HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from November 2003

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from November 2003

APPLICA TAKING GAMBLE PROCTER DEAL PAYS OFF.(Procter and Gamble products)
November 3, 2003... MIAMI LAKES, Fla.-Applica Inc. announced last Thursday it is developing at least two products that will bear Procter & Gamble-branded labels, but the news coincided with a third-quarter report described by one analyst as "just about the worst...

THE BIG CHILEWICH.(home furnishing materials)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE THE LATEST fast-food offering, but Chilewich, led by co-owner Sandy Chilewich, is a small home furnishings company that is tasting success these days. Its secret? Woven vinyl. And if the ingredients don't sound like a...

EBAY'S SETTING ITS SITES ON NEW HOME PRODUCTS.
November 3, 2003... SAN JOSE, Calif.-There was a new player working the recent High Point, N.C., furniture and New York tabletop markets: eBay was on the prowl, hoping to lure manufacturers and retailers to set up shop on its Web site. The site already sells...

NEWS BRIEFS: SONY CUTS JOBS, PHASES OUT TUBE TVS...TROPITONE'S VENEMAN UNIT ON BLOCK...J.C. PENNEY TO SELL MEXICO STORES.
November 3, 2003... Sony Cuts Jobs, Phases Out Tube TVs Marking a significant change in the television segment, Sony said it was ending production of cathode ray tube TVs in Japan while pouring more effort into flat-panel technologies. The initiative is part...

FURNITURE BRANDS STEPS UP SINGLE-BRAND STORE ROLLOUTS.
November 3, 2003... ST. LOUIS-Furniture Brands International has made no secret about ramping up its single-brand store programs, and now the conglomerate is putting its money where its strategy is. Furniture Brands, the industry's largest vendor company, will...

SPROUSEY KNOLL.(Knoll furniture customized by designer Stephen Sprouse)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Internet retailer eBay recently featured a range of Knoll furniture that was customized by designer Stephen Sprouse in an auction that benefits the Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS, in honor of the charity's 20th anniversary. He marked...

CALIFORNIA FIRES STIR UP DEMAND FOR AIR PURIFIERS.
November 3, 2003... SAN DIEGO-Any disaster creates unusual demand for specialty products. In Southern California, the widespread fires have everyone in the distribution chain scrambling for air cleaners. To cope with smoke and ash everywhere, consumers want...

GUIDRY PITCHES IN RELIEF AGAIN AT SEVENTH CHARITY GOLF OUTING.(Ron Guidry and Friends Celebrity Golf Outing, Lafayette, Louisiana)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... LAFAYETTE, La.-Baseball celebrities turned out in droves for Cajun cooking and golfing to benefit children's charities last week at the seventh annual Ron Guidry & Friends Celebrity Golf Outing here, the hometown of the former New York Yankees...

SUNBEAM, OSTER NAMES LICENSED FOR COOKWARE.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... BOCA RATON, Fla.-The Sunbeam and Oster brand divisions of Sunbeam Products Inc. have entered into a licensing agreement with Continuum Sales and Marketing Corp. for a range of products, including cookware. The deal marks the first time the...

WITHIT WOWS 'EM: GROUP NAMES 2003 HONOREES.(Women in the Home Furnishings Industries Today)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Women in the Home Furnishings Industries Today named five home furnishings professionals as winners of the 2003 WithIt's Outstanding Women, or WOW, awards at the October International Home Furnishings Market here. Special...

CORRECTION.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
November 3, 2003... HFN's Brand Survey in the Oct. 6 issue incorrectly identified Kmart as the parent company for the Joe Boxer brand. The brand is owned by Windsong Allegiance Group, a Westport, Conn.-based company. Kmart licenses Joe Boxer in the United States.

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
November 3, 2003... november 8-11 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York (914) 421-3346 ihmrs.com 11-13 SHOPA Show Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta (800) 854-7467 ...

HALL OF NAMES.(tabletop product lines)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Designer and licensed lines, from both the very well known to the not so famous, were the buzz in many of the showrooms at last week's tabletop market here. But not all the talk was about designers. A mini revolution was afoot as casual trumped...

