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Furniture|Today -- 08/29/2005
Bedding Today
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Let's hear it for those who give industry a good name
And the award goes to ... King Koil. And to Jeffrey Sherman. And to Dial-A-Mattress. No, we are not presenting special editions of the Perrys, those awards for notable achievement that usually follow High Point markets, although we probably should have handed out Las Vegas-based Perrys, given the bedding excitement there.
Editor's Desk
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Now that's what I call a WOW
At every furniture market, guys like me walk up and down aisles and in and out of showrooms in a relentless and sometimes futile search for the wow factor. That can be anything we discover at market that causes folks to stop, look, listen and, if all the proper elements are in place, utter the magic word: WOW! Some of us are more easily wowed than others.
Industry Numbers
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Bestar 2Q revenues drop
Lac-Megantic, Quebec— Ready-to-assemble furniture producer Bestar reported a drop of 8.5% in gross revenues in the second quarter and a 10.8% decline for the six months. The company, which eked out a net profit in both periods, did not report net revenues. Gross revenues in the latest quarter came to C$9.
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Pier 1 sees 2Q sales slump, loss
Fort Worth, Texas— Specialty retailer Pier 1 Imports said last week it expects same-store sales to be down 13% to 15% in August from a year earlier, and down 8% to 9% in its second quarter ended Aug. 27. Because of the sales decline and heavy promotions and markdowns, the retailer is projecting a loss of 12 cents to 14 cents per share in the quarter.
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Dorel's 2Q revenues up
Montreal— Turning the tables on first-quarter results, Dorel's home furnishings unit outpaced its juvenile and recreational/leisure products segments in the second quarter, with home furnishings revenues increasing 7.9% to $131.9 million, compared with $122.3 million in 2004's second quarter. Second-quarter revenues in the juvenile segment rose 5.
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La-Z-Boy posts 1Q profit
Monroe, Mich.— Aided by improved operating margins in its upholstery and case goods segments, La-Z-Boy registered a profit of $3.2 million in its first quarter. In last year's first quarter, the company reported a net loss of $3.5 million. Sales in the 13 weeks ended July 30 were $451.5 million, essentially even with the comparable period a year ago.
Insider's View
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Get cozy with innkeepers, sell more high-priced beds
Retailers continue to sell more expensive bedding, and there doesn't appear to be any price ceiling as long as the presentation is well done and fact-based. Older consumers want help sleeping more comfortably, eliminating aches and pains, while younger households welcome the new sleep technologies. New homes feature bedrooms that accept the larger sizes, and many retailers find that bedding giv...
News
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Wickes names five people as it gears up for growth
Wheeling, Ill.— Retailer Wickes Furniture has named Chris York to the new post of vice president of process improvement, and made four other executive and management appointments as it gears up for faster growth. York is responsible for implementing the Top 100 chain's recently announced supply chain initiatives, including the more than $14 million investment in technical infrastructure i...
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Fire marshals: CPSC shouldn't drop cigarette mattress regs without study
Washington— The National Assn. of State Fire Marshals says it would be premature for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to rescind the federal smoldering cigarette ignition standard for mattresses. More study is needed, the NASFM said in a letter to CPSC last week. The CPSC is working on a federal open-flame mattress flammability standard.
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Fabric supplier Tietex expanding into Europe
Spartanburg, S.C.— Fabric supplier Tietex International plans to expand into Europe with a division to debut at the Decosit fabric fair in Brussels, Belgium, set for Sept. 8–11. Reed Cunningham, president and chief operating officer, said the company has established Tietex Europe BV in Oirschot, The Netherlands.
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Badcock enters RTO arena
Clearwater, Fla.— W.S. Badcock has opened its first rent-to-own store here, giving the retailer a way to rebuild business with consumers who are strapped for cash or credit. Initial response to the 6,000-square-foot Home Now store was "very good," said Don Marks, president and CEO of the 320-store Badcock, and a former national division manager for RTO major Rent-A-Center.
