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Furniture|Today -- 02/23/2004
Bedding Today
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Readers offer thoughts on white ticking ... and Pam
This week we turn things over to you, our faithful readers. A number of you commented on our column lamenting the vast sea of white mattress ticking on retail floors. You may recall that we noted that white ticking can be quick to show signs of soiling. A Top 100 furniture retailer wrote: "White sells! We have overcome the dirt problems with boots on the foot of the bed, improved packaging, and...
Business Today
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BMTC 4Q sales rise 8.4%
MONTREAL — BMTC Group, Quebec's largest retailer of furniture, bedding and accessories, said sales in the fourth quarter rose 8.4% to C$212.6 million, although net income slipped 14.2% to C$14.2 million. For the year, revenues totalled C$802.9 million, an increase of 6.6% over 2002. Net income was just under C$37 million, a dip of 3.
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Amisco earnings up 39.5% in 4Q
LISLET, Quebec — Metal furniture specialist Amisco said sales in its fourth quarter rose 5.7% to C$12.6 million from C$11.9 million in the previous year's final period, as net earnings increased 39.5% to C$1.1 million from C$788,000. For the year ended Nov. 30, 2003, the company reported a 1.
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Tempur-Pedic '03 sales soar 60.8%
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tempur-Pedic International, a manufacturer and marketer of visco-elastic mattresses and pillows, said fourth-quarter sales jumped 48.6% to $136.8 million, while sales for the year surged 60.8% to $479.1 million. Net income for the fourth quarter was $11.6 million compared with $1.
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Select Comfort's '03 sales surge 36.5% to $458.5 million
MINNEAPOLIS — Buoyed by substantial gains at its 344 company-owned stores, Select Comfort said sales jumped more than 36% in 2003. The company, which makes and sells the Sleep Number airbed, said the gain included same-store sales growth of 31%. And that figure came on the heels of a 27% same-store sales jump in 2002.
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O'Sullivan 2Q sales drop 17.5%
LAMAR, Mo. — O'Sullivan Inds. Holdings, which owns and operates flat-pack specialist O'Sullivan Furniture, reported a sales decline of 17.5% to $65.2 million in its second quarter, with a net loss of $8.4 million. For its first half ended Dec. 31, the ready-to-assemble furniture maker said sales dropped 9.
Flammability Report
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Suppliers, producers touch bases
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — About 100 bedding producers and suppliers met here for a day-long flammability program sponsored by the International Sleep Products Assn. and the Sleep Products Safety Council. The program featured presentations by suppliers of fire-resistant products, a question-and-answer session hosted by a bedding producer, and briefings by state and federal regulators.
News
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Quaker Fabric posts stronger margins in 4th qtr.
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Despite lower revenues and a challenging economy, Quaker Fabric said it achieved stronger strong gross margins in the fourth quarter as well as the fiscal year. A major supplier of fabric to the furniture industry, Quaker said its sales of $80.5 million in the 13-week fourth quarter of 2003 were down 2.
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Panel: Industry must use its strengths
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A panel of industry specialists has seen the enemy and it's not Wal-Mart or Costco or even China. It's ourselves — when we come to work but leave our passion at home, when we forget that it's all about the consumer, when we fixate on price and when we don't take advantage of better business models.
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Natuzzi awards trips in contest
HIGH POINT — Kerry Van, a sales associate at Leather Discounters in San Marcos, Calif., won the grand prize in the second annual retail sales contest sponsored by Natuzzi Americas. Van won a trip to Italy and a three-piece furniture group for selling the most pieces of Natuzzi furniture during the three-month contest, which ran from September to November.
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Raymour & Flanigan's Goldberg family honored
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — The Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives group has honored the Goldberg family, owners of retailer Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, with the 28th annual Crystal Ball Award for professional and community contributions. The Goldberg family opened its first store in Syracuse, N.
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Liz Claiborne to launch
LEXINGTON, N.C. — Lexington Home Brands will introduce its newest licensed line, the 140-SKU Liz Claiborne Home, next month at High Point's premarket. Dealers will see a market-ready showroom presentation and can place orders on the entire collection. Bob Stec, Lexington president and CEO, said extensive consumer research by Liz Claiborne gave designers a leg up in product development.
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Steel price hikes worry bedding execs
HIGH POINT — Facing what they describe as an unprecedented series of hikes in steel prices, major bedding producers are weighing options that include raising their prices to retailers, seeking alternative sources of supply overseas, and remerchandising their product lines. Price hikes from top components supplier Leggett & Platt, which started last fall, could total as much as 20%, t...
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Bauer to make PGA line
WANDO, S.C. — Manufacturer and importer Bauer International has signed a licensing agreement to become the official clubhouse furnishings provider for the Professional Golfers Assn. of America, and will launch its PGA of America Collection for retail distribution at the October market. The collection will include 10 to 15 pieces, mostly seating, tables and an ottoman using materials incl...
