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Furniture|Today -- 01/23/2006
Bedding Today
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Colorful Connie: We've lost pleasure of glorious color
Seeking help in my never-ending but largely futile quest to encourage the use of more color in mattress ticking, I decided to turn to the Corporal of Color and the Diva of Design. Yes, I'm referring to Colorful Connie Post. Her latest book, "A Beautiful Room Will Change Your Life: Your Personal Guide to Color," seemed like a good place to get ammunition in my quest for color.
Editor's Desk
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Wither Lifestyle's new mini-market?
Back in November, when we broke the story that Lifestyle Enterprise was planning to host its own High Point show in January, it stood alone. But not for long. The list of exhibitors grew to some 60 companies by the Jan. 16 opening day. Earlier, I wondered if this show could take the place of what most agree is a shrinking High Point premarket.
Industry Numbers
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Pier 1: Buyout target with stock drop?
Fort Worth, Texas— Specialty retailer Pier 1 Imports' stock price, which has plunged from nearly $20 to under $10 in less than a year, could be making it a buyout target, according to a report in business weekly Barron's. The newspaper said the home furnishings chain denied it had hired an investment bank to explore alternatives.
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Keller acquires 85% stake in door maker
Louisville, Ky.— Keller Mfg., which exited the furniture business last year, has acquired controlling interest in Paragon Door Designs, a Louisville-based producer of steel and fiberglass residential doors. Keller said the transaction, valued at $1.14 million, gives the company an 85% equity interest in Paragon.
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Sleep Country Canada closes on acquisition of Dormez-Vous
Montreal— Sleep Country Canada has completed its acquisition of Dormez-Vous Sleep Centers. The publicly held retailer said last month it had agreed to acquire the five-store chain, one of metro Montreal largest specialty mattress retailers. Dormez-Vous retains its name and management, including founder Stewart Schaefer, who said the deal will allow the chain to expand in Quebec.
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Select Comfort's consumer credit program with GE extended 5 years
Minneapolis— Airbed manufacturer and retailer Select Comfort has extended its consumer financing agreement with GE Consumer Finance, Retail Sales Finance, for five years. The move extends an agreement that dates to 1999. Under its terms, GE handles risk management, collections and payment processing for consumers who buy Select Comfort products and choose to finance their purchases.
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Ethan Allen earnings up 13.4%
Danbury, Conn.— Buoyed by a healthy same-store increase from its national network of dedicated stores, retailer-manufacturer Ethan Allen said sales were up 12.5% in its second quarter ended Dec. 31. Net income rose 13.4% in the same period. "We are very pleased with our results for the quarter," said Chairman and CEO Farooq Kathwari.
Insider's View
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Hail to our industry's 'new' Mr. Excitement
The furniture industry hasn't had many showmen over the years. Many moons ago, big-name entertainers like Ray Charles would perform at High Point markets, and the Burris showroom used to have the occasional Playmate of the Month. But, on the whole, we're not known for our entertaining markets or people.
News
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24 UFW stores to become The Brick units
Edmonton, Alberta— Major Canadian retailer The Brick Group said it will convert about 24 of its United Furniture Warehouse stores to The Brick banner, in locations where The Brick doesn't already have a market presence. Also to be renamed are the company's three Home Show units, to be called The Brick Superstore, and its Sleep Better specialty mattress stores, which will become The Brick ...
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Covington moves offices in New York
New York— Fabric converter Covington Inds. has relocated its offices here to the 18th floor of 386 Park Avenue South, moving from its home of 11 years on East 26th Street. "Our lease was up," said Roger Gilmartin, executive vice president and chief operating officer, "and the building is being turned into a mix of commercial and residential, with the top floors being condominiums.
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1st Oldham La-Z-Boy store opens in SoHo
New York— The first dedicated retail store for the popular Todd Oldham by La-Z-Boy collection has opened in this city's SoHo neighborhood. The 2,720-square-foot store, owned by La-Z-Boy, includes upholstery, textiles, occasional tables, entertainment furniture, rugs, lamps and other accessories from the Oldham collection.
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Grid2 adds 2 partners
New York— Grid2 International has named Marcelo Albertal and Dimitri Vermès as partners of the strategic design company, which has a number of home furnishings industry clients. They join Martin Roberts, Betty Chow and Akka Ma as partners. Grid2 also has opened its new U.S. headquarters in New York City's fashion and interiors district at 37 18th St.
