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Furniture|Today > Archives > 02/16/2004 Issue
Table of Contents
Furniture|Today -- 02/16/2004

Bedding Today
  • Bedding reigns yet again as star on furniture floors
    We all know that 2003 was one of those roller coaster kinds of years for the bedding industry. The ups and downs probably produced a queasy stomach or two. Thus it is soothing to learn that bedding once again turned in a stellar performance on retail sales floors. Or at least on furniture sales floors.

Business Today
  • IHFC revenues rise 1.8%, net income grows 4.7%
    HIGH POINT— Revenues edged up 1.8% and net income rose 4.7% in the latest fiscal year at the International Home Furnishings Center, High Point's largest showroom complex. The results, included in Bassett Furniture's annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, indicate the Big Building remains very profitable, with a net margin of more than 29%.
  • Havertys 4Q sales, profits jump
    ATLANTA— Havertys' fourth-quarter profits jumped 24% before an accounting change, and same-store sales grew 5.7% as the retailer's private-label goods continued to shine. Earnings came to $9.8 million, or $10.9 million after a non-cash adjustment because of the accounting change, which involved consolidation of balance sheet items.
  • Chromcraft Revington profits drop
    DELPHI, Ind.— Chromcraft Revington's fourth-quarter profits tumbled 43.9% from the same period a year earlier, but exceeded the company's previous earnings guidance. The diversified manufacturer and importer said it earned $1.7 million or 41 cents per share in the quarter, below 72 cents a year ago but topping its guidance of 20 to 30 cents per share.
  • Unifi posts net loss in 2Q
    GREENSBORO, N.C.— Yarn supplier Unifi reported a net loss of $9.2 million for the quarter ended Dec. 28 and said it is facing more cost-cutting measures. The loss in the fiscal second quarter compares with a loss of $2.2 million in the same period a year earlier. For the first half, the net loss was $13.
  • La-Z-Boy sales drop again
    MONROE, Mich.— La-Z-Boy reported its fifth straight quarterly sales decline last week, but the nation's second-largest furniture producer said an improving business climate soon could reverse that trend. President and CEO Kurt Darrow said the company currently has a noteworthy order backlog in its case goods and upholstery divisions, a good sign that business is improving at retail.
  • Rent-A-Center 4Q revenues up 7%
    PLANO, Texas— Newly opened and acquired stores drove a 7% revenue gain in the fourth quarter for Rent-A-Center as earnings rose 13.9% from the comparable 2002 period, the company said. For all of 2003, the largest U.S. rent-to-own retailer said revenues grew 10.9% from the previous year to $2.2 billion and earnings were up 12.

News
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    Latex Foam honored by state of Connecticut
    SHELTON, Conn. — Latex Foam International was awarded the 2003 Manufacturing Award by the State of Connecticut during the ninth annual Team EDDY Awards ceremony. The award recognizes LFI's contribution to economic development in the state. LFI was chosen based on its efforts, in partnership with state and local government, to rebuild its business in a 208,000-square-foot manufacturing fa...
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    Bedding newsmaker: McIlquham
    What is the greatest issue facing the bedding industry? Our ability to maintain the high standards of quality, service and profitability that have become synonymous with our industry, and ensure we maintain our manufacturing base in North America. We must be relentless in our quest to boost productivity and efficiency and reduce unnecessary cost and waste.
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    ISPA Expo set March 24-27 in Indianapolis
    ALEXANDRIA, Va.— The International Sleep Products Assn. will host ISPA Expo 2004, the biennial trade show for the bedding industry, March 24-27 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. During the expo, Michael Colopy, a foreign affairs authority who specializes in U.S.-China relations, will discuss China's impact on U.
  • AICO rep opens parts warehouse in Florida
    MIAMI— AICO's South Florida representative, Frank Lorenzo, has taken it upon himself to open a dedicated warehouse for speedy delivery of spare and replacement parts to retailers. He is leasing 2,600 square feet of racked warehouse space in Miami to stock parts, helping his customers avoid waits for pieces to be sent from China.
  • New Generations doubles capacity
    MCKENZIE, Tenn.— Upholstery producer New Generations has purchased a 200,000-square-foot production and storage facility on 30 acres of land here, doubling its manufacturing capacity for its moderately priced seating products. President Rich Favata said the facility, formerly owned by River Oaks and rescued from bankruptcy proceedings, will support current production and allow the company...
