Furniture Today - February 3, 2003

Premium looks and feel may be the alarm that awakens a segment of the industry that's been as flat as the surface of an extra-firm mattress. The segment is sofa-sleepers, a once-thriving business for upholstery producers that has been steadily fading. "The sleeper business has been on a decade-long decline," said Vernon Bigsby, vice president of marketing for Leggett mp; Pla...

• Bedding Today
• Will another Gulf war bring repeat of '91 results?

• Business Today
• Leggett & Platt earnings up 38.1% in 4Q
• Stanley 4Q sales increase 12.3%
• Sears Canada '02 earnings fall 44.5% despite stronger 4Q
• Financial results
• Firm has 8.88% stake in Natuzzi
• Dorel reduces forecast

• News
• Simmons: Sealy is following the leader
• BDO: Nov. factory orders up 2%
• Sealy flips to one-sided
• First Broyhill store to open in May
• Faig joins Butler Specialty
• Bay's 6th and largest store gets strong start
• Broyhill plans big WMC space
• Kathy Ireland leather line to debut at Tupelo market
• Canadian BR source sets RTA line
• W.S. Badcock promotes 4 to VPs
• Penney is buyer at The Bay
• Gallery's McIngvale makes Super Bowl pitch
• Obituaries
• Obituaries

• Opinion Today
• Lessons from the world's 2nd-largest furniture show

• People Today
• Wissman appointed VP at High Point Furniture
• John-Richard division taps St. Martin for sales VP post
• People on the Move
• People on the Move

• Special Report
• Valencia: 'There's nothing ordinary here'
• New products sport fusion of styles

• Store Openings
• Drexel Heritage opens 2 units
• Ethan Allen has 2nd U.K. store
• Arhaus debuts largest unit
• Designer Furniture Warehouse installs Pennsylvania House gallery
• C.F. Tompkins relaunches CM gallery
• Atrium Mall unveils three new stores

• Up Front
• Vermont Tubbs reworks its strategy
• Myca acquires rest of Relax-R
• ADL honoring Child, Darrow
• United paring down
• WHFA elects Levitt president
• California to begin writing flame rules
• Restonic names Favia VP
• Lane hires Dwight Hardison
• Toms joins High Point board