Haverty Furniture at Small-Cap Virtual Conference: design drives growth

On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Haverty Furniture Companies (HVT) spoke at the Small-Cap Virtual Conference about their business growth, despite a challenging retail environment. The presentation highlighted solid same-store sales, higher ticket values, and increasing demand for design services. The company's same-store sales rose by 8% in the second quarter, continuing a trend of four straight quarters of positive sales.

Design services became the main growth engine, with design-related sales making up 36.5% of revenue and average design tickets reaching nearly $8,800. Despite rising costs in fuel, freight, and tariffs, Haverty maintained a strong gross margin of 60.5% to 61%. The company aims to reach 133 stores by the end of 2024 and intends to add about five new stores annually.

Long-term goals include low-single-digit comparable sales growth, double-digit pre-tax margins, and $1 billion in annual revenue. Management emphasized that design services present a significant growth opportunity, with the rate potentially rising to 25% to 30%. Design-related revenue represented 36.5% of second-quarter sales, with an average ticket of $8,800 compared to the company-wide average of $3,800. The firm's focus on design services is driving its business and differentiating it in the market.