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Furniture|Today > Archives > 01/07/2008 Issue
Table of Contents
Furniture|Today -- 01/07/2008

Bedding Today
  • As bedding prices rise, commodity image wanes
    This week we tackle an issue that has been nagging at us for a while. It involves the "c" word — commodity. I hear it said the bedding industry produces and sells a "commodity," white or off-white rectangles that are indistinguishable and thus command no more than rock-bottom prices. The New York Times Magazine story on sleep we wrote about a few weeks ago invoked the commodity charge, ch...
  • Mattress Retailing 101
    Blog provides new vehicle for marketing mattresses
    Houston, Texas— Jim McIngvale has done more than just add new bedding lines to Gallery Furniture and design a beautiful new showroom to display them. He's also supporting the new "bricks" in his bedding strategy with new bedding "clicks." Introducing "Bloggin' with Mattress Mack." Mattresses are a regular topic in McIngvale's blog: www.

Editor's Desk
  • My list of '08 expectations
    Welcome to 2008! I hope this year is one filled with health, happiness, promise and prosperity. While 2007 was often tough as nails, it's behind us. And here's more good news: I won't bore you with my list of New Year's resolutions, or with my list of predictions. But you're not entirely off the hook.

Industry Numbers
  • Tough year for stocks
    High Point— Most furniture industry stocks took a beating in 2007 as the investment community shunned the slump-ridden category. Of the 38 furniture-related stocks tracked by Furniture/Today, 31 lost ground during 2007, including 24 whose prices declined more than 20%. Seventeen stocks registered price declines of more than 30% and seven fell more than 50%.

