HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from November 2004

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from November 2004

THE TABLE IS SET.
November 1, 2004... THE PEOPLE, PRODUCTS AND PLACES are all here for this edition of the fall tabletop market. HFN gives the latest dish on who and what will be around New York showrooms. See pages 38-65. Caption(s): 1. Jana Kolpen, author of "Dancing With the...

AT PENNEY: ULLMAN IN, ALLEN OUT, VANESSA...?(Myron Ullman)(Allen Questrom)(Vanessa Castagna)(J.C. Penney Company Inc.)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Barbara Thau PLANO, Texas-Myron Ullman, who becomes chairman and chief executive officer of J.C. Penney next month, has big shoes to fill. But will his arrival cause Vanessa Castagna, who was passed up for the job, to slip on her...

3 NEW CEOS IN TABLETOP FACE FULL PLATE.(chief executive officers)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Allison Zisko, Barbara Thau contributed to this report. NEW YORK-Expectations are running high at the New York Fall Tabletop Show, but not just for product. After significant personnel changes at three of the leading tabletop...

SPRING AIR RETOOLS LUXURY LINE.(Spring Air Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Karl Kunkel ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.-Spring Air Co. has redesigned its Four Seasons Collections, targeting the luxury consumer. Talalay-process latex foam will be the common feature among all 11 beds, which will carry retail...

IN BRIEF: MACY'S HOME NAMES FOLEY TRENDS VP... CUNNINGHAM IN NEW POST AT AMAZON... ENESCO'S FREEDMAN TO RETIRE.(vice president)(Macy's Home Store)(Glenn Cunningham)(Eugene Freedman)(Enesco Corp.)(Tricia Foley)
November 1, 2004... MACY'S HOME NAMES FOLEY TRENDS VP Designer and author Tricia Foley has been named vice president of trend development for Macy's Home Store, a new position. She reports to Joe Denofrio, senior vice president of fashion and trends. ...

COSTCO HOME SECOND STORE OFFERS MORE OF SAME... PLUS.(Costco Wholesale Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jo Fleischer TEMPE, Ariz.-Moving beyond the test stage, Costco Wholesale has opened a second dedicated home furnishings store, Costco Home, here that could pave the way for additional stores. Unlike the first Costco Home in...

KARIM RASHID SHOP OPENS IN MANHATTAN.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer White, Nancy Meyer NEW YORK-Karim Rashid opened the doors to his first store, pulling his designs for more than 60 suppliers together in one place. Located on West 18th Street here, the white gallerylike space features...

IFDA HITS HIGH POINT FOR ANNUAL MEETING.(International Furnishings & Design Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Karl Kunkel HIGH POINT, N.C.-Marketing niches and previews of new designs were highlights of the International Furnishings & Design Association's annual conference held here during the International Home Furnishings Market. ...

HOPPEN'S HOME AGENDA: STORES IN NEIMAN'S, BERGDORF FIRST STEP.(Kelly Hoppen)(Neiman Marcus Co.)(Bergdorf Goodman Inc.)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-British interior designer Kelly Hoppen hopes to become a force in the upscale American home furnishings market. But she won't get there with warm and fuzzy homemaking skills. This domestic diva is the...

BORIS `BOB' COHEN, FOUNDER OF RIO BRANDS, DIES AT 87.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA-Boris "Bob" Cohen, the founder of All-Luminum Products, which became Rio Brands in 2003, died here Sept. 20 of heart failure. He was 87. Cohen, Rio's chairman, founded the company in 1947 after inventing a portable aluminum...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2004... In the "Dearly Departed Department Stores" top story in the Oct. 25 issue of HFN, Filene's was erroneously included on a list of closed department stores. May Department Stores Co. currently operates 46 Filene's stores. Also, Abraham & Straus...

CONTAINER ENTHUSIASM: EXHIBIT CELEBRATES TUPPERWARE'S ROLE.(Tupperware U.S. Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael D. Devine NEW YORK-As American as apple pie, Tupperware has played a leading role in the lives of Americans from the end of World War II to today. The ubiquitous plastic containers, once billed as "fine art for 39 cents,"...

SIX IN THE CITY.
November 1, 2004... 1. MANNING THE ELM For fans of the hip retailer West Elm, it's now a snap to pick up their wares in New York at a brand-new store at 112 W. 18th St. 2. SHAPING UP The Whitney Museum is hosting a retrospective of the great sculptor Isamu...

