Top Stories

• Lazar names Debra Venti director of merchandising
  
  Gary Evans, May 10, 2012
  LOS ANGELES — Upholstery resource Lazar Inds. has named Debra Venti director of merchandising, a new position.
  
• American Furniture sales drop 15.7% in first quarter
  
  Jay McIntosh, May 10, 2012
  ECRU, Miss. — Promotional upholstery source American Furniture's sales declined 15.7% in the first quarter to $30.3 million, parent company Compass Diversified Holdings reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
  
• Sealy to make Hotel Maison mattresses for Sleepy's
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 10, 2012
  ARCHDALE, N.C. — Bedding major Sealy says it is partnering with home furnishings brand Hotel Maison to produce a new line of Hotel Maison luxury beds to be sold at bedding retailer Sleepy's.
  
• Two lawsuits seek back rent from High Point Market exhibitors
  
  Thomas Russell, May 10, 2012
  HIGH POINT — Two furniture showroom properties here are suing former tenants for failure to pay rents on their market showrooms.
  
• Flash sale site LuxeYard acquires LeatherGroups.com
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 9, 2012
  LOS ANGELES — Luxury consumer goods flash sale site LuxeYard has agreed to acquire LeatherGroups.com, the online division of Solana Beach, Calif.-based furniture retailer HomeLoft.
  
• Mark Nelson joins Factory Mattress as COO
  
  David Perry, May 9, 2012
  AUSTIN, Texas — Retail mattress veteran Mark Nelson has joined Factory Mattress here as chief operating officer, a new position at the company, which has 14 stores here and in San Antonio.
  
• Intercon bar stools sold at Havertys recalled
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 9, 2012
  WASHINGTON — Intercon, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced a voluntary recall on Tuesday of 2,350 swivel seat bar stools imported by the solid wood bedroom and dining specialist.
  
• New Jersey files consumer fraud suit against furniture sellers
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 9, 2012
  LYNDHURST, N.J. — The N.J. Division of Consumer Affairs is suing the owners of a group of furniture outlets for alleged violations of the state Consumer Fraud Act, The Bergen Record reported on its website, NorthJersey.com.
  
• Leggett & Platt's ‘Get Hybrid' rap music video debuts
  
  David Perry, May 9, 2012
    CARTHAGE, Mo. — Leggett & Platt is entering a new category - rap music - to tout one of its core businesses: innerspring mattresses.
  
• Panel says J.P. Morgan must pay Ashley Furniture $1.9 million
  
  Larry Thomas, May 9, 2012
  MILWAUKEE — An arbitration panel of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has ordered J.P. Morgan Securities to pay Ashley Furniture $1.9 million in compensatory damages to settle a dispute over Ashley's purchase of auction-rate securities.
  
• Bob Choppa rejoins Lexington as upholstery operations VP
  
  Thomas Russell, May 8, 2012
  THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Industry veteran Bob Choppa has returned to Lexington Home Brands as senior vice president of upholstery operations, a newly created position.
  
• Sandow Media acquires Fred Segal brand
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 8, 2012
  New York — Sandow Media, parent company of Furniture/Today, has acquired the worldwide rights to the iconic Santa Monica, Calif.-based Fred Segal brand.
  
• Report: Tobacco money helped shift focus of house fires to furniture
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 8, 2012
  CHICAGO — Tobacco industry money and influence, including support of a national fire marshals group, helped take the focus off cigarettes as an ignition source for house fires, the Chicago Tribune reports in the second article in its series on flame retardant chemicals.
  
• Vance Johnston promoted to CFO at Furniture Brands
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 8, 2012
  ST. LOUIS — Furniture Brands International said Monday it is promoting Vance Johnston to senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 18, to replace current CFO Steven Rolls, who is resigning.
  
• Tempur-Pedic stock hammered as company confirms discount sale
  
  David Perry, May 8, 2012
  LEXINGTON, Ky. — Memory foam mattress leader Tempur-Pedic confirmed that it is offering a discount of approximately 12% to 17% off the suggested retail price of a high-end Tempur-Cloud Supreme mattress set for an upcoming consumer promotion.
  
• Furniture, mattresses help Conn's to 6.2% sales gain
  
  Larry Thomas, May 8, 2012
  BEAUMONT, Texas — Improved furniture and mattress sales helped retailer Conn's Inc. achieve a 6.2% sales increase in the quarter ended April 30.
  
• Jake Jabs receives honorary doctorate from Montana State
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 8, 2012
  BOZEMAN, Mont. — Jake Jabs, president and CEO of Englewood, Colo.-based furniture retailer American Furniture Warehouse, received an honorary doctorate degree from Montana State University at Saturday's commencement ceremony.
  
• Famsa to exit U.S. West Coast, close 24 stores
  
  Larry Thomas, May 8, 2012
  MONTERREY, Mexico — Grupo Famsa, a Mexican retailer of furniture, appliances and electronics, announced it will close nearly half of its U.S. stores due to deteriorating sales and increased operating losses in the U.S. market.
  
• High Point Market leaves exhibitors optimistic
  
  Larry Thomas, May 8, 2012
    HIGH POINT — Despite a perplexing slowdown of retail business in April, buyers and exhibitors departed the High Point Market in an optimistic mood, convinced that the strong first quarter was a better indicator of things to come.
  
• Restonic repeats as Consumers Digest Best Buy winner
  
  Furniture Today Staff, May 8, 2012
  BUFFALO, N.Y. — Top 15 bedding producer Restonic said it has once again received the Consumers Digest Best Buy Award.