Furniture|Today 07/29/2002 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Furniture|Today -- 07/29/2002

Bedding Today

This little book on sleep misses big key: the bed
I couldn't resist a delightful little book about sleep that I saw at my neighborhood bookstore. It's called, appropriately enough, "The Little Book of Sleep." It certainly is little, measuring about 4 inches by 5 inches. And it's filled with "secrets for a blissful sleep," according to the book jacket.

Business Today

Canwood CD offers showroom tour
PENTICTON, British Columbia— Ready-to-assemble producer Canwood Furniture has created a compact disc that gives dealers and prospective dealers a virtual tour of the company's High Point showroom. Called "Canwood Gallery," the CD walks the viewer through photographs of the company's showroom at 220 Elm, with a narrator describing product features and benefits.
Pulver rejoins GERS in sales director post
SAN DIEGO— Steve Pulver has been named director of client sales and services for store software supplier GERS Retail Systems. He has an extensive background in the home furnishings industry, and returns to GERS after working for several years in the retail technology sector. Pulver replaces Alan Ayres, who moves to the sales division of FurnishNet, a wholly owned subsidiary of GERS.
Corrections & amplifications
Chromcraft 2Q sales up 1.4%
DELPHI, Ind.— Case goods, upholstery and occasional manufacturer and importer Chromcraft Revington recorded second-quarter sales of $54.7 million, a 1.4% increase over the same period last year. Net income of $2.2 million was off 12.8%. For the six months, Chromcraft's sales are down 3.5% to $115.
DMI 3Q sales rise 1.4%
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Case goods manufacturer and importer DMI Furniture said sales in its third quarter rose 1.4% to $25.2 million and net income more than quadrupled to $373,000. Continued strong performances at its Wynwood and Home Styles divisions offset a decline in sales in the Commercial Office and DMI Desk divisions during the quarter ended June 1.
Broyhill and Lane sales spurt 15% in 2nd quarter
ST. LOUIS— Strong sales at Broyhill and Lane overcame a flat performance at the high end to help spur Furniture Brands International to sales and earnings gains in the second quarter. Broyhill and Lane's sales were up 15% in the quarter, which Mickey Holliman, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said was evidence they were gaining market share.
Havertys posts 46% net income gain in 2Q
ATLANTA — Havertys posted a 46% gain in net income for the second quarter as strong sales and better control over selling, general and administrative expenses overcame the costs associated with opening stores and consolidating distribution. The Atlanta-based retailer with 105 stores in 14 states reported net income in the quarter of $3.
Jennifer Convertibles revenues up 9.1% in 3Q
WOODBURY, N.Y.— Jennifer Convertibles posted a 9.1% increase in revenues and a big jump in profits in its fiscal third quarter. Revenues for the 196-store sofa-sleeper and leather upholstery specialty retailer came to $36.3 million for the quarter ended May 25, up from $33.3 million for the same period a year ago.
Boyles names Rawls to VP post
HICKORY, N.C.— Industry veteran Ben Rawls is joining Top 100 furniture store Boyles as vice president of merchandising and marketing. In the new position, Rawls will oversee merchandising and marketing for the 14-store company. Boyles, with 12 stores in North Carolina and two Norris Furniture & Interior stores in Fort Myers and Naples, Fla.

Insider's View

The downside of all that 'exclusive' product
We were a big fan of the late Smith Young of Lexington. He had a larger-than-life personality and was strong-willed and confident. He did things his way. He offered a very high value combined with creative styling — great collections like Windjammer and Victorian Sampler and the great merchandising innovation that was The World of Bob Timberlake.

