HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from April 2007

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from April 2007

Retailers Making net gains ... finally.(top story)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Home furnishings may never perform online the apparel and some merchandise categories do, but as a cation it is finally starting to come into its own. From the early days of Internet selling when home...

Bed Bath's next project: bringing up buybuy Baby.(news)
April 2, 2007... UNION, N.J. -- Does big-box giant Bed Bath & Beyond view eight-store chain buybuy Baby--a blip on its multibillion-dollar empire---as its next growth concept? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bed Bath's $86 million acquisition of buybuy Baby...

High point goes green for market.(news)
April 2, 2007... HIGH POINT, N.C.-- Green was the color of choice at the High Point Market here last week: not the color of the furniture itself but of the mood of market: * Green as in envy for better times. The slowdown in the housing market is clearly...

A look ahead.(home page)
April 2, 2007... The balance of trade in home products and other goods and services for February will be released by the U.S. Commerce Department on April 13. Bed Bath & Beyond will report its fourth-quarter earnings on April 14. The International...

A look back.(home page)
April 2, 2007... Forty years ago this week, a flooring retailer in Rockingham, N.C., hit on a novel way to sell his wares. He directed his sales manager to load samples of both soft and hard flooring onto a truck, and begin making home visits. Through this...

Mediums.(home page)
April 2, 2007... "Tord Boontje" By Martina Margetts Rizzoli New York, $75 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Industrial designer Tord Boontje takes a humanistic approach grounded in European roots. This document of his work is lavishly illustrated with...

The HFN stock index.(home page)
April 2, 2007... Manufacturers weighed down the HFN Index for the March 21 to 28 period with a 2.97 percent decline. Natuzzi SpA suffered the steepest decline in the group at 7.91 percent to close at $8.15. Retailers slipped 2.64 percent for the period, dragged...

Housewares show gets a redesign for 2008.(news)
April 2, 2007... ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The International Home & Housewares Show will have a different look in 2008--one driven, like the housewares industry itself, by style and design. The new look was created by Adrienne Weiss, the communications and...

High style @ High Point.(trends)
April 2, 2007... The name game was once again the name of the game at High Point Market last week as furniture suppliers continued to turn to celebrities, designers and brands from assorted sources for their spring introductions And if Donald Trump was perhaps...

Trade show calendar.(Calendar)
April 2, 2007... april 11-14 International Window Coverings Expo Washington Convention Center Washington (202) 249-3000 windowcoveringexpo.com 15-19 10th Jinhan Fair for Textiles, Garments, & Fabrics Jinhan Exhibition Center ...

The Gourmet Housewares Show[R].(GLM BUSINESS BRIEFS)
April 2, 2007... The Gourmet Housewares Show has announced the participation of Chef Rocco DiSpirito. Rocco, who will be appearing on behalf of Share Our Strength, a leading anti-hunger organization, will demonstrate his innovative Italian-American fusion...

Global Home Textiles[TM].(GLM BUSINESS BRIEFS)
April 2, 2007... As the only trade show of its kind in the U.S., Global Home Textiles is the perfect opportunity to establish important relationships that can help businesses grow. Featuring offshore home textiles manufacturers from Asia and around the world,...

International Contemporary Furniture Fair[R].(GLM BUSINESS BRIEFS)
April 2, 2007... During the ICFF, the Javits Center will bustle with more than 23,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, designers, manufacturers, representatives, distributors, and developers. An assemblage of national and international...

SURTEX[R].(GLM BUSINESS BRIEFS)
April 2, 2007... SURTEX is the only show in the world to bring you virtually every kind of original art & design to make your products unique and your sales soar. It's also a showcase for the latest trends m color, texture and style. You'll find cutting-edge...

National Stationery Show[R].(GLM BUSINESS BRIEFS)
April 2, 2007... If any event pushes the envelope, it's the National Stationery Show. With its emphasis on innovative new products, this Show is all about what's now, what's new and what's next, including the latest in frames and home office accessories, plus...

Killer' Bs.(opinions: home alone 2)
April 2, 2007... Bed Bath & Beyond is at it again. It is trying to once more change the rules of retailing and go where few, if any, of its business counterparts have ever gone before. Its latest Beyond is the deal announced a week or two ago to buy...

