Meet&CoDETROIT — Floyd, the direct-to-consumer modular furniture brand, continues to grow its partnership with Top 100 retailer Gardner White, marking the launch of a third shop-in-shop at the retailer’s Canton, Michigan location. This collaboration adds to their existing setups in the GW Home store in downtown Detroit and Gardner White’s Hall Road store in Shelby Township.
Floyd co-founder Kyle Hoff shared that the concept of a physical retail presence had been in the works for some time. “We’ve been building the business for 12 years, and having a physical presence was the next evolution,” he said. The company wanted to introduce the “Floyd experience” in a pragmatic way, which led to conversations with Gardner White CEO Rachel Stewart over the past year.
Image source: https://floydhome.com/
Stewart, who leads the 113-year-old Detroit-based retailer, appreciated the shared commitment to storytelling and local roots. The new Floyd display spans 900 square feet and showcases the full range of the brand’s modular products, including sofas, chairs, storage, and a bed frame. A key feature of the store is the Floyd newsstand, which provides visitors with a deeper look into the brand’s origins and product lineup.
Although Floyd has successfully reached its customers online, co-founder Alex O’Dell explained that many of their core audience — individuals in their late 20s and 30s — still prefer to experience good design firsthand in a store setting. The in-store presence also gives the brand a chance to test new products, such as a lounge chair based on their sectional design.
The partnership has allowed Floyd to expand its reach, and Hoff noted that it provides an opportunity to engage both new and existing customers. “How do we get in front of people? This helps answer that question,” he said.
For Gardner White, this marks the first time they’ve partnered with a DTC furniture brand, although they’ve previously carried DTC mattress brands like Purple and Casper. Stewart emphasized the ease of collaboration, citing the complementary nature of their Midwestern backgrounds and Floyd’s engaging brand story.
Under the traditional retail model, Gardner White manages the inventory and order fulfillment. Hoff described the process as “fun and exciting” and mentioned how the team was eager to learn more about Floyd’s products, noting the difference from selling online. O’Dell added that their training videos, shot on an iPhone, have been well-received by the Gardner White sales staff.
While Floyd has explored retail partnerships before with brands like West Elm and pop-up stores, this collaboration with Gardner White represents a more focused approach to physical retail. O’Dell said, “We found there’s a big opportunity here” and expressed excitement about the future of retail.
Looking ahead, Hoff stated that the plan is to continue evolving this model, with the possibility of expanding to new areas as they see fit. “There are exciting things ahead,” he said.