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Winans to focus on larger stores
RENO, Nev. — Winans Furniture is closing its 30,000-square-foot Carson City store with an eye on expanding its two other showrooms in northern Nevada and opening a central distribution center. The family-owned retailer is running a combined closing and expansion sale at all locations for the next 90 days or so, said Andrew Winans, president.
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Maison & Objet attendance up 8%
PARIS — Maison & Objet attracted 64,915 buyers to its January show, an 8% increase from the January 2003 market, organizers of the home furnishings trade show reported. There were 5% more visitors from France than last year and 15% more international attendees. France accounted for 69% of the total, and most foreign buyers were from elsewhere in Europe.
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Claiborne collection follows consumers' lead
LEXINGTON, N.C. — Lexington Home Brands and new partner Liz Claiborne kept the consumer firmly in mind when creating Liz Claiborne Home. "It's totally different than any introduction we've done at Lexington since it's 100% consumer driven," said Bob Stec, president and CEO of the furniture manufacturer and importer.
- Obituaries
Obituaries
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Furniture activity rated good at Nationwide winter show
NEW ORLEANS — Nationwide Marketing Group's winter buying show here generated good business for exhibiting furniture manufacturers. Sandberg Furniture was "pleasantly surprised" with reaction to its first show through Nationwide's Furniture Smart division. "It was the best-run buying group show I've ever been around," said Wayne Harris, national account manager.
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Keynote speaker touts positive attitude, energy
NEW ORLEANS — Surviving a tough economy means maintaining a positive attitude and high energy while listening to customers. That was the message to Nationwide Marketing Group members here from keynote speaker Pat Croce. An entrepreneur and former National Basketball Assn. team co-owner, Croce is known more for his dynamic personality than his business savvy, but needed a lot of both to be...
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Rising steel prices affect bedding
HIGH POINT — Bedding component suppliers say worldwide forces in the steel industry are raising their costs and forcing them to pass on higher prices to bedding producers. "An unrelenting upward spiral in scrap steel and rod prices is continuing to raise the cost of wire," said Jay Sanders, vice president and director of marketing in Leggett & Platt's Bedding Components Group.
Opinion Today
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China is becoming financial powerhouse
For as long as we can remember, China's government has tied its currency, the yuan, to the U.S. dollar. This fixed exchange rate sets a constant proportionality to some of the country's competitive advantages, the most obvious being low labor costs. This is not a new strategy. Japan did it for much of the 1980s and experienced unprecedented growth and prosperity in that period.
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Where in the world is your Christopher Casablanca?
When you think about the wonderful products we offer, and at values perhaps stronger than ever, it boggles my mind that our target consumer, the female shopper, is not head-over-heels in love with us. I believe she really wants to be. I think she is more than simply infatuated with our products. But studies keep pointing to certain obstacles, the largest one perhaps an image problem: Although ...
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Choosing partners in the name game
What's in a name? That could well be the theme of the furniture world in the coming months, both at retail and on the factory side. The name game has become sort of a square dance — grab your partner and do-si-do. However, the word "partner" is often misapplied. Earlier this month, JCPenney previewed its latest name, Chris Madden, who has a track record in home furnishings, especially at ...
People Today
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Mancina to direct Rowe's PR
MCCLEAN, Va. —Saverio Mancina has joined upholstery manufacturer Rowe Furniture in the new position of director of public relations. He will spearhead all media relations strategies promoting the company's brands, and oversee special events at trade shows and in local markets to support Rowe's retailers.
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RC Furniture taps Shafer for merchandising post
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. —Jennie Shaferhas joined West Coast upholstery producer RC Furniture as director of merchandising. She is responsible for fabric procurement, selection, and frame-to-fabric application. She also will be working with major accounts. Shafer previously was merchandising manager for upholstery maker Golden Oaks, a division of Klaussner Furniture Inds.
- People on the Move
People on the Move
Managers Unifi GREENSBORO, N.C. — Kelly Crabtree has joined yarn producer Unifi as market manager, a new position. She previously was merchandising and marketing manager for Tietex Interiors, formerly Burlington Inds.' upholstery fabric division before Tietex acquired it in 2002. "I'm excited about this opportunity," Crabtree said.
Special Report
- Consumer Buying Trends
Out with the old!
Worn-out upholstery is the No. 1 driver for buying something new, according to the nearly 1,000 households that answered Furniture/Today's exclusive survey of upholstery buyers. That's not a huge surprise. Worrisome, though, is how long it takes consumers to decide their old upholstery is worn out. Almost one-third of the sofa buyers, for example, say their old one is 10 to 15 years old; nearly...
