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Furniture|Today > Archives > 05/23/2005 Issue
Table of Contents
Furniture|Today -- 05/23/2005

Bedding Today
  • Consumer Reports stirs pot with mattress buying article
    The industry is abuzz over a six-page report on mattresses in the June issue of Consumer Reports. My take on the report, titled "How to buy a mattress without losing sleep," is that the powerful magazine did a credible job on a challenging subject, for the most part, but was snoozing on a few key issues.

Editor's Desk
  • Gennet redux?
    When Michael Gennet stepped down at Lazar Inds. last month, he hit the pause button on a 40-year career in virtually every facet of the industry, perhaps most notably as chief executive of a major market center. I strongly suspect that, like many of us who love this business, he won't be able to stay away for long.

Industry Numbers
  • The Brick's 1Q sales up 16.5%
    Edmonton, Alberta— Sales jumped 16.5% in the first quarter for The Brick Group Income Fund, this country's largest furniture and bedding retailer, but a drop in same-store sales contributed to a net loss of C$2.3 million, or 4 Canadian cents per trust unit, compared to net earnings of C$6.8 million in last year's first quarter.
  • Leon's sales rise 8.7% in 1Q
    Toronto— Aggressive marketing and gains in same-store sales drove an 8.7% increase in first-quarter sales to C$113.6 million for Leon's Furniture. Net earnings rose 4.7% to C$7.8 million. Leon's franchise sales were C$34.5 million in the quarter, a 9% increase over the prior year's C$31.6 million.
  • Sleep Country Canada 1Q sales up 7.6%
    Toronto— Bedding specialty retailer Sleep Country Canada's sales rose 7.6% in the first quarter as net income increased 6.6%, reported parent Sleep Country Income Fund. Revenues came to C$45.6 million, compared with C$42.4 million in last year's comparable quarter. Net income was C$3.5 million, versus C$3.
  • SCI 1Q revenues up 3%, net income off 4.7%
    Mississauga, Ontario— SCI Income Trust, parent of major bedding maker Simmons Canada, said first-quarter revenues rose 3% to C$30.9 million from C$30 million in last year's initial quarter. Net income slipped 4.7% to C$2.1 million, or 27 Canadian cents per trust unit, from C$2.2 million, or 28 Canadian cents per trust unit.
  • Bombay 1Q sales slide 1.2%
    Fort Worth, Texas— A boost in sales last month was not enough to offset poor business in the prior two months as The Bombay Company posted a bigger loss and a 5% same-store sales decline in its first quarter. The Top 100 specialty retailer, with 495 stores in the United States and Canada, reported a loss in the quarter ended April 30 of $8 million, compared with a loss of $5.

Insider's View
  • Shouldn't housing boom be gold mine for furniture?
    I believe the National Assn. of Realtors surprised itself recently with a new study that showed 36% of all homes sold in 2004 were second homes, a number much higher than they expected. Their definition of a second home includes vacation homes, vacation homes that are rented for income, and homes bought as investments.

News
  • Target previews O'Brien collection
    New York— The industry got a first peek last week at the upscale Thomas O'Brien home furnishings collection that hip discounter Target will roll out to its 1,300 stores this fall. The 500 SKU collection, with a wide range of furniture for every room in the home and a full array of home textiles, tabletop, rugs, accessories and housewares, was previewed last week in a model house in the We...
  • Havertys promotes 3 execs
    Atlanta— Havertys has promoted longtime employees Tony Wilkerson and Thomas Curran as well as its human resources chief. The Top 100 store promoted Wilkerson to executive vice president, merchandising, responsible for development and execution of all merchandising strategies. With over 28 years experience at the 118-store Southeast and Midwest retailer, Wilkerson has been senior vice pres...
  • Franken joins Henredon
    Morganton, N.C.— Veteran retail executive Joan Franken has been named vice president of merchandising at upper-end manufacturer Henredon. Franken, who worked for Wheaton, Ill.-based Toms-Price since 1987, initially will concentrate on Henredon's upholstery business, but will direct all merchandising and product development activities for the company's fabric and leather upholstery and cas...