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Webster first woman to head a top-tier furniture producer
High Point— When she becomes CEO of Thomasville Furniture next week, Nancy Webster will join a small club of women in charge of U.S. furniture manufacturers. Thomasville, with estimated annual sales of $450 million, will be the first top-tier furniture producer to be run by a woman, industry observers believe.
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FBI's HDM Furniture Inds. taps 5 execs
High Point— Furniture Brands International division HDM Furniture Inds. has promoted five people to executive posts, all from its operating companies. The division, formed earlier this year and headed by President and CEO Jeff Young, includes FBI companies Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland-Smith.
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AHFA plans safety management program
High Point— The American Home Furnishings Alliance is creating a certified safety management program that will help furniture makers bridge gaps in safety leadership, management and compliance. The Integrated Safety Performance system is designed to enhance the welfare of furniture manufacturers' employees, decrease incidents and injuries in the workplace, and promote credibility with hea...
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Jasper Cabinet partners with Amish factory
Jasper, Ind.— The reborn Jasper Cabinet is continuing its revival by contracting to design and market product made at a new Amish-owned case goods and occasional furniture plant going up in a community north of here. Jasper President Robert Cribbs said he hopes the factory in the Shoals/Loogootee area, about an hour north of Jasper, will be operational in September.
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Stylution USA offering GE trade flow financing
Barrington, Ill.— A new service offered by GE Commercial Finance helped mattress importer Stylution USA generate business at July's Las Vegas furniture market, the company reported. The importer of Chinese-made bedding became the first company in the U.S. furniture industry to offer the GE trade flow financing, GE Commercial Finance officials said.
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Durham eyes rebound
Durham, Ontario— Keith McSpurren, recently named CEO of Durham Furniture, has been charged with leading a turnaround at the solid-wood producer, not long ago a shining star of Canadian furniture manufacturing. He's not a furniture industry veteran, and he's been on the job for only a few months, but the initial strategic moves already have been made.
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Ikea Canada cuts prices
Burlington, Ontario— In a move designed to spur growth and boost market share, Ikea Canada has slashed prices 17% on best-selling items, including furniture, effective with its just-published 2006 catalog. Luc Lauwers, president of the Canadian arm of the Swedish-owned home furnishings retail giant, said the price cuts will reinforce Ikea's "leadership role in the competitive home furnish...
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High Point adds buildings
High Point— At least four new showroom buildings — two of them owned and occupied by single tenants — will be completed in time for the October furniture market. The buildings, which range in size from 15,000 square feet to 67,000 square feet, will boost the total square footage of the market to nearly 12 million square feet.
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Ikea plans 3rd Texas unit
Round Rock, Texas— Ikea has announced plans for its third Texas store here and its first in the Austin area. The Top 100 Sweden-based chain said it will build a 252,000-square-foot showroom in this suburb north of Austin in the spring of 2007, pending government approvals and the purchase of 21.
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Klaussner plans N.C. store, updates Sofa Express units
Asheboro, N.C.— Klaussner Furniture Inds., the fourth-largest U.S. manufacturer and importer, has several distribution initiatives in the works, including the licensing of dedicated Sofa Express stores to independent dealers and the rollout of an entirely new retail concept. The company wants to grow and get a better handle on its retail business, but not at the expense of current custome...
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Paviglianti to head Sleep Country USA
Atlanta— Joseph Paviglianti has been promoted to president of Sleep Country USA, the retail subsidiary of bedding maker Simmons. He succeeds Steve Fendrich, recently named executive vice president of sales at Simmons. Paviglianti, a veteran retailer, joined Seattle-based Sleep Country in 2001 and most recently was vice president of sales and operations for the chain, which operates 47 sto...
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Feinblum to sell Rhodes stores
Bethpage, N.Y.— Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate has signed a deal with Rooms To Go to market most of the Rhodes stores that an RTG affiliate and Great American Group bought earlier this month. The industry real estate specialist is marketing about 40 of the 51 Rhodes stores acquired in a bankruptcy court auction.
