Will returning workers have office furniture to go back to?
Office furniture company Herman Miller is scheduled to release its quarterly earnings report today. As companies reopen offices, getting the facilities ready might not be as simple as dusting off the desks  because there might not be desks left to dust. Dave Marcotte with Kantar Consulting said many companies sold their furniture last year. They all loaded up on cash as quickly as possible to have a buffer for uncertain times, he said. With supply chain issues, Marcotte said securing new furniture to replace the old may be expensive and slow. But, he adds, returning to the building may be enough for some workers. I dont even think they need furniture to make people excited to go back to the office  if they just throw out throw pillows, he said. But assuming workers do need somewhere to sit, some companies are finding cheaper options. More people are coming in with the intention of buying used furniture just because its so much less expensive, said Eric Goldman, who owns Advanced Liquidators in Los Angeles. Goldman said hes happily selling furniture back to the same companies he bought from last year.