HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from February 2006

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from February 2006

DOWN TO EARTH TONES.
February 2, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini ATLANTA-The energy and enthusiasm of vendors at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market last month burned bright, but the colors that dominated their new collections and additions were soft and subtle. The...

OBJETS D'ART.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... MAISON & OBJET was highlighted by a wave of ornamentation, such as this collection by Andrea Dall'Olio.

NEW LINENS: AXELROD OUT, DINICOLA IN.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick, Warren Shoulberg and Barbara Thau contributed to this report. CLIFTON, N.J.-As the Norman Axelrod era comes to an end and retail veteran Robert DiNicola's begins, Linens 'n Things, which is being acquired by...

EPA HAS MAKERS OF COOKWARE ON THE DEFENSIVE.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan NEW YORK-The cookware industry and affected chemical companies are working to set the record straight following media coverage of the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendations to reduce the release...

HFN HOME PAGE.
February 6, 2006... A Look Ahead Domotechnica will be held at Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, from Feb. 10 to 13. Advance retail sales for January will be released by the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau on Feb. 14. The Consumer Price Index...

RETAILERS READY FOR ALL AMBIENTE HAS TO OFFER.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-Retailers heading to Frankfurt, Germany, for the Ambiente fair this week have a tricky balancing act: the need to weigh one European show against another, the desire to strengthen ties with existing vendor...

SPRINGS RESTRUCTURES EXECUTIVE STAFF FOLLOWING MERGER WITH COTEMINAS.
February 6, 2006... FORT MILL, S.C.-Springs Global US Inc., the newly created textiles giant resulting from the merger of Springs and the Brazilian company Coteminas, announced its new management structure today. The organizational chart essentially puts...

THE SECOND TIME'S A CHARM IN VEGAS WITH WINTER EVENT.(exhibitors get ample amount of orders from the exhibition)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Quail, Karl Kunkel and Faye Musselman contributed to this report. LAS VEGAS-Two days into the first January Las Vegas Market, some exhibitors were already talking about heading home. Not because they were unhappy, but...

THE HFN STOCK INDEX.(Home Furnishings Network)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Manufacturers helped lift the HFN Index for the Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 period, gaining 1.53 percent. La-Z-Boy led the group with a 5.55 percent gain to close at $16.93. Applica weighed down the sector with a 9.94 percent decline to close at $1.54....

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
February 6, 2006... February 7-11 Cevisama Feria Valencia Valencia, Spain 011-34-96-386-1100 feriavalencia.com 10-14 Ambiente International Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, Germany (770) 984-8016 ...

QUICK TAKES.(Tom Coughlin pleads guilty)(Anna's Linens opens new stores)(Ralph Shulman dies)(Obituary)
February 6, 2006... RETAIL TOM COUGHLIN, the former executive vice president and vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., pleaded guilty last week to fraud and tax charges. Last year, Coughlin was ousted from Wal-Mart's board of directors for expense abuses. He...

MAISON D'TRE.(Maison and Objet launches aesthetic furnitures)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine Forget the straight, cold, hard-edged furniture, the hot collections at the latest edition of Maison & Objet blended a restrained aesthetic with welcoming and amusing patterns and ornamentation to create a new...

FORECAST '06.
February 6, 2006... As housewares and tabletop executives fill their calendars with trips to shows in Frankfurt, Chicago and Las Vegas, HFN examines the issues, trends and developments that will impact the business in 2006. A category-by-category look at this...

SHIFTING THE BURDEN? HOUSEWARES AND TABLETOP MAKERS BATTLE TO TEMPER COSTS AS THE PRICE OF RESIN AND OTHER ESSENTIALS RISE.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick Housewares and tabletop manufacturers are living in an increasingly costly material world and may no longer be able to stomach the rising material prices. Rising fuel costs impact more than just prices at the...

