Norwalk's president weighs in on how to get through COVID disruptions, why her company is doing an ESOP, and what role interior designers play in the retail landscape.
It’s a familiar nugget of wisdom in the home furnishings business that retailers and manufacturers will never quite see eye-to-eye. So common is this observation that it often gets reduced into idiom—Norwalk Furniture president Caroline Hipple’s favorite version is “Retailers speak Martian, manufacturers speak Venutian.” Luckily for her, Hipple is fluent in both.
Before joining Norwalk in 2016, she had deep experience on the retail side of the business, with 23 years at This End Up and then six at Storehouse. Having been on both sides of the aisle has given Hipple a particularly holistic view of the industry, and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of it all. That’s been handy in the midst of the recent supply chain crises. “[To get through this period] I think the best practices are communication, education, transparency and holding hands and crossing this road together whether you’re the Martian or the Venutian," Hipple tells host Warren Shoulberg.
In this episode of the show, Hipple also explains how Norwalk has rolled with the punches of COVID, shares why the company recently unveiled an ESOP; and offers her thoughts on some of the latest trends in retail.
This episode is sponsored by House of Rohl