  • Europe's reaction to Asian influx mixed
    COLOGNE, Germany— Attitudes among European manufacturers on Asian competition range from confidence to concern to wholehearted embracing of global sourcing, according to comments at last month's furniture market here. While not as obvious as in High Point, the presence of Asian-made furniture continues to grow in Cologne, in both OEM product and an increasing number of Asian manufacturers...
  • Bob's charitable efforts grow with retailer's expansion
    MANCHESTER, Conn.— As Bob's Discount Furniture expands, its charitable efforts and recognition for them are keeping pace. In recent weeks, the American Red Cross gave its highest honor to Bob's and its high-profile president, Bob Kaufman, for a multi-store blood drive that yielded more than 4,000 pints in a 12-month period.
  • Ikea index indicates Finns pay highest prices
    STOCKHOLM, Sweden— Thanks to a Swedish economist, Ikea has joined McDonald's as a barometer of the world's economies and currencies. Gabriel Thulin, a Swedish statistician and consultant, has developed an economic index that uses a basket of 26 Ikea products priced in 15 different countries to measure pricing differences.
  • Bloomingdale's opening gallery
    NEW YORK— Bloomingdale's will open its first freestanding furniture, mattress and rug gallery in March in Roosevelt Field on Long Island. Furniture will have slightly less than 40,000 square feet, rugs about 10,000 square feet and mattresses 5,000 square feet. The balance of the 60,000-square-foot store will be used for offices.
  • Self-service, credit-checking kiosks hit furniture store floors
    PITTSBURGH— A new supplier of sophisticated, self-service kiosk-and-portal systems for retailers is making inroads in the furniture industry. After its commercial launch last month, Innovative Retail Systems has kiosks in all 11 Levin Furniture stores, as well as trials under way at Cardi's in Providence, R.
  • Blumenthal targets bedding with double knits
    NEW ORLEANS— Blumenthal, a supplier of damasks, prints and jacquards to bedding and furniture makers, has installed new knitting machines and expanded its line to include double-knit, terry and velour fabrics. The eight knitting machines, already online at the company's plant in Marion, S.C., represent an investment of over $2 million, said President Harry Blumenthal.
  • AF&Y, Polisilk launching joint marketing effort
    CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— American Fibers and Yarns Co. is expanding its distribution in Europe through an agreement with Spanish yarn source Polisilk, which also adds Polisilk yarns to AF&Y's offerings in the United States. "Our product lines complement each other nicely," said Jim Morelli, AF&Y's executive vice president.
  • Our Community
    Belfort Furniture donates van to nonprofit jobs group
    DULLES, Va. — Belfort Furniture brightened the holidays for a local nonprofit organization by donating a much-needed van. Michael Huber, the retailer's CEO, had noticed while driving through Leesburg, Va., that a van operated by Every Citizen Has Opportunity was in need of repair. ECHO helps train people with mental and physical handicaps for employment, and the van transports them to the...
  • Our Community
    Unifi helps send school supplies to Iraq
    GREENSBORO, N.C. — Unifi, a supplier of yarn used in upholstery fabric, led an effort to collect 10 tons of school supplies to help more than 6,100 students and their teachers in 17 schools in Baghdad, Iraq. Mike Delaney, vice president of commercial operations at Unifi, created Operation: Education after hearing about the positive community response generated by U.
  • Our Community
    Robb & Stucky hosts first Toys for Tots drive
    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Retailer Robb & Stucky hosted its first Toys for Tots drive during the holidays at its store in Mizner Park here. More than 500 toys were collected for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program, recently named one of 10 charities on the 2003 Forbes Gold Star list. "We were overwhelmed with the outpouring of generosity demonstrated by our customers and staff in su...
  • Our Community
    Badcock wins two awards for workplace, family efforts
    MULBERRY, Fla.— Southeastern retailer W.S. Badcock has been named one of Polk County's Best Places to Work by Polk Works WorkForce 2020. The Best Places to Work awards recognize companies in the Florida county that are in the forefront of developing quality workplaces for a skilled workforce. Badcock also has won the Spirit of the Family Award, given by Success by 6, an initiative of th...