RED-HOT CHILEWICH; A SMALL NEW YORK HOME FURNISHINGS COMPANY IS EARNING KUDOS FOR ITS INNOVATIVE USE OF WOVEN VINYL.(Company Profile)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Nobody told Sandy Chilewich that there are no new ideas under the sun. Chilewich and her husband, Joe Sultan, co-owners of Chilewich, a small home furnishings manufacturer, are earning a reputation among retailers for innovative and...

THE CULT OF PERSONALITY.(Column)
November 3, 2003... I thought Sept. 11, 2001, marked the death of the celebrity. No longer would we wonder about the daring depths of Britney's dungarees. We'd wean ourselves from Wacko Jacko. To hell with the Hilton sisters. Our thoughts would be consumed...

A STITCH IN TIME...(financier Wilbur Ross and acquisitions Burlington Industries and Cone Mills)
November 3, 2003... OK, Wilbur, you've got Burlington and Cone Mills now. Whatever in the world are you going to do now? Somewhere around the time you are reading this, financier and all-around takeover guy Wilbur Ross will officially get the keys to the...

LOOSENING THE PURSE STRINGS; KATE SPADE VENTURES FURTHER INTO THE HOME WITH A FETCHING LINE OF BEDDING PRODUCTS.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Kate Spade is perfectly at ease with linear and circular designs on her bed. Make that 13 fully made-up beds, as the designer introduced her home collection in the showroom of licensee Springs Industries last week. The assortment...

INTERNATIONAL HOTEL SHOW WILL FIND BUYERS LOOKING TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE BEST LINENS.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Spending a night out of town is a vastly different experience than it used to be, thanks to hotels that continue to focus on upgrading the quality, style and comfort of their bedding. That trend will be in evidence this weekend...

STYLE CHECKS IN; HOTELS ARE MAKING BOLD STATEMENTS WITH CARPETING AND RUGS FEATURING VIVID DESIGNS.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Hotels are not playing it safe when it comes to soft flooring. Rather, they are opting for vivid palettes, distinctive motifs and plenty of texture to set the theme in public spaces. Couristan, Tufenkian, Milliken and Shaw are...

SURFACES TO HOST TOWN HALL MEETING ADDRESSING INDUSTRY CONCERNS.(Surfaces 2004, flooring)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... DALLAS-Organizers of Surfaces 2004 plan to hold a town hall-style meeting at the flooring trade show. Attendees of the show, which will be Jan. 28 to 30 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, will be asked to submit questions...

DESIGNER CAVALLI BRINGS FASHION AND LUXURY TO NEW RUG COLLECTION.(Roberto Cavalli)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Roberto Cavalli was not able to make it to the debut of his first rug collection, but his hand-knotted rugs with wild animal prints, giant florals and luxurious patchwork designs were there and they seemed ready, if not calling out for...

DILMAGHANI GOES PORTABLE WITH ITS NEW DISPLAY SYSTEM.(RugEasel rug display system)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... SCARSDALE, N.Y.-Dilmaghani has developed a new portable rug display system called The RugEasel. The two-sided display was created for spaces that can't accommodate racks and where rugs cannot be fastened to the walls, such as hotels, where...

BUILDING PLANS; RTA SUPPLIERS AT THE HIGH POINT MARKET BROUGHT NEW STRATEGIES TO THE FOREFRONT.(ready-to-assemble furniture)
November 3, 2003... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Ready-to-assemble manufacturers have had their thinking caps on, and the results really showed at the International Home Furnishings Market here. Manufacturers gave their packaging engineers the green light to create...

WORK ON WORLD MARKET CENTER IN LAS VEGAS COULD START SOON.(Las Vegas, Nevada)
November 3, 2003... LAS VEGAS-The World Market Center here moved ahead with the building permit application process, which is expected to result in approval to begin construction, according to the developers. "A series of permits will be filed that will allow...