Weaving a tale: Jack Lenor Larsen talks about the beginning of commercial textiles design.(the markets: textiles)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- Weaver and textiles designer Jack Lenor Larsen laughs loudly as he remembers the 1960s line he created with now-defunct textiles company J.P Stevens. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I was the first designer to do sheets and towels...

Upcoming Surtex conference to feature seminar series.(the markets: textiles)
April 2, 2007... WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The 2007 Surtex design and licensing conference, held May 20 to 22 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, will offer 11 informative sessions geared toward artists and manufacturers. "Surtex exhibitors and attendees...

Bedspread, quilt segments go through tough times.(the markets: textiles)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Bedspreads, quilts and similar lightweight bed coverings are producing thin sales margins these days. In 2006, bedspreads performed worse than any other top-of-bed category, with sales falling 8 percent...

Heart gallery: a 600-guest cocktail party and fund-raiser introduced the Fashion Designer Collection and benefited Gilda's Club Worldwide.(the markets: floor covering)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Doris Leslie Blau Gallery partnered with Gilda's Club Worldwide to host a 600-guest cocktail party and fund-raiser this month to introduce the Fashion Designer Collection, created by the gallery and...

Safavieh makes its customer service more personal.(the markets: floor covering)
April 2, 2007... PORT WASHINGTON, N.K-In a world where automated phone systems and e-mail rule, Safavieh is bucking the trend and making it easier for dealers to connect with someone--the same someone--each time they call. "In the past, each time a customer...

Flooring America, Canada look to future at convention.(the markets: floor covering)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DALLAS -- The combined forces of Flooring America and Flooring Canada joined this month for their annual winter convention, held this year at the Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center here. The retailer saw its...

TV guidance: Style Network celebrity designer Mark Brunetz is steering his products toward retailer.(the markets: furniture & lighting)
April 2, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Having made his mark on television, Mark Brunetz is taking his second generation of decorative accessories to big-box retailers. Brunetz, a celebrity designer known for his down-to-earth approach on The Style Network's...

Maku makes retail debut with comfort in mind.(the markets: furniture & lighting)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SAN DIEGO -- A new lifestyle furnishings company, aimed at outdoor and design enthusiasts who appreciate quality and comfort, is making its retail debut this month through specialty retailers and online in a...

Beautyrest Black helps boost Simmons' performance.(the markets: furniture & lighting)
April 2, 2007... ATLANTA -- The launch of the Beautyrest Black line and the ability to control costs led Simmons to a dramatically improved, strong financial performance in 2006. The nation's number-two bedding manufacturer posted net income of $47.6...

In the heart of Texas: home, James! moves past its New York borders and chooses Dallas for its second location.(the markets: tabletop)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DALLAS -- In the Knox Henderson neighborhood of Dallas, where ladies still lunch and send bread-and-butter notes to friends, the new Home, James! store, whose motto is to always put the customer first, is as welcome...

J.C. Penney sets lifestyle focus for category revamp.(the markets: tabletop)
April 2, 2007... PLANO, Texas -- J.C. Penney is cooking up a tabletop makeover that will include more lifestyle merchandising statements akin to a specialty home store and the expansion of open-stock displays. The revamp is slated for completion on Oct. 15,...

Four-packs emerge in dinnerware.(the markets: tabletop)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- Not long ago, the casual dinnerware business was presented in one of two ways: open stock or boxed sets, primarily 16-piece. Open stock allows for better and more varied merchandising possibilities. It entices consumers to...

Japanese regional pottery alliance goes global.(the markets: tabletop)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- Backed by 600 years of experience, 30 potteries and factories in Japan now make their wares available to the U.S. market through the Mino Pottery Alliance, which debuted at the International Home & Housewares Show last month....

Fit for a Pope.(the markets: tabletop)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last month, Wendelin von Boch, chief executive officer of Villeroy & Boch, and his wife Brigitte presented a new official papal dinner service by Villeroy & Boch to Pope Benedict XVI at a general audience In St....

Steam feat: consumers want high-quality espresso at home, and vendors have introduced premium machines to meet that need.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Premium machines are steaming up in the espresso category. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cuisinart, De'Longhi, Breville, Saeco, Jura-Capresso, Bialetti, Gaggia and Guzzini all introduced high-end...