  • Palliser receives 2003 Canada Export Award
    WINNIPEG, Manitoba— Palliser Furniture, which has just opened a third factory in Mexico, was one of 12 Canadian companies to receive a 2003 Canada Export Award. The leased 78,000-square-foot plant is in Saltillo, Mexico, and will make leather motion upholstery, focusing on truckload business. Palliser already operates two leather upholstery plants in Saltillo, one for motion and one for ...
  • Jordan's chooses LIS
    AVON, Mass.— Jordan's Furniture has chosen a warehouse management system from LIS called Dispatcher-WMS for its distribution facilities. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned retailer initially will deploy Dispatcher-WMS in three distribution centers totaling 450,000 square feet, supporting its four stores in the greater Boston area.
  • El Dorado adds new touches to largest store
    MIAMI— El Dorado Furniture opened its largest and perhaps most dazzling store here with new architectural touches and departments along the lines of its familiar Boulevard setting. The 140,000-square-foot store on North Kendall Drive in Miami's Kendall suburb is expected to become El Dorado's highest- volume store, doing about $50 million in annual sales in its second year, said Pedro Cap...
  • Creditors seek stay on Cone Mills sale to Ross
    GREENSBORO, N.C.— A U.S. bankruptcy court last week approved the sale of Cone Mills to Wilbur Ross, but a committee of the struggling denim producer's creditors asked the judge to stay the decision while they prepare an appeal. A timetable for resolving the issue wasn't clear. The creditors group said the offer made by WLRoss & Co.
  • Bed frame producer taps Yargus
    HOUSTON— Veteran furniture executive Dick Yargus, with case goods and metal bed importer Largo International since 1994, has been named general manager of the Houston division of bed frame producer Mantua Mfg. Coincidentally, Largo has hired former Mantua executive Raymond Reese as vice president of sales, Yargus' former post.
  • Gefen Productions goes high-definition
    HIGH POINT— High definition has come to High Point, specifically to Gefen Productions. The multimedia production company has purchased a Sony high-definition camera, the latest in video technology. "High-definition video provides images with the color, crispness and detail previously found only in film and is quickly becoming the new technology for movies and television," said Mark Caudil...
  • Timing right for Tupelo
    TUPELO, Miss.— "Help Wanted" signs have begun appearing in front of upholstery factories in northeast Mississippi — signs of optimism as manufacturers get ready for the Tupelo Furniture Market, which opens Thursday. Production of upholstery and other furniture products has been edging upward as unemployment roles head downward.
  • FBI taps Foy as president
    TUPELO, Miss.— Tom Foy, president and CEO of Lane Home Furnishings since 1996, has been named president and chief operating officer of parent company Furniture Brands International. He assumes the president's post held by Mickey Holliman, who will continue as chairman and CEO. Randy Spak, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Lane, has been promoted to replace Foy as Lane p...
  • Perdue rolling out Big Chester chest program in Tupelo
    RAPID CITY, S.D.— Big Chester is coming to the Tupelo market, courtesy of Perdue Furniture. Big Chester is a freestanding bedroom chest program the promotional bedroom manufacturer released in prototype form to several customers last year, and is now rolling out to all dealers. At the Tupelo market, Perdue shows in Tupelo Building 3, spaces 3031 and 3121.
  • Ikea Canada to triple size of Calgary store
    CALGARY, Alberta— Ikea Canada will relocate its Calgary store this year to a facility nearly three times its current size. Slated to open this fall at Deerfoot Trail and Heritage Drive in the south end of the city, the new store will occupy just over 308,000 square feet. The old store has 111,000 square feet.
  • GERS taps Brecher for sales VP post
    SAN DIEGO— Chris Brecher has joined software provider GERS Retail Systems as senior vice president of sales. He will be responsible for managing all sales activity. He has over a decade of experience leading sales teams at Lawson Software, SAP America and Seibel Systems. Prior to joining GERS, Brecher was vice president of worldwide sales and business development for Thinque Systems.
  • Obituaries
    Sam Sklar, retired mfr.
    WHITBY, Ontario— Sam Sklar, one of four brothers who built what is today upholstery maker Sklar Peppler Furniture here, has died after a long illness. He was 85. He joined the company founded by his eldest brother Harry after serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in England during World War II.