- Consumer Buying Trends
Stationary sofas
Purchased by the largest number of households, the stationary sofa is the workhorse of the upholstery category. As is true for most home furnishings products, baby boomers account for the majority of buyers. Over one-half of furniture store buyers are boomers and one-fifth are members of Generation X.
- Consumer Buying Trends
Loveseats
Boomers—both younger and older—account for 56% of the loveseat buyers and spent a median of $600. The younger generations — Generation X and Y — together account for one-fourth of buyers and have lower budgets, spending a median of $500. Older generations account for fewer loveseat buyers, but spend more.
- Consumer Buying Trends
Stationary chairs
Stationary chairs are a popular purchase for high-income households. Slightly more than one-half of buyers have household incomes of $75,000 or more, and 30% have incomes of $100,000 or more. The median amount spent on an occasional chair increases with income. Regionally speaking, Westerners spent the most on their occasional chair, a median of $500.
- Flammability Report
Seminar draws crowd to examine new regs
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Many of the leading figures on the mattress flammability front gathered here earlier this month to talk shop. The International Sleep Products Assn. hosted a sellout crowd for its Shoptalk: Flammability seminar. About 100 attendees, including representatives of five of the industry's Top 10 bedding producers, were told that California regulators are on track to begin e...
- Flammability Report
Morris: 'We need your help'
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — California, which has enacted a stringent open-flame mattress flammability law, will enforce that law in a "serious, rigorous and fair" manner, the state's top mattress regulator said here. Lynn Morris, chief of the California Bureau of Home Furnishings, appealed to the bedding industry to support those enforcement efforts.
- Flammability Report
Lab puts burning issues to the test
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — A conventional sleep set erupted into a blazing inferno minutes after it was exposed to open flames in a burn test here. The test was conducted at Underwriters Laboratories, one of several facilities around the country that does bedding burn tests. It took the mattress and box spring less than two minutes to exceed the standards in California's new open-flame mattress...
- Flammability Report
Suppliers: Look for the right mix
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Suppliers of fire-resistant materials offered a variety of tips for bedding producers gearing up to meet California's open-flame safety regulations. "There is no silver bullet," said Steve Ogle, an executive with Leggett & Platt, which offers a number of FR products. "There is no one single solution.
- Flammability Report
Solutions are out there, Kemp says
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — "If you haven't started to work on flammability, start today." That's what Dennis Kemp, vice president of operations for Spring Air Northwest in Lacey, Wash., told a roomful of bedding producers at the Shoptalk: Flammability seminar here. Kemp, also chairman of the Sleep Products Safety Council's Combustibility Committee, offered several tips on how bedding makers can...
- Flammability Report
CPSC is working diligently
NORTHBROOK, Ill. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is working hard to establish a national standard on open-flame mattress flammability, a CPSC official said here. "We are working diligently and as fast as we can," said Allyson Tenney, a textile technologist with CPSC. "We hope to get a briefing package together by this summer.
- Consumer Buying Trends
Motion sofas
Boomers are the big motion buyers, accounting for three-fifths of households making a motion sofa purchase in 2002 or 2003. Younger boomers, those between ages 40 and 48 this year, spend a little more, a median of $1,000, while older boomers, between ages 49 and 58 this year, spent a median of $950. About two-thirds of households that buy motion sofas live either in the Midwest or South.
- Consumer Buying Trends
Sectional sofas
Sectional sofas are most popular with Generation X and Younger Baby Boomer households. Both generations account for 27% of sectional purchases in 2002 and 2003. Gen X'ers spent more, a median of $2,000, while the younger boomers spent less, a median of $1,600. Sectional buyers have large incomes. Over half have incomes of $75,000 or more, and nearly one-third have incomes of $100,000 or more.
- Consumer Buying Trends
Sofa-sleepers
Sofa-sleeper buyers generally have smaller incomes and some are coping with limited space. One-third have household incomes of less than $40,000; 14% are apartment dwellers; 6% live in a mobile home; and 8% live in a condominium. Nearly two-fifths of buyers report the need of an extra sleeping surface as the purchase reason.
- Retail Profile
French Heritage on growth track
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — One store at a time, French Heritage has brought its branded collection of French reproduction furniture and accent pieces to the American retail landscape. In October 2000, the Los Angeles-based company opened its first in-store French Heritage Shop at Design and Interiors in Los Altos, Calif.
Store Openings
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La-Z-Boy adds two galleries
MONROE, Mich. — Retailers in Maine and Arizona have installed La-Z-Boy galleries. F.X. Marcotte
in Lewiston, Maine, has a 5,000-square-foot La-Z-Boy gallery. The store is owned by Paul Bonneau and Paul Dubois. Marler's Furniture
in Cottonwood, Ariz., has installed a 7,500-square-foot gallery in its 17,000-square-foot showroom.