MATERIAL WORLD; PLASTIC GETS SOME COMPANY WITH SILICONE AND STAINLESS STEEL AMONG THE CHOICES FOR CUSTOMERS.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan, Carla Webb O'Connor If Benjamin Braddock got post-graduate advice today, what would it be? Plastics are still hot, but so are plenty of other materials, namely silicone, stainless steel and natural fibers...

DESIGNING MINDS; MORE PRODUCTS ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE THAT PLACE A GREATER EMPHASIS ON FASHION AND FUNCTION.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan, Carla Webb O'Connor Innovative design hasn't been this important since the 1950s, when young designers made function fashionable and gave household appliances a sleek, covetable look. Today, housewares...

HOME SHOWS SPRINGING TO LIFE; "IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO HAVE ALL OF THE CATEGORIES THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO THEIR BUSINESS TOGETHER IN ONE MARKETPLACE."; PERRY REYNOLDS, INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Allison O'Rourke With the International Home & Housewares Show preparing for its third spring show, and the Las Vegas Gourmet Products Show planning for its second Las Vegas show in conjunction with the National Hardware Show, home...

THE PRICE OF HOME COOKING.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan When it comes to cookware, there are consumers who will pay a premium for top-notch quality and there are those who still want a bargain. While high-end features might start creeping into sharply priced...

WHAT'S COOKING IN THE KITCHEN; THE ROOM'S GROWTH IN POPULARITY IS LEADING TO MORE FOCUS ON STYLE AND DESIGN FOR PRODUCTS.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan CONSUMERS' PRIDE in the way their kitchens look, coupled with their interest in showing it off through frequent entertaining, is driving product development within the kitchenware category. This year will...

THE CUTTING EDGE: INNOVATIONS HIT THE SHELVES.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan NEW YORK-With developments like the Santoku shape and granton-edge blades, cutlery is one of the most innovative categories in the kitchen. And this year will see manufacturers old and new rising to the...

SITTING PRETTY; CONSUMERS SEEK ELECTRICS THAT WILL LOOK GOOD ON THE COUNTER.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan In Choosing kitchen appliances, consumers want it all: function, lots of features, good looks and, if possible, a sharp price point. This year, manufacturers will attempt to deliver with products that...

FLOOR PLAN FOR VACS' SUCCESS: MORE FEATURES, RISING PRICES.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Adam Wisniewski WITH NEW PRODUCTS on the horizon and prices moving higher, it's safe to say that the vacuum cleaner marketplace is enjoying a Renaissance of sorts. While still fiercely competitive, home cleaning is poised for...

HAIR CARE A MANE FOCUS IN PERSONAL CARE CATEGORY.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan Consumers just want something that delivers results-and they're finally willing to pay for it, said personal care vendors. Whether it's getting rid of the hair on their bodies, styling the hair on their...

CLEANING PRODUCTS FLOURISH DESPITE DISPOSABLES' POPULARITY.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard EVEN THOUGH DISPOSABLE cleaning products still have traction, particularly as consumer goods behemoths unveil more niche products, traditional cleaning products suppliers are confident that the core cleaning category...

HOME COMFORT MAKERS GIVE THE SEGMENT A GOOD AIRING OUT.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Adam Wisniewski Air conditioner manufacturers were expecting a hot summer and brisk sales after two mild years, but no home comfort manufacturer could have predicted the devastation in America's Southern states that was to follow....

WASTE AND LAUNDRY PRODUCTS CONTINUE UPSCALE MOVEMENT.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard Waste cans and laundry products are putting their fashion face forward in 2006. Even in the face of rising raw material costs, suppliers are focusing on upscale designs and feature-filled products to meet...

ENTERTAINING IDEAS; DINNERWARE MANUFACTURES FOCUS ON GIFTWARE AND SERVEWARE TO EXPAND LINES.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor, Allison Zisko contributed to this report. Gifts and entertaining continue to be key directions for tabletop. Of course, these headings can encompass many things, but for dinnerware, it means a preponderance...

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko, Carla Webb O'Connor contributed to this report. Over the past several years, glassware has proven to be the engine that drives the tabletop industry, and it should continue to be a growth vehicle in 2006. ...