  • Gerber will speak to Myriad users
    SAN DIEGO— Michael E. Gerber, best-selling author of "The E-Myth," will be the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Myriad Software users conference at the historic U.S. Grant Hotel here March 14-17. Gerber, founder and CEO of E-Myth Worldwide, based in Santa Rosa, Calif., is a sought-after speaker who calls himself a "small business revolutionary.
  • Furnishings Caucus seeks updates
    WASHINGTON— The Congressional Furnishings Caucus will ask representatives from the U.S. departments of Commerce and Labor to attend the group's next meeting on March 2. The lawmakers want to hear from Labor about the impact of the Trade Adjustment Act, which provides supplemental unemployment benefits and job training for workers displaced by import competition.
  • Elite resurrects weaver as Elizabeth Fabrics
    GROVER, N.C.— Upholstery fabric supplier Elizabeth Weaving, which closed last May, has been resurrected as Elizabeth Fabrics following its acquisition in July 2003 by Elite Textiles of Albemarle, N.C. Ted Huneycutt, president of Elite and Elizabeth, wouldn't disclose terms but said the deal was for intellectual property and did not include the plant or real estate, which Elite is leasing...
  • Valspar drops wood coatings in Mexico
    HIGH POINT— Finish supplier Valspar has almost completely pulled out of the Mexican market for wood furniture coatings. Valspar will continue to produce industrial coatings for coil, powder finishes, and automobiles and heavy equipment at its plant near Monterrey, Mexico, Ralph Sheppard, former wood coatings sales manager for Mexico, has been assigned to Valspar's Shanghai-area operation ...
  • Revamped Spiegel catalog lifestyle driven
    NEW YORK— The Spiegel Catalog has been repositioned from "a department store in print" to a showplace for a variety of businesses and boutiques, many with distinct lifestyle or design themes. The catalog and Internet retailer, a division of Spiegel Group, which has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since March 2003, also has enlisted celebrities in the home, entertaini...
  • MacRae is Stoney Creek assistant GM
    STONEY CREEK, Ontario— Veteran retailer Alixe MacRae has joined Stoney Creek Furniture here as assistant general manager. Her responsibilities will be in marketing and merchandising as the retailer embarks on a major expansion program in the coming year. She reports to General Manager Jim Carruthers.
  • Flex to distribute Sealy in Spain, Portugal
    TRINITY, N.C.— Sealy has entered a partnership with Flex, Spain's largest bedding producer, to distribute Sealy branded products in Spain and Portugal. The companies said the deal gives Flex access to a widely known brand while giving U.S. bedding major Sealy immediate distribution and significant growth opportunities with a European market leader.
  • AFMA neutral on petition
    HIGH POINT — The American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. has issued a memorandum to members outlining the group's position and involvement in the antidumping petition targeting wood bedroom furniture from China. The bottom line: AFMA neither supports nor opposes the petition by the American Furniture Manufacturers Committee for Legal Trade.
  • Billiard Expo goes online
    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— Registration for the 2004 International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo can now be done entirely on line at www.bca-pool.com. The Expo is set for March 31- April 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration for BCA business members is free. The Expo will feature expanded floor hours, seminars and the BCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring Jerry ...
  • American Leather moves to new plant, headquarters
    DALLAS— Custom upholstery manufacturer American Leather has moved into its new 205,000-square-foot plant and headquarters here. The facility, on 21 acres in the Mountain Creek Business Park, represents a $10 million investment for the 14-year-old company, including the upgrading and replacement of machinery and equipment.
  • Symetri upgrades sales force automation software
    HIGH POINT— New sales force automation software from Symetri features several upgrades over previous Know-It versions. Symetri Sales Express offers for the first time a centralized database that can be shared with multiple applications, simpler set-up procedures for both manufacturer and user, and system administration tools that eliminate the need to build and process large load files or...
  • Roomful Express still growing
    WEST MIFFLIN, Pa.— Roomful Express continues its aggressive move to update and expand its stores. The Top 100 chain is retrofitting a former Phar-Mor store here to create a 65,000-square-foot full-line furniture store consistent with the Connie Post-designed stores that the company has been opening since early last year.
