Dive Brief:
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Modern furniture manufacturer Herman Miller last week announced it is buying one of its best retailers, Design Within Reach, for $154 million.
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With the acquisition, Herman Miller will have a retail channel that will no doubt increase Design Within Reach’s array of Herman Miller designs, which include those of modernist icons like Ray and Charles Eames and Herman Miller’s George Nelson.
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Design Within Reach operates 38 stores, a print catalog, and a retail website.
Dive Insight:
This move likely makes sense for both Herman Miller and Design Within Reach, say observers. Herman Miller now has retail reach it can control directly as it works to move beyond office interiors into private homes. And Design Within Reach has more heft to better weather retail’s choppy waters.