POST OFFICE PUTS ITS OWN STAMP ON ARTWORK THROUGH LICENSING.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Artwork comes in all shapes and sizes, even postage-stamp size. Recognizing the potential for postage-stamp images to be framed as wall art, the U.S. Postal Service has licensed the use of its wholly owned images to ArtSelect...

ROBERT ABBEY SET TO INTRODUCE DAVID EASTON LIGHTING COLLECTION.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Under a new licensing agreement, Robert Abbey Inc. is manufacturing high-quality lighting designed by acclaimed American architect and interior designer David Easton. To coincide with Easton's furniture collection at...

CRAFTMADE PROFITS RISE IN Q1; HUMPHREY TO RETIRE FROM TSI.(first quarter, Trade Source International president Neall Humphrey)
November 3, 2003... COPPELL, Texas-Ceiling fan and lighting manufacturer Craftmade International reported increased profit on a slight decline in sales for its fiscal 2004 first quarter ended Sept. 30, and said it will close its California office in conjunction...

PARTY PEOPLE; THE TABLETOP INDUSTRY SHOWED ITS FUN SIDE AT MARKET EVENTS.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-It almost looked like Fashion Week at the tabletop market here last week, as the ready-to-wear designers came out to celebrate their newest home additions. And then there were the usual plethora of industry parties. Whether it was to...

COLORFUL LOOKS, NEW DIRECTIONS GIVE TABLETOP MARKET A BOOST.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-The 2003 edition of the fall tabletop market here was marked by ambition and reinvention. Seeds of determination planted at last spring's market bloomed this fall as leading brands reached beyond their core business, while smaller...

HEALTHY OPPORTUNITIES; THE WELLNESS CATEGORY HAS GROWN BEYOND PRODUCTS THAT MONITOR EXISTING CONCERNS.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Monitoring health in the home used to bring forth images of aging granddads checking their blood pressure and sugar levels every day, but those days are fading away. It's no longer a category that simply monitors one's health, but one...

IHA GIVES PREVIEW OF PREVIEW TO RESCHEDULED HOUSEWARES SHOW.(International Housewares Association)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Despite a later date for the year's big housewares event, vendors were anxious to talk about their latest products at The Rainbow Room during the International Housewares Association's annual show preview event here late last month....

POLL: RESEARCH PLAYS BIG ROLE IN HOME-ENVIRONMENT SALES.(home environment products)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Research matters. At least it does when one is shopping for home-environment products, from air cleaners to heaters. In HFN's latest poll of 300 online consumers, two-thirds said they found that the product research they had done...

GETTING THE POINT: CONSUMERS GIVE KNIFE SHARPENERS A BOOST.
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Flummoxed by the steels that come with their fancy knife sets, consumers are turning to manual knife sharpeners to get the job done. That move has helped the sharpener market grow, according to manufacturers, who say the increase...

KMART AT THE TOP IN Q3 HOUSEWARES AD PLACEMENT.(third quarter )
November 3, 2003... NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.-Kmart led retailers in placing housewares ads in newspapers during the third quarter, as measured in column inches. An ongoing survey conducted by the Beyen Corp. found that the mass merchant accounted for 20.5 percent...

SHORT WAVES.(miscellaneous brief articles)
November 3, 2003... SONY CORP. SAID IT WAS CUTTING 20,000 jobs out of its total work force over the next three years. The move is part of the electronics giant's turnaround strategy, which centers on integrating its various businesses. About 7,000 of the jobs will...

COMBO DEALS; TV/VCRS AND TV/VCR/DVD PLAYERS CONTINUE TO HAVE MASS APPEAL EVEN AS THE SEGMENT SHIFTS.(video cassette recorders, digital video disks)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-The combination TV/VCR and TV/VCR/DVD player segment is caught up in a whirlwind of change. While sales of the former decline and are estimated to continue to do so, sales of the latter are on the rise. Meanwhile, average price...

NARDA APPOINTS NEW OFFICERS.(North American Retail Dealers Association)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... LOMBARD, Ill.-Michael Corder, owner of Hod's Home Theater in Waterford, Mich., has been elected chairman of the North American Retail Dealers Association. Mike Fischer of Nielsen's in Spencer, Iowa, became NARDA's immediate past chairman,...

