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LOS ANGELES — Offering to “add high-octane fuel based on what I know and do,” Antoine Grant, who took over as owner and CEO of online furniture and home furnishings retailer HomeThreads in May, is looking to take the company to the next level, including with an offline strategy.
“HomeThreads presented me with a lot of great raw material,” said Grant. “Our goal is to revolutionize home design through technology and to meet customers where they are.”
Grant, who at one point oversaw Wayfair’s $1 billion plumbing, vanities and hardware businesses, said he has always loved the home space and is now using the logistics, consumer and business development experience gained at the major online retailer and elsewhere at HomeThreads.
HomeThread’s founders — Neil Marcus and Brad Bruckner — are continuing with the business, said Grant, as is the rest of the team. Grant noted Marcus and Bruckner founded the direct-to-consumer company in 2017 as frustrated online shoppers and deployed technology to streamline processes such as product discovery.
Just as Google goes through millions of data points to pinpoint information that answers a user’s question, so too, said Grant, does the tech platform used by HomeThreads.
“We’re taking a similar mindset into shopping,” he said, narrowing the choices and giving customers a focused selection that is relevant to their space. Along with the proprietary back-end and front-end technology that allows HomeThreads to build new features, they are layering in A.I. based on individual shopper data.
“We have fertile ground to grow through better understanding of our customers,” he said.
Additionally, they are working with their supplier community, which includes many major furniture and home furnishings companies, to expand lines or create products that fit what consumers are seeking. “We see ourselves working with brands and being the connective tissue between the manufacturer and the consumer,” Grant explained.
While Grant acknowledges there are plenty of players in the furniture space — brick-and-mortar and digital-first — HomeThreads wants to stand out by focusing on four key areas: digital innovation, relying heavily on technology to solve customers’ frustrations; product quality, taking a “better is better” approach; personalized experience, using generative A.I.; and with a relevant, curated assortment.
An important next step is the see how HomeThreads can move beyond its e-commerce presence into the physical world. “We need a 360 approach to get in front of the customers because we know they get their inspiration everywhere,” said Grant.
The offline strategy may begin with pop-up stores, which have been successfully used by other online retailers. One version could involve celebrities, designers or influencers, he said, or it could be a more room-focused.
“To create a good company, you need to have different touchpoints,” said Grant.
He also envisions HomeThreads as an ongoing partner for shoppers as they move or remodel or refresh their homes, not just a one-and-done stop. Most people, himself included, said Grant, live in a multifunctional space that continues to evolve.
“We want HomeThreads to be people’s sidekick, their sherpa, their guide — and go with them for the rest of their life,” he said.
