HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from August 2005

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from August 2005

ANIMAL ATTRACTION.
August 1, 2005... Diffa's Dining by Design Tables, such as this one from Dransfield & Ross, stand out in the Hamptons. See page 7.

FEDERATED KICKING OFF MAY NAME GAME IN '06.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Next year, May Department Stores' regional nameplates -- Famous-Barr, Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's, The Jones Stores, Kaufmann's, L.S. Ayers, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May and Strawbridge's -- will start to fade...

HOME INDUSTRY ON TWO SIDES OF THE YUAN.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-"Yuan" was probably the most commonly used word in the home furnishings world last week, following China's announcement that it would revaluate its often mispronounced currency. Whether they called it...

WORLD MARKET CENTER A BIG WINNER.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Cheminne Taylor-Smith LAS VEGAS-It was a mad scramble to the opening curtain, but the World Market Center made a big splash last Monday for its inaugural Las Vegas Market. Market officials say that the number of buyers and...

IN BRIEF: OSBORN NEW MACY'S HOME PRESIDENT...FAMILY DOLLAR TAPS CHIEF MERCHANT...BLOOMINGDALE'S NAMES STORES VP...
August 1, 2005... OSBORN NEW MACY'S HOME PRESIDENT In a newly created position, Federated Department Stores has named Michael Osborn president and chief operating officer of its Macy's Home Store division, effective Aug. 8. Osborn, now president and...

DEPARTMENT 56 SEEKS CHANGE FROM SEASONS WITH LENOX IN TOW.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-The news that tabletop giant Lenox Inc. will be acquired by the diminutive Department 56 caught the industry by surprise last week. Most observers expected the leading tabletop and giftware company to be...

BAGAN TO HEAD FAIRCHILD B2B RETAIL GROUP.(officials of B2B Retail Group)(vice president/group publisher )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NEW YORK-Dan Bagan has been appointed vice president/group publisher of Fairchild Publications' newly formed B2B Retail Group, which includes HFN, InFurniture and Supermarket News. Bagan was previously the vice president/publisher of...

HFN HAS MOVED.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... HFN has relocated. Our new address is: 750 Third Ave., 10th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... august 3-6 San Francisco Mart Summer Furniture Market San Francisco Mart San Francisco (415) 552-2311 sfmart.com 5-8 Toronto International Gift Fair Metro Toronto Convention Center Toronto (888)...

A STABLE OF TABLES.(Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS)(Elle Decor Dining by Design)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael D. Devine The talent that turns out to support the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS is always stellar. This season's Elle Decor Dining by Design event, presented by GE, was no exception, with 30 tables to prove...

A HIGH-END CALLING; WAL-MART TRIES TO LURE THE UPSCALE SHOPPER TO ITS HOME MERCHANDISE.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Shopper X, whose Mercedes sits in Wal-Mart's parking lot, has loaded her cart with milk, laundry detergent, a single-serve coffeemaker and Home Select sheets, the retailer's private brand. That's how...

DESERT FLOWER.(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Arnold J. Karr The wait is over. The World Market Center opened in Las Vegas to nearly universally favorable reviews last week, and it's likely that the home furnishings industry and the way it buys and sells will never be the...

POLYESTER LEADS THE PACK; VERSATILITY AND DURABILITY MAKE THE MATERIAL A POPULAR CHOICE IN WINDOW COVERINGS.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Polyester reigns. The synthetic material continues to grow more popular with window coverings manufacturers because of its strength and durability. Kim Kiner, vice president of product design for...

EXPECTATIONS MIXED FOR SUMMER MINI-MARKET.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK -- There will be an official textiles market in August 2006, but this week's traditional summer gathering barely merits the title "market," according to some. "We have appointments with key customers...

CHINESE CURRENCY REVALUATION ELICITS YAWN FROM EXPORTERS.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Four Chinese exporters shrugged off the recent yuan revaluation, saying it will have no impact on their business and will not increase the cost of products sold to U.S. companies. "It will have no...

NEW TWISTS ON THINGS; PRODUCTS UNVEILED BY ATLANTA EXHIBITORS SHOWED A FLAIR FOR THE INNOVATIVE, BOTH IN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN COLLECTIONS.(Atlanta International Area Rug Market)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini ATLANTA-Exhibitors at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market showed retailers hundreds of new products that displayed their innovative touch while adding significant depth to their existing collections. ...