DISTRIBUTION GROUP: INDEPENDENTS PLAY VITAL ROLE IN THE MARKETPLACE.(Independent Distributor Association)
November 3, 2003... LAS VEGAS-Here's an industry perspective from the executive director of the Independent Distributor Association: The big boxes are getting more powerful. They are doing well with the low end and some medium-priced major appliances and...

WHIRLPOOL'S SALES SHOW STRENGTH IN Q3.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... BENTON HARBOR, Mich.- Whirlpool North America outpaced industry growth in the third quarter ending Sept. 30 as sales increased 12.1 percent to $2.03 billion. A corporate statement cited "significant growth in unit shipments and revenue" because...

BEST BUY VS. CIRCUIT CITY.(product price comparisons)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... ON THE COVER Best Buy: Sharp Aquos 37-inch LCD flat-panel TV, model LC37HV4U, $5,999,99 Circuit City: Sony Grand Wega 42-inch widescreen TV, model KF42WE610, $2,799.99 TV Best Buy: Mitsubishi Electric 55-inch high-definition...

WHITE GOODS UP, VACS DOWN FOR ELECTROLUX UNIT.(North American operations of AB Electrolux)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... STOCKHOLM, Sweden-AB Electrolux's North American major appliances continued "strong growth" as floor care remained "substantially" down in the third quarter ending Sept 30. Electrolux Home Products North America (previously Frigidaire) recorded...

EQUITY ANALYST: BEST BUY GOING 'UPSCALE' FOR THE HOLIDAYS.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-Matthew Fassler, equity analyst for Goldman Sachs, said in his research note last week that after visiting Best Buy stores, which included a trip to the company's "consumer-centric" test store, the retailer is "moving increasingly...

RADIOSHACK'S THIRD-QUARTER NET RISES, BUT NOT EVERYONE'S BULLISH ON THE RESULTS.(Company Profile)
November 3, 2003... FORT WORTH, Texas-RadioShack's third-quarter results were something to crow about. The specialty consumer electronics retailer posted comparable-store sales that rose 3 percent as total sales grew 2 percent. And citing better execution and...

CIT'S ASSETS SWELL AS NET GROWS IN Q3.(CIT Group, third quarter)(Company Profile)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-CIT Group last week said its total financing and leasing portfolio grew to $39.2 billion by the close of the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with $36.4 billion in the year-ago period. Net income for the quarter rose 8 percent to...

REPORT: DEEP DROP-OFF IN MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS DURING THIRD QUARTER.(home furnishings industry)(Industry Overview)
November 3, 2003... NEW YORK-According to a statistical analysis from Factset Mergerstat LLC, the merger and acquisition activity in the home goods industry has sharply fallen during the third quarter. And not only has the number of deals declined during that...

NEWELL RUBBERMAID'S SALES, PROFITS DECLINE IN THIRD QUARTER.(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... ATLANTA-Newell Rubbermaid's sales and earnings fell slightly in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The earnings decline matched the company's prior guidance. Net income dropped 1.3 percent to $75.2 million, or 27 cents per share, from $76.2...

THE STARS COME OUT.(National Design Awards, New York, New York)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... The most prestigious event of the design industry -- the National Design Awards at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum -- also brought out the most prestigious gathering of design industry members on Oct. 22 in New York. But they were...

A MILESTONE FOR MEMMI.(French furnishings' Catherine Memmi)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... French furnishings diva Catherine Memmi -- celebrated for her neo-minimalism look -- marked the 10-year anniversary of her brand with a party at her new SoHo store in New York last week and the introduction of her Milestone Furniture Collection...

ANTI-DUMPING PETITION FUELS CHINA TRADE WAR.(furniture industry)
November 10, 2003... WASHINGTON-The anti-dumping petition filed by U.S. furniture producers is gaining momentum here in the midst of an intensifying trade war with China. With jobs a hot-button issue in the coming election year, the plight of the furniture...

