Jordan’s Furniture drives 25% e-commerce growth

At a glance:

• Retail/ Furniture & Home
• B2C
• Enterprise
• East Taunton, MA. US

+25%

E-commerce growth

100%

Centralized data

80%

Faster updates

Summary

Jordan’s Furniture, a 100-year-old U.S. retailer known for immersive in-store experiences, achieved 25% e-commerce sales growth within one quarter after deploying Inriver to unify product data and modernize its digital foundation.

Transitioning from a founder-led to a brand-led organization, Jordan’s recognized the need to bridge its physical and digital experiences. Previously reliant on fragmented systems, spreadsheets, and disconnected workflows, the company lacked a single source of truth for its complex product ecosystem. Inriver became that foundation—centralizing product data, automating enrichment, and replacing manual tasks with intelligent, AI-driven workflows.

The result: faster product launches, stronger collaboration, and an online experience that mirrors the trust, detail, and personality of its iconic showrooms.

Outcomes: 

• 25% e-commerce sales increase in the first quarter after implementation
• Centralized product data into one unified platform, improving efficiency and governance
• 80% faster enrichment and publishing via Inriver Table View
• AI-powered Inspire automated copy enrichment and optimized product naming for SEO
• Improved cross-team collaboration and customer service response times
• Translated in-store “shoppertainment” into a rich, digital shopping experience

The challenge

Jordan’s Furniture, a beloved 100-year-old brand renowned for its unique in-store experiences, faced a significant challenge as it sought to modernize its digital presence. As the company transitioned from a founder-led to a brand-led organization, it recognized the urgent need to bridge the gap between its immersive physical stores and its online e-commerce platform. “Jordan’s is at an inflection point. We need to catch up on our digital presence,” explained Bob Land, Senior Vice President of e-commerce. 

The late start in adopting e-commerce was a critical hurdle and an opportunity to accelerate growth and sales revenue rapidly. “We were late to the game in launching our eCommerce platform, and we just put our existing showroom info online. It wasn’t enough content for the digital shopper,” admitted Melissa Golden, Digital Product Content Specialist. The online experience lacked the depth and richness of information that customers needed to make confident purchasing decisions. Unlike in-store shoppers who could rely on knowledgeable salespeople and hands-on interactions, online customers had to depend solely on product information.  

“Within one quarter, e-commerce sales were already up 25% year over year.”

– Bob Land

SVP of e-commerce, Jordan’s Furniture 

“The online customer for Jordan’s doesn’t have the luxury of sitting on a sofa or lying on a mattress. They don’t have a showroom; they don’t have a salesperson to educate them. What we have online is product information. That’s our salesperson,” Golden emphasized. However, the existing product data was insufficient, often consisting of raw, abbreviated, and internal language directly from manufacturers, which was neither customer-friendly nor optimized for online shopping. 

Compounding the issue was Jordan’s lack of a centralized system for managing product data. The company relied on disparate systems, manually maintained spreadsheets, and siloed processes across multiple teams. “The data that we’re handling for our products comes from multiple sources and multiple teams within the organization. Our merchandising team organizes information directly from manufacturers. We assemble the samples in-house at our warehouse, and that team handles parts information and assembly instructions. We have a separate photo studio where we’re photographing products as soon as they arrive. Then we have our marketing team that is using the products in campaigns and ads,” Golden explained. This fragmented approach not only slowed down workflows but also created inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the data. “It’s been very time-consuming to try and reach out to different departments to gather information,” Golden added. 

The absence of a single source of truth for product data further exacerbated the problem. “When I first joined, nobody could show me a complete map of our systems. I had finance pull a list of who was billing us just to piece it all together,” Land recalled. This disconnected ecosystem led to duplicated solutions, overlapping functionality, and a lack of visibility into the data flow.  

“Product information is like our central nervous system. For any digital transformation that I’ve done in my career, it starts with the data,” Land noted. Without mastering and streamlining product data, Jordan’s could not effectively replicate its in-store experience online or build the foundation for future digital initiatives. 

“Product information is like our central nervous system. For any digital transformation, it starts with the data.” 

Bob Land

SVP E-commerce, Jordan’s Furniture

Another challenge was translating Jordan’s signature “shoppertainment” experience into the digital realm. The physical stores, with their ropes courses, climbing walls, and musical fountains, offered a sensory-rich environment that delighted customers. “The data is super important for us to try and translate the in-store experience online,” Land explained. However, creating an engaging online presence that mirrored the brand’s unique identity required more than just functional improvements—it demanded innovation and creativity. 

