HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from June 2009

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from June 2009

KitchenAid at 90.(in home)
June 1, 2009... EVEN AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 90, THE KITCHENAID stand mixer remains the standard for this product category in the U.S. market. The company marked the occasion during the International Home & Housewares Show with a new version of the product...

Small is good.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... Hello Warren, I am a big fan of your column, but I want to add a point to your April 20th comments. Why does it have to be a big retailer or "big box" for the next great thing? Maybe these formats aren't working because the smaller...

Worth the fuss?(letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... Hi Warren, Your editorial "O for 3" [April 20 issue] caught my eye, and I would like to give you another perspective from a vendor's point of view. I believe that the reason all three retail formats were not a great success is because...

Home milanese.(trends)
June 1, 2009... Mirko Ginepro The Italian designer Mirko Ginepro who created the iTable last year, inspired by the iPod, is back with more pop-culture-tribute furniture, including this DVD bookshelf, which is paired with a wall lamp which he says is his...

Oggi.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 1, 2009... OGGI'S 4-PIECE Ribbed Square Glass Canister Set features stainless screw-top lids. The set is available in green (shown), clear and amber. "Our new canisters cover an exciting gamut of materials perfectly suited for today's home decor, taste...

Typhoon plus.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TYPHOON PLUS HAS EXPANDED its popular KLIP IT line of BPA-free plastic storage. The company is launching many new shapes and sizes including a new line designed specifically for the home baker. The baking line...

Freshvac.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 1, 2009... FRESHVAC SAID IT'S GETTING BACK TO BASICS with its PRE line, which was introduced at the Housewares Show in March. PRE is to PREserve food and PREmium food storage, according to the company. The line features the patented Freshvac lid and...

Snapware.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BASED ON ITS FLIP-TOP LID CONCEPT, Snapware has launched a Pantry Series of airtight containers. The modular stacking system has also been designed with space savings in mind. The 10-SKU line is designed around three...

Ronco moves forward.(housewares)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OFFICIALS AT RONCO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THEIR BASES covered. By constantly adding to their product assortment and backing the line with strong advertising support, they said that the 50-year-old New...

Slow cookers in the fast lane: the slow-cooker category has experienced growth thanks to their convenience, versatility and functionality.(housewares)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HARD TIMES FOR THE ECONOMY SEEMS TO HAVE MADE IT A GOOD TIME TO BE IN THE SLOW-COOKER business. The slow cooker has joined the roster of housewares items that are benefiting from the recession. As insiders have...

Products reinvented.(opinions)
June 1, 2009... Retailers and consumer-products manufacturers are constantly monitoring buyer behavior in their never-ending quest to be the first to market with the next big thing. Although this practice has been the way of the retailing world since the very...

Tai Ping waxes poetic with Haiku collection.(floor covering)
June 1, 2009... THE DECORATIVE ARTS TRADITION OF JAPAN is the inspiration behind Haiku, the latest collection from Tai Ping Carpets. Divided into the four seasons, the designs include embroidered kimonos and flowers for springtime, the centuries-old method of...

HFN 2009 Award of Excellence: and the winners are....(furniture & lighting)
June 1, 2009... ELEVEN MILLION SQUARE FEET IS A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER AND it's a pretty safe bet that nobody who goes to the High Point Market sees the entire show and gets to view every product introduction. In fact, if you see 5 percent of the market...

Lalique, Haviland form operational partnership for U.S.(in home)(Lalique North America Inc.)(Haviland and Company Inc.)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LALIQUE AND HAVILAND HAVE created a partnership in the United States that will combine the operational aspects of their businesses in this country. The partnership brings together the sales and marketing...

Cuisinart, Keurig partner on single-serve coffeemakers.(in home)
June 15, 2009... CONAIR CORR, PARENT COMPANY OF CUISINART, and Keurig have formed a licensing and distribution agreement whereby Conair will develop, market and sell single-cup coffeemakers co-branded under the Cuisinart and Keurig names. The coffeemakers...

Target offers Dror Benshetrit-designed home collection.(in home)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... TARGET IS MERCHANDISING AN EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED-edition collection of home textiles designed by Dror Benshetrit. Labeled Dror for Target, the collection includes comforters, quilts, sheets and tapestries in patterns that enable mixing and...

Top 50: the big, the bad & the ugly.(in home)
June 15, 2009... THE YEAR 2008 WASN'T THE END OF THE WORLD for most suppliers of home furnishings products... but you could see it from there. Like virtually every other consumer product classification, home furnishings took some pretty huge hits in 2008,...