ELECTROLUX VACS ARE BACK IN THE U.S.A. IN A BIG WAY.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-It took 35 years, but the world's largest vac maker once again has put the Electrolux brand on products in North America. "This is the launch of Electrolux as a premier brand in North America, a whole-home brand," said Dan...

10 WIRED FOR THE FUTURE.
November 10, 2003... Converging technologies are enabling consumer electronics manufacturers to connect the average home like never before. This week HFN takes an in-depth look at 10 products that will revolutionize the household in the next decade. See page 8.

NON-PROFIT GROUP SAYS U.S. FIRMS RECEIVED $1.7B TO BUY COTTON.(Environmental Working Group)
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization, has uncovered a federal farm subsidy program that handed out $1.68 billion to the American agricultural industry and manufacturers, including sheet and towel makers,...

NEWS BRIEFS: HFN'S OCTOBER COMP INDEX UP A BIT...WRANGLER BRAND COMING TO FURNITURE...MERVYN'S NAMES NEW HEAD OF HOME.
November 10, 2003... HFN'S OCTOBER COMP INDEX UP A BIT Winners barely edged out losers in October's same-store sales reports as 14 leading retailers of home products reported positive results for the month, compared with 13 showing negative sales for stores...

PILLOWTEX SALE TO GGST IS FINAL; BRANDS ARE IN, BUILDINGS ARE OUT.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... KANNAPOLIS, N.C.-Pillowtex Corp. said last week it closed on the previously announced sale of substantially all of its remaining assets to GGST, a consortium formed by Gibbs International, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, SB Capital Group and...

MEREDITH GIVES KAPLAN A FIRST-CLASS SEND-OFF.
November 10, 2003... Meredith Corp. held a retirement party in Manhattan for Jerry Kaplan, right, president of Meredith Magazine Group (with Steve Lacy, president of Meredith's publishing group). In his 29-year career at Meredith, Kaplan served in a variety of...

FURNITURE BRANDS PUTS THE SHUTTERS ON HIGHLAND HOUSE.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... ST. LOUIS-Furniture Brands International announced that Highland House, a division of Thomasville Furniture Industries, will cease operations at the end of the year. "Highland House has been a well-known brand name in our industry for many...

SCHULTZ HAS DESIGNS ON ENHANCING KMART'S VISUAL PRESENCE.(Lisa Schultz)
November 10, 2003... BOSTON-Lisa Schultz, Kmart's chief creative director and senior vice president, describes her new job as "very entrepreneurial." "I'm not layering on too many rules before I understand how things work," she said, referring to several open...

SPENDING ON HOME PRODUCTS DECLINES YEAR-TO-DATE IN SEPTEMBER.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-The first indication that the recently reported surge in the economy may be somewhat less robust than estimated came to light last week. The U.S. Department of Commerce said both disposable income and personal consumption expenditures...

WAL-MART: WHIMSICAL THEMES, OPENING PRICE POINTS KEY FOR FOURTH QUARTER.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... ORLANDO, Fla.-Opening-price-point merchandise will account for a bigger chunk of Wal-Mart's sales this holiday season, said Jay Fitzsimmons, treasurer and senior vice president of finance for the world's biggest company, during a Lehman Bros....

LEGENDS OF THE FALL.
November 10, 2003... The Old Masters moniker might be pushing it a little, but there's no doubt that many of the biggest names in fashion design were on the scene for the fall home furnishings markets and shows. Some, like Ralph Lauren, are veterans of home, but...

WHAT'S NEXT IN HIGH-TECH; HERE ARE THE TOP 10 PRODUCTS IN CONSUMER ELECTRONICS FOR THE NEXT DECADE.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-Manufacturers of consumer electronics have stepped up efforts to bring to market more innovative, convergence-type products. These are devices, as the name implies, that converge various technologies from separate categories into a new...

