Furniture Today - February 16, 2004

Consumers seeking bulk-buy bargains at membership warehouse clubs may not be hunting for furniture, but their purchase reflex frequently is triggered during January and July by attractive deals on case goods, upholstery and accent furniture. BJ's, Sam's and Costco have a year-round assortment of furniture, primarily casual and small office/home office, but they beef up the category each winter ...

• Bedding Today
• Bedding reigns yet again as star on furniture floors

• Business Today
• Chromcraft Revington profits drop
• Unifi posts net loss in 2Q
• La-Z-Boy sales drop again
• Rent-A-Center 4Q revenues up 7%
• Havertys 4Q sales, profits jump
• IHFC revenues rise 1.8%, net income grows 4.7%

• News
• Timing right for Tupelo
• FBI taps Foy as president
• Perdue rolling out Big Chester chest program in Tupelo
• Ikea Canada to triple size of Calgary store
• GERS taps Brecher for sales VP post
• Gerber will speak to Myriad users
• Furnishings Caucus seeks updates
• Elite resurrects weaver as Elizabeth Fabrics
• Valspar drops wood coatings in Mexico
• Revamped Spiegel catalog lifestyle driven
• MacRae is Stoney Creek assistant GM
• Flex to distribute Sealy in Spain, Portugal
• AFMA neutral on petition
• Billiard Expo goes online
• American Leather moves to new plant, headquarters
• Symetri upgrades sales force automation software
• Roomful Express still growing
• Sears Canada honors vendors
• Bloomingdale's opening gallery
• Self-service, credit-checking kiosks hit furniture store floors
• Blumenthal targets bedding with double knits
• AF&Y, Polisilk launching joint marketing effort
• Palliser receives 2003 Canada Export Award
• Jordan's chooses LIS
• El Dorado adds new touches to largest store
• Creditors seek stay on Cone Mills sale to Ross
• Bed frame producer taps Yargus
• Gefen Productions goes high-definition
• Ikea index indicates Finns pay highest prices
• AICO rep opens parts warehouse in Florida
• New Generations doubles capacity
• Europe's reaction to Asian influx mixed
• Bob's charitable efforts grow with retailer's expansion
• Bedding Benchmarks
• Latex Foam honored by state of Connecticut
• Bedding newsmaker: McIlquham
• ISPA Expo set March 24-27 in Indianapolis
• Obituaries
• Sam Sklar, retired mfr.
• Our Community
• Belfort Furniture donates van to nonprofit jobs group
• Unifi helps send school supplies to Iraq
• Robb & Stucky hosts first Toys for Tots drive
• Badcock wins two awards for workplace, family efforts

• Opinion Today
• Pennsylvania House: A good deed done quickly
• Letters to the Editor
• Letters to the Editor

• People Today
• Robb & Stucky names three buyers
• Hardison to direct Lane's dedicated distribution
• People on the Move
• People on the Move

• Special Report
• Market Preview
• Tupelo Introductions
• Retailer Profile
• Tampa showroom opens doors to public
• Father launched business as used furniture store

• Store Openings
• French Heritage has 17th shop
• Bassett opens 3rd Baltimore unit
• Morris unveils 2nd Ashley store
• England launches four galleries

• Supplement
• Ready to Sell
• Ready-to-sell merchants fill big niche
• Room-in-a-box merchandising gaining steam
• Key furniture sources
• Electronics majors hone strategies
• Lowe's focuses on storage
• Cooking up sales in the kitchen
• Big Lots testing Rose Hill's SimplyFits RTA line
• Wal-Mart site connects with furnishings
• RTA retail pioneer moves to larger store
• Target stands out from the crowd

• Up Front
• Bob's opening more stores
• Ocean shipping hike may be higher
• Wampler is Natale chief
• Lifestyle names Riddle
• Reding gets WMC post
• McGee joins Showplace
• Sealy opens big plant in upstate New York
• Samuel Lawrence will halt Arizona production
• Foamex appoints ex-Mississippi governor to replace Cogan on board
• Premarket golf set for March 21
• Many attendees pleased with inaugural IFAM show