News

Nicklauses help Shaw tee off rug line
ATLANTA— Golfing great Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara Nicklaus came to the International Rug Market here to help introduce a line of Jack Nicklaus rugs by Shaw. Nicklaus cheerfully admits to being colorblind and gives his wife all the credit for developing the line. The collection includes 23 designs, many based on traditional Persian and English designs.
Obituaries
Obituaries
Expressions network salutes outstanding people, stores
TUPELO, Miss. — Retail franchise network Expressions Custom Furniture introduced product and honored retailers at its annual market and awards dinner here. Awards were based on 2001 sales. Winners included Tampa, Fla., for best new store; Richard Hornaday, top salesperson, small market; Shelley Greenwood, top salesperson, large market; Lansing, Mich.
Stage set for fall rebound?
SAN FRANCISCO— "Cautious optimism" has returned to the industry's parlance in a big way. And this time, it means what it says. By tradition, the July San Francisco Market lets furniture manufacturers get a handle on what to expect for the fall selling season after furnitureland's annual summer doldrums.
Latest Ikea takes new approach
TORONTO— Ikea has broken ground on its fourth metro Toronto store, which will test a new coordinated room-setting merchandising concept that, if successful, could change the way the Sweden-based home furnishing giant does business around the world. The new store in the suburb of Vaughn won't have the "showroom" and "marketplace" sections of the typical Ikea big box.
San Fran venues working together
SAN FRANCISCO — Seeking to leverage their strengths in the face of competition from Las Vegas, the San Francisco Design Center and the San Francisco Mart teamed up for the first time this summer to make market shopping easier. The venues streamlined registration so that attendees needed to register only once, and produced a single show directory with exhibitors from all sites.
Jury still out on West market site
SAN FRANCISCO— Las Vegas and its proposed furniture market loomed large at the summer San Francisco market. While most exhibitors believe the West won't support two major furniture markets, they said the jury is still out on where that market ultimately will be located. Pulaski was showing in San Francisco for the last time, and longtime exhibitor Sandberg Furniture already is gone.

Opinion Today

Dear Showtime family: Get your badge, people!
Do you ever wonder how Showtime, High Point's semiannual fabric market, differs from its counterparts in Europe? Well, you've come to the right place, although I really think we should both find a hobby. Call me — we'll talk. At European markets, attendees have bar-coded badges, which they guard as jealously as if they were open boxes of loose diamonds.
The buck shouldn't stop right before your eyes
A buddy of mine named Angelo taught me a basic business principle that his father had taught him. His father was from the old country and had very little schooling, but he earned a diploma in the School of Hard Knocks and a degree at the College of Life ... the family pizzeria. Angelo's father said, "Here, Angelo, take this buck and stretch it out up close to your face.
Something's always brewing at retail
It's amazing! The turnover at retail in the home furnishings business just never seems to quiet down. The not-unexpected demise of Krause's is just another example of the perils of home furnishings retailing. But at the same time, news comes that Costco, the giant warehouse club retailer, is set to test a free-standing home store in Kirkland, Wash.

People Today

Richter taps Belzberg for new COO position
VERNON, Calif.—Greg Belzberg has been named chief operating officer of Richter Furniture Mfg., a new position for the upholstery producer based here. Belzberg formerly was president of Far None, an entertainment company, and Brave New World, a travel management company, both headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.
People on the Move
People on the Move