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O'Sullivan amends credit terms
Roswell, Ga.— Financially troubled O'Sullivan Inds., a major ready-to-assemble furniture maker, said it has amended its $40 million revolving credit agreement with General Electric Capital Corp. Under the new terms, GE Capital has agreed not to enforce default provisions that could have been invoked because of O'Sullivan's failure to make a July 15 interest payment on $100 million in seni...
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Coaster readies larger N.J. facility
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.— Coaster Co. of America will open a larger New Jersey warehouse in January. The 440,000-square-foot complex in Cranbury, N.J., will replace a 180,000-square-foot structure in Piscataway, N.J. "This addition is due to the growth in demand for goods along the East Coast," said Vice President Scott Cohen.
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FBI hires, shifts execs
St. Louis— Furniture Brands International last week announced new leadership at two of its flagship companies, hiring Target executive Nancy Webster as president and CEO of Thomasville Furniture to replace Tom Tilley, who will move to Henredon as president. At Henredon, Tilley will replace Steve McKee, who already has left the company.
Opinion Today
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Back to school: A lesson in opportunity
It seems there's another season sneaking into the home furnishings retailing calendar — back to school. Apparently, kids going to school, and especially big kids going off to college, more and more are shopping for home furnishings, not just jeans, electronics, notebooks and pens. The business sections of major newspapers have been detailing some of the efforts retailers are putting forth...
People Today
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DH promotes Tully to sales VP
High Point— Bill Tully, a sales representative for Drexel Heritage since 1998, has been named vice president of sales for the manufacturer and importer. Tully has more than 20 years of retail and wholesale experience in the industry. He was a Drexel rep in several territories in the Northeast and Midwest, most recently in the Chicago market.
- People on the Move
People on the Move
Executives Aaron's Rents Atlanta — Major rent-to-own and rental merchant Aaron's Rents has promoted two employees to vice president in its sales and lease ownership division. Paul A. Doize has been named vice president, controller. He has been with Aaron's since 1996 as controller. Steven A. Michaels has been promoted to vice president of franchise finance.
Special Report
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Value, styling driving RTA
High Point— Ready-to-assemble furniture makers are seeing solid growth in home office and home entertainment as well as in new categories, such as kitchen and garage furniture. Residential office collections and entertainment consoles that can hold larger CRTs and plasma or LCD televisions are doing well right now.
- Market Report
Tupelo asks: How can we improve?
Tupelo, Miss.— Tupelo market executives are preparing to mail a survey to retailers to determine what the twice-annual furniture show can do to make itself better. The survey comes in the wake of depressed attendance at the summer market here that various participants estimated was off 20% to 40%, apparently caused by the inaugural market three weeks earlier in Las Vegas that drew 62,000 ...
- Retail Report
Bigger Bernie & Phyl's comes home
Braintree, Mass.— In a sense, Bernie & Phyl's has come back home with the recent launch of its store here. But in the 22 years since founders Bernie and Phyllis Rubin opened their first full-line store in nearby Weymouth, Mass., it has grown so much that its earliest customers may not recognize it.
- Market Report
Larger uph. vendors do better
Tupelo, Miss.— Larger upholstery producers seemed to fare better than smaller vendors at the just-concluded Tupelo summer market. With attendance apparently reduced by the new Las Vegas market held three weeks earlier, bigger companies like United, Ashley, Caye and Genesis/Artisan said they saw most of their large accounts, which shop Tupelo for promotional furniture and specials.
- Market Report
Case goods exhibitors do business despite slower traffic
Tupelo, Miss.— A new July show in Las Vegas, sluggish retail sales and typically light summer traffic resulted in slower-than-usual case goods business at the August market here. Still, most exhibitors said Tupelo remains a valuable stop on their market itinerary, even though they estimated traffic was down as much as 40% from last summer, depending on the showroom.