Halo out to clear the air with new ultraviolet vac.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Startup floor care company Halo Technologies is banking on mounting consumer concerns surrounding indoor allergens and air quality for its debut vacuum. Halo's new bagged upright UVX Ultraviolet Vacuum, scheduled to...

Whitney, Rubbermaid unveil new laundry line.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... BRIDGETON, Mo. -- Whitney Design Inc. unveiled its full assortment of Rubbermaid-branded laundry products at the International Home & Housewares Show last month. The line is part of a new license agreement for the two companies. Whitney, a...

1 T-Fal.(the markets: hfnew: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Emerilware line from T-Fal was extended with new products, including the Grill & Panini Maker, pictured here. t-falusa.com

2 WMF.(the markets: hfnew: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WMF launched five new household scissors, including this pair of poultry shears, to address consumers' variable cutting needs. wmf.com

3 HoMedics.(the markets: hfnew: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Pedicure-Spa Salon Footbath from HoMedics is an all-in-one unit with five pedicure attachments and healing massage features. homedics.com

4 Axis.(the markets: hfnew: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Axis is using dramatic colors to make an impression on consumers. axisshavers.com

5 Sanyo.(the markets: hfnew: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sanyo's Pressure Rice Cooker uses the company's exclusive variable-pressure-control technology to make consistently fluffy rice. sanyo.com

Manufacturers are induction-ready, even if the American market is not.(the markets: housewares)(Industry overview)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- It's the latest trend to hit cookware. Or, it's been up and coming for the last 30 years but will never permeate the U.S. market. Regardless of which side you think it falls, induction has a lot going for it. A commonplace...

Getting a handle on cutlery.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... CHICAGO -- The recent International Home & Housewares Show here served up a variety of handle treatments in cutlery, but when it comes to the actual sale, retailers say form trumps fashion every time. Once you get past the blade composition...

Popular names pop up on cleaning products.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHICAGO -- Mention licensing and most people think characters and kids' stuff. But the latest round of branded cleaning products is anything but child's play. Well-known consumer...

Homer laughlin bakes with Fiesta.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... CHICAGO -- Homer Laughlin China Co., maker of Fiesta ware dinnerware, introduced bakeware at the International Home & Housewares Show here last month. Entry into this new category made sense for Homer Laughlin, who in the fall announced...

Quickie Metropolis line for Home Depot bows.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... CINNAMINSON, N.J. -- Quickie Manufacturing Corp. has developed a full line of cleaning products exclusively for The Home Depot. The line, called Metropolis, includes 21 SKUs of stick goods, smallwares and accessories. Scott Davis, vice...

Cutlery makers expand gift-giving options.(the markets: housewares)
April 2, 2007... CHICAGO -- Cutlery vendors beefed up their gift sets at the International Home & Housewares Show here last month. The most common set was a santoku blade and cutting board, offering a new selling opportunity for the popular knife. Wusthof,...

Sears targets women with new appliance stores: the new locations will feature a variety of vignettes with the female consumer in mind.(the markets: major appliances)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears is launching a new Home Appliance Showroom to focus on the female white goods buyer. The department store giant will open three new Home Appliance Showroom stores in the Houston...

LG goes further upscale in the kitchen with line.(the markets: major appliances)
April 2, 2007... ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. -- LG Electronics is climbing further up the white goods ladder with a new higher-end collection of freestanding kitchen appliances. The company's new kitchen line, including a french-door/bottom-mount refrigerator,...

Report: Wal-Mart shifts growth focus abroad.(the markets: business & finance)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Faced with sluggish sales and shrinking expansion opportunities at home, Wal-Mart's next big growth spurt will play out on foreign soil. That was the theme of a Citigroup report, which offered a...

New clearance strategy, store closings hurt dollar general's results in Q4.(the markets: business & finance)(Financial report)
April 2, 2007... GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- The switch to a new clearance strategy and store closings ate into Dollar General's bottom line for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2. The results follow the news that the dollar chain has entered into an agreement...

Analyst: Bombay's cash hunt spurred by 'dire' debt in 2006.(the markets: business & finance)
April 2, 2007... FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Bombay Co. is on the hunt for cash because it was unable to pay off its debt at the end of fiscal 2006. In the retailer's search for cash, it late last month hired William Blair & Co. to explore strategic...

