by The launch demonstrates how the retailer is using flagship-exclusive branding to capture foot traffic while reinforcing value across price points
KATY, Texas — Houston-based Star Furniture has become the first retailer nationwide to launch a dedicated Margaritaville Furniture gallery from Hooker Furniture at its Katy flagship showroom.
The launch leverages Star’s established partnership with Hooker Furniture while introducing a lifestyle-driven merchandising model tailored to the Texas market. While the Margaritaville name has strong national brand recognition, Star’s merchandising team selected pieces that balance island inspiration with broader aesthetic appeal.
“The collection caught our buyers’ attention because it’s not too coastal,” said Michael Galloway, vice president of marketing at Star Furniture. “So much of this type of furniture from other manufacturers has a ‘Florida look’ and doesn’t translate well to Texas. We are ‘beach adjacent,’ but most of our guests don’t typically decorate their homes with a coastal feel.”
Positioned within Star’s “better/best” price tier, the line targets existing customers seeking quality craftsmanship rather than niche novelty shoppers. According to Galloway, the selection for Star’s floors focused heavily on versatile, core items over thematic accent pieces.
“We didn’t floor too many of the kitschiest pieces, so we’re not seeing too many ‘parrot heads,’” Galloway noted, referring to dedicated Jimmy Buffett fans. “It seems to speak more to our regular customers on its own merit.”
The timing coincides with Hooker’s broader expansion of the lifestyle brand which included new seating and upholstery introductions showcased at the recent High Point Market. Star re-created the visual presentation of Hooker’s High Point Market showroom within its Katy space. Galloway emphasized that this secures a strategic edge in the region: “Being the first to have a collection as recognizable as Margaritaville gives us the ability to build on any nationally placed advertising, and it has the added value of making any other retailers who carry the collection in our market look like ‘me too.’”
The rollout comes as Star navigates broader macroeconomic headwinds facing the home furnishings industry. Following High Point Market, the retailer is focusing its floor strategy on value transparency without compromising product standards.
“Our focus is on maintaining our standards of quality and style while offering our guests options at all price points,” Galloway said. “We realize many in our market are not necessarily impacted by macroeconomic issues, but it has everyone’s attention, so our challenge is to keep the brand intact while clearly demonstrating value.”
Star Furniture, founded in 1912 and owned by Berkshire Hathaway, currently operates 10 stores across Texas, including seven in Houston, and offers a full range of mid-to-high-end home furnishings and interior design services.
Star Furniture is part of the Berkshire Hathaway furniture division, that also includes Nebraska Furniture Mart of Omaha, Nebraska, with five showrooms including Homemakers Furniture in Urbandale, Iowa; Jordan’s Furniture of East Taunton, Massachusetts, with eight showrooms and R.C. Willey of Salt Lake City, Utah with 10 showrooms. Berkshire Hathaway ranked No. 12 on Home News Now’s 125 Furniture & Bedding Retailers with estimated furniture and bedding sales of $1.9 billion in 2025.