FINISHING TOUCHES; HANDLE TREATMENTS AND ACCESSORIES GIVE FLATWARE A BOOST.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor Hoping to give the category a boost, some flatware manufacturers are employing the use of new handle treatments and finishes. One example is Arte Italica, which is using a material called mebatech to create...

GIVING BIG; MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS AND OVERSIZED PIECES ARE KEY IN GIFTS AND BARWARE.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor, Allison Zisko contributed to this report. NEW YORK-Two areas of home furnishings that are perpetually on the upswing are giftware and barware. And many of the same trends that can be seen in other areas of...

BLADE RUNNERS.(Gillette co.)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg It is the best of products, it is the worst of products. The most ridiculous new product to come along in quite some time is the new Gillette Fusion five-blade razor that will debut this week. The product...

HOLIDAY TRADITION; VENDORS AT THE WINTER SHOWCASED OLD-FASHION DESIGNS FOR SEASON.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-For most vendors in the textiles business, the winter market is the place where they showcase holiday-themed products that are cheerful and fun. But this market, vendors didn't stray far from products...

GLOWING PAINS; THE LAMP INDUSTRY FACES CHALLENGES AHEAD AS PRICES CONTINUE TO ESCALATE.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Faye Musselman ATLANTA-The lamp category needs to be extremely focused moving forward as manufacturing costs soar, prices stagnate and retail margins erode, according to those in the industry. "Costs have definitely been going...

WESTINGHOUSE LIGHTING CORP. GETS ON TRACK WITH LITESNOW.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard ATLANTA-Westinghouse Lighting Corp. has acquired a majority position in LitesNow, a track lighting company. The deal provides Westinghouse with a line of decorative track lighting systems for its product lineup and...

WORDLY GOODS; THE NEW YORK GIFT FAIR OFFERED UP EXOTIC MATERIALS FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor NEW YORK-In an age when a large majority of the world's goods are made in China, exhibitors at George Little Management's New York International Gift Fair last week showed there is a plethora of design-driven...

PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS SHINE IN THE CITY OF LIGHT.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko PARIS-Tabletop introductions were big, bold and bright at last week's Maison & Objet show here. There was an emphasis on color, design, shape and texture, particularly among French manufacturers. Dinnerware...

HOME STORE COMP SALES HIGHEST IN NEARLY TWO YEARS.(home furnishings industry)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Nathan Weber NEW YORK-Home furnishings retailers saw their sales in stores open for at least a year reach the highest level in almost two years, driven in part by post-holiday-season promotional activity. Among the 25 home...

WINTER WONDERLAND.(antiques exhibition)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine The annual gala opening for the uber-posh Winter Antiques Show at New York's Park Avenue Armory was jammed with wall-to-wall antiques of many periods and styles. Elle Decor's Margaret Russell and her boss, Jack...

WHO'LL BUY HOOVER IF IT'S ON THE BLOCK?
February 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEWTON, Iowa-Floor care mega-brand Hoover may be up for sale, creating speculation over potential buyers. Ralph Hake, Maytag Corp.'s chairman and chief executive officer, said during the company's recent...

HFN HOME PAGE.(Home furnishings stock prices)(Residential construction to begin )
February 13, 2006... A Look Ahead Advance monthly retail sales for January will be released by the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau on Feb. 14. Residential construction data for January, showing building permits, housing starts and completions,...

WAL-MART GOES FOR HOME RUN WITH NEW GROWTH.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau BENTONVILLE, Ark.-Wal-Mart has identified home furnishings as a "category growth driver" that will help the retailer broaden its appeal with the "selective user," said John Menzer, vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores. ...

CONTAINER STORE'S REIFF BREAKS, AND PRESERVES, TRADITION.(Melissa Reiff )
February 13, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard DALLAS-When The Container Store named Melissa Reiff president earlier this year, the company broke from a significant tradition: It named someone to lead the company who wasn't a founder. Yet in picking Reiff for...

