City Furniture's Corporate Social Responsibility Program Reflects Rising Expectations for Companies to Do Well by Doing Good

With rising expectations for companies to "do well by doing good," brands are heading into 2020 challenged to embed purpose and values in every aspect of operations with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.

Though global corporations have long held the spotlight, today regional companies like Florida-based City Furniture are embracing next-generation CSR programs that invite consumers to hold them accountable for positively impacting people, communities and the environment. They're making a sound investment. Reputation Institute's recent CSR RepTrak study found that 91.4 percent of respondents said they would likely buy from a company with an excellent CSR program.

City Furniture, one of America's Top 100 furniture retailers, this week released its 2019 CSR report and 2020 goals, with innovative strategies and full transparency. The report documents how City Furniture is living its purpose ? to enrich people's lives and make the world a better place ? and making strides in key areas, from recruiting and customer satisfaction, to community support and environmental stewardship. The 47-year old, family-owned City Furniture has 33 stores and more than 2,000 associates.

"Being responsible corporate citizens drives our success on every level, and it's a commitment central to every decision we make today," said City Furniture President Andrew Koenig. "People want to do business with and work for companies that share their values and lead positive change. Being accountable and transparent, inside and outside of the company, is crucial to our future."

City Furniture's 2019 CSR report highlights progress in key areas:

Growing Diverse Talent, Advancing Careers

Innovative people approaches are strengthening the company's culture with a focus on diversity and inclusion, learning and development, and internal mobility and career growth.

• Growing its culture of life-long learning, City Furniture in 2019 invested more than $1 million to deliver more than 30,000 hours of training and development for associates, and invested $500,000 in employee recognition.
• A college recruitment program builds the leadership pipeline, tapping millennials and Gen Z -- groups particularly drawn to purpose-led brands and workplaces.
• With diversity a core value, City Furniture continues increasing its female and ethnic minority workforce, and actively recruits veterans.
• City Furniture also launched the Innovation Lab to build entrepreneurial spirit and spur the next "big ideas," and Moving Through Our City, an internal mobility program as the company expands throughout Florida.
• In addition to health insurance, a free on-site Health & Wellness Center at its corporate headquarters provides no-cost basic healthcare services to associates and their families.

Improving Communities, Giving Back

City Furniture boosted its long-standing commitment to community with a 5% Giving Pledge, dedicating a minimum five percent of net profits annually to build stronger communities.

• The company also supports a wide-range of organizations, from Covenant House, for which the retailer raised $100,000 in 2019, to Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, Junior Achievement and many more.
• The City Furniture team delivered more than 2,000 volunteer hours in 2019, provided 1,000 free beds for children in need, and teamed with the Miami Dolphins and Orlando Pride Soccer Club to honor veterans and first responders.

Leading "Green" Change

On track with its 2040 Green Promise to become carbon neutral, City Furniture is now running 100 percent of its truck delivery fleet on clean-running compressed natural gas (CNG), and has five Tesla Semi all-electric trucks on order. In addition:

• Facilities include an industry-leading eight LEED-certified "green" showrooms. Energy-efficient strategies with LED lighting, HVAC, etc. are saving 7.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, eliminating 11.2 million pounds of CO2 from being released.
• City Furniture now recycles 98 percent of waste at its own recycling center, which keeps 6 million pounds of waste out of landfills. The company recycled 5.5 million pounds of cardboard in 2019, and recycled 500,000 pounds of plastic to be repurposed into goods.
• The company has expanded offerings of eco-friendly home furnishings, such as the recently introduced Seattle line made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified, 100 percent reclaimed wood, and Oeko-Tex® certified, private label sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers manufactured with regard for the environment.

City Furniture operates 20 showrooms from Miami through Vero Beach, and in southwest and central Florida, as well as 13 Ashley Furniture showrooms as the brand's Southeast and Southwest Florida licensee. For information: www.cityfurniture.com.