Consumer confidence drops 5 points in March.(the markets: business & finance)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- The recent downward shift in the financial markets, and upward move at the gasoline pump, have combined to lower consumer confidence five points in March. The degree of confidence in the economy is now the lowest since November...

Federated changes its ticker symbol to 'M'.(the markets: business & finance)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- "M" is for Macy's at Federated Department Stores. The department store giant's shares will begin trading under the ticker symbol "M" on the New York Stock Exchange, effective June 1, further reinforcing the significance of the...

GMAC Finance becomes deal maker in home.(the markets: business & finance)
April 2, 2007... NEW YORK -- GMAC Commercial Finance has taken on the role of deal maker for its home furnishings clients. Since being acquired late last year by a consortium of investors led by Cerberus FIM Investors LLC, the factoring firm has taken on...

High point highlights.(hfend)
April 2, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The social scene was as hectic as ever at the High Point Market in High Point, N.C., last week with thrills, chills and the occasional spill for the whole industry family. Celebrity du jour Donald Trump led the...

'Fire-high, hire-low' strategy likely only to play in Circuit City.
April 9, 2007... RICHMOND, Va. -- Retail experts said that Circuit City's recent cost-cutting "fire-high, hire-low" move could ultimately damage top-line results but won't set off a trend in the world of retail cost management. Circuit City late last month...

Who could be next to lead Wal-Mart?
April 9, 2007... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart's move last week to refine the roles of top executives John Menzer and Eduardo Castro-Wright raises the question: Who's in line to succeed Lee Scott as head of the world's largest retailer? Castro-Wright,...

A look ahead.(home page)
April 9, 2007... Bed Bath & Beyond will report its fourth-quarter earnings on April 11. Retailers tracked by HFN will release March same-store sales on April 12. The Licensing Expo will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York from...

A look back.(home page)
April 9, 2007... Twenty-two years ago this week, readers learned of a retail practice that had vendors up in arms. Today it is called chargebacks, but then it had no name. "In my view, the practice of department stores that take unauthorized advertising and...

Our house opens its doors.(MEDIUMS)
April 9, 2007... Our House, an eclectic home and leisure magazine targeting the Delaware River region, debuted with articles on Jane Seymour, portraits of incredible historic home renovations and numerous design ideas. The publication is headed up by Leticia...

The HFN stock index.(home page)
April 9, 2007... Manufacturers led HFN Index gains for the March 28 to April 5 period with a 2.16 percent increase. Polo Ralph Lauren topped the group with a 5.67 percent increase to close at $92.60. The company on March 29 bought out the remainder of its...

Sundance sets plans for store this summer.(news)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LONE TREE, Colo. -- Sundance, the catalog and Internet site founded by Robert Redford, will open its first retail store in the upscale Park Meadows shopping center in this Denver suburb this summer. Construction...

HFNdex shows decline for Q4 in retail leaders' confidence.(news)
April 9, 2007... NEW YORK -- Retail executives' confidence continued to decline in the first quarter, the third consecutive quarterly drop. The HFNdex, a proprietary measure based on a poll of senior executives in various retail channels, dipped below the...

Correction.(news)(Correction notice)
April 9, 2007... In Warren Shoulberg's Home Alone 2 column, "Killer Bs," (HFN, April 2), a reference was made incorrectly to a retail unit of Bed Bath & Beyond. The correct name of the chain is Christmas Tree Shops.

Great Indoors' Byrd aims to create a buzz.(news)
April 9, 2007... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Teresa Byrd wants to bring excitement back to The Great Indoors with a compelling good-better-best merchandising story that demystifies home decorating, the senior vice president and general manager of the decorating...

The bold and the beautiful.(trends)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nothing subtle here. Products from outside the home furnishings industry, which is seeing its own color renaissance, are not color shy this year, demanding to be noticed in a variety of hues, and sometimes in...

Short circuited.(opinions: home alone 2)
April 9, 2007... Just when you thought retailers couldn't get any more despicable, one of them comes along to prove you wrong... once again. The latest poster boy for everything that is wrong with retailing in America today is Circuit City, which earlier...

