Ballard Designs
Ballard Designs is an omnichannel retail company that designs and sells home furniture and accessories with a European influence.{{cite web|url=http://www.ballarddesigns.com/about-us/content|title=About Us|work=Ballard Designs|accessdate=14 June 2017}} Formally part of Cornerstone Brands, a subsidiary of HSN Inc. (NASDAQ: HSNI),{{cite news|title=Cornerstone Brands part of IAC spin-off|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/08/18/daily43.html|accessdate=7 February 2012|newspaper=Business Courier|date=August 21, 2008}} the company is now one of the Qurate Retail portfolio brands, collectively owned by Qurate Retail Group (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB). There are currently 17 retail stores: Three in Florida (Tampa, Jacksonville and a design studio concept in West Palm Beach{{Cite web |last=Lester |first=Thomas |date=2022-06-08 |title=Ballard Designs unveils new concept to fuel multi-state expansion strategy |url=https://www.furnituretoday.com/retail/ballard-designs-unveils-new-concept-to-fuel-multi-state-expansion-strategy/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Furniture Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lauren |first=Amanda |title=The Past, Present And Future Of Ballard Designs |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandalauren/2023/01/18/the-past-present-and-future-of-ballard-designs/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Forbes |language=en}}), Oak Brook, Illinois,{{Cite web |date=2018-11-01 |title=Ballard Designs Meets The Windy City |url=https://patch.com/illinois/oak-brook/ballard-designs-meets-windy-city |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Oak Brook, IL Patch |language=en}} King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Natick, Massachusetts, Atlanta, Georgia (the company's flagship store opened here in 2018),{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/07/10/first-look-at-ballard-designs-new-flagship-store.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}{{Cite web |title=flagship-ballard-designs-new-flagship-store.html |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/06/21/flagship-ballard-designs-new-flagship-store.html |access-date=2018-08-02 |website=www.bizjournals.com}} Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Denver, Colorado, Tysons Corner, Virginia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/top-shelf/2016/03/tysons-national-harbor-land-first-to-market.html|title=Tysons lands first-to-market retailer, another Carhartt store and other retail news|last=Cooper|first=Rebecca|date=Mar 16, 2016|publisher=Washington Business Journal|website=American City Business Journals|access-date=2018-08-02}} Garden City, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina,{{Cite news|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/whats-in-store/article149662889.html|title=New store coming this fall to SouthPark mall|work=charlotteobserver|access-date=2018-08-02|language=en}} Nashville, Tennessee,{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Holly |title=Ballard Designs Nashville Opens in Time for the Holidays |url=https://www.nfocusmagazine.com/homes-interiors/ballard-designs-nashville-opens-in-time-for-the-holidays/article_2bc3a54f-777a-5c2c-b141-78f06da5eb53.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Nfocus |date=18 November 2020 |language=en}} and four in Texas (Dallas,{{Cite web |title=Ballard Designs opening stores in Texas {{!}} Furniture Today |url=http://furnituretoday.com/article/553551-ballard-designs-opening-stores-texas/ |access-date=2018-08-02 |website=furnituretoday.com|date=9 May 2018 }}{{cite web |title=Retail & Outlet Locations |url=http://www.ballarddesigns.com/BallardDesigns/US/CustomerService/store-locations/content-path |work=Ballard Designs |accessdate=14 June 2017}}{{Cite news |date=2018-05-03 |title=Ballard Designs, a popular home furnishings catalog, is the latest new brand to open Texas stores |language=en |work=Dallas News |url=https://dallasnews.com/business/retail/2018/05/03/ballard-designs-popular-home-furnishings-catalog-open-texas-stores |access-date=2018-08-02}} Fort Worth{{Cite web |date=2018-05-09 |title=Ballard Designs opening stores in Texas |url=https://www.furnituretoday.com/business-news/ballard-designs-opening-stores-texas/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Furniture Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2018-05-03 |title=Ballard Designs, a popular home furnishings catalog, is the latest new brand to open Texas stores |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2018/05/03/ballard-designs-a-popular-home-furnishings-catalog-is-the-latest-new-brand-to-open-texas-stores/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Dallas News |language=en}}, Houston,{{Cite web |date=2021-03-23 |title=Ballard Designs Opens First Houston Location |url=https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/retail-store-design/ballard-designs-opens-first-houston-location |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Retail TouchPoints |language=en-US}} and Austin{{Cite web |last=Duff |first=Mike |date=2023-01-20 |title=Ballard Designs Opens Austin Store, Number Four in Texas |url=https://www.homepagenews.com/retail-articles/ballard-designs-opens-austin-store-number-four-in-texas/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=HomePage News |language=en-US}}). There are also three outlet stores: one near its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, one near its distribution center in West Chester, Ohio, and a third in Louisville, Kentucky.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2020/11/13/three-retailers-opening-pop-up-st-matthews.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=www.bizjournals.com}} The company's Margate, Florida outlet closed in 2020. Other locations are slated to open in 2024 including Greenville, South Carolina.{{Cite web |date=2010-10-21 |title=Retail Profile: Ballard Designs |url=https://www.homeaccentstoday.com/industry-news/retail-profile-ballard-designs-2/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Home Accents Today |language=en-US}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Ballard Designs
| formation = 1983
| logo = BallardDesigns SiteLogo.svg
| headquarters = 1670 Defoor Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318-7562
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Karen Mooney
| website = https://www.ballarddesigns.com
}}
History
Ballard Designs was founded in 1983 {{cite news|last=Leslie|first=Katie|title=Ballard Designs Celebrates 25 Years of Offbeat Home Décor|url=http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/08/10/ballard_decor_25th_anniversary.html|accessdate=7 February 2012|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=August 10, 2008}} by Helen Ballard. Ballard got her start in the retail industry after winning Metropolitan Home magazine's home decorating contest. When the photos of her Ansley Park condo were published, more than 500 readers contacted the magazine asking where they could buy Ballard's furniture and accessories, especially a dolphin-based table. A year later, Ballard quit her job, sold her home and started Ballard Designs.{{Cite news |last=Brewer |first=Daryln |date=1987-07-30 |title=WHERE TO FIND IT; Architectural Details |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/30/garden/where-to-find-it-architectural-details.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |issn=0362-4331}} The first catalog was a two-page black-and-white brochure featuring a replica of the dolphin-based table from her home. It became Ballard Designs' first big seller.
