Hayneedle

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Hayneedle, Inc.
Private
Industry eCommerce, Online shopping
Founded 2002
Founder Doug Nielsen, Julie Mahloch, Mark Hasebroock
Headquarters Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Key people
 Jon Barker (President & CEO)
Number of employees
 500+
Website hayneedle.com

Hayneedle is an online retail company based in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The company owns and operates hayneedle.com, an online specialty store with a focus on home products. Hayneedle currently employs over 500 people in the Omaha Metro area, Monroe, Ohio, and Riverside, California.

History

Hayneedle began in 2002 with a single store, Hammocks.com. Over the next few years, the company opened more online stores, each focused on one particular type of product, developing a portfolio of sites focused on home and patio furnishings. In 2005, the company unified under the name NetShops, and continued its category expansion. By acquiring Duluth, Minn.-based Thralow, Inc. in 2006, the company gained properties Telescopes.com and Binoculars.com, and underwent an internal restructuring.[1] 2007 saw another corporate restructuring, more niche website expansion, and the acquisition of GiftBaskets.com. By this time, NetShops had launched and operated hundreds of online specialty shops.

In 2009, the company rebranded as Hayneedle.[2] The company's website, hayneedle.com, is positioned as the place to find everything home, collecting many products and categories into one online aggregator store. In the spring of 2014, all of the sites previously in operation under Hayneedle, Inc. were rolled into hayneedle.com.

On October 15, 2010, Hayneedle opened The Foundary, a website for limited-time sales of home products from designer brands. The site featured a limited-time, limited-quantity format, with 3 to 4 sales launching per day, each typically lasting 72 hours. The Foundary was a members-only website; membership was free. In 2013, The Foundary shifted emphasis and merged with Hayneedle to form the first Stylist in hayneedle.com's Style Gallery. The Style Gallery at hayneedle.com serves as a space for curated collections of furnishings and housewares focused on a number of different styles, each of which is categorized under a specific Stylist. Collections vary, but many reflect current trends within the marketplace and are intended to provide a convenient shopping experience as well as inspiration.

Leadership and Changes

The current President and CEO of Hayneedle is Jon Barker, who, in 2014, officially took over for Doug Nielsen, one of the original founders, along with partners Julie Mahloch and Mark Hasebroock.[3] Nielsen was at the helm from the company's inception until 2007, when Carter Cast, formerly of BlueNile and Walmart.com, served as CEO during the brand relaunch. The Hayneedle executive team expanded and changed throughout the brand transition from 2007 to 2009. In 2010 Nielsen and Cast exchanged roles, with Nielsen resuming control of day-to-day operations for all of Hayneedle.[4] In April 2014, it was announced that Jon Barker, formerly the Chief Operations Officer for Hayneedle, would be succeeding Nielsen as President and CEO. Nielsen currently maintains an active role with the company as Chairman of the Board.

Hayneedle has gone through a number of internal changes, hiring and laying off employees in keeping with business and economic climates, but has experienced double-digit growth over the course of its history (needs reference). Hayneedle's Customer Care Center and photo studio are based in Omaha. Hayneedle currently operates two fulfillment centers, one in Monroe, Ohio,[5] and the other, which began operating in 2013, in Riverside, Calif. The company has hired over 100 people per year since 2010, currently employing over 500 people across its locations. (needs reference).

Hayneedle is privately held and funded by Insight Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital.

Ratings and Media

Hayneedle, as NetShops Inc., has been a Nebraska Better Business Bureau accredited business since 2002 and currently holds an "A+" rating with the BBB.[6] The BBB processed a total of 157 complaints about this company in the last 36 months (as of 12/28/15), the standard BBB reporting period. All of these complaints have been closed, including 30 in the last 12 months.[7]

The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce named Hayneedle (then known as NetShops) one of "Omaha's Best Places to Work" in 2005 and 2006, and awarded Hayneedle the "Excellence in Business Award" in 2007 and 2008. No references exist to substantiate these claims.

Internet Retailer's Top 500 list placed Hayneedle (as NetShops) at #104 based on online gross revenue in 2007, and in 2008 they named Hayneedle (as NetShops) the 15th largest mass merchant on the web based on total web sales, and the 82nd largest retailer. In 2007 and 2008, Internet Retailer Magazine named Hayneedle (as NetShops) one of their Top 100 best internet retailers.[8] Hayneedle ranked #69 in 2010, #77 in 2011, and #85 in 2012 on the magazine's Top 500 Internet Retailers list.[9] Hayneedle dropped to position 95 for the Housewares/Home Furnishings category in 2015 [10]

Inc.com, the website for Inc. magazine, listed Hayneedle (as NetShops) at #13 on its "5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America" list in 2006 and #154 in 2007. Hayneedle (as NetShops) also ranked at #5 for all online retail companies in 2007. No references exist to substantiate these claims. In 2015 they did not make the list [11]

Hayneedle was named on Internet Retailer's Hot 100 list of online merchants in 2009.- no reference to substantiate this claim exists.

More recently, in December 2013, both Internet Retailer and LightningBuy ranked hayneedle.com's mobile shopping experience, m.hayneedle.com, Number 2 on the List of Hot 100 E-Retailers for 2014 and Top 100 Online Retailers, respectively. Hayneedle is also currently listed as #84 on Internet Retailer's list of the Top 500 Retailers. No reference exists to substantiate this claim.

Online the company has taken severe criticism on many online platforms for poor customer service with average ratings significantly below average for the retailer and for the sector overall. Complaints vary from the slow or poor processing of cancellations, poor customer service and refunds. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

They are currently being sued for patent infringement [17] They were also previously sued for a wrongful death involving a crib [18]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20061116005849/en/Internet-Retailer-NetShops-Acquires-Binoculars.com-Telescopes.com
  2. ↑ http://www.omaha.com/article/20090812/MONEY/708129984
  3. ↑ http://www.hayneedleinc.com/about-us/history
  4. ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hayneedle-executives-shuffle-roles-105280688.html
  5. ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hayneedlecom-cuts-ribbon-on-new-distribution-center-in-monroe-on-thursday-july-15-2010-98253684.html
  6. ↑ http://www.bbb.org/nebraska/business-reviews/internet-shopping/hayneedle-in-omaha-ne-104009872
  7. ↑ http://www.bbb.org/nebraska/business-reviews/internet-shopping/hayneedle-in-omaha-ne-104009872/complaints
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ http://www.internetretailer.com/top500/list/
  10. ↑ http://www.top500guide.com/company-search/?company=Hayneedle%20Inc.
  11. ↑ http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2015/
  12. ↑ http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/hayneedle.html
  13. ↑ http://www.yelp.com/biz/hayneedle-omaha
  14. ↑ http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.hayneedle.com
  15. ↑ http://hayneedle.pissedconsumer.com
  16. ↑ https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.hayneedle.com
  17. ↑ https://www.patexia.com/lawsuits/Shipping-and-Transit-LLC-v-Hayneedle-Inc-id-64357
  18. ↑ http://www.jacksonallenfirm.com/Blog/2011/January/Lawsuit-Filed-Against-Deadliest-Crib-Seller-Simp.aspx

External links

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