JAPANESE CULTURE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT ITALY'S MACEF FAIR.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Sofia Celeste RHO-PERO, Italy-Chopsticks and bento boxes may never make their way onto Italian table settings, but Japanese-inspired products produced by Italian hands made quite an impression recently at Macef, Italy's...

COLOR, TEXTURE, SHAPE DEFINE MAISON & OBJET.(Maison and Objet )
February 13, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko PARIS-The French fiddled with formal tabletop just enough so that the recent Maison & Objet show here was an enticing blend of form and function, geared to the coveted younger consumer. Delicate, metallic-banded...

QUICK TAKES.(Boscov's Department Stores Inc. acquires Federated Department Stores Inc.)(Oriental Weavers of America appoints Mandi Williams)(Robert Allen Group appoints Leslie Beech)
February 13, 2006... RETAIL JAKUP A DUL JACOBSEN, a Danish investor and retailer, has purchased a nearly 10 percent voting share in Pier 1 Imports through a wholly owned holding company and an Iceland-based bank. The move came four months after Jacobsen...

HOME MAGAZINES TURN PAGE, BOOK REVENUE GAINS.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard NEW YORK-Buoyed by double-digit increases in women's services magazines, the home magazine business saw a respectable increase in advertising dollars for 2005, even as ad pages stayed relatively flat. Publishers...

FRENCH DRESSINGS.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine The January edition of Maison & Objet offered a variety of new products for the design lover. The Paris-based show continues to attract some of the most outstanding design talents from both sides of the Atlantic....

ON THE ROAD TO TUPELO: VENDORS FACING CROSSROADS BETWEEN HIGH POINT, VEGAS EVENTS.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Karl Kunkel TUPELO, Miss.-The Tupelo Furniture Market, which runs here from Feb. 22 to 25, has maintained its footing as a strong regional show for upholstery and popularly priced home furnishings. But the Las Vegas Market has been...

THE WORLD WIDE WEAVE.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg With the completion of the merger of Springs Industries and Brazil-based Coteminas, coming on top of the takeover of Dan River by the Indian textiles company Gujurat Heavy Chemicals, the American home textiles...

MARKET IMPROVEMENTS.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Textiles vendors faced significant challenges in preparing for last week's winter market. Showrooms were stocked with new and interesting products, but they were also littered with project boards and...

SPRINGS GLOBAL SHIFTS FOCUS TO WORLDLY PURSUITS.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg FORT MILL, S.C.-Now that its official name is Springs Global US, the textiles company will try and make certain the "global" part is accurate. Following last month's completion of Springs Industries' merger...

LOVING LAS VEGAS.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Quail LAS VEGAS-Rug vendors are already feeling at home at the work-in-progress that is the World Market Center. Executives said the venue here has proven a strong one for such a design-driven business and a profitable...

VENDORS HIT THE FLOOR SELLING AT N.Y. GIFT SHOW.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-The New York International Gift Fair is growing in importance to vendors showing floor coverings. Vendors reported that the five-day fair was busy with both appointments and walk-ins, and a lengthy list...

THE VEGAS IDEA; BEDDING MANUFACTURERS ARE WARMING UP TO SIN CITY'S MOVE INTO THE NATIONAL ARENA.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Karl Kunkel LAS VEGAS-The Las Vegas Market is shaping up to be much more than the regional market that many industry watchers had predicted, and those in the bedding and futon arena were pleased with the range of buyers who visited...

LATEST INTRODUCTIONS IN LIGHTING, ACCESSORIES ENTER TRANSITIONAL PHASE.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Faye Musselman LAS VEGAS-Introductions in lighting and home accessories at the winter edition of the Las Vegas Market reflected a feeling of transition in style, color and design. "We're seeing people trying to get away from...

THE LATEST CREATION FROM THE CULINARY INSTITUTE.(Culinary Institute of America)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan BUFFALO, N.Y.-Any home cook who's dreamed of attending the venerable Culinary Institute of America can now at least cook like a master chef with a product line under the school's name. Manufactured by...