  • Sears Canada honors vendors
    TORONTO— Six furniture and bedding makers were among the 103 companies singled out by Sears Canada for its Partners in Progress awards, honoring the top sources of this country's largest furniture and bedding retailer. The six furniture and bedding honorees are case goods and upholstery maker Shermag; ready-to-assemble resource Sauder; upholstery producers Superstyle Furniture, Sklar Pepp...

Opinion Today
  • Letters to the Editor
    Letters to the Editor
    Anti-sale tirade misses the mark Jerry Epperson's anti-sale tirade ("Don't get the point? Let me repeat SALE!," Dec. 1, page 54) was fun to read. I enjoyed it immensely. I bet Jerry found writing this column was cathartic. I bet Jerry genuinely believes using advertising to promote sales, discount prices, no-no-no financing and similar events demeans the industry at large and the retailer in pa...
  • Pennsylvania House: A good deed done quickly
    I'm not the first to say it, and I hope I won't be the last, but to Michael Foster and his colleagues at Pennsylvania House, I say, "Well done." Rather than take chances with dissatisfied consumers, Pennsylvania House recently pulled 10 defective dining room pieces off retail floors. That's not unheard of, but the furniture in question was part of New Standards, a smash hit among case goods int...

People Today
  • Robb & Stucky names three buyers
    FORT MYERS, Fla.—Danae Tirikos has been promoted to case goods buyer at retailer Robb & Stucky. She reports to Larry Cunningham. Tirikos has been with the upscale chain since 1996, most recently as assistant buyer for case goods, specializing in the youth category. Marybeth Walsh has been named accessory buyer/global sourcing for Robb & Stucky.
  • Hardison to direct Lane's dedicated distribution
    TUPELO, Miss.—Dwight Hardison has been promoted to director of dedicated distribution at Lane Home Furnishings. He joined the manufacturer and importer in November 2002 as dedicated distribution manager. He will continue developing the Comfort Showcase and Comfort Furnishings gallery programs and become more involved in the dedicated store program.
  • People on the Move
    People on the Move
    ADVERTISING FKQ Advertising & Marketing CLEARWATER, Fla. —Matthew Childs has been named vice president of strategic planning at FKQ Advertising & Marketing. He previously was with Brodeur/Imagetime, a technology marketing communications firm in Milan, Italy, and has held a variety of marketing positions, including director of interactive at Nike.

Special Report
  • Retailer Profile
    Tampa showroom opens doors to public
    YBOR CITY, Fla.— Bob Cadrecha and his family have transformed their trade-only Design Interiors Furniture Showrooms into a full-blown retail business, flinging the doors open to the public. For years, the two-store operation in this historic suburb of Tampa had been closed to the public except for an annual clearance sale.
  • Retailer Profile
    Father launched business as used furniture store
    YBOR CITY, Fla.— The Cadrecha family furniture business was started 61 years ago in one of the two buildings the company occupies today. But it started at the opposite end of the price spectrum. Belarmino Cadrecha, father of Design Interiors President Bob Cadrecha, emigrated from Spain in 1914 with little money and a sixth-grade education.
  • Market Preview
    Tupelo Introductions
    All prices retail * TB = Tupelo Building Complex * MB = Mississippi Building Complex A&C INTERNATIONAL TB3 3202 Classically styled bedroom, dining and upholstery group. ABERDEEN MB E4200 ACCENT FURNITURE TB3 3214 Somerset bedroom collection, in transitional style with honey pine panel crown bed and cases with airy louvered design for transitional feel, brushed metal drawer pulls and bowed...

Store Openings
  • French Heritage has 17th shop
    MIAMI—French Heritage has opened its 17th U.S. French Heritage Shop here at Morningside, on Biscayne Boulevard in a historic district. The boutique shop, featuring accessories and furniture inspired by French antiques, is 2,500 square feet. Morningside was founded in 1999 by President Sharon Brewington and Vice President Vincent J.
  • Bassett opens 3rd Baltimore unit
    BALTIMORE—Bassett Furniture Direct of Baltimore has opened its third metro Baltimore BFD store. The 14,000-square-foot unit is located in Bel Air at the Tollgate Marketplace. The other area Bassett Furniture Direct stores are in Towson and Catonsville. Harold Brown, chief operating officer of BFD of Baltimore, said, "The new store is expected to create 25 full-time jobs, with anticipate...
