Zeeland-based Herman Miller today announced the opening of its first brick-and-mortar locations dedicated to selling high-performance task chairs and products that support the home office and small business worker.
The first Herman Miller Store is now open at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. A second location will open at The Shops at Hudson Yards in New York City on Nov. 20. Additional locations are planned to open across the country in 2021.
The Herman Miller Stores offer shoppers an educational and experiential process that allows people to sit down and try the products. Each location has a dedicated ergonomic specialist on-hand to help shoppers better understand the health and productivity benefits of sitting well.
Customers also have the option to visit the store remotely through a virtual chat function on the Herman Miller website, allowing each visitor to experience the store through a personalized one-on-one video call.
“We accelerated the development of our new concept stores in direct response to new customer demands,” says Debbie Propst, president of Herman Miller Retail. “We’re in a time where many find themselves sedentary, working from home, sitting down for more hours than ever before, and the dining room chair just isn’t cutting it anymore.”
Designed in-house by Herman Miller’s creative design team, each 1,500 square-foot store features immersive vignettes that highlight innovative solutions for the home office, including Herman Miller’s award-winning performance seating portfolio, built to support long-lasting, health-positive benefits, including postural distribution of weight, which is key to healthy circulation and focus.
Visitors are able to test and compare each chair’s physical features in person—from pressure distribution and individualized adjustment capabilities, to breathable suspension materiality and backrest adjustments. Through the hands-on shopping experience, visitors can configure and customize product finishes and stylish details onsite.
While many retailers have shifted away from brick-and-mortar stores, Herman Miller states it is taking a different approach. Herman Miller Retail – the retail arm of Herman Miller comprised of Herman Miller, Design Within Reach, and HAY – is coming off of its strongest fiscal quarter to date.
“This growth comes at a time where home office furnishings are more important than ever,” says Propst. “As more and more companies turn fully remote, our customers are seeking to upgrade their home offices and preserve their health.”
For more information on the Herman Miller stores, visit here.
Herman Miller, located near Grand Rapids, was founded in 1905 as Star Furniture Co. Last year, the company reported nearly $2.6 billion in revenue.
In 2018, the company created Herman Miller Group, a purposefully selected, complementary family of brands that includes Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Design Within Reach, Geiger, HAY, Maars Living Walls, Maharam, naughtone, and Nemschoff.
