Room & Board

Room & Board is an American modern furniture and home furnishings retailer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

John Gabbert founded Room & Board as a subsidiary of his parents' successful furniture store company (Gabberts), of which he served as president. Unlike the other stores, Room & Board specialized in stylish and modern furniture and soon spun off to become an independent company with Gabbert at the helm. It presently has 715 employees and operates 14 stores in eight states plus six delivery/distribution centers around the country, and has plans to open a new location in Boston, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2014.

According to the company's website, 90% of Room & Board products are American-made and 95% are exclusive to Room & Board. The company partners with small, family-owned businesses to produce its sofas, chairs, tables, office, bedroom, and outdoor furniture. Room & Board's Shop From Home business, which consists of a print catalog and website, is the fastest-growing segment of its business. Room & Board's Business Interiors division provides floor planning services, product suggestions, and commercial rating information.

Hoover's lists IKEA, Pier 1 Imports, and Euromarket's Crate & Barrel as competitors. Room & Board returns are all sent to the company's Golden Valley, Minnesota, distribution center, attracting local buyers as well as shoppers from surrounding states.

Room & Board was named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Minnesota Business in 2013. The University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business professor Edward D. Hess profiled Room & Board's growth strategy in his book Grow to Greatness: Smart Growth for Entrepreneurial Businesses." In 2011, Internet Retailer mentioned Room & Board's online furniture shopping system in their "The Hot 100" article.

The Wall Street Journal profiled Room & Board's policy giving customers a two-hour delivery window as an example of companies working to decrease wait windows and improve customer communication. Interior designer Christine Edmonds recommended Room & Board for their consistent pricing on "well-built, good-value, timeless pieces that mesh with just about any décor" in Money magazine.

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