HARD FLOORING'S GROWTH CREDITED TO KNOWLEDGEABLE CONSUMER BASE.( )
August 1, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-The hard flooring market is growing and industry experts believe it's because an informed set of consumers now understand the benefits associated with these products. Jean Jones, marketing services...

AND THE WINNERS ARE ...(Atlanta International Area Rug Show)(12th annual Rug Retailer of the Year Awards )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Atlanta International Area Rug Show held its 12th annual Rug Retailer of the Year Awards at AmericasMart's Penthouse Fashion Theatre to salute the outstanding achievements of premier area rug retailers. The nominees, which included...

A RESTING DEVELOPMENT; RETAILERS ARE HEADING IN A MORE UPSCALE DIRECTION WITH BEDDING DISPLAYS TO CAPTURE CONSUMERS' ATTENTION.(home furnishings market )
August 1, 2005... Byline: Karl Kunkel HIGH POINT, N.C.-Capturing a consumer's attention in a retail bedding department or sleep shop has taken on a more sophisticated tone. Two glimpses at the shape of things to come for retail presentation were...

VEGAS MARKET HITS THE JACKPOT WITH LIGHTING, DECOR INDUSTRIES.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Nancy Meyer LAS VEGAS-Last week's inaugural Las Vegas Market lived up to all the hyperbole. Lighting and accessories vendors and retailers used nothing but superlatives to describe the crowds, the energy and excitement filling...

NEWS BRIEFS.(officials of Carolyn Kinder International)(chief operating officer)(restructuring of Emess Design Group )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... ROGER SAMPLE, former president of Cresswell Lighting, has joined Carolyn Kinder International as chief operating officer, reporting to Carolyn Kinder, principal. Sample is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the creative design and...

ART DREAMS HOME HAS DESIGNS ON TRADE-SHOW SCENE.(service introduction of Art Dreams Home)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Nancy Meyer LAS VEGAS-For the past two years, Kathleen Koszyk has been planning her company's coming-out party. Koszyk's company, Art Dreams Home, made its trade show debut at the inaugural Las Vegas Market to a great deal of...

ROOM AT THE TABLE; FLEXIBILITY IN DESIGN HELPS GLASS DINNERWARE KEEP UP WITH CERAMIC, MANUFACTURERS SAY.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Carla Webb NEW YORK-While the lion's share of dinnerware is ceramic, there is a customer and a niche for glass dinnerware, at all levels of retail and all price ranges, according to manufacturers. "There is always a customer...

MOTTAHEDEH'S LOW-PRICE BRAND A MILESTONE FOR THE COMPANY.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NEW YORK-The Mottahedeh Co. is launching a new lower-priced brand, Milestones by Mottahedeh, under which it will offer a collection of hand-painted giftware. For the new brand, Mottahedeh will turn to alternative sourcing, namely Asia, to...

DESIGNER ARAM FORGES AHEAD IN HOME DECOR.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Carla Webb NEW YORK-After a few years of substantial growth, metalware designer Michael Aram is expanding into other home categories and even thinking about opening a retail location. "I want to be a total lifestyle brand,...

NEWS BRIEFS.(appointments)(vice president of retail )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... BACCARAT INC. has named John Frampton vice president of retail for its U.S. division. He succeeds Ken Moore, who has left the company. In his new position, Frampton reports to Victor Luis, president and chief executive officer of the U.S....

NEW LLADRO INITIATIVE INCREASES SUPPORT FOR KOMEN FOUNDATION.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NEW YORK-For the second year, Lladro is partnering with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and committing to raising a minimum of $50,000, double the amount of the previous year. Lladro has added two new exclusive pink creations to last year's...

MAGPPIE GROWS, LOOKS TO MAKE NAME FOR ITSELF.(planning and growth of Magppie )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Juliana Garofalo NEW YORK-After more than 30 years of executing private-label work for large retailers worldwide, Magppie is coming to market this month with a new slate of products under its own brand name. The company, which...

WILLIAMSBURG, VISTA ALEGRE PARTNERSHIP PROMISES TO PERK UP THE PAST.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-The products resulting from the new Williamsburg-Vista Alegre relationship were designed to turn consumers' expectations on their ear. This is not their great-great-great-grandmother's china. Looking...