J.C. PENNEY GOES OFF THE MALL WITH FREESTANDING PROTOTYPE.
November 10, 2003... CEDAR HILL, Texas-Good things come in smaller packages for J.C. Penney. The retailer expects to produce higher unit sales and profits per square foot than its average at a smaller, freestanding store prototype unveiled last week in this...

PART 2: MERCHANTS OF SWELL.
November 10, 2003... I'm in stores all the time -- that's just what I do, you see -- but I avoid shopping like the plague. I prefer to keep a detached professional distance because when I really shop, like for something I need or want, or just anything, I usually...

SUPPOSE THEY GAVE A MARKET AND GOOD PRODUCTS SHOWED UP?
November 10, 2003... I've said it before and I'll say it again right here: Good products overcome bad business. That became ever more clear at the fall market cycle just completed. While business has in fact picked up and business is not nearly as bad as...

NEWS BRIEFS: W.L. ROSS & CO. GETS OK TO BUY BURLINGTON...HOLLANDER CREATES COMFORT COUNCIL...WESTOVER UNVEILS CONTRACT SERVICE.
November 10, 2003... W.L. ROSS & CO. GETS OK TO BUY BURLINGTON A bankruptcy court judge in Wilmington, Del., approved W.L. Ross & Co.'s $614 million deal to buy Burlington Industries Inc. Wilbur Ross, chairman and chief executive officer of the investment...

COVERLET STORY; THE HYBRID BEDSPREAD IS GAINING POPULARITY AS SALES GROWTH FLATTENS IN QUILTS.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-Is the quilt madness over? "I don't know that it's peaked. It stopped growing," said Bill Tauscher, Keeco president and chief executive officer, noting that the product category has seen dramatic growth before, but seemed to have...

ELECTRIC BLANKET MAKERS TOUT SAFER FEATURES, TECHNOLOGY.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-New heating technology and controller designs are among this year's "hot" topics for electric blankets, as manufacturers and retailers gear up for what they hope will be a long, cold winter selling season. Early indications are...

BELGIUM TO BE PARTNER COUNTRY FOR HEIMTEXTIL FAIR.
November 10, 2003... FRANKFURT, Germany-Heimtextil, the International Trade Fair for Home and Commercially Used Textiles to be held here Jan. 14 to 17, will hoist the Belgian flag this time around. As Heimtextil's partner country, Belgium's tradition, quality...

30 YEARS AND COUNTING FOR THE SEAL OF COTTON.(Cotton Inc. celebrates anniversary of its Seal of Cotton)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-Cotton Incorporated's Seal of Cotton has turned 30. "Today, more than ever, consumers demand value and quality in the apparel and home fashions they buy," said Berrye Worsham, president and chief executive officer of Cotton...

THE PAD & PILLOW REPORT.(mass merchants, specialty stores gain market share for mattress pads, pillows, comforters)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... While pads, pillows and comforters got fluffier, sales were flat. In 2002, mass merchants and specialty stores continued to gain market share in the $3.3 billion business at the expense of department stores and catalogs.

STANDING FAST IN A SLOW YEAR; BASIC BEDDING SUPPLIERS LEARNED TO MAKE THE MOST OF A DAUNTING 2002.
November 10, 2003... Pillows and mattress pads got fluffier and comforters got thicker, but basic bedding sales in 2002 were as flat as the oldest, most worn-out pillow. The category, according to HFN's research, stubbornly remained in the $3.3 billion range...

CHANNELS SHIFTING AMONG SPOTS TO SHOP; MASS MERCHANTS AND SPECIALTY STORES SNAGGED MORE OF THE CATEGORY'S BUSINESS.
November 10, 2003... In a bad economy, is it better for a retailer to stick to the tried-and-true formula, or to invest in new and exciting products to entice consumers into making a purchase? Last year, when basic bedding sales growth hovered just on the...

WEAVES OF SUPPORT; FASHION DESIGNERS TRY THEIR HANDS AT RUGS FOR A GOOD CAUSE.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-ABC Carpet & Home cleared part of its cavernous sixth floor recently for a cocktail party to celebrate the debut of Fashion Underfoot, a group of nine designer rugs whose sales will help support cancer research. Designers Narciso...

