At Ashley Furniture Industries, we understand that opening your own furniture store or adding new brands to your existing store can be an exciting but challenging task. That is why we have created this Frequently Asked Questions page to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions and succeed in your business endeavors. Here, you will find the most common questions and answers related to opening an Ashley Furniture store or selling Ashley Furniture products in your current store. These are questions that are often asked when we first meet with potential clients at Furniture Markets and other events over the years.

So, whether you are a furniture retailer, buyer, or home appliance store looking to include Ashley products in your store, we have the answers you are seeking. Take a moment to explore the questions and answers below; if you don’t find what you are looking for, feel free to contact us. We are here to help you achieve your goals and grow your business, whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting.

Are Ashley Furniture stores franchised?

No, Ashley stores are not franchised, they are licensed. Franchises charge you for their brand, we license our brand to you in order for you to sell our products. As an authorized independent retailer you can use the brand’s names and products, without paying any fee for the license.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Stores: Licensed, Not Franchised“.

What does a licensee model mean, and how does it compare to a franchise?

Franchises charge you for their brand, we license our brand to you in order for you to sell our products. As an authorized independent retailer you can use the brand’s names and products, without paying any fee for the license.

Ashley Furniture uses a licensing agreement for its business operations. A licensing model is similar to a franchise model, but with far more advantages for you. Our licensee model comes with no fees, no profit-sharing, no shared ownerships – it’s your business. Ashley focuses all of our energy on supplying you with the best products. You gain access to the furniture market through Ashley’s strong branding, and we provide guidance and support for all aspects of your business operations, such as advertising and visual store design – all for free. We only require that you purchase the product from us, the company, and the business remains only yours.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture’s Licensing Model: No Fees, No Profit Sharing, Your Business.”

What kind of support do you get by opening an Ashley Furniture HomeStore?

Each Ashley store is assigned to an International Marketing Specialist, an Ashley representative located in their region. The stores are also supported by the International Management Team who provides both virtual and on-site support and assistance in various areas including layout design and space planning, merchandise planning, visual display, retail sales, operations, and marketing/graphic design.

For more information, read “Expert Support for Ashley Furniture HomeStore Owners“.

Who decides on margins, purchases and orders?

Since the licensees understand their markets, they maintain their own margins, purchases and orders. Orders are placed directly from Ashley Furniture Industries.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Licensees: Maintain Your Own Margins, Purchases, and Orders“.

What is the ideal size of stores?

To ensure that you meet your market’s needs, our store concepts are flexible in sizing. We offer large, medium, small and mall format Ashley Furniture HomeStore designs. We have stores that are 500 sqm to 10,000 sqm,  so it really depends on the size of your market. We have found at the low end 1000 sqm is a good starting point in order to display the primary categories in our extensive line. Our turnkey solutions can be tailor-made to suit your business!

For more information, read “Flexible Store Sizes for Ashley Furniture HomeStores“.

What are the fees associated with opening a store? Fees, costs, duties, obligations, etc?

There are no fees – this is a licensing program not a franchise program. Duties vary by country, the licensee is responsible for purchasing the furniture and handling all costs involved with importing the furniture into their country.

For more information, read “What Fees, Costs, and Duties are Involved in Opening an Ashley Furniture HomeStore?“.

What is the expected turnover and margin?

Every country and city is different depending on variables such as store size, population, marketing, etc.

For more information, read “What is the expected turnover and margin for an Ashley Furniture HomeStore?“.

What is the expected investment in shop fitting and stock on hand?

This is solely dependent on the size of the store you are planning on opening. Cost of floor samples are also dependent on store size. Stock on hand is determined by the licensee – we only recommend keeping your top sellers always available, which is beneficial to you and your retail operation. We do keep build out costs to a minimum.

For more information, read “Understanding the Investment and Inventory Needs for Your Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Are there any exclusivity arrangements?

Exclusivity relates to the Ashley Furniture Homestore brand and the area you have chosen as the location for your store.

For more information, read “What You Need to Know About Exclusivity Arrangements with Ashley Furniture HomeStores“.

How can I open a furniture store?

If you are interested in opening your own Ashley Furniture HomeStore, please fill out the form on this page and one of our representative located in your region will contact you with more details.

For more information, read “Steps to Opening Your Own Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

How can I open an account to sell Ashley Furniture in my store? How can I become a furniture distributor?