  • Moriarty to head Brown Jordan
    Pompano Beach, Fla.— Casual furniture manufacturer and importer Brown Jordan International has named Gene J. Moriarty as president and chief operating officer. He most recently held the same titles at baby care and juvenile products maker Evenflo. Previously, Moriarty was in management at Playtex Products, Meridian Consulting Group, Warner Vision Entertainment, Thompson Medical Co.
  • AFECOM building U.S. sales team
    High Point— AFECOM, a consortium of Brazilian manufacturers developing a line of furniture for the U.S. market, is building a North American sales team. The group has named as sales representatives Luis Soto for the Northeast; Isaak Novikov, New York (and also Russia); and Jose Lemos, Florida. "Our sales coverage of North America is growing along with the increased retail acceptance of ou...
  • WithIt examines leadership
    Atlanta— Developing Leaders for 2010 was the theme of WithIt's 2005 National Education Conference, held at AmericasMart here earlier this month and sponsored by Stanley Furniture, AmericasMart and Furniture/Today. Women In The Home Industries Today organized the conference on two tracks, one for accomplished entrepreneurs and one for professionals striving to advance.
  • Davis event to benefit City of Hope
    Tupelo, Miss.— About 350 guests are expected here Thursday for a celebration and auction honoring Mississippi furniture executive and High Point showroom owner Lynn Davis on his 50th birthday. The event will benefit City of Hope Cancer Center. Davis has set a personal goal this year to raise money for pediatric cancer research at the City of Hope complex in Los Angeles.
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    Hypnos makes a Keen addition to its team
    Franklin, Tenn.— Hypnos, the high-end bedding line with a royal pedigree, has boosted its U.S. marketing efforts with a Keen addition to its staff. That would be Sarah Keen, a member of the fifth-generation of the founding Keen family. She has moved to the United States from England and assumed the duties of national support manager, a new position for Hypnos.
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    Stylution ready to hit U.S.
    Barrington, Ill.— Stylution USA, the marketer of a line of Chinese-made innerspring mattresses, is poised to make a strong entry into the United States. That is the assessment of Ed Scott, the 25-year bedding veteran who is CEO and president of the U.S. marketing arm. It is part of Stylution International, a major producer of mattresses, upholstery and case goods based in Dongguan, China.
  • Bedding Benchmarks
    Rothman sales associate wins Spring Air prize
    Elk Grove Village, Ill.— Bob Kershaw, a sales associate with Rothman Furniture, is the grand-prize winner of Spring Air's 2004 sales associate reward program. The reward program offered 68 vacations to resort locations worldwide. Kershaw's grand-prize trip is to Randy Travis' Kaanapali Resort in Maui, Hawaii.
  • Grehan retiring as longtime head of innerspring group
    Memphis, Tenn.— Arthur Grehan, who has been touting the benefits of innersprings for almost 40 years, is retiring from an innerspring trade group. Grehan, 86, hangs up his springs on May 31 as executive director of American Innerspring Mfrs. Succeeding him will be Marjory Walker, now director of the National Cotton Council's Communications, Production and A-V Services Dept.
  • Flexible Foam develops new cushioning
    Spencerville, Ohio— Polyurethane foam supplier Flexible Foam Products has introduced a brand of furniture cushioning called Luxuron Comfort Cushioning. The cushioning, which features the company's proprietary EnviroFlex technology, offers superior, more consistent cushion performance and is 100% recyclable, company officials said.
  • Storis signs up three new Vision R8 clients
    Parisippany, N.J.— The Mattress Co., Mesa TV and Appliance, and FrontRoom Furnishings have signed on with Storis Management Systems to use Vision R8, the retail technology vendor's latest Windows-based software. "As a bedding industry retailer with three stores and a fourth coming in June, we needed a software system that could handle a multitude of applications, and we found just that in...