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS.(Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael D. Devine First came the fashion designers who brought their unique visions of domestic bliss to the home. Now artists are turning their gifted eyes on their next new market: home. The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt,...

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... november 14-16 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York (914) 421-3346 ihmrs.com 24-27 Japantex 2004 Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) ...

DECK THE HALLS.(home furnishings)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael D. Devine This season, retailers are going to be offering a wealth of stylish holiday trimmings for every taste level. The great thing about holiday decorating is that one can step out of the dictates of normal decorating...

POLITICAL POETRY.(Poem)
November 1, 2004... Byline: J'Amy Owens There is perhaps nothing worse, than non-stop rhetoric -- it's so perverse. The fabricated histories of each side remain a mystery, with everything but polygamy, why not start a monarchy? I dislike...

SEE WHAT THE BOYS IN THE BACK ROOM HAVE GOT.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Warren Shoulberg It's that time of year. That most wonderful of all times is coming up rapidly as the pages on the calendar trickle down to a precious few. That can only mean one thing: It's time for retailers to blame their...

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK; EXPANDED TOWEL SETS, ALONG WITH MATS AND OVEN MITTS, HIT NEW YORK.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Carla Webb NEW YORK-Kitchen towels and other kitchen textiles were a focus at some manufacturers' showrooms last month during the textiles market here. Elrene Home Fashions showed off its new kitchen textiles wall, which...

EXHIBITORS AT HEIMTEXTIL INDIA FEEL A PRICE CRUNCH.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Raj Menon MUMBAI, India-Some 185 Indian exhibitors received a lot of concrete orders and serious inquiries here at the recently concluded Heimtextil India, even as some acknowledged difficulties selling to price-conscious American...

SWAVELLE PARENT MAKES CHANGES FOR THE COMPANY.(Swavelle/Mill Creek Fabrics Inc)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK-Associated Textile Converters Inc., the owner of Swavelle/Mill Creek Fabrics and Piermont Fabrics, said it will change its corporate name to Swavelle/Mill Creek Fabrics Inc., effective Nov. 1. The company also said Piermont...

FEIZY, CHILD CARE OPEN SCHOOL IN AFGHANISTAN.(Child Care Foundation )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Quail SHEBERGHAN, Afghanistan-Feizy Rugs has partnered once again with the Child Care Foundation to open a second company-sponsored school here. Feizy's relationship with the CCF dates to 1998, when the company...

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME FROM HAROUNIAN; THE COMPANY TOOK A FEW DIFFERENT ANGLES WITH ITS RUGS AT THE INTERNATIONAL HOME FURNISHINGS MARKET IN HIGH POINT.(Harounian Rugs International)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Quail HIGH POINT, N.C.-New designs went in several directions for Harounian Rugs International at the recent International Home Furnishings Market here. Shades went from bright and cheerful to rich and autumnal, and rug...

ARMSTRONG FLOORS STAR ON `THE REAL WORLD'.(Armstrong vinyl floors)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Quail PHILADELPHIA-Armstrong vinyl floors are playing a coveted role on the 15th season of MTV's hit reality series "The Real World." This installment finds the latest group of seven young strangers sharing quarters...

DILMAGHANI FOCUSES ON ITS FALL PALETTE.(Dilmaghani and Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... SCARSDALE, N.Y.-The latest designs from Dilmaghani have the fall season in mind, using palettes akin to the cooler temperatures. In recent weeks, buyers have been introduced to the latest line of rounds from the company: the Hali 800...

COMPANY C FINDS COLORFUL INSPIRATION.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Quail HIGH POINT, N.C.-For its 2005 design scheme, and most recent introductions, Company C went with the theme of "sensational color" and got the most out of the idea at every turn. Design inspiration for the...

JORDAN'S MIXES FUN, FURNITURE IN LARGEST STORE.(Jordan's Furniture Inc.)
November 1, 2004... READING, Mass.-Taking "retail-tainment" to a new level, Jordan's Furniture has opened a 200,000-square-foot store in this Boston suburb that includes a 500-seat IMAX theater and re-creations of local landmarks crafted with 280,000 pounds of...