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City Furniture skipping Vegas
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.— City Furniture, which sent 200 people to Las Vegas during the inaugural Las Vegas Market in July, will skip the second one — mostly. The company says it is aiming to limit its buying trips and focus on High Point. Keith Koenig, president of the 21-store Top 100 company based here, said he will attend this month's Las Vegas market for one day because it coincid...
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AICO sets new sights, sounds, pieces
Las Vegas— AICO will bring a violinist, a pianist and a magician to its showroom here this month to entertain buyers as they see a pair of new furniture collections. AICO also will bring new programming to its entrance tunnel, a multi-media experience with lights, video panels and multi-channel sound.
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Bowling ball bouncing back at Simmons
Atlanta— Simmons is going bowling for bedding business. The industry's No. 2 producer is bringing back an old dealer favorite: its bowling ball campaign. The commercials and in-store bowling ball demonstrations illustrate the superior motion separation that Simmons says its beds provide. Simmons will unveil details of the new bowling ball campaign, expected to include national advertising...
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FFDM readying U.S. warehouse
Eden, N.C.— Case goods importer Fine Furniture Design & Marketing plans to open its first U.S. warehouse here and begin shipping from the facility in March. It also is adding about 11,000 square feet to its Union Square showroom in High Point to better show its growing line, boost the space to about 25,000 square feet for the April market.
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Couture wins third Grand Medallion
Toronto— Normand Couture, chief design officer for Sofas International, has won the Canadian Home Furnishings Awards' Grand Medallion for the third consecutive year, this time for his Ooh! La! La! contemporary sofa group. The Ontario Furniture Manufacturers Assn.'s CHFA program celebrates excellence in the design and construction of Canadian-made residential furniture.
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Market Authority to add 3 board members
High Point— The board of the International Home Furnishings Market Authority voted to add three members — including two retailers — to its roster, but turned down a request to include a representative of local hotel owners. In approving several changes to its bylaws, board members said the expanded 12-member board would provide greater representation to constituent groups that...
- Obituaries
Ellis Mintz, New Orleans retailer
New Orleans— Retired retailer Ellis Mintz, former owner and CEO of Hurwitz Mintz Furniture here, has died. He was 82. Mintz led the family business, which was founded in 1923, from the mid-1940s until his retirement six years ago. He died in Dallas, where he evacuated last summer when Hurricane Katrina was approaching.
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Buyers applaud Lifestyle-initiated market
High Point— Howard Regenbogen hadn't been to High Point in about five years, but the Forbidden City Furniture Show — and Lifestyle Enterprise's offer to pick up travel expenses — lured him here last week. The secretary of the family-owned Marjen Furniture in Niles, Ill., wasn't planning on buying anything, but wound up ordering a $599 retail leather upholstery group, along wit...
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Outlying showrooms benefit too
High Point— Furniture showrooms outside the main downtown cluster were pleased with activity at last week's mini-market here. Universal Furniture saw more than a dozen accounts by appointment, mainly from Southeastern states. Some were existing dealers and others were new, said Stephen Giles, senior vice president of merchandising.
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Feinblum selling only one Phoenix-area Levitz store
Plainview, N.Y.— Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate said it made an error in an advertisement that details the marketing of closing Levitz Home Furnishings stores. The ad ran in the Jan. 16 issue of Furniture/Today. In Arizona, Feinblum is marketing only the closing Scottsdale store, not the other Phoenix-area stores as the advertisement suggests, said Feinblum Vice President Fred Feinblum.
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Seminars on tap for winter San Fran market
San Francisco— Several seminars are slated during the San Francisco Winter Home Furnishings Market, set for Feb. 2–5. Three seminars were announced earlier, and organizers have now announced the full list. For seminars held at the San Francisco Mart, register by calling (415) 437-7100 or e-mailing seminars@sfmart.
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Serta's designer line
Hoffman Estates, Ill.— Serta is teaming with fashion designer Vera Wang on a line of mattresses to debut this month at the Las Vegas market. The Vera Wang Collection by Serta is inspired by the designer's extensive knowledge of the bridal market. The collection combines luxurious fabrics and new technology featuring Vera Wang's signature designs, officials of the two companies said in a s...
