Established in 1971 in the heart of the fast growing West Florida market, LEADER'S CASUAL FURNITURE began in a single modest showroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was decided that LEADER'S would strive to become
the dominant supplier of the finest selection of "Casual Home Furnishings" in the United States.
Needless to say, much time has passed since that day, and many management decisions have been made. However, the position still remains. LEADER'S CASUAL FURNITURE still leads the industry as one of the largest and strongest casual furniture retailers in America. In 1989, LEADER'S was selected as one of the TOP TEN casual furniture retailers in the country. In 1990, the Casual Furniture Manufacturers of America
voted LEADER'S as the BEST Casual Furniture Retailer in North America. More details of this event are available in trade publications and LEADER'S proudly displays the bronze "Apollo Award" statuette inside their new corporate distribution center in Largo, Florida.
Now after over 37 years and with 19 retail showrooms, a new state-of-the-art corporate office and 150,000 square foot distribution center, LEADER'S reputation for selection, value, and full customer satisfaction continues to grow in their expanding national market.
What is Casual Furniture?
Leader's specializes in Rattan, Wicker, and Patio Furniture. The entire selection is fondly referred to as "casual furniture". It seems that there is a certain look that many Homeowners and Designers enjoy in their homes. Not the heavy black leather sofa with traditional cherry tables. Instead, the tropical rattan or wicker sofa or dining set with gorgeous complementary fabrics or the comfortable and carefree color coordinated patio set with matching accessories. They want durability and comfort, yes. But they also enjoy a home which is furnished as a reflection of their comfortable lifestyle. That is where LEADER'S has served thousands of very happy and loyal customers for many years.
Volume Purchasing and Direct Importing SAVES YOU MONEY !!!
LEADER'S designs and resources rattan, wicker, and outdoor furniture and accessories directly from factories
throughout the world, manufactured to LEADER'S strict quality standards. Volume purchasing for LEADER'S fifteen showrooms and national distribution center is a given. Since products for all LEADER'S showrooms are received and inventoried at the one central distribution center, literally truckloads of furniture and accessories arrive at LEADER'S docks daily. And of course, an equal amount of product is delivered out to happy customers each day on truck fleets. The merchandise carried at LEADER'S is a fine tuned selection of domestic products from famous name manufacturers with tremendous finish and fabric selection, complemented by a vast array of direct imported products hand selected and often designed by LEADER'S staff. LEADER'S uses a select number of suppliers. "Our suppliers are very important to us, and we in turn want to be important to them. The cooperative effort between LEADER'S and their suppliers has been and will continue to be at the heart of our success", states Linda Newton, Director of
Merchandising. The uniqueness of product allows LEADER'S to be a special place to shop. Without a doubt, every customer will see something in the store that they have never seen in another home furnishings showroom - often something they can't go home without.
COMMERCIAL SALES WELCOME !
Additionally, the reputation for quality, volume, and value has established an ever growing Contract Trade for the company. LEADER'S products are fortunate enough to be seen in many fine commercial establishments. Contract sales are welcomed and LEADER'S contract sales staff is prepared and more than pleased to quote special prices on large commercial orders.
Jerry Newton, LEADER'S President states that "Communication and customer satisfaction is the key in a multi-store retail company. Every employee out there is representing our company in each and every customer contact. We have to be sure that we listen to what they have to say and that they are all aware of how we want the company represented. We can have all the great ideas in the world here in our corporate headquarters, but unless we convey those decisions and the energy out to the front line, we will fail in the customer's eyes."
In order to dominate in their marketplace, LEADER'S has taken on an aggressive retailing style. They promote heavily and sell competitively, often distributing over 1.7 million copies of internally generated full color fliers to loyal customers. This requires aggressive buying and efficient distribution. High tech automation is used to control a fast moving inventory. "Our computer system can identify and locate each unique item, no matter where it is in our many locations." This degree of automation is necessary to compete with the trends in retailing today", states Newton. "I believe that only companies that can receive, store, retrieve, and deliver merchandise in the most efficient way will be able to compete in the coming years. We will make sure we remain on the cutting edge of this technology in our industry."
Yes, LEADER'S has come a long way since the first small showroom in St. Petersburg. The growth has been steady and consistent -
but always under control. "This rock hard management philosophy has worked out very well so far, and we believe that it will carry us successfully well into the future."
We heartily invite you to shop in our "Internet Showroom" and take advantage of the best selection and value in the casual furniture business. Next time you're in Florida, please visit one of our store locations to experience the full selection of our unique home furnishings.
Have a wonderful and relaxed day, and a sincere Thank You for your interest in LEADER'S.
Jerry O. Newton, President
LEADER'S Casual Furniture