  • Morris unveils 2nd Ashley store
    BEAVERCREEK, Ohio— Larry Klaben of Morris Furniture has opened a second Ashley HomeStore here in the Miami Valley. The 33,000-square-foot store dedicated to Ashley product is near the Fairfield Mall in Towne Center on Centre Drive. In addition, plans are under way to open the first Ashley HomeStore in Cincinnati, which will be 60,000-square-feet.
  • England launches four galleries
    NEW TAZEWELL, Tenn.—England has installed four Custom Comfort Centers in Ohio and Missouri. In Delphos, Ohio, Westrich Furniture has opened a 4,100-square-foot England gallery in its 45,000-square-foot store. The store was opened in 1937 by Mel and Dee Westrich and is now owned and operated by their son, Jack Westrich.

Supplement
  • Ready to Sell
    Ready-to-sell merchants fill big niche
    Ready-to-sell. That's the name of this new section in Furniture/Today, and we hope the name describes a certain segment of the home furnishings industry where style, value and logistics are all equally essential. Ready-to-sell is a phrase that deliberately resonates like ready-to-assemble, and while we intend to give the RTA makers and merchants plenty of attention here, we also plan to talk ab...
  • Ready to Sell
    Room-in-a-box merchandising gaining steam
    HIGH POINT — Producers believe they may have found a way to help even their most price-sensitive retailers generate bigger furniture sales tickets. Two of the room-in-a-box merchandising concepts shown in High Point last October have been successfully tested by major discount chains, with larger rollouts now in the planning stages.
  • Ready to Sell
    Furniture's in season at warehouse clubs
    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 ...
  • Ready to Sell
    Key furniture sources
    HIGH POINT — While the three major warehouse clubs don't break out their furniture sales, it's interesting to see their vendor rosters. Some of these companies appear to be set up as exclusive import sources for the clubs. Here's a list of the most visible furniture sources and brands found at these stores: BJ's Wholesale Club — Berkley & Jensen, Bush Furniture, DeCoro, Homele...
  • Ready to Sell
    Electronics majors hone strategies
    HIGH POINT— The furniture riddle has been a tough one to crack for electronics superstores like Best Buy and Circuit City. These majors and other electronics retailers see furniture as an attractive opportunity for add-on sales to their computers, televisions and stereos, but none seems completely confident in their approach.
  • Ready to Sell
    Lowe's focuses on storage
    NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C.— A three-year furniture experiment appears to be winding to a close at Lowe's as the home improvement giant focuses on storage systems rather than its previous lineup of entertainment centers, computer workstations and bookcases. Lowe's, which installed large ready-to-assemble small office/home office and entertainment programs in 2001, is not including furniture d...
  • Ready to Sell
    Cooking up sales in the kitchen
    HIGHPOINT —Kitchen carts, islands, mobile carts and cabinets are enjoying a nice rally for ready-to-sell vendors and retailers. Across several channels of distribution, kitchen storage and work surfaces are performing well as consumers seek stylish and functional solutions at reasonable prices.
  • Ready to Sell
    Big Lots testing Rose Hill's SimplyFits RTA line
    OKOLONA, Miss. — SimplyFits, Rose Hill's new ready-to-assemble upholstery program, is getting its first retail test, and the company is preparing for an aggressive rollout this year. Closeout and discount chain Big Lots is testing a SimplyFits transitional frame next to an identical Rose Hill assembled model, both priced at $399.
  • Ready to Sell
    Wal-Mart site connects with furnishings
    BENTONVILLE, Ark.— The furniture assortment in Wal-Mart stores tends toward rock-bottom prices and sometimes haphazard displays. Furniture offerings on its Web site, www.walmart.com, are much broader, hitting price points double and triple what can be found in the stores, and the presentation is professional and easy to shop.
  • Ready to Sell
    RTA retail pioneer moves to larger store
    AKRON, Ohio— Express Furniture, founded and owned by Mike Simcox, is proof that ready-to-assemble superstores have a legitimate place in the pantheon of home furnishings retailing. Now in its 13th year here, Express Furniture has just completed the grand opening of its new 23,000-square-foot store with 15,000 square feet of showroom, a 50% jump in display space from the previous store.