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Thomasville has 4th Philly unit
MONTGOMERYVILLE, Pa. —Thomasville Home Furnishings
has opened its fourth store in the metro Philadelphia market here. The newly built store is 15,000 square feet. Clair Sauder and Brian Good are co-owners of all four Philadelphia area Thomasville stores. They each have 20 years experience in the furniture industry and opened their first Thomasville store in December 2001.
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USA Baby launches Fla. store
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —USA Baby, a specialty retailer of infant and children's furniture and accessories, has opened a store at the Regency Court Shopping Center here on Arlington Expressway. Art and Laura Dague are the owners of the 9,600-square-foot store. This is their first USA Baby franchise.
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Florida La-Z-Boy store debuts
PALM HARBOR, Fla. —La-Z-Boyhas opened a La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store here on U.S. Highway 19 North. The 13,403-square-foot store is owned by Brad Boice and features the full range of La-Z-Boy upholstery and accent furniture, along with the network's design center. John J. Case, president of La-Z-Boy, said, "By providing our customers with design assistance and an enjoyable...
Up Front
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Buying group tops $1 billion in sales
NEW ORLEANS — Fast-growing Furniture Smart, which bills itself as the U.S. industry's largest buying and marketing group, says it has topped $1 billion in sales. The furniture division of Nationwide Marketing Group attracted 32 vendors to Nationwide Prime Time, the private market held earlier this month at the Superdome here.
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Hooker exits antidumping group; five others join
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Five companies have joined and one has withdrawn from the group of U.S. manufacturers seeking duties on wood bedroom furniture from China. Top 25 manufacturer Hooker said it was dropping off the antidumping petition, now before U.S. authorities. Adding their support are bedroom furniture producers Kindel Furniture, Value Line, Baker Road Furniture, Inwood Furniture a...
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Chinese deny yuan revaluation coming
HIGH POINT — China may at long last be moving to revalue its currency, the yuan, which has been pegged to the U.S. dollar since 1994. But even if that happens, the effect of a stronger yuan on the U.S. furniture industry likely would be negligible. Newspaper reports both in the United States and in China have fueled speculation that the Chinese government might be willing to let the yuan...
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R.C. Willey is Reno bound
RENO, Nev. — R.C. Willey will open its first store here next year, building its Nevada presence with a showroom along the same lines as its successful Las Vegas stores. The 12-store, Salt Lake City-based retailer, part of Berkshire Hathaway's furniture division, has acquired 12 acres off U.S. 395 south of downtown Reno in the Damonte Ranch planned community of residential, commercial and...
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Tupelo buyers eager to order
TUPELO, Miss. — Organizers of the Tupelo Furniture Market tout Wednesday as the "unofficial opening day" of the semiannual show, and it was obvious last week that buyers took them at their word. Several showrooms said Wednesday traffic was equal to, or greater than, the official opening day on Thursday.
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Stickley acquires Cibola assets
MANLIUS, N.Y. — L.&J.G. Stickley has acquired the assets of a high-end leather producer Cibola and will relaunch the line as Craftsman Leather by Stickley at the April market in High Point. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Stickley will show the new Craftsman line in its High Point showroom and will manufacture the product at its Stickley Fine Upholstery plant in Ar...
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A-Z Media reorganizing; Craft heads media branch
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Advertising, marketing and licensing company A-Z Media Group has reorganized to support its growing suite of services, including the planned launch of a national home furnishings brand. A-Z Media Group, which launched in 1999 as the ShopA-Z.com shopping portal and added advertising and marketing services for the home furnishings industry in 2001, is creating two opera...
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South Sea/Fairfax taps Crover
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Peter Crover has joined South Sea Rattan Collections and Fairfax Home Furnishings as vice president of sales, marketing and product development, a newly created position. South Sea Rattan Collections imports wicker and rattan seating and dining for indoor and outdoor use, while Fairfax offers imported case goods, upholstery and accent pieces.
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JCPenney banking on Chris Madden line
NEW YORK — Chris Madden's upcoming home furnishings collection at JCPenney has the retailer's executives hoping for as much as a 20% gain in JCPenney Home Collection sales, now at about $1.5 billion. The 1,700-SKU collection called Turning Home into Haven will be in the retailer's stores and on its Web site in May.
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Penney's online sales rise 50%
PLANO, Texas — JCPenney's Internet sales, with furniture as an important piece, jumped more than 50% in 2003, topping $600 million. "We're at pace or slightly earlier than plan in our Internet business growth," said John Irvin, president of JCPenney Direct. Meanwhile, the retailer's more traditional direct-sale business — its catalogs — also recovered with a sales increase in ...
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