Gift for Life adds eight members.(in home)
June 15, 2009... GIFT FOR LIFE, THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FOR THE GIFT, STATIONERY and home decor industries, has added eight members to its board, for a total of 29. They include Peter Crover, vice president, sales, ROMA Home Decor, a manufacturer of...

Braley joins Browne as COO.(in home)
June 15, 2009... HOUSEWARES COMPANY BROWNE & Co. has appointed Peter Braley as chief operating officer of the company's retail division. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new position will unify the development of its retail business including Cuisipro,...

Tivoli ... Italian style.(in home)
June 15, 2009... Tivoli Audio, the Boston-based company that made the lowly table radio an object of high design, not to mention high tech, has taken its line to the next evolutionary step. Teaming up with famed Italian furniture company Cappellini, it has...

Hall new aspenhome EVP.(in home)(executive vice president, Jena Hall)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... JENA HALL, WHO HELPED PUT ASPENHOME ON THE FURNITURE MAP, HAS been promoted to the newly created post of executive vice president of merchandising and design for bedroom, dining and occasional furniture. She had previously been vice...

Herb Raab dies.(in home)
June 15, 2009... HERB RAAB, THE LONG-TIME VETERAN OF HOME FURNISHINGS retailing, passed away last month. Raab, who was 83, died following a stroke. A long-time executive with Macy's New York, Raab eventually headed up the home area for the department...

WestPoint to offer Izod collection.(in home)
June 15, 2009... WESTPOINT HOME HAS BEEN LICENSED BY PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN to produce a collection of textiles under the Izod brand. The collection will encompass sheets, bedding, bath towels and accessories, blankets and throws, down comforters, pillows and...

Correction.(in home)(Correction notice)
June 15, 2009... In the June 1 issue of HFN, a picture of the California Market Center was incorrectly used to show where the newly combined Los Angeles Gift Show will be held. It will be held at the LA Mart and at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Modern living.(trends)(International Contemporary Furniture Fair)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, held in New York last month, is the only trade show in the home business defined by design rather than product category. And so, what began as a furniture show has...

The accidental retailer.(HOME ALONE 2)
June 15, 2009... In all of the clamor about Walmart versus Target and Macy's reorganizations and the top end of retailing in some serious meltdowns, there seems to be very little discussion about the forgotten twins of retailing: Sears and Kmart. That's at...

Leaving on a jet plane.(trade show preview)
June 15, 2009... Vendors and retailers are making their trade show plans for the second half of 2009. This year, they're faced with even more choices than usual as some shows have rescheduled. Happy trails to all. HOUSEWARES The Atlanta International...

Time for a bottle: consumer thirst for reusable water bottles has created an explosion in the category.(housewares)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT USED TO BE RELEGATED TO SPORTS STORES AND FITNESS FANATICS, REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES are now found everywhere and used by everyone. Consumers' concerns to hydrate themselves as well as cut back on throwaway...

Consumer feedback a must in product development.(opinions)
June 15, 2009... Most executives in the housewares industry would agree that one of the most important critical success factors is new products: the development and introduction of a steady stream of new and/or improved products and line extensions. ...

Gadgets target kids.(housewares)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KIDS ARE BECOMING AS SOPHISTICATED ABOUT FOOD AS THEIR parents, and for those young ones who want to translate those skills to the kitchen, now they have plenty of products from which to choose. Cooking tools for...

Kalorik.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... THE 15-BAR ESPRESSO MAKER PICTURED HERE IS PART OF THE COMPANY'S AQUA COLLECTION, which Kalorik formally launched in April. The line also includes a four-blade blender, a 10-cup coffeemaker and a two-slice toaster. The espresso maker is...

Toastess.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)(Toastess International)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MONTREAL-BASED VENDOR IS OUT TO PROVE THAT IT ISN'T just a manufacturer of toasters. For years, Toastess has been presenting itself as an all-around producer of a variety of small appliances for the kitchen,...

Jura-Capresso.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN PRODUCING ITS BURR GRINDERS, coffeemakers and automatic coffee centers, the company has always stressed how these products enhance "the bean-to-cup experience." One example of this is the Capresso Infinity Conical...

Cuisinart.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... FLAVORBREW IS A PATENTED BRAND NOW SPORTING TWO COFFEEMAKERS--A 10-CUP MODEL and 12-cup version (pictured here). Combined with another new coffeemaker, the Brew Central 14-cup model, Cuisinart is providing consumers the chance to save money and...