  • GERS is finalist for IBM award
    San Diego— Retail technology vendor GERS Retail Systems was a finalist for the 2005 IBM Beacon Awards. GERS entered its Multi-Channel Commerce products in the competition and was one of the top three out of 90 entrants. "We highly value our partnership with IBM and consider this award to be a significant accomplishment and recognition of the value we bring to the retail industry," said Ph...
  • Global Link ranks among fastest growers
    Atlanta— Global Link Logistics, a logistics and supply chain management company based here, has been named one of Atlanta's fastest growing private companies. The Atlanta Business Chronicle ranked Global Link at No. 17 on a list of 50. To make the list, companies must have had 2004 revenue between $1 million and $300 million and two-year sales growth exceeding 50%.
  • Research helps Wickes hit 'sweet spot'
    Wheeling, Ill.— Wickes has the look and now it's better able to tell its customers about it. With the help of America's Research Group and ad agency Zimmerman Partners, the retailer conducted market research recently to define and reach its key customers: women 25 to 54 with household incomes from $35,000 to $75,000.
  • Natuzzi reassigns Midwest sales territory
    High Point— Natuzzi Americas has reassigned coverage of its Midwest sales territory after the departure of Kevin Thompson. Thompson, who was vice president of sales and marketing for Natuzzi's central region since January 2004, recently joined manufacturer England as regional vice president, sales.
  • Obituaries
    Obituaries
  • Quality scores at Scoperta
    Chiasso, Switzerland— Attendance was up at the seventh annual Scoperta fabric show here earlier this month and exhibitors were more focused on quality than price, its organizer said. More international visitors came to the show and its companion design event Comocreainterni, including buyers from the United States, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Israel and Brazil.
  • Attendance off at Proposte show; buyers cautious
    Como, Italy— A week of good weather during the annual Proposte fabric show here this month helped make up for attendance that seemed a bit off, according to exhibitors and buyers interviewed after the show. Current exchange rates make Italian fabrics too expensive for many middle-market buyers, but the presence of lower-cost vendors at neighboring fabric show Scoperta, and at area hotels ...
  • N.Y. interiors show debuts in '06
    New York— International Interiors New York, a trade show for fine furnishings and inspirational interior design, will be launched here next May by George Little Management and Reed Expositions. The May 20–23, 2006, market at New York's Passenger Ship Terminal will showcase some 300 exhibitors from the United States and abroad in about 50,000 square feet of exhibit space, said Alan S...
  • Ethan Allen recalls 7,000 dining tables
    Danbury, Conn.— Ethan Allen has recalled over 7,000 dining tables that could collapse because of missing components. The retailer-manufacturer issued an alert on its Web site for the American Impressions and New Country rectangular dining tables. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the same alert on May 17.
  • Tradewins is HOM's top vendor
    Coon Rapids, Minn.— Top 100 store HOM Furniture has named case goods supplier Tradewins as its 2004 Vendor of the Year. Woodinville, Wash.-based Tradewins specializes in youth furniture, master bedroom, entertainment, occasional, dining and outdoor furniture. HOM Merchandise Manager Brett Foster presented the award to Tom Underhill, Tradewins president, in a ceremony earlier this year.
  • Natuzzi trimming jobs
    Santeramo In Colle, Italy— With first-quarter sales expected to slump 14%, leather upholstery giant Natuzzi plans to temporarily trim its work force by 1,320 jobs. The company has about 5,500 workers worldwide. Founder, Chairman and CEO Pasquale Natuzzi said at a special board meeting here last week, "We have decided to take further initiatives to control costs.
  • Office wholesaler launched
    Denver— Two veterans of the office products arena have launched OfficeSource Inc. with the goal of establishing the first national wholesaler dedicated exclusively to office furniture. Co-founders Todd Elmers, president and CEO, and Richard Millet, executive vice president and chief financial officer, are both former executives of Corporate Express, a Colorado-based office products firm.
  • Wickes to rev up growth
    Wheeling, Ill.— Wickes Furniture's opening of two metro Chicago stores this month is just the beginning of an accelerated growth plan for the Top 100 chain, which now aims to become a $1 billion retailer within four years. Wickes opened a 40,000-square-foot showroom in the western Chicago suburb of Naperville, Ill.