STUDY: HARD-FLOORING GROWTH TO IMPACT CARPETS, RUGS.
November 10, 2003... CLEVELAND-Hard-surface flooring demand is expected to increase by 3.3 percent each year through 2007 to 9 billion square feet, according to research from The Freedonia Group, an industrial research company based here. Growth will be...

DOMAIN TO OPEN HUGE FLAGSHIP AS IT EXPANDS IT RUG PROGRAM.
November 10, 2003... NORWOOD, Mass.-Domain is growing its domain and adding to its rug selection in the process. The East Coast home furnishings retailer will have 30 stores next month with the opening of a new flagship in Natick, Mass., that at 15,000 square...

PERSIAN RUG GALLERIES REMAINS NIFTY AT FIFTY.
November 10, 2003... NASHUA, N.H.-Persian Rug Galleries is celebrating its half-century anniversary this year, despite stiff competition from the big-box retailers. Aside from selection and pricing, this one-store operation has maintained a loyal customer base...

CAPEL TAPS FORMER MASTERCRAFT EXEC TO FILL DIRECTOR OF IMPORTS POSITION.(Norm Sweeters appointed managing director of imports at Capel Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... TROY, N.C.-Capel Inc. has filled the position of J. Smith Capel Jr., who died in August. Norm Sweeters was appointed managing director of imports. He reports to Jesse Capel, executive director. "His contacts with overseas vendors are among...

MASLAND ADDS TWO DISPLAYS AND SIX AREA RUG STYLES TO ITS LINE.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... MOBILE, Ala.-New at Masland Carpets this fall are in-store display units and six additional area rug styles. The Floorscapes Center display measures 57 inches wide by 18 inches deep by 58 inches high and holds 40 rug or broadloom samples on...

HELLENIC NAMES RUG DESIGNER.(-Hellenic Rug Imports has named Kate Goodhew designer)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-Hellenic Rug Imports has named Kate Goodhew designer, a new position. Prior to joining Hellenic, Goodhew was a designer for Beaulieu Canada. In her new post, she will design area rugs, advertisements and catalogs. Goodhew is...

NEWS BRIEFS: CUSTOM IMAGE FORMS CUSTOM RUG UNIT...STANTON NAMES CHATO MANAGER...CMI DOES SEQUEL TO THIMBLEBERRIES.
November 10, 2003... CUSTOM IMAGE FORMS CUSTOM RUG UNIT Custom Image Embroidery, a 13-year-old contract and wholesale embroidery company, has opened a new custom rug division. The division, Custom Image Rug Creations, designs and manufactures custom...

BATTLE OF THE BULB; LIGHTING RETAILERS AND SUPPLIERS ARE LOOKING FOR WAS TO END THE CURRENT PRICE WAR.
November 10, 2003... NEW YORK-The "rollback" epidemic that has plagued the mass lighting business has taken such a toll that vendors and retailers are beginning to address it in earnest. To be sure, Wal-Mart's policy of having the lowest price for each product...

SHOPPERS AT SHOPA WILL FIND A MORE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE.
November 10, 2003... ATLANTA-A full slate of seminars and a growing international flavor are on tap this week at the 13th annual International SHOPA trade show here for the $324 billion school and office products industry. The show runs from Tuesday, Nov. 11,...

DECORO CITES CHINESE FACTORY FOR INCREASE IN LEATHER SALES.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... SHENZHEN, China-Leather upholstery manufacturer DeCoro projects record annual sales of $250 million this year, citing a 2 million-square-foot manufacturing facility, erected here in June, as a key success factor. The first Italian-owned...

HOME STYLES COOKS UP BETTY CROCKER LINE.(Home Styles Furnishings Inc. launches group of licensed Betty Crocker furniture for the kitchen and casual dining)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Betty Crocker, long associated with the home and warm kitchens, has finally gotten "her" own line of furniture. Home Styles Furnishings Inc. unveiled its first group of licensed Betty Crocker furniture for the kitchen and...