NFM designed 37B to be "gen-less" and allow consumers to mix a variety of style aesthetics to create customized interior spaces.
OMAHA, NE — Social media and the accompanying influencers have changed the way entire generations buy furniture, and Top 100 retailer Nebraska Furniture Mart is not adopting a wait-and-see mentality to see how Millennials, Gen Z, and all other consumers shop for home in the digitally connected age.
Instead, the NFM team has developed 37B, its own proprietary collection designed to support consumer individuality and address what is quite possibly the top shared characteristic of current and future home furnishings shoppers influenced by a 24/7 information stream.
“Consumers are ready for a confidence boost, and brands can provide this to them in the form of new experiences or products that feed their curiosity as they form new tastes, routines and preferences that align with who they are or who they want to be,” said Nora Gomez, chief merchandising officer. “I say 37B is ‘gen-less’. There is heightened awareness around the personalization of space, and 37B speaks to how we live today. It is about buying what you love and making it fit into your lifestyle.”
A curated collection of furniture and unique accents, 37B references the year NFM was founded and the company’s founder, Rose Blumkin, fondly known as Mrs. B. It features upholstery, case goods and accent pieces for nearly every room of a home that reference numerous lifestyle aesthetics including high design, traditional, transitional and cosmopolitan.
Gomez said 37B allows Nebraska Furniture Mart to create a “runway to home” synergy between all stores while also supporting customers who want their homes to be a unique reflection of their individual lives and personalities. The branding team, she said, worked in collaboration with the buying team to build the brand profile and collateral, down to the brand color.
“A core 37B team was formed comprised of buying, branding, marketing, sales, visual merchandising, store merchandising and store design and included Sarah Martens, Lacy Greve, Amy Rolle, Erin Lohafer and Hilary Woltemath, as well as Jennifer Bryan, Derek Paben, Tyler Wisecup, Renee Quevedo, Cody Petig, and Nichole Hoffman,” she said. “The output of this team includes building of brand profile and creative assets, tools for our sales team including a look book and training, market analysis and consumer benchmarking, web strategy and digital assets and so much more.
“What matters most to this lifestyle customer is what they themselves see as best, and that can be a lot of different things to different people,” Gomez said. “It allows any consumer to create their own unique story for their home, something we reference as ‘your style discovered.’”
All items in the 37B collection are priced less than $3,000, and five aesthetics are referenced within the first curated group that align with current lifestyle trends: Japandi, Dark Academia, New Century Modern, Quiet Modern and Grandmillennial. The diversity of designs allows consumers to mix and match their favorite pieces within each aesthetic to create an eclectic lifestyle interior unique to individual preferences, a possibility that is often missing on retail floors.
“37B is for everyone who wants a thoughtfully designed space reflecting how they live,” Gomez said. “They are interested in inspiration and want pieces that are easily mixed to create their own unique style while providing quality, usefulness and comfort. There are no boundaries on demographics.”
Adding that 37B is “totally different” than anything NFM has ever done, Gomez noted that more than 20 vendors are included as part of the exclusive NFM collection. She said that by allowing the stores’ buyers to create their own design statements, NFM is also setting the stage for increased recognition as a partner that helps customers “cut through the noise.”
“People are bombarded with information, and I think there is a hyper fatigue that is developing in response,” she explained. “Everyone is trying to stop the noise, and 37B helps simplify the furniture shopping experience while also giving people options that support an individualistic interior.”
Now officially launched in all Nebraska Furniture Mart stores, 37B is one example of the NFM team’s focus on serving a very different type of consumer than has been the norm in years past. Gomez credited the company’s ongoing commitment to reinventing retail as crucial to longevity, and she is eager to see how NFM customers respond.
“Innovation is not all about technology; there is also innovation in thinking and how we serve,” she concludes. “37B is not about fast fashion, but quality, affordability and creating unique opportunities for our customers, and it’s just one example of the type of thinking that can take your store to the next level.”
37B style guide (from Nebraska Furniture Mart)
- Japandi –A blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design sensibilities, this aesthetic is best known for mixed materials, relaxing vibes, and a multifunctional approach to modern living.
- Dark Academia –Moody and sophisticated, a Dark Academia aesthetic gives any space immediate character. Those who find comfort in old libraries will be right at home with its cool tones, gold accents, and cozy nooks.
- New Century Modern –Usher in a new era of style with a mesh of straightforward designs and elements of contemporary living. Originally born from the forward-thinking, less-is-more mentality of the mid-20th century, these iconic silhouettes sport all the comfort and functionality today’s shoppers love.
- Quiet Modern –This aesthetic embraces the latest and greatest of our era and is perfect for those with a taste for the bleeding-edge and relaxing essentials to floors and more. The Quiet Modern home is a seamless sanctuary plucked from the near future with the creature comforts of today.
- Grandmillennial –By embracing complicated patterns, floral appliques, and everything in between, this style is suited to anyone who loves a new view of classic pieces and gives everyone a chance to put heirlooms on display.
See also:
- Retailer’s perspective on consumer preference shifts over past 5 years
- Nebraska Furniture Mart CMO says innovation is the key to growth
