Furniture.com and Harlem Furniture Announce Exclusive Regional Partnership

Furniture World Magazine

Through an exclusive regional partnership with Furniture.com, Harlem Furniture has gained rights to Furniture.com's industry-leading web address, online sales engine, and advanced customer service technology platform. "Harlem Furniture is the dominant furniture retailer in the Chicago area, generating tremendous growth in one of the largest furniture markets in America," stated Carl Prindle, president of Furniture.com. "We look forward to enhancing Harlem's growth and profitability through our ability to attract online furniture shoppers, advanced sales and customer service technologies, as well as extensive e-commerce experience." Through its Furniture.com partnership, Harlem Furniture quickly gains the sales and service advantages of a leading Internet presence, including: access to new customers through the Furniture.com Internet address and website; increased store traffic from online shoppers seeking real-life "touch" tests in local showrooms; incremental sales revenue generated on Furniture.com; cost savings through online order tracking service for both store and online customers; and access to unique merchandising data generated by Furniture.com's millions of visitors. "The Internet represents a significant opportunity for Harlem to generate incremental sales and simplify our operations," stated Bruce Berman, president and CEO of Harlem Furniture. "By partnering with Furniture.com, our company maximizes this opportunity. And, our customers will have the opportunity to furnish their homes with unprecedented ease, enjoyment and confidence through the best elements of online and in-store shopping." By joining efforts, the two firms will offer Chicago area consumers the convenience and ease of online shopping with the local service and quick delivery of the region's fastest growing retailer. Online at Furniture.com (www.furniture.com), shoppers can quickly browse, compare and buy brand-name furniture and accessories, access decorating advice and product information, and utilize interactive design tools, such as Furniture.com's Room Planner and the Recommendation Center. To complete the experience, 14 Room Place at Harlem Furniture stores will provide local showrooms, customer service and fast delivery. Furniture.com will partner with new retailers throughout the U.S. in non-competitive geographic markets. About Furniture.com: Furniture.com (www.furniture.com) offers consumers the best of Internet shopping by merging the convenience, accessibility and ease of online shopping with the proven infrastructure of the nation's largest retail furniture chains. At Furniture.com, consumers quickly browse, compare and buy brand-name furniture and accessories, access decorating advice and product information, and utilize interactive design tools. To complete the experience, leading retailers provide customer service and fast, in-home delivery. Furniture.com, a privately-held company, backed by a private equity firm with over $1.0 billion in committed capital, is a member of BBBOnline, TRUSTe, and VeriSign. About Harlem Furniture: Harlem Furniture has been family owned and operated since 1912, and was founded in downtown Chicago. In 2001, the company added The Room Place to its name to become The Room Place at Harlem Furniture, to play up its strength in saving consumers money by selling furniture by the room. Headquartered in Lombard, Illinois, the company currently operates 14 stores; 3 in the metropolitan Chicago area (North: Harlem Avenue, South: Cicero Avenue and Elston Avenue), plus eleven suburban locations: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Bloomingdale, Downer's Grove, Glenwood, Hillside, Hoffman Estates, Morton Grove, Orland Park, Vernon Hills and a 120,000 square foot store in Lombard.