In 1996 Ballard Designs merged with Cornerstone Brands, publisher of several home and apparel catalogs, including Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Smith+Noble. Cornerstone Brands was acquired by IAC/InterActive Corp in 2005 and later became a subsidiary of HSN, Inc. In 2007, Ballard Designs opened its first retail store in Tampa and expanded less than a year later to Jacksonville.{{cite news|last=Del Franco|first=Mark|title=Ballard Designs Opens First Store|url=http://multichannelmerchant.com/catalog/ballard-store-07232007/|accessdate=7 February 2012|newspaper=MultiChannel Merchant|date=July 23, 2007}}
Ballard continued to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Ballard Designs until she retired in 2002. She also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Cornerstone Brands.{{cite web|title=Helen Ballard Weeks|url=https://people.forbes.com/profile/helen-ballard-weeks/61159|work=Forbes|accessdate=7 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408233008/http://people.forbes.com/profile/helen-ballard-weeks/61159|archive-date=8 April 2012|url-status=dead}}
In 2010, the company partnered with designer Suzanne Kasler{{Cite web |last=DECOR |first=The Editors of ELLE |date=2021-06-03 |title=It's Here: The ELLE DECOR A-List 2021 |url=https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/a36533061/a-list-2021/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=ELLE Decor |language=en-US}} to create its first designer collection.{{Cite web|url=http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/352930-suzanne-kasler-for-ballard-designs-collection-to-debut-in-august|title=Suzanne Kasler for Ballard Designs collection to debut in August {{!}} Home Accents Today|website=www.homeaccentstoday.com|date=27 May 2010 |access-date=2017-06-29}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082404721.html|title=Ballard Designs, a different kind of catalogue|last=Sapienza|first=Terri|newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2010-08-26|access-date=2018-08-02|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} In December 2012, Ballard Designs launched the Ballard+ app, an augmented reality shopping application developed by Marxent Labs which allows consumers to interact with the Ballard Designs catalog using their iOS device.{{cite news |title=Marxent launches "tap-to-buy" catalog app |author=Dave Larsen |url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/business/marxent-launches-tap-to-buy-catalog-app/nTZXJ/ |work=Dayton Daily News |date=22 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041845/http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/business/marxent-launches-tap-to-buy-catalog-app/nTZXJ/ |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead |accessdate=29 October 2020}} The app has since been discontinued{{cite web|title=Order Information|url=http://www.ballarddesigns.com/order-info/content|work=Ballard Designs|accessdate=7 February 2012}} and replaced with an online 3D room planning tool enabling customers to see what Ballard Designs products will look like in their space. In 2014, renowned interior designer and entertaining expert, Bunny Williams,{{Cite web |date=2015-11-18 |title=Bunny Williams |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/bunny-williams-inc-ad100 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}} became the second major designer to offer a signature collection under the Ballard Designs brand.{{Cite news|url=http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/bunny-williams-for-ballard-designs-article|title=Bunny Williams Launches a New Collection for Ballard Designs {{!}} Architectural Digest|work=Architectural Digest|access-date=2017-06-29|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/bunny-williams-and-ballard-designs-join-forces/2014/09/30/2acbca26-4430-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html|title=Bunny Williams and Ballard Designs join forces|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2017-06-29}}{{Cite web |date=2014-07-31 |title=Bunny Williams Launches a New Collection for Ballard Designs |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/bunny-williams-for-ballard-designs-article |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}} Internationally noted designer Miles Redd{{Cite web|url=http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/544640-designer-miles-redd-launches-furniture-collection-ballard-design|title=Designer Miles Redd launches furniture collection with Ballard Designs {{!}} Furniture Today|website=www.furnituretoday.com|date=13 July 2017 |access-date=2018-08-02}} was welcomed by the brand in 2017 with a collection of furniture and accessories inspired by classic architecture and old Hollywood.{{Cite web |date=2017-11-17 |title=Best of Atlanta 2017: Hometown chain: Ballard Designs |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/bestofatlanta/hometown-chain-ballard-designs/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Atlanta Magazine |language=en-US}} That same year, Ballard's parent company, HSN Inc., was acquired by Liberty Interactive, owner of QVC Home Shopping Network. Liberty Interactive was renamed Qurate Retail Group in 2018.
Today, Ballard Designs circulates more than 19 million catalogs annually, operates an e-commerce website, and maintains a decorating blog and podcast under the name, How To Decorate.{{Cite news|url=http://www.atlantamagazine.com/bestofatlanta/hometown-chain-ballard-designs/|title=Best of Atlanta 2017: Hometown chain: Ballard Designs|date=2017-11-17|work=Atlanta Magazine|access-date=2018-08-02|language=en-US}} Since its premiere in October 2016, the podcast as recorded more than 290 episodes featuring leading designers, taste makers, and the latest trends in interior design.{{Cite web |last1=Kirby |first1=Nathalie |last2=Keller |first2=Hadley |date=2020-09-14 |title=16 Design Podcasts You Should Be Listening to |url=https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/fun-at-home/g30274545/best-design-podcasts/ |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=House Beautiful |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.ballarddesigns.com/}}