DINING'S IN; CASUAL DINING SETS HAVE EMERGED AS A HOT MENU ITEM.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Lee Buchanan HIGH POINT, N.C.-With the decline of formal dining -- as a way of life and a category of furniture -- casual dining has emerged as a star performer, a trend that continued at last month's market here. Changing...

NEWS BRIEFS.(Lifestyle enterprise)
November 1, 2004... THE WORLD MARKET CENTER in Las Vegas will open its debut furniture market one week later than organizers had planned in order to accommodate more temporary exhibitors. In announcing the date shift to July 25 to 29, 2005, (from the previously...

NEWS BRIEFS.(furnitures)
November 1, 2004... THE ASSETS OF WOODSTOCK WIRE WORKS, parent of Woodstock Lamp & Shade, were auctioned at the end of August and its former headquarters in Woodstock, Ill., is being converted to condominiums. According to public records, on Aug. 27, lender CIT...

FEISS GETS INFUSION OF CAPITAL.(Murray Feiss Import Corp.)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Nancy Meyer NEW YORK-Feiss Industries -- a leading manufacturer of lighting and accessories under the Murray Feiss, Bob Mackie, Williamsburg, and other trade names and private labels -- received an infusion of capital from a silent...

INDUSTRY CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF LIGHT.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK-The lighting and electric utility industry gathered here to mark the 125th anniversary of Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb. On Oct. 21, 1879, Edison and his lab assistants in Menlo Park, N.J., witnessed a carbonized cotton...

SALTON LAUNCHES TWO NEW BRANDS.(Salton Housewares)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK-Salton At Home's tabletop division has created two new brand names -- Tabla and Stiffel Crystal -- that are being presented for the first time at the fall tabletop show this week. Tabla will replace the Block Basics brand and will...

TRICK OR TREAT? SHOW SCHEDULES ARE SHORTENED AS BUYERS ARE FORCED TO BALANCE HALLOWEEN AND ELECTION DAY.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Allison Zisko, Carla Webb contributed to this story NEW YORK-Show timing always generates talk, but this year, with the Fall Tabletop Show spanning both Halloween and Election Day, the timing has wreaked havoc with more than a few...

SWAROVSKI'S STAR TO SHINE AT 30 ROCK.(Swarovski America Ltd.)(Rockefeller Center)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-Perhaps the only thing that will sparkle more than the 9-foot star atop the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center here this year will be the smiles on the faces of the Swarovski execs on the ground below. ...

NEWS BRIEFS.
November 1, 2004... LALIQUE NORTH AMERICA has named Maz Zouhairi vice president of sales and marketing for Lalique North America. He succeeds Chris Cullen, who departed to become the general manager of Vertu. Zouhairi reports to Daniel Barth, president and chief...

TIPS FROM THE PROS.(tips for the brides)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The editors of Bride's magazine presented money-saving ideas to engaged women during the second annual Wedding March on Madison in New York last month. The event, hosted by Bride's and Modern Bride magazines in conjunction with the Madison...

ALL SET FOR MARKET.(home furnishings)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Carla Webb, Allison Zisko NEW YORK-The list of introductions that will take center stage at this week's tabletop market here continues. Read on for more highlights. Abbiamo Tutto Abbiamo Tutto is showing Quattro, which...

HPI BOARD WILL OK ZELL'S TAKEOVER OFFER.(Home Products International Inc.)(Samuel Zell)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... CHICAGO-Noted investor and turnaround expert Samuel Zell will be the newest member of the housewares industry. A special committee of the board of directors for Home Products International Inc. has determined that the takeover offer by an...

NEWS BRIEFS.(Leifheit International USA)
November 1, 2004... CASABELLA AND THE CONTAINER STORE have teamed up for a direct-to-consumer mailing focused on cleaning products. The mailer, called "Whistle While You Work," is the first direct mailer Casabella has done with a retail customer. Carol Luckhardt,...

ACCESORIES FOR CLEANING PRODUCTS ADD GLAMOUR TO MUNDANE CHORES.
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK- If accessories make the outfit, then certainly they can't help but spruce up cleaning products. Or so thinks shoe and handbag designer Beverly Feldman, who has added adornments and baubles to cleaning products to make everyday chores...