  • Foam price hikes vex bedding mfrs.
    High Point— Bedding producers, hit last year with sharp increases in the cost of steel, are now facing significant price increases in foam, another key bedding component. Leading producers said the retail climate is not favorable for price hikes, and they are looking to mitigate the impact of higher raw material costs.
  • Masten looking to Eastern European sources
    Thomasville, N.C.— Case goods and leather importer Masten Furniture, which has been sourcing in China and Vietnam, is expanding its horizons to include Eastern Europe. Last week, the company shipped its first bedroom product from a plant in the Balkan states of the former Yugoslavia. The company also plans to source in Lithuania or Latvia in the Baltic Sea region.
  • Reyes, McRae promoted in AICO marketing moves
    Pico Rivera, Calif.— Case goods importer AICO has promoted Mark Reyes to director of creative arts, a new position, and Karen McRae from marketing assistant to director of marketing. Reyes, formerly the company's director of marketing, now oversees the production of company marketing materials, said AICO Chairman and CEO Michael Amini.
  • England taps two sales VPs
    New Tazewell, Tenn.— Kevin Thompson has joined manufacturer England as regional vice president of sales, and company veteran Jim Sumpter has been promoted to the same position. Thompson, most recently with Natuzzi Americas as vice president of sales for the central region, will be responsible for sales representatives in the western and some central portions of the country.
  • Ashley ads with cartoon cat honored
    Arcadia, Wis.— Ashley Furniture has won a 2005 Reggie Award from Brandweek magazine for its popular Garfield campaign. "Furniture advertising is real bad, with guys screaming about going out of business or a model saying 'style, selection and value'," said Bill Napier, Ashley's director of corporate marketing.
  • French Heritage honors Cattich, other top reps
    High Point— Sales representative John Cattich has received French Heritage Furniture's Salesman of the Year Award, based on his sales technique, professionalism and follow-through. Sales rep John O'Shea was honored as the company's top sales writer of 2004. French Heritage also honored sales reps Sam Anderson, David Goldstein amd Martin Armstrong for their sales performance.
  • Fla. store has N.C. warehouse
    Hickory, N.C.— Retailer Bacon's Furniture Galleries has established warehouse operations here in partnership with Foothills Trucking. The company is leasing about 80,000 square feet of a 106,000-square-foot building Foothills purchased from Lee Corson earlier this year. The building is a three-story, former furniture factory that Corson and his partners at Hickory Hill Furniture built in ...
  • Vegas product info due June 17
    High Point— Furniture/Today is soliciting information on product introductions for the July Las Vegas market. Producers are invited to submit a list of products and marketing programs to be unveiled in Las Vegas. The information will be presented in the July 25 issue of Furniture/Today, which will be distributed at the two shows taking place in Las Vegas that week — the Las Vegas Fu...
  • Globe Express opens Ningbo logistics office
    Charlotte, N.C.— Globe Express Services, a logistics company that serves the furniture industry, has opened its seventh office in China. The office is in Ningbo, in the Zhejiang province south of Shanghai. Ningbo is also home to the Bei Lun Port, the fourth largest deep-water port in China, Globe Express said.
  • Mealey's sets free furniture for a soldier
    Maple Shade, N.J.— Retailer Mealey's Furniture & Mattress will honor men and women in the U.S. military by selecting one serviceperson to receive a free houseful of furniture. The giveaway will tie in to the upcoming patriotic holidays of Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day. Entry forms for nominations from the community are available at Mealey's stores in Oxford Valley and Be...
  • Lady Americana heads to Vegas
    Oklahoma City— Top 12 bedding producer Lady Americana Associates is joining the bedding field at the inaugural Las Vegas market this July. President Kerry Tramel said LAA will have a temporary space in the Specialty Sleep Assn. Show at the World Market Center, and will show both its specialty sleep and innerspring lines.