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Feds eye tougher FR rule
Washington— The staff of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recommending a tougher federal mattress flammability standard than the one already on the books in California. Industry insiders shared that assessment with Furniture/Today in looking at the details that emerged last week on the proposed FR federal standard.
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Lifestyle packs 'em in
High Point— Lifestyle Enterprise exceeded its expectations last week, drawing more than 500 buyers representing about 350 retail accounts to the show it spearheaded here. Lifestyle paid for flight and hotel expenses for many of the guests, but also drew retailers who hadn't made reservations with the importer.
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A tastier, more efficient WMC
Las Vegas— More shuttles, more (and cheaper) food options, more signage, even more toilets. These are some of the improvements the World Market Center said it has made for its second home furnishings market. Officials here say they're expecting a crowd of buyers that rivals or tops that of the inaugural summer show.
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Toronto market points to better year
Toronto— Traffic was off from prior years, but exhibitors at the just-concluded Canadian Home Furnishings Market here left town confident retailers have girded themselves for what promises to be a challenging but better 2006. Most buyers came to the market having had their best Boxing Week in recent years, racking up sales that ate away at inventories while giving them the confidence to c...
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SFM renovates sixth floor to spotlight gifts
San Francisco— The San Francisco Mart has renovated its sixth floor and renamed it Gifts on Six, to be home to an array of product categories including gift, home accents, garden décor, textiles, tabletop and juvenile. "With Gifts on Six, we have designed a gift center within our home furnishings center, which remains our core strength," said Roseann Carini, the SFM's general manager.
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Food and fun at San Fran market
San Francisco— The San Francisco Mart will make it easy for buyers and designers to restore their energy with plenty of free refreshments every day of the winter show, set for Feb. 2–5. The Mart also will give away gift certificates to Zuni Café, one of San Francisco's best restaurants.
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Arkansas retailer will use CDS Solutions software
Berryville, Ark.— Brashears Furniture, based in this northwest Arkansas city, has signed on with CDS Solutions Group's Retail 6 technology. The 60-year-old retailer, which has 70,000 square feet of showroom space here and another 12,000 square feet in Branson, Mo., said its management felt that Retail 6 easily fit its current requirements, and positions the company for growth over the com...
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Vendors rate Atlanta rug market the best in years
Atlanta— Vendors called last week's International Rug Market here the best in years, and they expressed cautious optimism that 2006's first half would show healthy gains over last year's fairly lackluster results. In 2005, the rug business unfolded in fits and starts, due mainly to jittery, war-weary consumers.
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High Point one-pass system ready
High Point— A universal, one-pass registration system is finally a reality for those attending the High Point market. The International Home Furnishings Market Authority's new registration system went "live" last week, enabling market attendees to obtain a single pass giving them access to all market venues.
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McKee joins Robb & Stucky
Fort Myers, Fla.— Industry veteran Steve McKee has joined Robb & Stucky Interiors here as senior vice president and chief merchandise officer, a new position for the Top 100 company. McKee will be involved in all aspects of merchandising and product development, both domestic and international, said Fred Berk, president of the retailer, which has 17 stores in Florida, Texas and Arizon...
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Canadians at odds over tariffs
Toronto— The Canadian Council of Furniture Manufacturers and the Coalition for Fair Furniture Trade both argued their case on safeguard tariffs on Chinese imports during the winter market here. In a letter to retailers seeking support for its drive against tariffs, the recently formed Coalition for Fair Furniture Trade, comprised mainly of importers, argued that duties wouldn't save domes...
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JCPenney sets private-label home line
Plano, Texas— JCPenney last week said it plans to launch this year a new store-brand line of home goods, the JCPenney Home Collection, with accessories, top of the bed and furniture designed for the modern, relaxed customer. The national department store chain gave few details and has scheduled a press conference this week.
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Parker is Douglas CEO
El Segundo, Calif.— Rick Parker, who has held management posts at several office and institutional furniture producers, has been named president and CEO of Douglas Furniture. Douglas, whose lineup includes upholstery and casual dining, said Parker will begin his new duties immediately and will be in the company's space at the upcoming Las Vegas market.
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Hooker promotes Garrett
Martinsville, Va.— Manufacturer and importer Hooker Furniture has named Phil Garrett, previously bedroom product manager, as a national sales manager. He will share duties with Frank Richardson, also national sales manager, in an effort to better service retail customers and support Hooker's growing force of sales representatives, the company said.
