[Report] "Hooked at CES"... Visiting Ashley, America's No.1 Furniture Store Chosen by Samsung in Tennessee

Samsung Collaborates with North America's No.1 Furniture Ashley Furniture
'Samsung SmartThings Home at Ashley' Opens in Tennessee
Ashley Furniture and Samsung Appliances Combine to Offer 'Smart Home'
Expanding Ecosystem to Strengthen North American Appliance Market Strategy

On the 1st of this month (local time), at the flagship store of furniture company Ashley Furniture located in Brentwood, a 20-minute drive from downtown Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The store was decorated with 11 spaces including living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and studies filled with trendy furniture and over 250 Samsung Electronics products such as TVs and smart devices. This place is called 'Samsung SmartThings Home at Ashley,' which combines Ashley Furniture's furniture with Samsung Electronics' home appliances to showcase smart home services that connect furniture and smart appliances. It is a new concept store where consumers can experience smart home functions and purchase furniture and appliances simultaneously in one place. Samsung Electronics plans to accelerate its strategy to target the U.S. market by partnering with Ashley Furniture, the number one furniture retailer in North America. Samsung Electronics and Ashley Furniture unveiled the store to the media ahead of its official opening on the 26th.

On the 1st (local time), an employee at the flagship store of Ashley Furniture, the No. 1 furniture company in North America, located in Brentwood, Tennessee, USA, is showcasing a smart home service that combines Samsung smart appliances and furniture. Brentwood ? Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

Upon entering the store that day, the living room concept space decorated with sofas, wall-mounted TVs, and audio equipment immediately caught the eye. Selecting 'Party Mode' on the SmartThings application (hereafter app) through the devices installed in the store instantly transformed the quiet and comfortable space into a lively party venue. Colorful images were projected onto the living room ceiling from a projector, and the ambient lighting installed on the walls and TV frames automatically synchronized, changing colors moment by moment. Exciting music played from the audio system, creating a home party atmosphere. Moving to the study concept space, selecting 'Game Mode' on the SmartThings app instantly turned the study into an arcade. The TV and monitor automatically launched Samsung's streaming game platform, 'Samsung Gaming Hub,' and the sound from the picture frame-style Samsung speaker 'Music Frame' and Philips lighting synchronized to create an immersive atmosphere. A Samsung Electronics representative explained, "We aimed to eliminate difficulties consumers face when purchasing smart appliances or devices and, together with Ashley Furniture, propose a better home experience by linking furniture and smart products."

On the 1st (local time), an employee at the flagship store of Ashley Furniture, the No.1 furniture company in North America, located in Brentwood, Tennessee, USA, is showcasing a smart home service that combines Samsung smart appliances and furniture. Brentwood ? Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

On the 1st (local time), an employee at the flagship store of Ashley Furniture, the No. 1 furniture company in North America, located in Brentwood, Tennessee, USA, is showcasing a smart home service that combines Samsung smart appliances and furniture. Brentwood ? Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

Samsung Electronics and Ashley Furniture targeted consumers who want to create a new atmosphere by replacing furniture and appliances in their existing homes instead of moving. Recently, with the burden of moving costs increasing due to high interest rates, a trend has emerged, especially among younger generations, to achieve interior effects through new furniture and appliances. The two companies used the SmartThings app to connect and control various products such as Samsung appliances and Ashley Furniture furniture to create environments and atmospheres suited to different situations. Jonathan Gabrio, head of Samsung Electronics SmartThings, said, "The MZ generation has been spending more time at home and decorating their homes according to their personal tastes since the COVID-19 pandemic. We are trying to combine technology and furniture in these spaces that young people actively want to use." Tennessee, where Samsung SmartThings Home at Ashley is opening, is a region where the influx of high-income young people is increasing due to global corporate investments, so consumer demand for 'smart home interiors' is expected to be significant.

This collaboration was triggered by the world's largest IT and home appliance exhibition, CES. Executives from Ashley Furniture attending CES were inspired by Samsung Electronics' innovative technology, leading to the partnership. Lisa Panaro, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Strategic Planning at Ashley Furniture, told reporters, "We attended CES to explore opportunities for innovation and decided to collaborate after seeing Samsung showcase cutting-edge appliances such as displays. We discovered an opportunity to innovate consumer experiences, and Samsung, a global leader in innovation and technology, is the ideal partner for these efforts." Ashley Furniture wanted to strengthen smart home interiors targeting tech-savvy consumers, and Samsung Electronics, with its diverse portfolio including TVs, mobile devices, and appliances, was identified as the most suitable partner to complete this vision. Ashley Furniture has continuously attempted to integrate IT technology into furniture in the past, such as tables equipped with wireless chargers and speakers combined with furniture.

On the 1st (local time), executives from both companies explained the background of their collaboration at the flagship store of Ashley Furniture, the No. 1 furniture company in North America, located in Brentwood, Tennessee, USA. From left to right: Jonathan Gabrio, Head of Samsung Electronics SmartThings; Lisa Panaro, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Strategic Planning at Ashley Furniture; Todd Garton, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Ashley Furniture.

Samsung Electronics is also strengthening its North American appliance market strategy through this collaboration. Based on 18 years of being the number one TV seller in North America, the company plans to accelerate the expansion of its ecosystem based on SmartThings. Ashley Furniture, which Samsung Electronics is partnering with to launch smart home services, operates more than 1,125 stores in 67 countries worldwide. Ashley Furniture plans to open two additional stores within the year offering the same smart home experience and expand this service mainly in its existing large stores.

Chad Spencer, CEO of Ashley Furniture, emphasized, "This partnership is significant because it unites industry leaders who pursue continuous innovation, excellent product quality, and better consumer experiences. By combining Ashley Furniture's expertise in home interiors with Samsung Electronics' cutting-edge products, we will create smart living spaces that blend convenience, style, and connectivity."