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Gabbert's

Mentioned 8 times across 1 podcast this week

This Week's Pulse

John Gabbert recently recounted the Gabbert's family business transition, detailing how he attempted to overhaul the company’s traditional manufacturing and retail model. On How I Built This with Guy Raz, John Gabbert described his early efforts to modernize the firm: "I started changing things at Gabbert's and I found little, little openings, right?" he said, noting his search for new, vertically integrated manufacturing partnerships.

The operational friction within Gabbert's eventually led to a major strategic split. Guy Raz highlighted the tension caused by John Gabbert's exposure to IKEA, asking: "You were seeing, at Gabbert's, you were seeing stuff that was, that, uh, I guess sounds like you didn't really like a lot of the stuff that was being sold."

The internal resolution involved a legal and personal struggle over the future of the company’s assets. John Gabbert explained his final proposal to his father: "I went back to him with the proposal that I would buy what was then Room & Board as a division of Gabbert's." The narrative serves as a stark look at the difficulty of modernizing legacy retail operations, a challenge that continues to define family-run businesses today.

Where it's discussed

Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant

How I Built This with Guy Raz

John Gabbertneutralfrom “The Origins of Room & Board and the Gabbert Family Conflict”

The family-owned furniture business that John Gabbert sought to modernize and eventually take over.

“Yeah, I... You know, it's... What happened, though, is I started changing things at Gabbert's and I found little, little openings, right? So I found a New England manufacturer that wasn't doing all that great, and they were really interested in a true partners…”

John Gabbertneutralfrom “The Separation of Room & Board from Gabbert's”

The original family furniture business that John Gabbert left to pursue his own venture.

“So I, I, I went to my attorney, and he said, "Well, this is the deal. It's, it's a clear document. It will take two to three years, but you could win in court if that's what you wanna do. But let's talk about what some of the other options are." Um, so, uh, my…”

Guy Razneutralfrom “The Influence of IKEA on John Gabbert's Retail Philosophy”

The furniture retail company managed by John Gabbert where he initially struggled with the traditional manufacturer-led supply chain.

“Okay, so you have, uh, this trip to Europe, you see IKEA, and you come back to the US, and you're running Gabbert's. And you were seeing, at Gabbert's, you were seeing stuff that was, that, uh, I guess sounds like you didn't really like a lot of the stuff that…”

John Gabbertneutralfrom “John Gabbert's Business Evolution and Family Estrangement”

The family business from which John Gabbert split.

“I don't think I had doubts about my choice at Gabbert's, the initial choice, right? I, I, I knew that was the right thing to do. Um, I certainly started having doubts about the focus on those different businesses, and, and that's when I really... It was about …”

John Gabbertnegativefrom “Room & Board: ESOP Transition and Family Dynamics”

The original family furniture business that John Gabbert left, which later struggled under his brother's leadership.

“And it was made more complicated becauseHe struggled running Gabbard's, to be honest.”

Guy Razneutralfrom “The Origins of Room & Board”

The original family furniture business where John Gabbert worked before starting his own company.

“tension, and that tension would eventually lead to a decade-long family estrangement. John walked away from the family business and bought out a small experimental division he had created inside of it. He called it Room & Board, and over the next two decades, …”

Guy Razneutralfrom “The Origins of Room & Board”

The family furniture business where John Gabbert worked before starting his own company.

“Many, if not most businesses we profile on this show started with an insight that the founder or founders translated into opportunity. And for John Gabbert, that insight happened on a trip to Sweden. It was the early 1970s, and on that visit, he walked into a …”

Guy Razneutralfrom “Design Influences and the Origins of Room & Board”

A furniture store chain in Minnesota that represented the traditional style Gabbert moved away from.

“So, so the, the design pieces from Vermont, what did those look like? I mean, did that... How would you describe that look? Because I think you were going for a very different kind of look than a Gabbert's or a store like... And probably most furniture stores …”