Special Report

Bedding Today
Bedding voices have much to say
The bedding industry shares a common vision, but speaks with many voices. Some of those voices are well known to readers of this newspaper. Others are new voices for many of us. Together, those voices — representing suppliers, producers and retailers — tell an eloquent story, one wrapped in camaraderie, shaped by experience and sharpened by keen marketing insights.
Creative diversity sets stage for RTA future
HIGH POINT— Responding to a difficult, almost foreign, slow- or no-growth business environment, producers of flat-pack furniture have taken creative steps to diversify their merchandising and marketing. The air went out of the home office balloon two years ago, and RTA furniture producers large and small have been looking to create retail excitement with new categories, mixed media, impor...
Back-to-school season raises hopes for '02 second half
HIGH POINT— While home office is still a tepid category overall, the flat-pack furniture business is anxious to see whether its seasonal subset, back to school, might have strong enough legs to kick start a strong fall selling season. Retailers are just now starting to promote their back-to-school assortments, including desks and other student furnishings.
Dorel closing gap of big 3 producers
HIGH POINT— The Big 3 of flat-pack furniture, whose first initials make that memorable sobriquet, must now share the marquee with Dorel. Montreal-based Dorel is closing the gap on that group with its Ameriwood ready to assemble division, and as described in the recent Furniture/Today listing of the Top 25 furniture manufacturers, the company has passed Bush and O'Sullivan if sales from it...
Wal-Mart puts RTA where it's Web is
BENTON, Ark.— Wal-Mart is putting an extensive array of flat-pack furniture to the test on its Internet arm, Walmart.com. As with anything involving the world's leading retailer, the potential ramifications are huge, especially for producers of ready-to-assemble furniture, who have been looking for a boost for most of the past two years.
Market Report
Youth furniture: Beyond cutsie kids stuff
SAN FRANCISCO — Much like the customers it serves, the youth furniture category is vibrant and becoming more mature, both in style and application. These and other trends, including a de-emphasis on wrap groups, had makers of youth furniture here singing the praises of a new generation of product that focuses on function and features as much as on form and fanciful designs.
Market Report
Simmons scores with upscale BackCare Kids models
SAN FRANCISCO— Simmons leaped into the kids bedding business at market by adding a three-model lineup of premium-priced mattresses to its BackCare line. The new models, dubbed BackCare Kids, address long-running concerns about allergies, moisture and mattress height that parents often raise when they buy bedding for their children, said Tim Oakhill, vice president of the BackCare line.
Market Report
San Fran party brings industry together
San Francisco— Several hundred partygoers gathered at the furniture market's primo networking event, the Friday night party hosted by Furniture/Today and the San Francisco Mart.The event draws retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives and others associated with the market together in a packed the ninth-floor ballroom of the San Francisco Mart.
Market Report
Ireland's career evolves from supermodel to CEO
SAN FRANCISCO— Kathy Ireland told a San Francisco market audience her story of evolution from supermodel to supermogul, and stressed the importance of making life easier for busy moms and families. Midway through her presentation to about 80 people at a breakfast organized by WithIt, Women in the Home Industries Today, she was surprised by a welcoming visit from San Francisco Mayor Willie...
Market Report
Entertainment resources roll out more ammunition
SAN FRANCISCO — Seeking to give dealers more ammunition this fall, home entertainment producers offered a variety of new products, market specials and point-of-purchase tools here. Home office specialist Creative Ideas expanded into home theater for the first time this market with a program called Companions.
Market Report
Eagle readies Phoenix plant
PHOENIX— Promotional oak furniture maker Eagle Inds. has signed a lease on a 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility here, the Kentucky-based company's first plant in the Southwest. The plant, expected to be operational in about three months, will produce home entertainment, home office and dining room furniture as well as curios and gun cabinets.
Market Report
New home office items pay off
SAN FRANCISCO— Reflecting the mood at retail right now, home office activity here was quiet, even for a summer market. Traffic and order-writing in most showrooms were on the light side, with some majors and many smaller stores opting to stay home in this still-slow sales environment. But those companies that made introductions here — and there were quite a few — found their ...
Arhaus creates artsy ambience
BRENTWOOD, Mo.— Taking its farthest step from home yet, Cleveland-based furniture retailer Arhaus has opened a 17,000-square-foot store here, bringing its upscale lifestyle concept to St. Louis-area consumers. The store, in the redeveloped Brentwood Square, is the 19th for Arhaus, which has quietly expanded through Ohio and into Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and parts of Kentucky and New York.
Market Report
Motion business maintains momentum
SAN FRANCISCO— Despite some sluggish early summer sales, motion upholstery producers say the category hasn't lost the momentum that has been building since late last year. Producers exhibiting at the twice-yearly market here were forecasting brisk fall sales, and most predicted they would have no trouble beating 2001 sales numbers for the remaining months of 2002.
Market Report
Domestic leather producers fight importers or join them
SAN FRANCISCO— Amid an unsettled retail atmosphere, leather upholstery sources showing here still expect some improvement this fall. Domestic producers continued to cite special order, quick delivery, warehousing, quality, short lead times, quick changes and container-resistant strategies as their best defenses against offshore leather product.
Market Report
New leather sources hit San Fran
SAN FRANCISCO— Three new West Coast sources of leather seating — Emerald Home Furnishings, Acme Furniture and Goldwood — showed at the market here. All offer finished imported product warehoused in the United States, hoping to benefit from their proximity to Asia to ship volume container orders.
Bedding Today
Q&A: If you weren't running a bedding company, what would you like to be doing?
A: Teaching and coaching hockey to 12 year olds. That might be a challenge, given how much we enjoy living in North Carolina! I enjoy winter when we go back to Canada to visit but only for about one week. The hockey atmosphere is different, even though Raleigh had the loudest fans in the NHL during the Stanley Cup playoffs!" Dave McIlquham, chief executive officer, Sealy Inc.
Market Report
San Fran case goods exhibitors working hard for orders
