Wayfair is the U.S. online furniture retailer founded as CSN Stores.
Entrepreneurs Niraj Shah and Steve Conine founded the business in Boston in 2002. Its original name, CSN Stores, came from the founders’ initials. The company began with a niche website selling media stands and storage furniture, then rapidly added patio goods, garden products, décor, lighting, luggage, and other home categories.
By 2011, CSN Stores operated more than 200 specialized online shops. To concentrate traffic under one brand, the founders rebranded the company as Wayfair and launched Wayfair.com on September 1, 2011. The consolidation made Wayfair a broad home-goods destination rather than a collection of narrowly focused stores. Overstock, Houzz, and Chewy are also online retailers, but they do not represent the company formerly known as CSN Stores; Chewy specializes in pet products, while Houzz focuses on home design and services.