Bernards combines traditional and digital tools to empower retail partners

HIGH POINT Bernards Furniture has introduced a distinctive hybrid sales support model designed to strengthen its retail partners’ in-store selling efforts. In contrast to the industry trend of moving away from print materials, Bernards is doubling down with a fresh catalog strategy—developing tailored catalogs for each of its key home furniture collections.

“Offering a collection-specific catalog encourages retail associates to engage with customers,” said Micah Swick, president of Bernards. “Limiting the catalog to just the collection the shopper is interested in makes it easier to navigate and keeps the conversation focused.”

Complementing the catalogs, each collection is also supported by its own dedicated website. Bernards has already rolled out websites for their popular Elure, Citrus Heights, and Trilogy collections and just this week for their new Pagosa collection, being introduced at the upcoming spring market. These sites feature a mix of traditional photography and advanced digital tools—including CGI and AI enhanced images.

“Collectively, catalogs and websites are excellent for in-store engagement. Websites also help drive traffic into stores.” Swick said. “Online, consumers can zoom in on product details, view items from multiple angles, and share images with family or friends. 3D images, videos, and customer reviews will be added in the coming months.”

Why separate websites for each collection? According to Swick, it’s all about streamlining the sales process: “We’re here to support retail sales—not to promote ourselves. With two decades of retail experience, I know how hesitant associates can be to hand out a supplier catalog or direct shoppers to a supplier’s website. It often leads to confusion about availability, pricing, unknown specs, or worse—accidentally sending the customer to a competitor for a completely different collection. By focusing each website on a single collection featured in-store, we eliminate those risks and keep the customer engaged.”

In addition to catalogs and websites, Bernards provides wood chip finish samples for each collection and plans to expand this offering with fabric swatches later this year—including for case goods like upholstered headboards and dining chairs.

Together, these tools are driving consumer interest, increasing store traffic, boosting sales, improving dollars per square foot, and helping associates close more deals. After the initial purchase, shoppers often return to the websites to find matching pieces—creating opportunities for repeat business.