  • Broyhill lays off more than 100
    Lenoir, N.C.— Soft sales have prompted manufacturer and importer Broyhill Furniture to lay off more than 100 people throughout its 23 U.S. facilities over the past month. Most of the jobs were manufacturing positions, but layoffs also affected maintenance, security and office people, said Harvey Dondero, named president and CEO just before the April High Point market.
  • Offi acquires Canadian producer Pure Design
    Tiburon, Calif.— Contemporary furnishings producer Offi & Co. has acquired the assets of Pure Design 2004 Ltd., an 11-year-old Canadian furniture and accessory manufacturer based in Edmonton, Alberta. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. "Offi has been working closely with Pure Design for almost three years to find a way to leverage the strengths of both businesses," said Barry N...
  • Office shipments up 17% in 1Q
    Grand Rapids, Mich.— Office furniture shipments by U.S. manufacturers in the first quarter increased 17% from the comparable 2004 period to $2.29 billion, exceeding earlier expectations, according to the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn. According to a forecast by Global Insight, an economic consulting company, office furniture shipment growth is expected to continu...
  • Promosedia set for Sept. 8–11
    Udine, Italy— Hundreds of chairs for the residential, contract and office markets will be on display at Promosedia, the international fair dedicated to seating, Sept. 8–11 at Udine Fair Grounds here. Some 200 companies will exhibit seating of all shapes and descriptions in 496,000 square feet in the nine buildings that make up the fair complex.
  • Haworth receives honorary doctorate
    Charlotte, N.C.— From now on, it's "Dr. Howard Haworth." The longtime former Drexel Heritage executive, whose 27-year career at the manufacturer included 10 years as president and CEO from 1973 to 1983 and two subsequent years as board chairman, received the honorary degree of doctor of public service this month from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
  • Crypton calls for Loominary award entries
    West Bloomfield, Mich.— Crypton Super Fabrics is taking entries for the Loominary 2005 student textile design award that will be presented at Decosit 2005 in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 10–13. An international panel of judges will view the entries. The winners' work will be displayed at the Decosit fair.
  • Far East sources headline TIP
    Brussels, Belgium— China and other Eastern countries head the exhibitor list for the Textiles d'Interieur Premiere 2005 fabric show in September. Of the 86 exhibitors already committed to TIP, 28 are from China, 38 from India and Pakistan, and 11 from Turkey. The remaining exhibitors are European, American, New Zealand and other Far East manufacturers.
  • Fabric group sets 36th annual convention for July 19–24
    Columbia, S.C.— The National Assn. of Decorative Fabric Distributors will hold its 36th annual convention at the Steamboat Grand in Steamboat Springs, Colo., July 19–24. The theme will be "Climbing to New Heights," and the program will include: Also planned are roundtable discussions on executive compensation, retirement planning, freight and shipping issues and importing.
  • Singapore show attendance rises slightly
    Singapore— International Furniture Fair Singapore officials reported a slight increase in attendance at their 2005 event. Held from March 1–5 at the Singapore Expo, this year's show drew 17,535 visitors from 112 countries, up from 17,126 visitors from 102 countries in 2004. Asian countries represented 79% of the total visitors, compared with 15% for Europe and 4.
  • Malaysian furniture fair attendance up
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia— The Malaysian International Furniture Fair had a 4% increase in visitors during its 2005 run, according to recently released show results. Overall attendance rose to 16,847, up from 16,194 in 2004. International attendance rose at a slightly faster clip, to 6,899, up 4.6% from 6,593 in '04.
  • Indigo textile show joins Première Vision show, Expofil
    Brussels, Belgium— The Indigo textile design show, held here each September concurrently with the Decosit fabric show, has joined with the Première Vision fabric show and Expofil, an international fair for yarns and fibers, in a new entity called PVE. Since its launch in 1974, Indigo has been managed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lille Métropole.
  • U.S. exhibitors do well in Singapore
    Singapore— U.S. exhibitors at the International Furniture Fair Singapore in March found themselves in front of a global audience, giving them good exposure but requiring them to tweak lines to attract buyers from Europe, Australia and elsewhere. A case in point is Houston-based case goods importer Four Hands, which showed here for the second time.