News
  • Rising dollar riles Canada
    Ottawa— When the Canadian dollar set a record high in early November, trading at just over $1.10 U.S., there was a palpable shortness of breath throughout Canada's household furniture industry. The surge in the Canadian dollar, or looney, began in the first quarter of 2003 when it was trading at about 69 cents U.
  • L&P's 'smart bed' does it all
    Carthage, Mo.— Leggett & Platt has developed what it says is the world's smartest bed, packed with high-tech gadgets that monitor body movements, warm and cool the body, play movies and music — and help alleviate snoring. The components giant is introducing its Starry Night Sleep Technology at CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas this week, and at the Las Vegas Ma...
  • Bombay signs deal to keep brand alive
    Fort Worth, Texas— The Bombay Company said it has struck a deal with Hilco Consumer Capital and Gordon Bros. that's aimed at keeping the Bombay name alive. Bombay Brands will be a new venture that will introduce consumer products through wholesalers and sell them through retail and brand franchisee partners, the companies said.
  • FBI names Scozzafava CEO
    St. Louis— Furniture Brands International has named Ralph Scozzafava as its CEO, following the plan it announced when it hired him as vice chairman six months ago. Mickey Holliman has stepped down as CEO of the second-largest U.S. furniture manufacturer and importer, a job he has held since 1996.
  • WorkPlace taps Carlson as interim president
    Cincinnati— Office furniture dealer group WorkPlace Furnishings' board has named Bob Carlson of St. Cloud, Minn.-based Marco Office Products as interim president. He succeeds the late Workplace President and CEO Dennis J. Insogna, who died earlier this month. Carlson, who also is chairman of the WorkPlace board, is a longtime member of the organization and has served on the board since 1993.
  • Withit breakfast set for Jan. 11
    Atlanta— Women in the Industry Today, or WithIt, will host a continental breakfast during this month's market here, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 11. Robert Idol, vice president and creative director of Lane, will present "Trends, Are They All in Our Heads?" Topics will include home design and color trends.
  • Obituaries
    Obituaries
  • Toronto buyers cautious?
    Toronto— Statistics indicate that Canadian furniture stores are coming off a fairly strong 2007, and buyers might be expected to shop the market here this weekend with generous open-to-buys. But with cautionary messages coming from within and outside the industry, smart retailers are more likely to be careful, leaving themselves plenty of room to maneuver as the 2008 campaign gets under way.
  • Mattress Giant buys 2 chains
    Addison, Texas— Mattress Giant, one of the nation's largest specialty bedding retailers, has acquired two growing sleep shop chains in the Southeast. The company, based here, has entered Georgia with its purchase of Mattress Expo, which operates 24 stores and is based in metro Atlanta. In Florida's Tampa Bay market, Mattress Giant has expanded its presence with the acquisition of Clearwat...
  • Canwood, Dakota Trading form strategic alliance
    Penticton, British Columbia— Solid-pine, ready-to-assemble specialist Canwood Furniture has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with Dakota Trading, a case goods designer and importer based in Corona, Calif. Under the terms of the agreement, each company will market significant portions of the other's product line in their principal markets.
  • Magnussen reduces minimum order on QuickFlex program
    New Hamburg, Ontario— Magnussen Home Furnishings has reduced the minimum order on its fledgling QuickFlex program from 2,000 cubes to 500. Magnussen said it wants to broaden its quick-shipping, mixed-container program to all dealers, including smaller dealers who don't order container loads. The new minimums equate to an order of three to four bedroom or dining suites, according to the co...
  • Showtime moves up June dates
    High Point— Dates for the next Showtime fabric show here have been changed to June 1–4, one week earlier than previously announced. The semiannual event's former dates of June 8–11 conflicted with the NeoCon contract fair in Chicago and also with the Jewish holiday of Shavaut. Catherine Morsell, executive director of Showtime sponsor the International Textile Market Assn.
  • Ison buys former Thomasville plant
    Thomasville, N.C.— Officials at importer and OEM supplier Ison International said the company has purchased former Thomasville Furniture Plant D here. Ison plans to use the facility for finishing unassembled goods and to upholster exposed-wood chairs, said Philip Ison, president and owner of the Norfolk, Va.
  • Ekornes ends '07 on upswing
    Somerset, N.J.— Leather upholstery specialist Ekornes said it shipped $25.3 million in product to North American retailers in this year's third quarter, up 15.5% over $21.6 million in the same period of 2006. For the year to date, sales were running 2.7% ahead of the 2006 pace, company officials said.
  • Major Pier 1 shareholder sells stake
    New York— A major shareholder in Pier 1 Imports sold nearly all of its stake in the Fort Worth, Texas-based retailer in recent weeks, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Affiliates of Elliott Associates, which reported in June that they had accumulated 5.9 million shares, now own just 768,760 shares.
  • Innerspring dumping alleged
    Washington— Leggett & Platt has filed a petition with the U.S. government alleging that imports of uncovered innersprings from China, South Africa and Vietnam are being dumped in this country, injuring the U.S. innerspring industry. The antidumping petition was filed Dec. 31 by Leggett & Platt, the largest U.
  • Third review of wood BR imports set
    Washington— The U.S. Department of Commerce is preparing for the next administrative review in the antidumping case involving Chinese-made wood bedroom furniture. On Jan. 2, the DOC published a notice asking interested parties to submit the names of any Chinese wood bedroom furniture producers they believe warrant further review.
  • DOC adds, corrects names on first review list
    Washington— The U.S. Department of Commerce has added one Chinese wood bedroom furniture producer and corrected the name of another on a list of final results for the first administrative review, completed in August. One of these, Meikangchi Nantong Furniture Company Ltd., was left off the November list entirely.
  • Comfort Solutions hires 2
    Willowbrook, Ill.— Bedding producer Comfort Solutions has hired two industry veterans, Brent Biermann and Scott Denton, as regional vice presidents of sales. Biermann will cover the North Central region and Denton the Eastern region for the seventh-largest U.S. bedding maker. Both positions are new, and both report to David Binke, executive vice president of sales.
  • Veterans join University Loft
    Greenfield, Ind.— Industry veterans Ted Jarnagin and Stainton McArthur have joined case goods and upholstery source University Loft with a goal of expanding the company's sales force and adding to its Top 100 customer base. Jarnagin was named director of retail sales, and McArthur key accounts manager.
  • Richardson joins Libeco
    New York— Hamilton Adams, the U.S. distribution division of Belgian linen specialist Libeco-Lagae, has changed its name to Libeco Deco to more clearly identify with its 150-year-old parent company. Kathyrn Richardson has joined the company in the new position of vice president of sales, U.S., and will oversee the U.
  • Cologne market displays will look to past, future
    Cologne, Germany— The IMM Cologne furniture fair here Jan. 14-20 will feature new trend displays, including an event called "Compasso d'oro" that will celebrate 50 years of Italian design. Cologne will feature about 1,400 exhibitors, more than 60% of which are from outside Germany. Ten American exhibitors will show.
  • December Showtime attendance up 7%
    High Point— The final count of buyers attending the semiannual Showtime fabric show in December was up about 7% over previous shows in recent years, according to the International Textile Market Assn., which sponsors the event. Showtime features the latest fabric, trim and leather introductions from its 200 members and is recognized as the largest textile show in the Western Hemisphere.
  • Heimtextil to debut new fabric programs
    Frankfurt, Germany— Furniture fabrics will receive additional focus at the Heimtextil home textiles fair here Jan. 9-12, with a new awards program and a special trend display. The Young Contract Creations Award 2008, sponsored by fiber producer Trevira and publisher Verlag M. Ritthammer, will honor a design student who creates an innovative fabric and seating for a hotel lobby, restaurant...
  • Kelley gets new responsibilities at Wynwood
    Louisville, Ky.— Lorri Kelley has been named to the new position of senior vice president, upholstery, in addition to her present position of vice president, sales, for Wynwood Furniture, a division of DMI. Kelley joined the company in September 2006 and is responsible for sales and marketing of Wynwood products in the western United States.
  • FBI's Scozzafava shares outlook
    St. Louis— Furniture Brands International's move in December to eliminate its Thomasville reps caused a buzz throughout the industry. Ray Allegrezza, Furniture/Today's editor in chief, quizzed Ralph Scozzafava, FBI's CEO, on this and other issues. F/T: What prompted the decision to eliminate the Thomasville reps? Scozzafava: As someone who spent a good portion of his career in sales ̵...