MAKING A CLEAN SWEEP; THANKS TO ITS SWIFFER LINE, PROCTER & GAMBLE WIPES THE FLOOR WITH COMPETITORS IN THE HUGE DISPOSABLE SEGMENT IT SPAWNED.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Sharyn Bernard ATLANTA-Something that was designed to be thrown away sure has made a lasting impression. Procter & Gamble's Swiffer took the market by storm six years ago, spawning an entirely new cleaning category. Since then,...

INDUSTRY WAITS TO SEE IF DUPONT LAWSUITS STICK.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Thyra Porter PORTLAND, Maine-The cookware industry is monitoring consumer reaction to the recent spate of class-action lawsuits against DuPont with concern, but executives say so far that reaction has been muted. Two Florida...

THE PERSONAL CARE REPORT.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Total sales of personal care electrics declined 2.2 percent in 2004 to $2.18 billion. Many categories include products given as gifts and experience their strongest performance in the fourth quarter. Distribution channels remain roughly the...

A STABLE ENVIRONMENT; THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY SAW ITS SEGMENTS EITHER POST FLAT SALES OR SHOW SOME SIGNS OF GROWTH.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-If the personal care electrics category were a person, a doctor would say it was in fair shape. Total sales of products such as hair appliances, dental care, massagers and shavers dropped slightly in...

GOOD HAIR DAYS; WITH CONSUMERS INSPIRED TO CREATE SALON STYLES AT HOME, SALES IN THE CATEGORY ARE POISED TO TAKE OFF.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-The good news in hair dryers, some manufacturers say, is that they are finally starting to command higher price points, thanks in part to the influence of hair salons. Typically, hair straighteners and...

TAKING THEIR CUTS; THE MEN'S SIDE SAW A DECLINE IN SALES, WHILE THE WOMEN'S CATEGORY RECORDED AN INCREASE.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-Men's shavers hit a rough patch while the tiny category of women's shavers is growing smoothly. Downward price pressure continues to be the theme this year for men's shavers, which saw a 3 percent...

SOOTHE THE SALES; MANUFACTURERS ARE TOUTING THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-Total sales of massagers are flat, so some manufacturers are taking a new tack and placing more emphasis on the health benefits of the category. They're focusing on new marketing approaches and adding...

BRUSH WITH SUCCESS; LOWER-PRICED POWER MODELS ARE MAKING HEADWAY IN THE CATEGORY.(IntelliClean System)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-As with men's electric shavers, oral-care product makers are feeling the impact from lower-priced goods. Research from The NPD Group's NPD Houseworld has found that low-end, volume-chasing products have...

MINIDVS COMING UP BIG; LOWER COSTS HELP THE DIGITAL CAMCORDER STAND TALL.(MiniDV)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Amid a barrage of digital camcorder formats, the majority of manufacturers seem to migrate to one of the earlier emerging technologies and less expensive -- MiniDV. MiniDV uses tapes, which must be...

MAYTAG WARMS TO AMENDED BID FROM WHIRLPOOL.
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Whirlpool looks to have turned some heads at Maytag late last week by raising its bid to acquire the major appliances giant. On July 22, Whirlpool revised its proposal for Maytag by one dollar per share...

FOUND IN TRANSLATION: ELECTRONIC DICTIONARIES.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Koji Hirano Electronic dictionaries top Japanese students' shopping lists, especially before the summer vacation season, when they plan overseas excursions. These popular devices can generally be found front and center at Japan's...

BEST BUY VS. CIRCUIT CITY.(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... ON THE COVER Best Buy: Gateway Notebook with Intel Centrino Mobile Technology, $899.99 Circuit City: HP Mobile and Sempron 2800+ 1.6GHz Notebook Computer, $649.99 HOME THEATER SYSTEMS Best Buy: Sony 600-Watt 5.1-Channel Home...

THE HFN STOCK INDEX.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Retailers led the HFN Index for the July 21 to 28 period, rising 1.56 percent. Bon-Ton Stores logged a 7.11 percent increase to close at $21.83 on reports of its interest in buying out Saks Inc. with a group of private equity firms....

