Restoration Hardware: Climbing the Luxury Mountain

Business Breakdowns

This is Matt Reustle and today we are breaking down Restoration Hardware. The average person would call RH a furniture company but RH is a company where the CEO feels as important as the business, and CEO Gary Friedman has aspirations well beyond selling furniture.

To break down RH, I'm joined by Drew Cohen of Speedwell Research. You may remember Drew from our breakdown of Floor & Decor. We cover how Gary Friedman took Restoration Hardware from the brink of bankruptcy and has built it into a brand with luxury aspirations. We go deep on the business model, why has RH been leaning into this in person experience despite a massive e-commerce boom, the reality of interior designers, inventory management, and orchestrating a supply chain when you sell monstrous couches. There's a lot to talk about here. It's a fascinating business with a fascinating person sitting at the middle of it. Please enjoy this breakdown of RH.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. 

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Show Notes

(00:02:27) - (First question) - Restoration Hardware’s relevance in the market

(00:04:37) - The origin story of Restoration Hardware

(00:07:58) - Insight into Gary Friedman’s backstory and his entry into RH

(00:09:52) - The current RH business model and how Gary has shaped that over time 

(00:17:14) - Their unique

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