Internally, the company also faced cultural and operational challenges, particularly with data and workflow. Vendor data about products wasn’t complete and not available fast enough. Other teams didn’t know that the new product photos were being taken or were ready. Then, a bottleneck surfaced when dozens of products were prepared all at once to be loaded onto the website. This disjointed workflow hindered productivity and negatively impacted team morale. 

As Jordan’s sought to overcome these challenges, the stakes were high. The company needed to maintain its reputation for exceptional customer experiences while evolving to meet the demands of the digital age. “We really know how to do retail, and we do it really, really well. But we also know that there’s more,” said Michael Tatelman, Co-CEO. The goal was clear: to create an online platform that was not just functional but truly representative of Jordan’s brand, enabling the company to serve both eCommerce-focused customers and those who valued the in-store experience. “Our website and our e-commerce business have to represent who we really are. And that’s been challenging,” Tatelman acknowledged. 

The solution

To address its digital challenges and modernize its e-commerce platform, Jordan’s Furniture turned to Inriver as a key partner in its digital transformation. After conducting a comprehensive vendor audit, the company decided to replace nearly every system except its Product Information Management (PIM) system, reaffirming its partnership with Inriver. “One outcome of our vendor audit was that we’re replacing everything except the PIM system. Inriver is the partner we want making this journey with us,” said Land. 

Centralizing product data in Inriver became the foundation for Jordan’s efforts to begin to replicate its immersive in-store experience online. By consolidating data from multiple teams and systems, Inriver serves as the single source of truth, streamlining workflows and fostering cross-functional collaboration.  

“It’s our one source of truth. It is where we streamline all of our product information, and it’s where our team can access all the information in one centralized location to help improve efficiencies amongst all of our teams in the organization.”

Melissa Golden

Digital Product Content Specialist, Jordan’s Furniture

One of the first steps Jordan’s took was to engage with Inriver’s team to develop a tailored action plan. “We reached out to the Inriver team, and they helped us put together an action plan to learn how to use the platform for our day-to-day usage, and introduce tools that will help us improve efficiency and save time. We’ve been able to move away from manually maintained spreadsheets,” said Golden.  

This collaborative approach energized the team and laid the groundwork for a new way of working. “The level of client engagement from Inriver was outstanding. The team is energized. You can tell. It’s all about excitement and what we can do,” added Land. 

Inriver’s tools played a critical role in streamlining processes that were previously tedious and time-consuming. For example, the merchandising team, which had been manually entering manufacturer data into multiple systems, could now upload it directly to Inriver. “Our merchandising team can drop manufacturer data directly into Inriver instead of manually entering it in multiple systems. That efficiency has been a huge selling point internally,” said Golden. This automation saved time and improved data accuracy, enabling the eCommerce team to verify and enrich product information more effectively. 

The introduction of Inriver’s Table View tool further enhanced productivity. This feature allowed teams to manage multiple SKUs simultaneously, applying updates across products with just a few clicks. Golden shared a specific example: “We had a large batch of about 50 rugs that had come in and were ready to go online. Using Table View within Inriver, I was able to apply multiple data points to multiple SKUs at the same time. It would have taken me about a week to get through all of that data. And I was able to do it in one day using Table View.” That’s an 80% time savings for one common task. 

Inriver’s AI capabilities also proved to be a game-changer for Jordan’s as it worked to enrich its product data and improve the online customer experience. “We’re using Inriver Inspire to help in multiple aspects of our product enrichment,” said Golden. For instance, Inspire enabled the team to transform dense product descriptions into easy-to-read bullet points, making information more digestible for customers.

“One of the ways that we’re using Inriver to really catch up with Inspire is that now we can put a paragraph of product information in and get a whole list of bullet points out that are prioritized based on rules that we’ve set. It’s really helped us catch up in ways that were not possible in the past.”

Bob Land

SVP E-commerce, Jordan’s Furniture

Inspire also allowed Jordan’s to address a long-standing issue with product naming conventions. For decades, the company had labeled certain products, such as coffee tables, using industry-standard terms like “cocktail tables.” However, customer search data revealed that most people were searching for “coffee tables,” creating a disconnect that hindered discoverability.  

“Inriver’s Inspire tool has really helped us improve the customer experience overall. We just used Inspire to replace all product names with cocktail table and make them coffee table. And it was instant,” said Land. This simple yet powerful adjustment aligned product data with customer expectations, enhanced search engine optimization (SEO), and improved the overall shopping experience. 