  • Fairfield Chair gives first top sales award to Beasley
    Lenoir, N.C.— Upholstery and occasional furniture manufacturer Fairfield Chair has presented its first Salesman of the Year Award to Georgia sales representative Winn Beasley, a 30-year company veteran. "Winn has consistently achieved outstanding sales results. His professionalism and conscientious service to Fairfield and our customers make Winn a most appropriate choice," said President...
  • Habersham wins kudos from chamber
    Toccoa, Ga.— Hand-painted case goods and occasional manufacturer Habersham has been won the Industry of the Year Award from the Toccoa/Stephens County Chamber of Commerce. "Habersham has an excellent reputation and we're pleased to have this opportunity to recognize the company for its many contributions to our community," said Jay Doss, a chamber board member.
  • ISPA, SPSC on honor roll
    Alexandria, Va.— The International Sleep Products Assn. and the Sleep Products Safety Council are the newest members of the 2005 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Assn. Executives. ISPA was recognized for its proactive advocacy efforts to help develop a national standard to improve home fire safety.

Opinion Today
  • It's not simply New York's ICFF any more
    It was a fascinating week in New York last week for interior design, high-end home furnishings and furniture in particular. The International Contemporary Furniture Fair here, which once was a four-day market primarily dedicated to contemporary furniture, has morphed into a week-long event of virtually non-stop mini-shows, special events and product launches, with the ICFF as the dynamic core e...
  • Globalization forces entire industry to sharpen its competitive edge
    Since we started in home furnishings in 1934, we have seen many changes in the industry. More have taken place in the last five years, however, than in our previous 66 years combined. Globalization has changed our industry more significantly than anything else at any other time in our history. The change in the location of manufacturing centers from the northern to the southern states in the ea...
  • Furniture First elects officers, selects new supplier partners
    Harrisburg, Pa.— Furniture First has elected Ron Hatch of Hatch Furniture in Yankton, S.C., as its chairman for 2005–2006. Other new officers for the buying group are Steve Rotman, of Rotmans, Worcester, Mass., vice chairman; Peter Redman, Northern Mattress & Furniture, Fairfield, Maine, treasurer; and Kelly Meckes, Jerry's Home Furnishings, Mansfield, Ohio, secretary.

People Today
  • ISPA elects Orders chair for 2005–2006
    Alexandria, Va.— The International Sleep Products Assn. board of directors recently named its slate of officers for 2005–2006. David Orders, Park Place Corp., was elected chair and Bob Hellyer, Simmons, was elected vice chair. Orders, vice president of administration for Park Place, has been on the ISPA board for the past four years, including one term on the ISPA executive committee.
  • Lady Americana taps Shaikh as director of marketing
    Oklahoma City— Sarfraz Shaikh has been named director of marketing at mattress manufacturer Lady Americana. He has three years experience in marketing and research and has worked with companies such as Merrill Lynch, MetLife Financial Services and Levings Learning LLC, where he was the marketing analyst and art director.
  • Diamond promotes Dollarton to VP of merchandising
    Philadelphia— Tim Dollarton has been promoted to vice president of merchandising at Diamond Furniture. He was previously director of merchandising. In his new position, he is responsible for sourcing, purchasing, merchandising and visual presentation. Dollarton joined Diamond in 1993 after nine years with Levitz.
  • People on the Move
    People on the Move
    Awards Best Home Furnishings High Point — Best Home Furnishings honored its top sales representatives with awards during the Spring International Home Furnishings Market. J.J. McLaughlin was named Sales Rep of the Year, based on overall sales, customer satisfaction and other factors. Bob Carrubba won the Sales Achievement Award for exceptional sales growth.