Simply fill out the form on this page and one of our representative located in your region will contact you with more details.

For more information, read “Become a Wholesale or Distribution Partner with Ashley Furniture Industries“.

I want to open an Ashley Furniture HomeStore in my country. How can I get started?

If you are interested in opening your own Ashley Furniture HomeStore, please fill out the form on this page and one of our representative located in your region will contact you with more details.

For more information, read “Be the First to Bring Ashley Furniture to Your Country/City“.

What is the financial investment to become a licensee?

There are no licensing fees. All other costs are dependent on store size.
For more information, read “Understanding the Financial Investment Required to Open an Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Do you offer the products we need in our country?

We make thousands of SKUs across 20 product categories. Our products are built in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing our customers around the world to select the best fits for their own market. This makes Ashley the top choice furniture supplier worldwide.

For more information, read “Find the Perfect Fit with Ashley Furniture’s Wide Range of Products“.

Do you offer training?

We provide various virtual and on-site support to ensure each store is positioned for success. Each Ashley store is assigned to an International Marketing Specialist, an Ashley representative located in that region. The stores are also supported by the International Management Team who provides ongoing assistance in various areas including layout design and space planning, merchandise planning, visual display, retail sales, operations, and marketing/graphic design.

For more information, read “Get the Support You Need to Succeed with Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Do you offer advertising?

We do offer a wide range of marketing materials, including television and radio spots, social media/digital graphics and ads, print graphics/ads, as well as various in-store tags and signage. All of those are available for download through our secured portal.

For more information, read “Marketing Materials for Ashley Furniture HomeStore Licensees“.

How quickly can I open?

It depends on whether you have an existing site, will be leasing a site, or building from the ground up. But once past this stage, we can typically have a store open within 3 months.

For more information, read “Opening an Ashley Furniture HomeStore: How Quickly Can You Get Started?

What is the average sales per square meter?

This depends on many factors, including the size of the store, country, population, etc.

For more information, read “Learn about the sales potential of an Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Do you help set up our retail floor?

Yes, we help design the entire interior of your store through VR and CAD.

For more information, read “Get Expert Support Setting Up Your Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

What is your most popular product category?

Stationary and Case Goods typically make up the majority of the sales worldwide, with motion, mattresses, outdoor and accessories making up the rest of the assortment sales.

For more information, read “Discover the Most Popular Product Categories at Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Do you help with the façade of the store?

Yes, we help you design the façade of the store and provide a US supplier for the signage, unless you have a local supplier which can meet the brand standards.

For more information, read “Designing the Perfect Façade for Your Ashley Furniture HomeStore“.

Would I need to sign an agreement?

Yes, an agreement would be provided.

For more information, read “Partner with Ashley Furniture HomeStore as a Licensee“.

Where are the products shipped from?

Ashley has various distribution centers, so the location of where the products are shipped from would depend on which region of the world your store is located in.

For more information, read “Get access to Ashley Furniture’s advanced supply chain as a licensee“.

What is the minimum order needed?

You would be purchasing by full container, but we have the capability of shipping with no Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) of each furniture category within a container. This allows you to maximize each container with a variety of products.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Industries: Minimum Order Requirements“.

Would we have a credit line?

This would depend exclusively on the financials you provide the company. If you do receive a credit line, you would be evaluated for 30 day terms.

For more information, read “Do I need a credit line to open an Ashley Furniture HomeStore?“.

What are the lead times to receive furniture?

This would depend on your store’s location. If ordering from the US we can ship within 2 -3 weeks. When ordering from offshore distribution centers the lead time can be 30/45 days or less, depending on the time of year.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Industries Lead Times for Furniture Orders“.

How is your furniture packaged?

Our packaging goes through extensive internal tests. Case goods items are boxed with foam and skeleton framing. Upholstery items are packaged with carton and shrink wrap.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Packaging for Wholesale Orders“.

Is Ashley Furniture a public company?

No, Ashley Furniture is a private company.

For more information, read “Ashley Furniture Industries – A Private, Family-Owned Company”.

How long has Ashley Furniture been in business?

Ashley Furniture was established in 1945. In 1976 Ron Wanek and a small group of investors brought the furniture company, where a staff of 35 employees were producing wood occasional furniture in a 35,000 square foot plant in Arcadia, Wisconsin. Today, Ashley has over 35,000 employees around the world, and manufactures furniture in more than 13 million square feet (300 acres) of dedicated factory space.

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