Beyond improving workflows and enriching product data, Inriver helped foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within Jordan’s. By eliminating “mini-PIMs” such as spreadsheets and siloed systems, the company encouraged teams to work together more effectively.  

“Inriver really kicked off a new way of working, where teams started collaborating more,” said Land. This shift streamlined operations and boosted team morale, as employees felt more empowered and engaged in their roles. 

“Our merchandising team can drop manufacturer data directly into Inriver instead of manually entering it in multiple systems. That efficiency has been a huge selling point internally.”

– Melissa Golden

Digital Product Content Specialist, Jordan’s Furniture

Ultimately, Inriver enabled Jordan’s to bridge the gap between its in-store and online experiences by mastering and presenting data in innovative ways. “It’s all about mastering the data and presenting it in non-traditional ways. Some questions customers ask don’t have an existing field, like whether a sofa is Roomba-friendly. We can just add it in Inriver,” explained Land. This flexibility ensured the company could adapt to evolving customer needs and continue delivering the exceptional service for which Jordan’s is known. 

By leveraging Inriver, Jordan’s Furniture successfully laid the foundation for its digital transformation, creating a scalable and efficient system that supports both its current operations and future growth. As Golden succinctly put it, “More product data in Inriver means more information for the customer and building that trust with the customer so that they know that they are buying the right product for them.” 

The result

Jordan’s Furniture quickly realized the measurable benefits of adopting Inriver as the cornerstone of its digital transformation, achieving both immediate wins and setting the stage for long-term success. The implementation of Inriver streamlined operations and directly impacted sales and customer satisfaction. One of the most notable achievements was the swift increase in e-commerce sales. “Within one quarter, e-commerce sales were already up 25% year over year,” said Land.  

Inriver significantly reduced the time and effort required for managing product data, freeing up resources for more strategic initiatives. This newfound efficiency expedited time-to-market and empowered the team to focus on enhancing the overall customer experience. 

The AI capabilities within Inriver proved to be transformative in addressing Jordan’s need for enriched and customer-friendly product data. These concise, digestible bullet points have made product information more accessible and engaging for online shoppers, aligning with Jordan’s goal of replicating its in-store experience in the digital space. 

Inriver also played a crucial role in improving operational efficiency and collaboration across teams. By centralizing product data, Jordan’s eliminated the reliance on manually maintained spreadsheets and siloed systems, fostering a more cohesive workflow. This shift streamlined processes but also enhanced team morale. “Our customer service team can open Inriver and quickly find resources, ultimately reducing call wait times for the customer,” said Golden. The ability to access accurate, comprehensive information in real-time empowers customer-facing teams to deliver better service, further enhancing the customer experience. 

Another significant outcome was the ability to align product data with customer search behavior, improving discoverability and SEO. Golden explained how Inriver Inspire addressed this issue: “We are using Inspire to do a one-time sweeping change throughout the system that will improve SEO and our search results, and ultimately help the customer find what they’re looking for.” This strategic use of data increased product visibility and ensured that customers can easily find what they are looking for and, therefore, convert sales faster and more consistently. 

The adoption of Inriver also marked a cultural shift within Jordan’s, as teams embraced new ways of working and collaborated more effectively. By eliminating fragmented workflows and creating a single source of truth, Inriver has empowered employees to take ownership of their roles and contribute to the company’s broader goals. “Change is scary. No one likes change. But it’s necessary, especially in an e-commerce environment. Things are constantly evolving. New technologies are coming out. And we need to embrace all of the new technologies, all the features that are available,” said Golden. 

Looking ahead, Jordan’s remains committed to leveraging Inriver to further enhance its digital capabilities and customer experience. “We’re a company that is always looking ahead. What can we do better? How can we challenge ourselves? How can we challenge our employees? How can we challenge our business partners? That’s what excites me. I know the future is bright for Jordan’s because we have an amazing team. We partner with the best people, and we are extremely passionate about coming to work every day,” said Tatelman. 

“I know the future is bright for Jordan’s because we have an amazing team. We partner with the best people, and we are extremely passionate about coming to work every day.”

Michael Tatelman

Co-CEO, Jordan’s Furniture

By embracing Inriver’s capabilities, Jordan’s Furniture has taken a big step to address its immediate challenges and establish a strong foundation for sustained growth and innovation. The results speak for themselves: faster time-to-market, improved data accuracy, enhanced customer satisfaction, boosts to employee morale and collaboration, and a 25% increase in e-commerce sales within just a few months. Inriver has become an integral part of Jordan’s journey to redefine its digital presence while staying true to its legacy of exceptional customer experiences.