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Aaron gives away car to mark 50 yrs.
Atlanta— Rental and rent-to-own retailer Aaron Rents has completed its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration and awarded prizes in its "Drive Away in Our '55 Chevy" sweepstakes. Five first-prize winners received expenses-paid trips for two to the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas. They were John Zorick Jr.
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Klaussner picks Logility to manage supply chain
Atlanta— Klaussner Furniture has chosen Logility Voyager Solutions to help strengthen customer service by improving forecast accuracy, inventory management and demand visibility. Klaussner selected Voyager Demand Planning to more accurately manage its business by aligning future investment with customer demand to boost customer service, shorten cycle times and reduce inventories of finish...
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Correction
A photo caption on page 18 of the Jan. 2 issue misidentified Ray Simmonetti of Broyhill, who was a guest at the Greater New York Home Furnishings Assn. dinner.
Opinion Today
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Consider what a blog plus a few bucks can do
Gregory Sullivan is an entrepreneur in Massachusetts who started Sippican Cottage Furniture a few years ago. He'll ship his period furniture anywhere in the contiguous United States, and he bench makes everything himself from his south coast workshop in Marion. Nothing unusual so far. What's unusual is how he has leveraged a blog, a few bucks and some fairly primitive page rank strategies to mo...
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China textile threat eased
Washington— Although the threat from China remains the top concern for U.S. textile mills, government-negotiated trade agreements have helped stabilize the domestic industry, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations. In the NCTO's year-end review, Chairman Jim Chesnutt said that, despite the flood of imports from China that followed the quota phase-out on Jan.
People Today
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McCarrell retires as Klaussner rep
Asheboro, N.C.— Longtime Klaussner Furniture sales representative Mac McCarrell has retired after 18 years with the company. He has been the senior sales rep for Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania for 16 years. McCarrell spent 20 years in retail before joining Klaussner. He began his furniture career as owner of Kensington House Furniture in New Kensington, Pa.
- People on the Move
People on the Move
Executives Nationwide Marketing Winston-salem, N.C. — Nationwide Marketing Group, a buying and services organization for appliance, electronics and furniture retailers, has named Jeannette Howe executive director of its newly created audio-video specialty division. Before joining Nationwide, Howe was national membership manager for the Home Entertainment Source Buying Group.
Special Report
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Home office, your way
High Point— Consumers seeking furniture with plenty of options surely will like the way some home office vendors are developing and merchandising their product lines. Resources are developing products in a way that lets people custom order items with a specific footprint or configuration in mind.
- Las Vegas Product
Las Vegas product parade
Abbyson WMC 133 Marketing programs: Releasing three new catalogs as well as a training DVD. Company also has reorganized its warehouse and added new racking systems to improve efficiencies. Acme Furniture WMC 826 A range of recliners, club chairs, sectionals and stationary, motion and home theater seating groups.
Store Openings
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La-Z-Boy opens two stores, installs gallery in Ohio unit
Monroe, Mich.— Top 25 furniture manufacturer La-Z-Boy has opened two free-standing stores and an in-store gallery. In Mentor, Ohio, the company has unveiled a 17,500-square-foot La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store on Mentor Avenue. Debbie and Ted Durdel are the store owners. Elk Grove, Calif., is home to a new La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store on Laguna Boulevard.
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Finger has Schnadig gallery
Houston— Top 100 store Finger Furniture has opened a 3,500-square-foot Schnadig Elite gallery in its 200,000-square-foot downtown store here. The new gallery showcases the entire Schnadig line, including upholstery and case goods, with occasional tables and accents. The 76-year-old, family-operated Finger has five other stores in metro Houston.
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American Signature launches 12th Florida showroom
Pinellas Park, Fla.— Furniture retailer and manufacturer American Signature Furniture has opened its 20th store on U.S. Highway 19 here, its 12th store in Florida and the second in metro Tampa. The 36,000-square-foot Pinellas Park store, like all American Signature units, sells 10 collections for the living room, dining room and bedroom, in traditional and casual styles.
Tech Talk
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Home office, entertainment offer growing opportunities
Editor's note: Welcome to Tech Talk, a new series of occasional columns focused on the interplay of technology and furniture, mainly in the home office and home entertainment arenas. Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza kicks off the series, and he and others will offer their thoughts in future columns. Without a doubt, trends taking place outside the home inevitably affect what goes on inside.
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