Furniture Today - March 10, 2003

While master bedroom is one of the likeliest purchases for furniture shoppers this year, most retailers will have to sell more pieces than in years past to maintain revenue in the category due to downward price pressure from imports. According to Furniture/Today's latest Survey of Consumer Buying Trends, 5.

• Bedding Today
• Chinese bedding imports worth watching closely

• Business Today
• Simmons '02 sales up 9.4%
• Revenues rise 2.7% at IHFC
• Analysts trim earnings estimates
• Sealy revenue up 3% in yr.
• Bush sales dip 1.6% in 2002; company plans to restructure
• February retail sales a mixed bag
• Dorel's net income soars 141.5%
• RTO hikes sales, profits

• Insider's View
• Industry needs to face the hard realities of war

• News
• Room & Board planning Chicago street-level units
• Casual takes charge
• Big Lots growing bigger in furniture
• Jordan's Furniture adds room planner to Web site
• Jordan's touting deferred payments, prices in latest ads
• Retailer scouting for suitable store site in Boston
• Buffett backs off Burlington buy
• Sangiorgio to show line in Green Drive building
• WithIt seeks WOW award nominations
• Business brisk at premarket
• Limited assortment in leather
• Contemporary uph. overtaking cottage
• DeSantis is exec VP at retailer Easy Life
• Aaron promotes Hanson, hires Leary in operations
• Ethan Allen to test kids store
• Chapters support CHR fund
• Obituaries
• Robert Owens Nelson, Vaughan board member

• Opinion Today
• What makes the Tupelo market as good as gold
• Letters to the Editor
• Ashley blazes multi-dimenstional trail

• People Today
• World Imports honors top reps
• People on the Move
• People on the Move

• Special Report
• Roomful Express moving into bold, red-letter future
• Liquidating tired identity paying off
• A Special Report
• Selection, value help pump up volume
• Market Report
• Brazil hopes styles, prices boost exports
• 25 companies team up to build U.S. business
• High-end show plans August edition in Sao Paolo

• Store Openings
• La-Z-Boy updates format in N.C.
• La-Z-Boy opens units in Ala., Wash.
• Ethan Allen opens, renovates units
• Regal House has La-Z-Boy Youth area
• Atrium Mall adds four stores
• Costa Rican retailer installs 4,200-sq.-ft. England gallery
• Diamond Furniture debuts 6th store
• Barrow unveils Lane gallery

• Up Front
• Calif. regulator: Jan. 1 fire rules date 'not negotiable'
• BDO: Orders up 4%, shipments 2.5% in '02
• Simmons buys 49 sleep shops
• Confalone brothers get Leda president, VP posts
• Mattress chain exiting Ch. 11
• IHFRA to honor Ray, DeFehr at market
• OFMA taps Tepperman as top retailer
• Simmons names Ling to product innovation post
• Trading Spaces, Cristina seek licensees
• Lane, Flexsteel join Vegas tenant roster
• Corrections & Amplifications
• Lexington Home Brands closing Plant 12
• Intellitek appoints Bradford, former Dell exec, VP of sales