COMPANIES GAIN KUDOS FOR DESIGN EFFORTS.(Housewares Design Awards )(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan NEW YORK-Companies in the industry were honored for outstanding design at the third annual Housewares Design Awards luncheon here. Awards were given for 13 categories, selected from 65 finalists that...

BUILT TO LAST: TOTE GETS TRADEMARKED.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... Built NY Inc., which makes neoprene bottle totes, lunch bags and baby products, has received a registered trademark on its signature Two-Bottle Tote product. The trademark covers both the design and configuration. Other well-known products that...

KEYBANC ANALYST: MALL REITS TO HOLD LEAD ON STRONG DEMAND.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Despite the move off the mall among major home furnishings retailers like Sears, an imbalanced mall real estate supply/demand dynamic should bolster mall real estate investment trust performance this year....

STERLING IDENTIFIES REASONS FOR DIP IN FACTORING INCOME.(Sterling Factors Corp.)
February 13, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Sterling Bancorp's factoring business, Sterling Factors Corp., recently suffered double-digit income declines for the most recent quarter and the past year, due partly to pricing pressures and eroding...

FLOWER POWER.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine New York's Rainbow Room was the setting for the 19th annual New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner, co-sponsored by House & Garden. Jet-setting designers of all stripes, from the four corners of the globe, turned...

SPECIAL DELIVERY.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2006... ATLANTA-The energy and enthusiasm of vendors at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market last month burned bright, but the colors that dominated their new collections and additions were soft and subtle. The dominance of the deep reds,...

HEATH CERAMICS LAUNCHES ONLINE REGISTRY.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor NEW YORK-Sausalito, Calif.-based Heath Ceramics' new online gift registry went live last month, allowing visitors to its Web site to register for its tableware and accessories, and giving the manufacturer the...

AMBIENTE AFTER DARK.(41 Madison and George Little Management Inc. organized a cocktail party)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine The annual Ambiente cocktail party in Frankfurt, hosted by 41 Madison and George Little Management, was the place to be for many of the home industry's biggest names. Held at the Hessischer Hof Hotel across from...

FRANKFURT FANCY.(International Home & Housewares Show)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor 0Frankfurt, Germany-After a busy first day of the show, buyers and exhibitors at Ambiente took a few hours to socialize with their peers at the International Housewares Show's annual reception, discussing the...

SNAPWARE TRIES TO WRAP UP GIFTWARE STORAGE CATEGORY WITH NEW OFFERINGS.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard MIRA LOMA, Calif.-Snapware is aggressively pursuing the holiday and craft storage segment with several new products designed to target what company executives say is one of the fastest-growing markets in the...

TARGET LOGS Q4 GAINS, BUT HOME NOT 'ON TRACK'.(company's marketing plans for home furnishings)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau MINNEAPOLIS-Although Target posted sales and earnings gains for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, the cheap-chic discounter is working on "getting our home business back on track," Gregg Steinhafel, president of the...

HERE COMES THE SUN.
February 20, 2006... Summer product selling season is right around the corner, so check out HFN's guide to what's hot for hot times Caption(s): Vornado's new Zippi fan is the company's first to come in an assortment of colors.

THE SMOKE CLEARS ON NEW MATTRESS FIRE STANDARD.(Consumer Product Safety Commission issued federal open-flame flammability standard)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Cheminne Taylor-Smith HIGH POINT, N.C.-It's the start of a new chapter for the mattress industry as finally, after more than five years of intense work by industry, government and fire safety groups, the U.S. Consumer Product...

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE SHEDS LIGHT ON HIDDEN CREDIT CARD CHARGES.(which is effecting retail trade)
February 20, 2006... Byline: House Subcommittee Sheds Light on Hidden Credit Card Charges WASHINGTON-The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection weighed in on interchange fees-hidden credit card checkout...