Keurig.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE COMPANY'S MOST RECENT INTRODUCTION IN COFFEEMAKIERS is the Keurig Platinum Brewing System. It has positioned this unit as a premium model offering a wide range of five cup sizes--4 ounces, 6 ounces, 8 ounces, 10...

The great outdoors: the growth of outdoor rooms has proven to be a stimulus to the decorative-pillow industry.(textiles)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HAVING ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN IMPORTANT ACCESSORY IN interior decor, the decorative pillow is also increasing its presence in the outdoors. Pillow vendors interviewed by HFN said retailers of outdoor...

Kravet.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)(Kravet Fabrics Inc.)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... THE FOURTH-GENERATION FABRIC MANUFACTURER is the latest among the licensees for designer/TV host Candice Olson, and has introduced a collection for upholstery, window treatments and decorative pillows. The initial launch is a four-book...

Frette.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LUXURY-LINENS MANUFACTURER/RETAILER has introduced what it calls "a side of Frette you haven't met"--the Edmond collection, a grouping of mix-and-match, open-stock bedding. Priced to retail at $450 for a bed set,...

Lacoste Home.(hfnew: PRODUCT ROUNDUP)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE HOME COLLECTION FROM THE CELEBRATED APPAREL HOUSE will debut seven designs in its Casual Bedding and Club Bedding assortments this fall. One of the ensembles in the Club grouping is Levanter (pictured here), a...

More for the door: door mats are steady in good times and bad.(floor covering)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH MORE ATTENTION TURNED TO OUTDOOR living, the door-mat category has benefited as consumers want stylish mats that fit with their decor indoors and out. No other category performs double duty at the door as...

Surya.(hfnew: floor covering)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... THE NEW SMITHSONIAN LINE is the result of Surya's recent collaboration with the prestigious Smithsonian Institution. Comprised of 12 handtufted rugs made in India of 100 percent New Zealand wool, each piece was inspired by artifacts found...

Foreign Accents.(hfnew: floor covering)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ONE OF FOUR RECENTLY ADDED collections, the new Martini collection from Foreign Accents is constructed in the company's signature Favriel yarn combined with a variety of other quality fibers--some of which sparkle to...

Emma gardner design.(hfnew: floor covering)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... KNOWN FOR ITS BOLD color line, emma gardner design will now offer neutral shades in all of its rug designs in a new palette called Whisper, which was introduced at the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. "It was a...

Weathering the storm.(opinions)
June 15, 2009... This past Memorial Day weekend brought to mind the current state of the rug industry. The weather did not cooperate and spoiled plans for people around the country. Unfortunately none of us can control the weather, but we can choose to make the...

Under the lights: lighting manufacturers diversify with new categories.(furniture & lighting: totally dallas)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRANCHING INTO NEW CATEGORIES and expanding energy efficiency offerings will be among the priorities at this month's Dallas International Lighting Market, as manufacturers continue to battle the economy and look to...

Emess enters new era: lighting company fetes 60th birthday with revamped Chinese showroom.(furniture & lighting)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY, Emess Design Group is ushering in its next growth phase with the launch of a fully remodeled showroom in Humen, China. The revamp of the 5,500-square-foot showroom marks...

Bernhardt: the next generation.(furniture & lighting)
June 15, 2009... THE TORCH HAS BEEN PASSED TO the next generation at one of the furniture industry's last remaining family owned and operated powerhouses. Bernhardt Furniture Co. recently announced it was creating a chairman's committee of the board while...

Through a glass clearly: vendors see the benefits of clear glass storage.(tabletop)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LAST NIGHT'S LEFTOVERS are looking a lot more desirable to tabletop manufacturers lately as the glass food storage business heats up. Glass makers who have been in the business for decades, as well as those who...

Still burning brightly after 100 years: Colonial Candle celebrates an anniversary milestone with a limited-edition candle and special pricing.(tabletop)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE BUSINESS OF MAKING CANDLES HAS CHANGED A LOT over the past century, but some things have remained the same, including the importance of a brand name and a commitment to quality. Colonial Candle, which...

ART makes a splash.(HFend)(Accessories Resource Team)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Business mixed with pleasure at the recent annual conference held by the Accessories Resource Team, the association for the decorative accessories industry. Attendees were divided into three groups--green, blue and...

Connecting at Material ConneXion.(HFend item)(Brief article)
June 15, 2009... More than 320 people helped materials library Material ConneXion celebrate its new 12,000-square-foot space at 60 Madison Avenue during last month's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. Attendees included designers Piero...