- Market Report
Leather sources laud Tupelo
Tupelo, Miss.— Last week's Tupelo market drew praise from both veteran leather resources and newcomers, even when compared to the recent Las Vegas market. Tupelo, they said, has its reasons for being. "Tupelo keeps the mom-and-pop business alive," said Jimmy Green, president and chairman of PeopLoungers.
- Market Report
J Miles makes debut
Ripley, Miss.— A group of former BenchCraft executives has formed a traditional mid-priced upholstery company here called J Miles & Co. that will begin production in mid-September. Heading the operation is former BenchCraft President Greg Henderson, who will be president and CEO. David Pike and Mike Hurst, who also worked at BenchCraft, are vice president of sales and marketing and vi...
- Market Report
Casual dining remains strong
Tupelo, Miss.— Counter-height tables, two-tone finishes and metal were the hot tickets at market here in the dynamic casual dining category. "There is no doubt that casual dining is a growth category," said Jay Johnson, vice president of product development at Fraenkel Co. "Formal dining is going by the wayside.
- Market Report
Mfrs. stoke youth BR's growth
Tupelo, Miss.— Youth bedroom suppliers came here with a variety of new configurations in an effort to feed fresh goods to what they say is the fastest-growing case goods category. Fraenkel introduced youth at the February show here this year, but had to hold back on distribution after its youth source plant in Mexico changed ownership and began making other product.
- Market Report
Tupelo hails Kirschman's team
Tupelo, Miss.— Retailer Michael Kirschman and buyers Mari Guzman and Lisa Womack accepted the Tupelo market's National Furniture Buyer Appreciation Award here last week on behalf of Kirschman's in New Orleans. Michael Kirschman, company special events coordinator, represents the fourth generation of the furniture retail dynasty begun by his great-grandfather, Morris Kirschman, in 1914.
- Market Report
Country Road party really rocks
Tupelo, Miss.— Rocking chair maker Country Road celebrated market with a party and a special product. The company's house band, the Country Road Rockers, played at the event. The manufacturer showed a personalized rocking chair it is sending President Bush for use at his Crawford, Texas, ranch.
- Retail Report
Web site: Few sales but big payoffs
Norton, Mass.— Bernie & Phyl's e-commerce Web site accounts for less than 1% of its direct sales, but the company has no regrets about investing six figures in its Web strategy four years ago. "Our goal was not really to derive sales," said CEO Larry Rubin. "It was more or less to drive people into the stores.
- Retail Report
Five rug retailers honored
Atlanta— Five rug retailers have been honored with the annual AmericasMart Retailer of the Year awards, co-sponsored by the showroom building and the Oriental Rug Retailers Assn. All the winners are multiple-product retailers. Winners in various categories are: Rug specialty store: Rug & Home, Gaffney, S.
- Retail Report
Levin moves to push sales past $150M
Smithton, Pa.— Levin Furniture is expanding its distribution center and will open its first store in Akron, Ohio, moves expected to support growth and push annual sales beyond $150 million. The midpriced Top 100 company is investing about $5 million in a 108,000-square-foot expansion of its distribution center here.
Store Openings
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2 Ga. stores install Norwalk
Norwalk, Ohio— Two Georgia stores have opened Norwalk Home Fashion Centers. Sanders Furniture Co., owned by Charles Sanders and daughter Tora Lucas, remodeled its entire store in Monroe, Ga., to include the 3,500-square-foot Norwalk gallery. Sanders was founded in 1913 by M.T. Sanders Sr. in Commerce, Ga.
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Mass. store unveils Broyhill
Pittsfield, Mass.— Simmons Furniture has installed a 7,500-square-foot Broyhill Showcase Gallery in its 20,000-square-foot store here. The company also has a 15,000-square-foot store in Adams, Mass. Arthur H. Simmons founded Simmons Furniture in the 1870s. His son, Arthur D. Simmons, and grandson, Arthur C.