J.C. PENNEY'S LONG RANGE PLAN PAYS OFF IN 4TH-QUARTER BOTTOM-LINE INCREASE.(J.C. Penney Corporation Inc.)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick PLANO, Texas-J.C. Penney Co. Inc.'s profit skyrocketed for the recent quarter more than 65 percent, which the retailer attributed in part to the success of its "Long Range" growth plan. The department store...

AXELROD READY TO MOVE ON TO OTHER THINGS.(Bob DiNicola replaces Norman Axelrod at Linens 'n Things Inc.)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg CLIFTON, N.J.-The Norman Conquests are over for now. Norman Axelrod, department store whiz kid turned Linens 'n Things legend, said goodbye last week to the company he created, at least partially in his own...

HFN HOMEPAGE.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau A Look Ahead Kohl's Corp. will report fourth-quarter sales and earnings on Feb. 23. BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. will report fourth-quarter sales and earnings on Feb. 28. Consumer confidence statistics for...

LIVING IN THE MOMENT.(Design for Living to market its first product line, Stixx Suctionware)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Jessica Goldbogen Harlan NEW YORK-Sometimes all it takes is a good idea. If you happen to have decades of industry experience under your belt, that helps, too. The founders of Design for Living, a new kitchenware company, hope...

AMBIENTE'S HOUSEWARES FOCUS PAYS OFF.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor FRANKFURT, Germany-If last week's show was any indication, Messe Frankfurt's Ambiente is staking out a claim to be the European housewares show. The fair began focusing on housewares three years ago....

ALL ABOUT AMBIENTE.(The Ambiente home show)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Michael D. Devine The Ambiente home show in Frankfurt, Germany, billed as "The World's Choice," did not disappoint. Held at Messe Frankfurt, this year's designers went back to colors for their inspiration. A rainbow of strong,...

CEILING FANS, LIGHT FIXTURES GET UPGRADE FOR OUTDOORS.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard ATLANTA-Outdoor ceiling fans and light fixtures are taking a turn for the better, as vendors and retailers look to upgrade styles to meet the continuing consumer trend of decorating outdoor spaces. "It's one of...

HOME DECOR SALES REPS EXCITED AT PROSPECTS.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Nathan Weber NEW YORK-The future looks rosy for salespeople representing home decor manufacturers.They are overwhelmingly positive about their market performance within the next six months, even more so than for today's market. And...

1-800-MATTRESS DIALS UP PARTNERSHIP WITH L.A. FIRM.(Mattress Gallery)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Karl Kunkel LOS ANGELES-Mattress Gallery, a 57-store retail bedding chain in Southern California, has become the newest franchisee of the New York-based 1-800-Mattress organization. James Ristas, president of the Los...

DALLAS MARKET CENTER SEES EFFORTS PAY OFF.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... DALLAS-The changes the Dallas Market Center has instituted have started to pay off. The DMC reported a 5 percent increase in attendance at the January Super Market, which was held Jan. 18 to 25. The increases in attendance came from almost all...

CHRISTOFLE'S CLOSING THE GENERATION GAP.(Christofle Silver Inc.)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko PARIS-Christofle is out to prove that it is not your grandmother's silver company. Of course, if your grandmother still loves and uses her Christofle flatware, that is just fine, but the company would like her...

FISHS EDDY TESTS NEW WATERS AT GRACIOUS HOME.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-New York City-based Fishs Eddy is taking its quirky, general-store style of retailing to another New York institution, Gracious Home, when its new shop-in-shop concept makes its debut at the specialty...

ENTERTAINING AMBIENTE.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor Frankfurt, Germany-George Little Management and 41 Madison Ave. gave Ambiente attendees from the gift and tabletop sectors a chance to let their hair down during their annual reception at the Hessischer Hof....

QUICK TAKES.(Boscov's Department Stores hires John Young)(Wal-Mart's new ad campaign)(J.C.Penney Co. opens a new store)
February 20, 2006... RETAIL Boscov's has named John Young general merchandise manager of home. He succeeds Bart Litvin, who left the department store in the fall. A 17-year Boscov's veteran, Young was most recently divisional merchandise manager of furniture,...