HIGH POINT — One day after her one-year anniversary with the company, industry veteran Caroline Hipple has confirmed that she is no longer with Hooker Furnishings.
Hipple, who joined Hooker in April 2024 as chief creative officer, told Furniture Today that she and at least seven other employees received the news of their terminations yesterday.
Hooker officials offered insight into the decision, noting, “In response to continued headwinds in the home furnishings market, we’ve undertaken a strategic realignment to better position the organization for current business realities. As part of this realignment, we’ve made several personnel changes, including the departures of Caroline Hipple, Becky Weber and Scot Kanaly, along with certain supporting staff.”
“We appreciate the contributions of these individuals and wish them the best as they move forward with other opportunities,” said Jeremy Hoff, CEO.
Officials said that Hooker has also “reevaluated the company’s Customer Care strategy with a renewed focus on high-touch service for our retailers and interior design clients,” adding that “to better deliver the elevated, discreet service we expect to provide to our clients, we are transitioning design client support back into our office-based customer care organization. This will better ensure that we achieve our goals while also better supporting our sales representatives in the field.”
Although the outcome was not what she expected when she joined Hooker, Hipple said that she has enjoyed her time with the company and working with the Hooker team and that she is looking forward to working with design professionals again, including Weber, Kanaly and others.
“I loved the project of bringing together Collected Living and working on the Margaritaville collection, and I have a great relationship with Jeremy,” Hipple said. “Our team and all of the people at Hooker are wonderful.”
Hipple said that she feels Hoff had to make a difficult decision in a year that has been marked by economic uncertainty for many companies. “Jeremy is very good at making sure the company has a strong balance sheet to weather the economic storm. I feel this is a responsible move on Jeremy’s part.”
When asked what she anticipates for her next career move, Hipple said she feels there are opportunities that will emerge as a good fit.
“I am passionate about two things,” she said. “I like to help smaller companies become better, and I am passionate about the textile business. I see fabric selection as a competitive strategy and living in that space allows me to create innovative solutions that support market differentiation.”
Hipple will also continue her work with HB2 where her focus is on advising companies on their upholstery lines, creating transformative strategies and building company culture. Noting that the current business environment for the furniture industry is challenging, she said that she is nonetheless certain that new opportunities await.
“From creating a retail store in Shanghai to assisting masters of the textile world with their launches, I have had many experiences that have shaped my professional journey,” said Hipple. “I’m hanging out my HB2 shingle and also looking for something that will allow me to make a significant difference in someone’s company.”
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