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Gill has La-Z-Boy gallery
Muncie, Ind.— Gill Brothers Furniture on Vern Drive here has installed a 7,000-square-foot La-Z-Boy Gallery in its 45,000-square-foot store. The store is co-owned by Richard Gill and Steve Gill. The La-Z-Boy gallery features a broad selection of La-Z-Boy upholstery for the family room and living room, including recliners, stationary and motion sofas, sofa-sleepers, chairs, sectionals and ...
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USA Baby relocates Pa. store
Pittsburgh— USA Baby, a retailer of infant and kids furniture and accessories, has opened a relocated and expanded franchised store on Babcock Boulevard here. The 10,500-square-foot store is just 300 yards from the original location, which opened in May 1991. Stuart Lebovitz owns the store. The new store features Child Space, a 3,500-square-foot section devoted to furniture for toddlers t...
Supplement
- Global Textiles Today
Classic
A. ALGEMENE An elegant upscale plaid, Algardi is accented with alternating paisley cones embroidered on top. Viscose and polyester. B. CULP Icon is a highly functional microdenier body cloth. Polyester. C. DECOVIZ This perfectly scaled design features a cool blue herringbone plaid and delicate accents of chocolate brown.
- Global Textiles Today
Romantic
A. AZNAR TEXTIL A pale pink sofa cover adds serenity to a contemporary interior. Cotton and polyester. B. BRUVATEX Classic motifs are married with on-trend colors for a fresh patchwork effect in pattern Vienna 11085. Viscose and cotton. C. COVINGTON INDS. Conjuring the warm, passionate atmosphere of Brazil, pattern Bossa Nova evokes the foliage of the rain forest via its delicately drawn leaves...
- Global Textiles Today
Innovative
A. AMERICAN SILK MILLS Rush Hour is a modern interpretation of a plaid design featuring a pocket weave in the silk blocks to create a dimensional effect. Silk and rayon. B. CORIEX Current shades of pink and rose are showcased on a swirling stripe with a wood grain effect. Trevira CS polyester. C. EDGAR FABRICS Nova's chenille tissue-pick dot, set against a matte satin ground, gives the pattern ...
- Global Textiles Today
Naive
A. ATEJA Striking color and pattern are showcased on Cashmere, a chenille jacquard, and its companion jacquard Cashmere Plain. Polyester and olefin. B. COLOR DE SEDA Various fibers combine to create the imaginative Itaca collection of trims. Wool and cotton. C. CRAYE Everyone loves a cat in a hat, and this tapestry called Chapeau is perfectly packed with bonneted felines.
- Global Textiles Today
Decosit/TIP product introductions
ALGEMENE (Belgium) Brussels Expo 11/D39-E31 Introductions include: AMERICAN SILK MILLS (USA) Brussels Expo 11/A33 and 12/E00 The Alexander Julian for American Silk collection, designed and woven in the United States, features 12 new designs coordinated in six color stories for the home. Traditional and contemporary designs are woven of the finest fibers, including silk and linen.
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Retail Ideas workshop delivers in Tupelo
Tupelo, Miss.— Transportation, logistics and delivery were in the spotlight at a free Retail Ideas workshop held during the Tupelo Furniture Market. The linchpin of the half-day event was the presentation, sponsored by MGM Transport, of a Furniture/Today market research survey of furniture retailers about industry practices and problems related to delivery.
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Panels share 240 years of combined experience
Tupelo, Miss.— Panels of experts with more than 240 years of combined experience in the industry shared their ideas and suggestions on furniture transportation, logistics and delivery at the Retail Ideas seminar here. Furniture/Today and the Tupelo Furniture Market co-sponsored the seminar, presented during the August market.
- Global Textiles Today
Brussels is the capital of fabric world in Sept.
Two important fabric shows are taking place during the second week of September in Brussels, Belgium, and considering the escalating rate of change within the now thoroughly global upholstery fabric industry, this may be the most important fabric week in Brussels ever. Decosit and its companion DecoContract are held at the Brussels Expo, where show highlights include the traditional Trendforum ...
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