GLM APPOINTS ACCOUNTS MANAGER OF GOURMET SHOWS.(George Little Management )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-George Little Management has appointed Marc Delman key accounts manager for the Las Vegas Gourmet Housewares Show and the New York Gourmet Housewares Show. In this newly created role, Delman will be responsible for the...

DENTAL PLANNING; FORMER RIVALS P&G AND PHILIPS JOIN FORCES TO CREATE A POWER TOOTHBRUSH SYSTEM BILLED AS NEXT BEST THING TO FLOSSING.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-Procter & Gamble has done it again. The consumer products giant has revealed another partnership, only this time, it's with Royal Philips Electronics, a competitor in the dental care market. P&G, the...

INTEL DITCHES LCOS TELEVISION PLANS.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Intel announced that it is dropping plans to manufacture an LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) chip for the emerging category of LCOS digital rear-projection televisions, confirming rumors that...

BEST BUY VS. CIRCUIT CITY.
November 1, 2004... ON THE COVER Best Buy: LG 42-inch Widescreen Plasma HDTV with integrated digital tuner, $4,499.99 Circuit City: ESA 42-inch Widescreen Plasma EDTV, $1,999.99 CAMCORDERS Best Buy: Canon mini-DV digital camcorder with built in...

EXPANDING THE RANGE; MANUFACTURERS OF DOUBLE OVENS ARE MAKING THE PRODUCTS MORE READILY AVAILABLE.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Gerry Beatty NEW YORK-The two-oven range, long an option at the high end, has established a foothold among mainstream brands. It's still a feature commanding a price premium, but some smaller tags have begun to appear. ...

WHITE-GOODS SHIPMENTS REACH SEPTEMBER PEAK.
November 1, 2004... WASHINGTON-Manufacturers' domestic shipments of major appliances reached unprecedented levels for a September and one of the biggest months ever. The movement was 7,082,500 units, up 6.0 percent from the revised 6,682,600, the previous...

SAMSUNG FIRST TO TAKE DIGITAL TUNER TWO-STEP.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.-Samsung Electronics has taken the lead in the two-way integrated digital cable universe as the first television manufacturer to enter into an agreement enabling the implementation of CableLabs'...

SEARS Q3 SALES SLUMP AMID PRODUCT RESETS.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-Sears learned that sales sometimes must suffer before they can grow. This seemed to be the case with the recently completed reset of its consumer electronics and home fashions products,...

NEWS BRIEFS.
November 1, 2004... COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP.'S board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on Costco Wholesale common stock. The dividend of 10 cents per share is payable Nov. 26 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 5... IGIA, a...

FINANCO PANELISTS EXPECT VARIED HOLIDAY RESULTS.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK-The holiday season will be a mixed bag. That was the unifying message that emerged from Financo's Merchandising Equity Conference. "There's a fairly good undertone to business," said Maggie Gilliam, president of Gilliam & Co.,...

JOB WORRIES CAUSE DIP IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT MONTH.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for October fell 3.9 points to 92.8, down from 96.7 in September. The third consecutive monthly decrease was primarily driven by consumers' employment...

DESIGN FROM ABOVE.(Cooper-Hewitt Museum)(Milton Glaser)(Polshek Partnership)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Byline: Michael D. Devine The Fifth Annual Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards in New York had all the glamour of the Academy Awards. Held at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the event was complete with a red carpet and a wall of paparazzi...

VLAD TIDINGS.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... For modern design lovers, the book you've been waiting for is here: "The Complete Kagan, Vladimir Kagan," a lifetime of avant-garde design by -- you guessed it -- Vladimir Kagan. The tome covers more than 60 years of work and achievements,...

DESIGN OF THE TIMES.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Design research left a long-lasting legacy on retailing with its modern lifestyle approach. Pictured are its Cambridge stores, above and left, and New York store, right, in different eras. See page 12.

BUSH REDUX: EXECS AWAIT FREE TRADE, TAX BREAKS.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Joanna Ramey, Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON-President Bush's second-term agenda is likely to focus on boosting free trade and more tax cuts, industry executives said last week. As Bush formally claimed victory after John Kerry...

FLAT-PANEL TV PRICES DROP DOWN CHIMNEY.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Santa's bag better be big enough to hold an LCD or plasma television because prices are sinking fast. Christmas shoppers will find that entry-level plasma televisions and smaller-screen LCDs are...

