Furniture Today - March 3, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mattress Barn, based in Rockledge, Fla., has built a reputation for good service. The 23-unit bedding specialty retailer, founded by furniture veteran Ron Bolding in 1989, has carved out a solid niche in the ultra-competitive central Florida market. Furniture/Today recently visited several Mattress Barn stores and talked with veteran sales associates about some of the strategies ...

• Bedding Today
• Long warranties: Weapon or problem on retail floors?

• Editor's Desk
• It's a good time to be different

• Industry Numbers
• Culp sales up 8.6%
• Consumer confidence nosedives in February
• Easyhome revenues up 21.7% in quarter

• News
• December orders drop 8%
• NHFA offers online professional sales training
• ITMA moves Showtime up a week to June 1–4
• Scoperta moving back to Chiasso
• NHFA members get Citi rebates
• Powell launches series of 40 promotions
• Westgate by ADF buys Quaker Brazil assets
• Wickes liquidation set
• Hike for Hope April 5
• ISPA: Bedding sales inch up
• Johnson City wins Springwall license
• Durham shrinks to survive
• Nominations due March 11 for Withit's WOW Awards
• New Mexico group sets line
• Select Comfort CEO may skip pay
• Florida retailer sues Ethan Allen
• ISPA leaders huddle with retailers to establish closer relationship
• Industry veteran Roan named COO at Surya
• La-Z-Boy sues former Kincaid retailers, liquidator
• Primo meets U.S. Customs' security standards
• Transportation conference set for April 16-18 in Florida
• Lane promotes 3, creates supply chain role
• Furniture Foundation seeks grant applicants
• Hendrickson named president of Valspar
• Pino joins Restonic in global post
• Century names Shuford president and CEO
• Polish company plans Va. plant
• Barcalounger pres. to retire
• Tempur-Pedic chief leaving
• Stepakoff joins Albany
• 60 showrooms open for premarket this week
• DeCoro lawsuit claims Rooms To Go copied designs
• Rosebrock rejoins Lloyd/Flanders as senior VP
• Aspenhome debuts ASAP quick-ship program
• Shermag closing plant
• Obituaries
• Steve McCracken, former Invista CEO

• Opinion Today
• N.C. tax ruling may hurt many interior designers

• People Today
• People Today

• Special Report
• Market Report
• Motion sources make best of slow market
• Having the right bait pays off for wood sources
• Tupelo honors Ramel with sales rep award
• Tupelo Market honors Furniture Outlets USA
• Tupelo shortens schedule
• Motion Trends
• Function, comfort drive motion
• Sales Tactics
• Flexible tactics keep retail afloat
• Eaton-Young runs several high-impact events a year
• 'Big deal' works for Casabella Furniture
• Sav-Mart sale breaks records

• Store Openings
• Sleep Country USA adds Seattle unit
• Ward adds Hooker gallery
• HW Home opens fourth store