Opinion Today
  • Why stores shouldn't skip Toronto market
    Many exhibitors already are dramatically lowering expectations for the upcoming Canadian Home Furnishings Market, which gets under way in Toronto Jan. 12 for a four-day run. While I understand their reasoning, I'm really hoping we're all more than pleasantly surprised by the time it's time to tear down the show for another year.
  • Letters to the Editor
    Requiem for a sales force that built and believed in the brand
    These days, when I get an e-mail with an attachment from someone I worked with many years ago, there's usually a punch line somewhere at the end of the message. But the one I got this morning delivered only a punch. The attachment was an MP3 recording of a conference call held in December, when management at Thomasville told its sales force the company no longer had a sales force, terminating t...

Special Report
  • Toronto Preview
    Outlook uncertain for Toronto market
    Toronto— Resources showing at this weekend's Canadian Home Furnishings Market are confident that those retailers who turn out will be here to do business, but the question remains just how many buyers are going to sign in and how much open-to-buy will they have? Most executives agree that retail has been soft throughout the country in recent weeks.
  • Toronto Preview
    CHFM offers wide variety of goods
    Toronto— Canada's only major trade event for furniture and bedding retailers starts its four-day run at the International Center here Saturday morning, with some 400 exhibitors hoping to kick-start what may prove to be a mixed 2008 sales year at retail. Organized by the Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Assn.
  • Toronto Preview
    Style watch: Sustainability, color, function in spotlight
    Toronto— This weekend's Canadian Home Furnishings Market will set the trend for what consumers see on Canadian retail floors over the coming months. "This year's show draws attention to the fact that society is evolving, consumer needs are changing and the marketplace is adapting," said QFMA President Jean François Michaud.
  • Toronto Preview
    CHFA honors two for lifetime achievement
    Toronto— Two of this country's leading upholstery makers have been named recipients of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance. John Colallilo, president and founder of Superstyle Furniture, and Mario Colallilo, president and founder of Edgewood Furniture, will receive the honor in recognition of their many business achievements.
  • RTA
    RTA makers 'holding their own'
    High Point— Amid tough retail business conditions that show no signs of easing, ready-to-assemble furniture appears to be maintaining its footprint in key distribution channels. Producers say entertainment furniture continues to be the standout performer, due to the enormous popularity of flat-panel TVs and other home electronics.
  • RTA
    Upholstery sources leverage Internet
    High Point— When Tom Erdman wanted to show how easy it is to assemble one of his company's sofas, he did it on the Internet. The site belongs to Handy Furniture, a ready-to-assemble upholstery company, where Erdman is responsible for sales and product development. A video shows him moving methodically through his work, attaching arms and rails and cushions as he puts together a sofa-sleeper.
  • Accessories Today
    Winter market introductions include fresh Williamsburg, Seymour products
    Williamsburg For All Seasons licensees will debut extensive new lines at the January 2008 Atlanta and Dallas markets, marking the biggest launch of new designs in the history of the license. The six biggest rollouts are from Aldik, C&F, Troy/Hudson Valley Lighting, Campania, Reed & Barton and SPI-Home.

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