BUBBLE PLAY.(Elle Decor Dining )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Byline: Michael D. Devine The Bubble Blast after dinner had the place rocking at the Elle Decor Dining by Design event presented by GE. The East Hampton, N.Y., venue was the perfect location for cutting loose on a Saturday night. ...

SMELLS LIKE TEEN/TWEEN SPIRIT.
August 8, 2005... Retailers and manufacturers are trying new and sophisticated ways to rally younger buyers. See pages 10-15.

INVESTORS ARE PUTTING THEIR MONEY INTO MATTRESSES.(Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Karl Kunkel SAN FRANCISCO-Forget plastics. Private investment firms are increasingly thinking of another word: mattresses. National Bedding Co., the controlling licensee of Serta International, the third- largest mattress...

DOLLAR STORES GROWING LIKE NO ONE'S BIZ.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Another day, another dollar store. Nowhere near saturation, the dollar store segment is predicted to grow at a blistering rate, actually more than a store per day, easily outpacing food, drugstores and...

GEORGES BRIARD, DESIGNER, DEAD AT 88.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 8, 2005... NEW YORK-Georges Briard, a well-known designer who influenced the home furnishings industry, died here on July 30. He was 88 years old. Born Jascha Brojdo, Briard emigrated from the Ukraine to the United States in 1937, designed throughout...

LEONARD FARBER, 89, ICSC FOUNDER, DIES.(Leonard L. Farber)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
August 8, 2005... NEW YORK-Leonard L. Farber, a founder and first chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers and a leading developer during the nation's postwar suburban mall boom, died on July 28 after battling Parkinson's Disease. He was 89. ...

MACEF LOOKS TO REMAKE ITSELF FOR JANUARY.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... NEW YORK-Visitors to Macef in January should not expect lifestyle settings or products for products' sake. Recognizing the same shift in consumer attitudes that has occurred here in the United States, Macef 2006 has been designed with an...

IN BRIEF: MCMILLON TO HEAD SAM'S CLUB... FAMILY DOLLAR PRESIDENT EXITS... FORMAL BID FOR MAYTAG NEAR?...(Doug McMillon)(Family Dollar Stores Inc.'s David Alexander)(Whirlpool Corp. acquires)
August 8, 2005... MCMILLON TO HEAD SAM'S CLUB Wal-Mart Stores has named Doug McMillon president and chief executive officer of Sam's Club, succeeding Kevin Turner, who is leaving the company to become chief operating officer of Microsoft Corp. The...

SHOPPERS FIND PROVENCE IN MACY'S FALL HOME CATALOG.(Macy's Home Store)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Macy's Home Store's new fall catalog is in the mail. It features the Provence theme that is now running throughout the home department in the retailer's 423 stores. The 90-page catalog is the second book...

ETHAN ALLEN RESTRUCTURES, CREATES 3 SUBSIDIARIES.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Ethan Allen Interiors has put into place a new corporate structure that officials say better reflects the operations of the vertically integrated furniture manufacturer and retailer, which operates 126 corporate stores and...

COMP-SALES GROWTH IN JULY SLOWS DOWN AFTER SCORCHING JUNE.(home furnishings industry)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Home goods retailers' same-store sales gains were relatively sluggish in July, following a 13-month high in June. A review of sales in stores opened at least one year shows that 16 of 27 retailers...

STEMMING IMPORT TIDE: LONG-TERM DEAL NEARS BETWEEN U.S., CHINA.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Evan Clark and Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON-All roads are leading to the United States striking a multiyear agreement with China to limit textiles and apparel imports. In what could be payback for support from key Southern...

PASTORAL PERFECT.(services of home furnishings stores)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Michael D. Devine Designer Michael Tavano loves shopping in Hudson, N.Y., a small river town on the banks of the Hudson River about two hours north of the city. In the past decade, the town has gone through a major gentrification...

FURNITURE'S FICKLE CONSUMERS.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara Furniture manufacturers are eager to connect with the growing teen and tween market, and just as eager to offer parents -- holders of the purse strings -- bedroom furniture that bridges the gap between little kid...