OCTOBER COMPS SEE MINIMAL GAIN.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-Same-store sales in home furnishings stores crept up roughly 0.7 percent in October compared with the same period last year, according to the HFN Comp-Sales Index of leading retailers. Wholesalers fared...

IN BRIEF: DAN RIVER SET TO EXIT CHAPTER 11... EXPO DESIGN APPOINTS NELSON VP... CPSC URGES FLAMMABILITY STANDARD.(Consumer Product Safety Commission)
November 8, 2004... DAN RIVER SET TO EXIT CHAPTER 11 Dan River said it plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January and has received financing commitment letters from potential lenders. In addition, the company said the U.S. Bankruptcy...

RHODES FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY, RETAILER WILL CLOSE 26 STORES.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Jo Fleischer ATLANTA-After posting a $19 million loss in 2003 and seeing vendors tighten credit limits throughout the year, the 89-store Rhodes Furniture chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. According to...

FEDERATED APPOINTS GANDOLFO SENIOR VP OF HOME.(Federated Merchandising Group appointed Laurene Gandolfo as vice president)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Laurene Gandolfo has been named senior vice president of home for Federated Merchandising Group, reporting to Janet Grove, chief executive officer of FMG and vice chairman of parent Federated Department...

NEW COSTCO HOME STORES DRAW MAJOR BRANDS.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Jo Fleischer TEMPE, Ariz.-With the recent opening of the second Costco Home store here, major furniture makers are overcoming their reluctance to sell to Costco, which has become one of the nation's leading furniture retailers. ...

VACATION SPOTS INSPIRE LANDS' END HOME LINES.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Lands' End previewed its spring and summer 2005 home and apparel collections here, spotlighting merchandise inspired by Cape Cod, Palm Springs and the Bahamas. The Out of the Blue, Palm Springs and Harbour...

TABLES OF CONTENTMENT.(tabletop products)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Michael D. Devine The array of tabletop products being introduced at this market is dazzling. From vintage fabric-inspired photo albums to champagne straws, there is an enormous number of not-to-be missed introductions. Retailers...

FLIP OF THE COIN.(J.C. Penney Company Inc. board members appointment)(Interview)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Warren Shoulberg A Penney for your thoughts, board members at J.C. Penney Inc. What exactly where you thinking? Mike Ullman's appointment as the new CEO at Penney was certainly a bit of a bombshell when it was announced some 10...

THE LEGACY OF DESIGN RESEARCH; THE IMPACT OF THE LONG-DEFUNCT RETAILER IS STILL BEING FELT WITHIN THE HOME FURNISHINGS INDUSTRY.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Carole Nicksin NEW YORK-In the annals of retail, a few stores stand out for capturing a particular moment and creating a lasting impact on how goods are sold. Henri Bendel, with its corridor of in-store boutiques, was the "It"...

LEGGETT & PLATT MAKES MEMORABLE MOVE WITH FOAM.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-The addition of Leggett & Platt as a full-line provider of memory foam bedding is an indication of the growing consumer demand for these non-traditional basic bedding products. Over the years, the...

HEIMTEXTIL EXPANDS ITS FLOOR PRESENCE.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Heimtextil will feature a designated area for modern carpets and textiles floor coverings in January, in a fresh attempt to address the needs of visitors and exhibitors to the textiles trade fair. ...

ZEBA STRIKES IN NEW YORK; THE INDIA-BASED TEXTILES MILL, FAMOUS FOR ITS EXOTIC DESIGNS, HAS OPENED A STORE IN NEW YORK'S TRENDY SOHO NEIGHBORHOOD.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Leticia Leizens NEW YORK-Zeba, a vertical textiles mill headquartered in Mumbai, India, and known in the designer circle for its exotic textural designs, opened its first store here in SoHo last month. "We decided as a company...

WINDOW TREATMENT STORE FILLS A VOID AS CUSTOMERS FLOCK TO NY LOCATION.(New York)(Metropolitan Window Fashions)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-In just the few weeks that Metropolitan Window Fashions has been operating in New York, the retail window treatment store has already seen significant sales to match the steady flow of foot traffic in and...

FABRIC SUPPLIER CULP INC. TO CLOSE PLANTS, TRIM JOBS.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara HIGH POINT, N.C.-Citing low demand for upholstery fabrics and lower than expected operating margins in mattress ticking, fabric supplier Culp Inc. plans to consolidate several manufacturing facilities and...