SAN FRANCISCO— The business is out there, but you have to bust your hump to get it. That was a common theme among case goods exhibitors at the San Francisco market, where lighter-than-usual attendance by smaller retailers made for slow traffic in showrooms that didn't bring something new to the table.
Market Report
Highland Design offers imported Wexford line
SAN FRANCISCO — Case goods manufacturer Highland Design reintroduced the Wexford Collection, now converted to an imported line, in a stand-alone showroom at the San Francisco market. Wexford showed three bedrooms, one with an accompanying dining room. By switching the entire line to imports, Highland could offer some big price breaks.
Market Report
Upholstery makers ready for better 2nd half
SAN FRANCISCO— West Coast upholstery producers offered a strong selection of summer introductions here last week in preparation for what they believe will be an improved second half. Western markets seem to be rebounding more slowly than those in the East, manufacturers said. Particularly hard hit are areas tied to technology such as the Internet.
Bedding Today
Consumer scorecard
Alexandria, Va.— Consumers are increasingly aware that sleep is an important component of health. Comfort is more important to them than firmness. And they have a more realistic view of how long a bed should last. Those are some of the key findings that emerge from research done by the Better Sleep Council, the educational arm of the mattress industry.
Bedding Today
Cover story: Sleep America has female-friendly atmosphere
PHOENIX— A woman's touch has lifted Sleep America to success in this highly competitive bedding market. The woman is Debbie Gaby, who has become a celebrity here as the face and voice of Sleep America, a fast-growing bedding specialty retailer. Known for her support of local charities, Debbie gives the retailer instant credibility with women, who play a key role in the bedding purchase pr...
Bedding Today
Q&A: Debbie Gaby says
Debbie Gaby, president and spokeswoman for Sleep America, is one of the most visible women in the bedding industry. In a question-and-answer session with Executive Editor David Perry, she talked about the pressures and pleasures of the unique role she plays. How did you decide to become the face of Sleep America? Had you done anything like that previously in your career? When Len and I started ...
Bedding Today
What makes Sleep America great?
Charlie Eitel, Chairman, Simmons What makes Sleep America successful lies in the heart, soul and strategic insight of Len and Debbie Gaby. Having spent years in the mattress industry before opening Sleep America, they set out to build a retail shopping experience that was different than what the consumer found in traditional retail bedding stores.
Bedding Today
Suppliers: Latex Foam knows the right ingredients
SHELTON, Conn.— Making a latex foam mattress is a little like baking a cake. You mix up just the right ingredients, pour them into a mold and then bake them until they are done. While those are the key steps in cake-making, they are just some of the steps necessary to make latex foam cores, a product that is enjoying growing popularity at the high-end of the bedding market.
Bedding Today
Mfr. profile: Gold Bond strengthens lineup
Hartford, Conn. — Gold Bond, which pioneered the growth of one of the newest sleep systems, is now looking for growth in one of the oldest sleep systems.The company that is one of the world's leading producers of futons, an emerging category in sleep and dual-function furniture, is revisiting its roots as a conventional bedding producer.
Bedding Today
GB positions for growth in the futon arena
HARTFORD, Conn.— The futon business, which in the last 20 years has put Gold Bond on the map around the world, is still getting plenty of attention from that producer. Even as Gold Bond prepares to bid for a greater share of the conventional bedding market, the company is also looking to strengthen its already formidable position in futons.
Bedding Today
Building on relationships
Hartford, Conn.— It started with their grandfathers, that special bond that draws people close in the bedding industry.Isador Naboicheck, who founded the Standard Mattress Co. here in 1898, bought springs from Mac Levine, starting a special family relationship that entered a new phase last year.
Bedding Today
Specialty sleep: HOM keeps focus on roots
Coon Rapids, Minn.— HOM Furniture does some special things to sell specialty sleep products. That's really not that surprising, given HOM's history. The company started out as a waterbed retailer in the late 1970s and has successfully made the transition to a full-line furniture store, a change that only a handful of companies have been able to manage.
Bedding Today
What makes HOM Furniture great?
Mike Inman VP, sales & marketing, Spring Air Midwest HOM Furniture has become one of the Midwest's most dominant retailers because of its philosophy of seeking the most expansive and innovative product offerings. This is most evident in its sleep departments. The dedicated sleep specialists are highly skilled regarding the needs and desires of their customers.
Bedding Today
Top 10 reasons for specialty sleep
Denny Boyd is president of Boyd Specialty Sleep, a manufacturer of flotation, foam and air sleep systems, and The Bedroom Store, a bedding retail chain. Boyd is also president of the Specialty Sleep Assn. Savvy consumers, from Baby Boomers to Generation Y and generations in between, are increasingly committed to health and wellness.
Bedding Today
Industry issues: Improving fundamentals boost outlook
Joel Havard, head of consumer durable goods industry research for BB&T Capital Markets, provides an investor's perspective on the broader home furnishings industry and its interrelationship with the bedding business. Havard can be reached by e-mail at jhavard@bbandt.com. The bedding sector appears to have been coming under increasing investor scrutiny over the past few months for a number...
Bedding Today
If bedding was a dream purchase...
Gerry Morris, a mattress manufacturer's representative since 1986, shares his thoughts on how the bedding industry could boost its sales. Morris is the president of Inner Spring, a Greenville, Texas-based company that specializes in sales training and consulting. He is also the author of "Spring Training, A Supplementary Guide to Mattress Sales.
Bedding Today
Industry issues: BSC's McLean thinks global
Mebane, N.C.— Tom McLean, the new president of the Better Sleep Council, has some global aspirations for the bedding industry's consumer education arm. "Sleep is important around the world," said McLean, senior vice president of high-end bedding producer Kingsdown, based here. "If there is good research in Israel or Germany, wouldn't it be great to share that in a way that we could all be...
Bedding Today
Retail ideas: Bedding fits at P.M. Bedroom
Editor's note: Bedding is a key category for P.M. Bedroom Gallery, a five-store furniture retailer based in Milwaukee. The company, run by brothers Ben and Arvid Huth, has found success selling high-end bedding. In an interview with Executive Editor David Perry, the Huths explain how they win with bedding at their three stores in Milwaukee and two in Chicago.