  • Ready to Sell
    Target stands out from the crowd
    MINNEAPOLIS— Among discounters and mass merchants, Target continues to stand out in furniture for its combination of unique styles and pieces and affordable values. Its Furio house brand, supplied by several leading U.S. ready-to-assemble furniture factories, offers a standard assortment of office, entertainment and bedroom pieces.

Up Front
  • Sealy opens big plant in upstate New York
    GREEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Sealy has opened a new $25 million manufacturing plant and distribution center here as it bids to expand its business in the region. "The 257,000-square-foot Green Island plant will be one of Sealy's largest domestic facilities and services the company's largest market," said Dave McIlquham, Sealy president and CEO.
  • Samuel Lawrence will halt Arizona production
    PHOENIX— Case goods resource Samuel Lawrence Furniture will cease manufacturing at its 250,000-square-foot plant here. The factory, which produces mostly pine bedroom furniture, will continue to perform light assembly, finishing and warehousing after production is shut down, scheduled for completion March 12.
  • Foamex appoints ex-Mississippi governor to replace Cogan on board
    LINWOOD, Pa.— Foam supplier Foamex has named former Mississippi Gov. Raymond Mabus as its non-executive board chairman, replacing Marshall Cogan, who left by what the company said was mutual agreement. Foamex said it will take a one-time charge of about $1.4 million this quarter in connection with Cogan's separation, to be offset by amounts accrued under the retirement provisions of his ...
  • Premarket golf set for March 21
    GREENSBORO, N.C.— Golfers attending premarket will have a chance to get in a round on the links when Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. and Furniture/Today host the second Premarket Golf Scramble on Sunday, March 21, at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center here. Premarket, the preview of April market introductions, takes place the week of March 22.
  • Many attendees pleased with inaugural IFAM show
    LAS VEGAS— This month's inaugural International Furniture & Accessories Marketplace gave home furnishings exhibitors and buyers a glimpse of what it might be like to show here on a regular basis. Many liked what they saw. "I would most likely do this show again," said Karen King, owner of The Barking Zebra, an importer of case goods and accessories.
  • Bob's opening more stores
    MANCHESTER, Conn.— Bob's Discount Furniture is opening three stores this year and another early next year, continuing an aggressive push into greater Boston and other New England markets. The retailer opened its 20th store, a 35,000-square-foot showroom in Manchester, N.H., last Thursday — in time for the Presidents Day holiday weekend — pushing north from a core of stores in ...
  • Ocean shipping hike may be higher
    HIGH POINT— A planned rate increase for overseas shipping could be higher than industry officials were estimating last month. The Journal of Commerce, which covers the shipping trade, now projects the increase will range from $450 to $600 per container or FEU (40-foot equivalent unit). It also said carriers could impose a $400 peak-season surcharge between June 15 and Oct.
  • Wampler is Natale chief
    High Point— John Wampler has been promoted to president of Italian leather upholstery and case goods producer Natale's North American division after the departure of James Riddle. One-time Natuzzi Americas executive Les Herman has joined Natale as vice president. Wampler joined Natale as executive vice president of North American operations in October.
  • Lifestyle names Riddle
    HIGH POINT — Industry veteran James Riddle will join case goods and leather upholstery importer Lifestyle Enterprise on March 1 as managing director. Riddle, most recently president of Natale's North American division, will implement an aggressive growth plan, said Greg Noe, Lifestyle group president and chief operating officer.
  • Reding gets WMC post
    LAS VEGAS— The World Market Center has hired Jim Reding as tenant improvement director, a newly created post. "Jim's responsibility will be to ensure that our exhibitors have everything they need to meet the construction and completion schedule, which will ultimately reflect in a successful grand opening in July 2005," said Dave Palmer, general manager of the planned $1 billion World Mark...
  • McGee joins Showplace
    HIGH POINT — Tim McGee, former director of leasing here for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., has been named vice president of leasing for Showplace, the 500,000-square-foot showroom venue in downtown High Point. McGee had worked in MMPI's High Point office since 2000. Earlier, he spent six years in leasing at the Atlanta Market Center.

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