Trade show calendar.(Calendar)
April 9, 2007... april 11-14 International Window Coverings Expo Washington Convention Center Washington (202) 249-3000 windowcoveringexpo.com 15-19 10th Jinhan Fair for Textiles, Garments & Fabrics Jinhan Exhibition Center ...

Spectrum analysis: HFN annual Color Report looks at the top shades shaping the style direction of the home.(top story/color report)
April 9, 2007... NEW YORK -- Riddle us this home furnishings lovers: What's natural, white and red all over? Well, it's this year's HFN annual Color Report, of course. Natural, neutral, calming colors--with more than a splash of crimson--dominate the list...

New chapter begins for sleep innovations.(the markets: textiles)(Company overview)
April 9, 2007... NEW YORK -- After a six-month stint back at the helm of Sleep Innovations, the company he founded in 1996, it seems Michael Fux will finally be able to relax. Last week, the company announced it had hired Joseph E. Lynch--most recently...

Charlotte Moss taking retail to new heights: the high-end designer has opened the townhouse in New York, which will offer a variety of products at different prices over five floors.(the markets: textiles)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- Calling the Charlotte Moss Townhouse a shop is an understatement. Located in a five-story townhouse on Manhattan's tony Upper East Side, the space is set up like a full-size home. Almost everything...

Global home event gets educational.(the markets: textiles)
April 9, 2007... WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A two-part conference program on the evolving worldwide home textiles business will kick off George Little Management's Global Home Textiles show scheduled for May 8 to 10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando,...

Window coverings expo draws up seminar series.(the markets: textiles)
April 9, 2007... WASHINGTON -- This week's International Window Coverings Expo, April 11 to 14 at the Washington Convention Center, features more than 200 exhibitors from all over the world, and offers dozens of seminars and other educational programming. ...

Making their points: rug exhibitors at the recent high point market examined a range of issues facing the industry.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point Market was abundant with talk of the state of the economy, gas prices and mortgage rates, as well as how those factors, coupled with the new dates of the market itself, would affect...

Surya opens first overseas showroom.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... CALHOUN, Ga. -- In an effort to expand its presence in the international market, Surya has opened its first overseas showroom at International Home Deco Park in New Delhi, India. Surya plans to show its complete product line in the new...

Kaleen expands its Atlanta space.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... ATLANTA -- Kaleen has signed a new lease in AmericasMart Atlanta, a deal that nearly doubles the space the company currently occupies. The move bumps Kaleen up to approximately 3,100 square feet, space the company needed due to its growth...

Designer Olson celebrates her first year with Hellenic.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIGH POINT, N.C. -- "Divine Designer" Candice Olson was on hand at Hellenic Rug Imports to celebrate their first anniversary as partners. Olson met with Hellenic's customers to sign copies...

Safavieh expands O'Brien collection, adds two natural lines.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Safavieh created options for nature lovers and devotees to exotic and old-world styles with several new collections and additions to its Thomas O'Brien Collection. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company created two new...

Into the woods.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Continuing with the trend to translate nature into design, the past several markets have shown designers and their vendors interpreting varied wood grains into tonal designs. Patterns along those...

Shagging up.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The movement of shags in the area rug business has stayed fresh with the addition of new treatments for the go-to product for funkiness. Many companies are incorporating felted yarns and mixtures of yarns as well, bunching...

Silky smooth.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Real and faux silk accents abounded at the High Point Market with shades of gold leading the pack. Many used the shade and materials to create an element of softness, without sacrificing luxury. Often it appeared in a...

It's a family affair as Capel turns 90.(the markets: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Capel kicked off the celebration for its 90th year in business with an event that reviewed a successful past and looked to the future. Founder A. Leon Capel's three sons, Jesse, Arron and Leon, or G2, short for...

1 Emma Gardner.(the markets: hfnew: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... Emma Gardner welcomes spring with the addition of Delphiniums. emmagardnerdesign.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2 Couristan.(the markets: hfnew: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... Couristan added tonal designs, such as Ivy Leaf, to its power-loomed Charisma Collection. couristan.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3 Surya.(the markets: hfnew: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... Skins get a detailed treatment in the Trail Collection by Surya. suryarugs.com

4 The Rug Market.(the markets: hfnew: floor covering)
April 9, 2007... The Rug Market's Alison design is available in four, two-tone color combinations. therugmarket.com