tailor its housewares assortment.
Kareem Ghobrial, director of category management at Wayfair, told HomePage News about the company’s plans at the show:
HomePage News: What goals does Wayfair have in attending The Inspired Home Show this year?
Ghobrial: The categories represented at The Inspired Home Show are critical to Wayfair’s strategy in 2025 and beyond. This year, we’re focused on showcasing and collaborating on our expanded housewares strategy, as well as our continuous efforts to deepen our supplier relationships and gather actionable market insights for 2025.
HPN: What do you want to discuss with vendors at the show?
Ghobrial: Inspired Home is always one of the favorite shows of the year for our teams. We’re eager to explore category innovations and trends from product development in housewares to new merchandising strategies. We’re also excited to discuss upcoming opportunities with the new Wayfair store that opened just outside Chicago (in Wilmette, IL) last May. We’ll be hosting a VIP Supplier Open House on March 1st with our most strategic partners.
HPN: What does Wayfair find to be the advantages of attending the show that can’t be had in the normal course of business communications and development?
Ghobrial: Online communication is great, but for us, face-to-face interactions are integral for real-time feedback and deeper relationship building. The show offers a unique opportunity to see our strategies in action, understand market dynamics and foster collaborative discussions. It’s highly efficient for us to have multiple meetings back to back over the course of a few days.
Kareem Ghobrial, Director of Category Management, Wayfair
HPN: How are you looking at the year ahead in your housewares business?
Ghobrial: We are committed to making Wayfair the destination for all things home. As such, housewares is a key growth opportunity for us. Over the past few years, we’ve honed our curated merchandising, refreshed our marketing messaging, launched our loyalty program and leveraged our physical retail insights — especially from our Chicago store — to drive innovation. Looking ahead, we’ll continue to make it as easy and convenient as possible for customers to find what’s just right for them.
HPN: What advances has Wayfair made in the housewares end of the business?
Ghobrial: We’ve made significant progress in curating our product assortment and using data to pinpoint consumer trends. We recently revamped our Category Captains program, which is an exclusive accelerator for top branded suppliers. The Category Captains program exists to help select brands win and scale quickly on Wayfair. By partnering with market leaders, we see an opportunity to strengthen our branded offering, grow quickly and gain market share.
HPN: What should vendors understand about how Wayfair’s operation is developing, how the e-commerce business is evolving, and how the company’s brick-and-mortar stores impact business?
Ghobrial: Vendors should see that Wayfair is evolving into a true destination for all things home. Our e-commerce platform remains robust, but we’re also leveraging physical retail like our Chicago store to create synergy and provide a richer, in-person experience. This dual approach allows us to connect with customers more effectively and drive innovation across the board.
Wayfair Retail Store in Wilmette, IL
HPN: How important is housewares to the whole-home positioning by Wayfair?
Ghobrial: Whole-home orientation is at the heart of our strategy. Housewares, in particular, serve as a gateway to complete home solutions. As consumer expectations evolve, housewares are increasingly integral in tying together style, functionality and convenience. These products fit nicely into our frequency initiative, which aims to transform how we engage customers by building a foundation that increases customer loyalty, deepens engagement, and drives long-term profitability.
HPN: What should vendors understand about how Wayfair has developed as a business in the past year, and how can they facilitate that continuing development?
Ghobrial: Our evolution is driven by innovation, collaboration and a deep commitment to the whole-home experience. Vendors can help by staying agile, sharing market insights and aligning their product strategies with emerging consumer trends.
HPN: What do you expect vendors doing business with Wayfair and those who want to ask Wayfair representatives at The Inspired Home Show?
Ghobrial: We anticipate questions around market trends, new category opportunities and how we’re integrating physical and digital retail experiences. Overall, we’re excited to deepen our relationships with supplier partners and discuss how we can drive shared growth together for the category.