QUAKER FABRIC REPORTS A `DISAPPOINTING' Q3.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara FALL RIVER, Mass.-Quaker Fabric Corp. posted a loss of $2.1 million on sales of $63.6 million for the third quarter ended Oct. 2, compared to net income of $2.2 million and sales of $80.1 million for the same...

THE PAD, PILLOW & COMFORTER REPORT.(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Mass merchants and clubs continued to pick up more business in basic bedding. Retail sales for pads, pillows and comforters last year remained in the $3.3 billion range. Caption(s): From left: Pacific Coast Feather's Aller Rest; Joseph...

FROM PILLOW TO POST; BASIC BEDDING SUPPLIERS SAY BUSINESS HAS PICKED UP COMPARED TO 2003, AND THEY EXPECT THE MARKET TO BE EVEN STRONGER IN 2005.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini The good news for basic bedding suppliers is that business in 2004 is better than the previous year and could be stronger next year. Judi Alexander, vice president of marketing for the basic bedding division...

MASS CONTINUES TO APPEAL.(mass merchants)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini There seems to be no stopping consumers from flocking to mass merchants and clubs to purchase most of their basic bedding supplies. "It seems to be more than a trend because it has been happening for more than...

MOHAWK INDUSTRIES' CFO SWIFT TO RETIRE.(John D. Swift chief financial officer retires)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... CALHOUN, Ga.-John D. Swift, vice president of finance and chief financial officer of Mohawk Industries Inc., will retire effective Dec. 31. He will be succeeded by Frank H. Boykin, currently vice president and corporate controller of Mohawk,...

HARDWOOD FLOORS GIVING CONSUMERS SOLID OPTIONS.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Quail NEW YORK-The allure and versatility of a hardwood floor have proven to be things many new homeowners cannot ignore. Manufacturers of wood flooring have reported consistently strong business in the past year and they...

THE KARASTAN PACKAGE; PERSIAN RUG GALLERIES TESTS A RENOVATED SHOWROOM DEVOTED TO THE FULL RANGE OF THE COMPANY'S PRODUCTS.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NASHUA, N.H.-The words "extreme makeover" usually conjure up images of reality television in which ugly ducklings become swans and run-down homes are turned into palaces, but this time it happened in a rug...

CCA PERFORMS ABOVE PAR FOR FCIF.(CCA Global Partners, Floor Covering Industry Foundation )(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... ATLANTA-CCA Global Partners topped its charitable efforts of last year, raising $120,000 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation at the company's second annual CCA Global Partners/FCIF Charity Golf Tournament. This year, more than 165...

JORDAN'S ADDS TO BOSTON'S FUN WITH NEW UNIT.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Lee Buchanan READING, Mass.-As if Boston didn't have enough to celebrate, Jordan's Furniture opened its biggest and most extravagant store here, 86 years after the Red Sox previously won the World Series -- and 86 years after the...

SEEING THE LIGHT? MORE PRODUCTS AND MERCHANDISING PRACTICES BLUR THE FULL-SPECTRUM AND DAYLIGHT-LAMP MARKET.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Nancy Meyer NEW YORK-"Full-spectrum" lamps, which manufacturers claim can emulate natural daylight and help consumers see more clearly, have hit the mass market. Suppliers estimate the business at anywhere from $60 million to...

NEWS BRIEFS.
November 8, 2004... BASSETT FURNITURE INDUSTRIES is partnering with designer, author and retailer Pamela Scurry to develop an exclusive collection of juvenile furniture for Babies "R" Us. The initial Pamela Scurry Collection will include a crib, three-drawer chest...

ENGLAND PUSHES FORWARD WITH EXPANSION PLANS.(England/Corsair Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Byline: Sheila Long O'Mara NEW TAZEWELL, Tenn.-Upholstery producer England, joining the growing ranks of vertical furniture manufacturers, is rolling out freestanding stores in markets where the company does not have existing distribution....

NEWS BRIEFS.(home accessories)
November 8, 2004... THE ACCESSORIES RESOURCE TEAM, the trade association for the decorative accessories industry, has rescheduled its 2005 ART Conference by one week to avoid conflict with the Las Vegas Market that makes its debut next summer. The ART Conference...