YOUTH MUST BE SERVED; HOME GOODS MAKERS ARE TRYING NEW AND INVENTIVE WAYS TO ATTRACT TWEEN CONSUMERS.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-The back-to-school season might be the Super Bowl of the tween and teen home furnishings market. But as retailers work to make it a year-round business, teen- and tween-inspired fare is commanding retail...

ELECTRIFYING LIGHTING.(home furnishings industry targets on teens and tweens)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Nancy Meyer Lighting and home decor vendors have tapped into the coolness factor so important to the teens and tweens market by adding functionality and vibrant colors to their products. Recognizing how important video games,...

TABLETOP'S PHOTO FINISH.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Carla Webb In the tabletop and gift industry, no other category does the teen and tween business quite like photo frames and albums. With the onslaught of such specialty retailers as PB Teen, Delia's and Urban Outfitters...

HOUSEWARES' HAIR APPARENTS.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Jennifer White In hair appliances, manufacturers have learned that marketing directly to teens does not work as well as they thought it would. "About four or five years ago, the teen and tween buzz really hit a high," said Jeff...

TRENDY TEXTILES.(targets on young audience)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens Home textiles vendors are approaching the younger audience with an eye on fashion. "The trend is influenced by the fashion and apparel industries," Joan Karron, executive vice president of strategic market...

RUGS PILE ON.(rug and carpet industry's targets on children)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini The floor covering industry also has its eye on the teen and tween market. Shaw Living, which has had great success with its mary-kateandashley home collection, has slowly built up the brand by consistently...

TALK ABOUT THE PASSION.(home furnishings industry's International Contemporary Furniture Fair)(Editorial)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Joel Kaplan The Heller booth has always been my favorite stop at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, for several reasons. First, it gives me an opportunity to catch up with my old friend Alan Heller and to hear one...

OF BUBBLES AND BOOMERS.(home furnishings industry's baby boom generation market)(Editorial)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Arnold J. Karr HFN explores the world of teens and tweens in this issue, but I've got my eye on a different generation -- my own. Sixty years ago this month, the Allies declared victory in Japan and the GIs of the Greatest...

SCHOOL COLORS; VIVID STYLES AND PATTERNS FROM RETAILERS ARE CHECKING INTO DORM ROOMS THIS SEASON.(home furnishings industry)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Retailers are showing their hot colors and patterns for this back-to-school season. From Wal-Mart to Bed Bath & Beyond to Fortunoff to J.C. Penney, the colors are bright in oranges, pinks and reds, and...

VERATEX GROWTH REQUIRES BALANCING ACT.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Veratex is poised to grow its private-label business, even as it extends its brand in product categories other than its core bedding operation. "We want to balance the two," said Dale Talbert, vice...

ANNA'S LINENS OPENS MILESTONE STORE IN LAS VEGAS.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Anna's Linens opened its 200th store in the southern part of Las Vegas on July 28, a milestone for the regional specialty chain that is growing as fast as its founder's ambition takes it. "It took me 15...

NEWS BRIEFS.(Central Textiles (Hong Kong) Ltd. is the first lincesee of Cotton Inc. in Hong Kong)(CHF Industries Inc. (New York, New York) expands the management and appoints John Cafaro)(Robert Allen Group relocates to New York)
August 8, 2005... J.R. UNITED has signed a licensing deal with Cristina Saralegui, the Emmy Award-winning host of "El Show de Cristina," and will create a new bed and bath collection under the Casa Cristina brand. The Casa Cristina Bed and Bath Collection will...

WELL WORTH THE GAMBLE; VENDORS ATTENDING THE INAUGURAL LAS VEGAS EVENT FOUND THE WORLD MARKET CENTER MUCH TO THEIR LIKING.(Las Vegas Market)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Quail LAS VEGAS-There was not a frown among the rug vendors who made the leap and exhibited at the inaugural Las Vegas Market. "This is the beginning of something big," said Nasser Rahmanan, chief executive officer of...

CARPET ONE COUNTING ON IDEAS, ITEMS TO SPUR GROWTH.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Quail TORONTO-Carpet One presented plans and new products for the coming months to members who attended the co-op's annual summer convention here. Executives said the economy is looking up and so, too, should the floor...

CALENDAR GETS CROWDED FOR INDUSTRY.(rug and carpet industry's Las Vegas Market)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Faye Musselman ATLANTA-As the number of home furnishings markets continues to escalate, the rug industry asks the question, "How much is too much?" With the addition of the Las Vegas Market, which debuted July 25, there are at...

