The Secret Behind Walker Edison’s Rapid Growth

The use of furniture can be traced back to the prehistoric era when humans used tree stumps as seats, rocks as tables, and moss as bedding. As time went on, furniture crafting became an art form with specialists who crafted certain types of furniture in their shops. With the invention of the steam engine in the 18th century, furniture was able to be produced at scale. Fast forward to the twentieth century and furniture companies in North America began sprouting up left and right. The creation of the internet and it’s launching to the public in 1991 created an extremely accessible place for people to buy furniture via eCommerce websites. The ability to design, craft, and sell furniture at scale allowed hundreds of furniture companies to be born in the US. Today, there are nearly 200 US-based furniture manufacturing companies in existence. Add to that the growing number of online furniture showrooms like TotallyFurniture.com and HomeShoppingMalls.com and consumers have a huge amount of options when it comes to furnishing their space.

Scott Bonham, Brad Bonham, and Matt Davis took a look at the landscape and discovered that by having a strong eCommerce presence and fashionable ready-to-assemble furniture, they could enter the market efficiently and effectively. In 2006, Scott and Brad founded Walker Edison. The company uses eCommerce to provide a solution for major online retailers like HomeShoppingMalls.com and TotallyFurniture.com. Walker Edison’s in-house team is comprised of experts in both furniture development, merchandising, and dropshipping. Walker Edison was able to develop a data-driven, design, sourcing, and logistics operation. Their commitment to customer service, logistics, and supply chain optimization have afforded them rapid growth in a competitive market.

Being committed to efficiency has paid off for Walker Edison. In 2018, private equity firm J.W. Childs (now Prospect Hill) acquired Walker Edison and kept Brad and Matt involved as owners. The injection of funding has already allowed Walker Edison to take big steps forward as they continue to grow.

To summarize the secret to Walker Edison’s rapid growth in just thirteen words, the secret is being efficient, data-driven, and sticking to what they’re good at. In their business operations, they are efficient in the way that they design their manufacturing and supply chain operations. In their furniture, they craft ready-to-assemble furniture so that their customers can efficiently furnish their space. Walker Edison uses data to decide what to craft next. In sticking to a wholesale eCommerce strategy, they mitigate the risk of failure because they have proven to be strong in that space.