Up Front

Elvis Week promo to shake up sales
GALAX, Va. — Case goods producer Vaughan-Bassett is teaming up with some 600 retailers who are selling its Elvis Presley Collection for a big promotion during Elvis Week, Aug. 12-17. This year, Elvis Week commemorates the 25th anniversary of the rock 'n' roll icon's death. Vaughan-Bassett has sent dealer support packages to all Presley retailers with press releases and suggestions on get...
Standard expanding facility
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Case goods manufacturer and importer Standard Furniture is adding 470,000 square feet to its central distribution center here, which will expand the facility to 870,000 square feet. The expansion, to be complete by December, will allow Standard to support continued growth by adding distribution capability and also production capacity.
Unclaimed Freight closes
BETHLEHEM, Pa.— Unclaimed Freight has closed its doors and may be heading to bankruptcy court for the second time in eight years. In addition, the chain's founder, Joseph Colabella, is suing the current owners for more than $3.5 million he says he is owed and hopes to regain ownership, according to a newspaper report.
Pass policies unlikely to change
HIGH POINT— The uproar over the San Francisco Mart's decision to severely limit access to its building by representatives of the proposed Las Vegas World Market Center probably won't spill over to upcoming furniture markets in Tupelo, Miss., and High Point. Executives of key exhibition buildings in those cities said last week they would continue to issue passes to representatives of other...
AFMA sees 4.1% shipments growth in '02
High Point— U.S. residential furniture factory shipments should increase 4.1% this year and 5.9% in 2003, according to the latest forecast from the American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. Compared with the last AFMA forecast in April, the revision estimates that this year's growth will be slightly lower and next year's a bit higher.
May orders even with April, BDO says
HIGH POINT— Factory orders were relatively strong again in May, up 12% from May 2001 and about even with April of this year, according to BDO Seidman. May shipments were up 7% from a year ago. For the year to date, orders at U.S. residential furniture factories are running about 7% ahead of last year's pace, according to the accounting and consulting firm's estimate.
Fine Furniture switches to in-house sales team
HIGH POINT — Case goods resource Fine Furniture Design & Marketing has a new sales and marketing plan, switching from commission-based representatives to a dedicated team of in-house sales executives. The in-house group includes Chief Executive Officer Dan Grow. "Our sales organization will consist of four completely dedicated sales executives, including myself, calling on … lea...
Donald Choi Canada closes Waterloo bedroom plant
WATERLOO, Ontario — Donald Choi Canada has closed its bedroom furniture factory here and will return to its roots as an importer. The company also is the Canadian distributor for Universal. The factory, opened three years ago, made bedroom groups under the Choico brand, primarily to supplement imports.
Goldman joins JCPenney
PLANO, Texas— Bedding industry veteran Arthur Goldman has joined JCPenney as bedding buyer. Goldman had been president of Maxwell Products, a manufacturer of electric adjustable beds. Previously, he was president of Ortho Mattress, a former California-based manufacturer and retailer, and earlier was divisional merchandise manager at Robinson's and May Co.
Byers leaves Weave post
HACKENSACK, N.J.— David Byers, vice president of design, has left upholstery fabric supplier Weave Corp. to pursue other interests. He was with the high-end mill for 20 years. The position of vice president of design has been eliminated, although President Roger Berkley said Weave is seeking a senior-level design professional for its New York office.

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