Special Report
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Top 100's sales jump 7.6% in 2004
    High Point— The nation's largest furniture stores posted a 7.6% increase in furniture, bedding and accessories sales last year — a respectable gain, but not enough to beat the growth of all U.S. furniture stores. Sales for Furniture/Today's Top 100 grew to $26.9 billion, up from $25.0 billion for the same companies in 2003.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Specialists still dominant
    High Point— Three of the four newcomers to this year's Top 100 are specialty retailers, and with additions like these, the specialists couldn't help but continue their dominance over their larger conventional store counterparts in many performance categories. No. 37 America's Mattress, No. 90 PMD Furniture Direct, and No.
  • Retail Profile
    Canada's Finesse tests 'Total Home Concept'
    Edmonton, Alberta— Opening one of Canada's largest furniture-only retail showrooms has given George Saroukian and his brother, Jack, owners of Finesse Furnishings, the perfect forum in which to put their "Total Home Concept" to the test. Their approach to the market is based on the recognition that the consumer has evolved, thanks to a variety of influences, such as the proliferation of s...
  • Retail Profile
    Finesse branches out with Montreal store
    Laval, Quebec— Growth is the holy grail of every retailer, and Finesse In Style Living is pursuing new markets and opportunities with a passion. Recent moves include the addition of a Lane Home Furnishings store to Finesse's flagship store here and the launch of its own case goods and upholstery brand at its new In Style Living store in the Montreal suburb of Laval.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Who's who among the leading stores
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Furniture¦Today' Top 100 Furniture Stores of 2005
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Furniture stores to watch
  • ICFF Report
    Contemporary looks star at ICFF, mini-Milan shows
    New York— The furniture and home furnishings community had a plethora of product and ideas to digest here last week, including the debut of I Salone, a mini-version of the famed Milan, Italy, furniture show, which ran concurrently with the long-established International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Expansion continues at brisk pace
    High Point— Despite the loss of Breuners Home Furnishings Corp. and a 27-store drop at Rhodes, this year's Top 100 experienced a healthy bump in its store count. Fueled by sizable newcomers and several double-digit store gains, the Top 100's overall store count grew to 8,160 units last year, up 5.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Gallery, Select Comfort lead way in performance
    High Point— Houston-based Gallery Furniture, a perennial performance leader in the Top 100, took the crown for best stock turns and sales-per-square-foot performance, edging out Select Comfort. But the bedding specialty retailer held on to its leader status in the gross margins category. The one-store Gallery, No.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    How the Top 100 report is compiled
    High Point— Furniture/Today's exclusive Top 100 listing ranks furniture stores by sales of furniture, bedding and decorative accessories. To qualify, a retailer must specialize in home furnishings. The mix may include electronics, appliances, home textiles, tabletop and other home furnishings, but furniture, bedding and decorative accessories must account for 25% or more of total sales.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Bedding majors enjoy 9.7% gain
    High Point— The bedding specialists on the Top 100 gained one name to their ranks, and it was a biggie — adding nearly $200 million in sales and nearly 400 stores to their base and promising much more. America's Mattress, a network of independently owned Serta-only bedding shops, entered the Top 100 at No.
  • Top 100 Furniture Stores
    Single-source networks post 12.3% increase
    High Point— Ashley Furniture HomeStores — with a big assist from Drexel Heritage and Select Comfort — carried the nine single-source store networks to the best overall sales performance of any subcategory in the Top 100 for the second consecutive year. The single-source networks, which include manufacturer-dedicated stores regardless of ownerships as well as Norwalk — Th...

Store Openings
  • Broyhill installs two galleries
    Lenoir, N.C.— Broyhill Furniture has installed galleries in stores in Kansas and Tennessee. Garnand Fine Furniture has opened a 7,500-square-foot Broyhill Showcase Gallery in its new store in Garden City, Kan. The store occupies 49,000 square feet. Garnand owner R. Dennis Norris operates two additional stores, Keller Furniture in Hays, Kan.
  • Thomasville opens in Idaho
    Boise, Idaho— Thomasville Home Furnishings has opened its first dedicated store in Idaho in the Boise suburb of Meridian. Thomasville of Boise is owned and operated by Dick Ennis of Ennis Furniture. This is the first Thomasville store for Ennis Furniture, although the company operates several stores that carry the brand, in Richland and Spokane, Wash.

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