THE AREA RUG REPORT.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... The total area rug market saw an increase of 4.6 percent in 2004. Specialty flooring stores took the majority share of sales in the handmade category, while mass merchants and clubs held the bulk of the business in the machine-made category....

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE; LESS-FERTILE FOREIGN SOURCES AND PRICE-DRIVEN CONSUMERS CHANGE THE MARKET.(Industry Overview)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Quail NEW YORK-The economy isn't the only factor in the changing face of the handmade rug business. Vendors who import hand-knotted goods from various countries said changes are taking place overseas as well. Simply put,...

BUILDING SUCCESS; TECHNOLOGY AND DURABILITY HELP THE MACHINE-MADE CATEGORY OVERTAKE THE HANDMADE MARKET.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-New and improved technology has helped push machine-made area rugs to the next level, making the category one of the most sought-after areas of the floor covering business. The machine-made category...

A TWEEN AND HUNGRY LOOK ; MANUFACTURERS ARE TAILORING THEIR PRODUCT LINES TO REACH BOTH THE YOUNG AND OLD.(Shaw Living)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-The customer base interested in fun and funky rugs has expanded, and manufacturers have now started to tailor their product lines to reach both the young and old. Shaw Living has slowly built up its...

IF YOU BUILD IT ... AS THE MARKET FOR NEW HOUSING GROWS, SO DOES THE NEED FOR RUGS.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-It's a well-known fact that the strength of the housing market helps determine the economy's vitality. If more new homes are constructed, it follows that the demand is strong, and that translates into...

REPORT: MODERATE GROWTH AHEAD; RESEARCH FOR CARPET ONE PREDICTS A 4.3 PERCENT SPURT BY 2009.(New Horizons Marketing Inc.)
August 8, 2005... NEW YORK-Research conducted by New Horizons Marketing Inc. for Carpet One estimates the total floor covering industry will grow at a compounded rate of 4.3 percent over the 2004 to 2009 period. The company said the more modest estimated growth...

IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR; COTTON INCORPORATED LOOKS AT THE HUES THAT WILL RULE THE HOME INDUSTRY IN THE COMING YEAR.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Quail NEW YORK-Each year, Cotton Incorporated looks ahead at the colors that will rule the home market for the coming seasons and each year, those colors are influenced by the goings-on in the world at the time. In fact,...

KLAUSSNER PLAN MIXES CORPORATE, LICENSED STORES.(Klaussner Furniture Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara COLUMBIA, S.C.-Klaussner Furniture is in the early planning stages of a retail concept that will blend corporate-owned and licensed stores. The company, which owns Sofa Express and is in the process of...

DEALT A WINNING HAND; EXHIBITORS AND CUSTOMERS EAGER TO DO BUSINESS MARKED A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FOR THE LAS VEGAS MARKET.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara COLUMBIA, S.C.-The Las Vegas Market made its debut last month amid a wealth of fanfare and joyful exhibitors tossing around the word "phenomenal" to describe the number of written orders they took back to hungry...

NEWS BRIEFS.(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... THE SALE OF THE RHODES CHAIN could go to auction in the event that potential buyers step forward with offers topping the $38.8 million price already offered by the Richmond, Va., RoomStore chain. Atlanta-based Rhodes filed for Chapter 11 in...

PROMOTIONS LIFT SALES OF DESK LAMPS.
August 8, 2005... Byline: Nancy Meyer NEW YORK-In a year that saw portable lighting sales decline, the desk lamp category has fared fairly well, industry sources said. While there is no quantitative evidence that desk lamps have outpaced other segments...

NEWS BRIEFS.
August 8, 2005... FREDERICK COOPER and its Tyndale division have begun to move its office headquarters and warehouse operation to a new location in Chicago. The new address is 5750 W. Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago, 60639-4138. The phone number (773-384-0800), fax...

RELIANCE LAMP TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS.(Reliance Lamp Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 8, 2005... NEW YORK-Reliance Lamp has ceased operations after 59 years in the decorative lamp business. The privately held company, owned by Michael Magun, has been in assignment for the benefit of creditors, a state court liquidation process similar to...