Design Within Reach : Strategic Analysis and Recommendations

In 2009, problems at Design Within Reach reached a critical mass. Under CEO Ray Brunner, known more for his antics and wild management style than his success, the company unraveled the close ties to the design world that had made it such a successsince its founding in 1999. These issues, coupled with the burst of the housing bubble, destroyed the company’s financial structure, and in 2009 DWR delisted from the NASDAQ, to be purchased by Glenhill Capital, a private equity firm.