HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network articles from November 2008

HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network archives from November 2008

Jaclyn Smith to expand with tabletop, furniture: Jaclyn Smith's new bedding collection for Kmart.(home page)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KMART IS PINNING ITS HOME HOPES ON the Jaclyn Smith Home Collection. The bed and bath line launched in September and will expand to furniture, rugs, tabletop, home patio and lawn and garden in the spring,...

The retail mindset.(in home)
November 10, 2008... ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN HOME FURNISHINGS retailers and industry pundits size up the retail sector as they head into the make-or-break holiday selling season. This year, the analysis has taken on a feverish pitch as the business...

Platt named president of Brand Matter.(in home)
November 10, 2008... TEXTILES INDUSTRY VETERAN RICK PLATT HAS BEEN appointed president of Brand Matter, a newly formed company that manages fashion brands. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reporting to Bill Sweedler, chief executive officer, Platt is responsible for...

Candice, Candice, Candice.(in home)
November 10, 2008... Designer Candice Olson and Satya Tiwari, the Surya president, greet attendees at the recent High Point Market. Olson is designing an exclusive area rug collection for Surya, featuring nearly 20 designs in hand-tufted New Zealand wool. ...

Pendleton: a century of wool.(in home)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pendleton, the legendary producer of wool blankets, apparel and now other home products, kicked off its centennial year with a recent breakfast at New York City's Tavern on the Green, which, it was noted, was once a...

The ABC's of support.(in home)
November 10, 2008... WHEN IT COMES TO A CAUSE AS worthwhile as breast cancer treatment and research, Elizabeth Miller knew she could count on her colleagues in the home furnishings industry to provide support. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three years ago, when...

Carolina on my mind.(trends)
November 10, 2008... If it's October, it must be the High Point Market, home to the home industry and the place to look for all that's new in furniture and furnishings. This time around, even with fewer than usual high profile debuts, there were still plenty of...

And then there was one.(HOME ALONE 2)
November 10, 2008... It didn't start out to be zero-sum game, with a finite universe and every win balanced with a comparable loss. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But that's the way it played out. With the demise of Linens 'n Things, there is only one large...

A towel story: keeping track of consumer preferences and trends.(Lifestyle monitor[TM]: Monitoring America's Attitudes and Behavior Toward Apparel and Home Furnishings)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They own an average of 14. They like them soft, sized right, durable, absorbent, in living color, at a good price and easy to clean. They purchase them at least once a year, mostly at mass merchandisers, and they...

Fashion 50.(in focus)(Cover story)
November 10, 2008... Just because there are fashion victims that doesn't make fashion itself a crime. * Indeed, there are those who consider fashion to be high art and the very best of those people make up the Fashion 50, HFN's exclusive--not to mention highly...

Venus rising: the Candice Olson bath collection should open new retail channels for importer.(textiles)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AFTER MAKING INROADS IN THE HOSPITALITY SEGMENT for the past six years, Venus Home is targeting the upscale textiles market, a move made possible by the recent acquisition of the Candice Olson bath license. This...

Hand-tufted business paves path to growth.(floor covering)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE HAND-TUFTED SEGMENT OF THE HANDMADE rug business has surged by leaps and bounds recently, as growing numbers of vendors expand their assortments or enter the arena for the first time. Meanwhile, some...

Loloi debuts four collections, new showroom.(floor covering)
November 10, 2008... LOLOI RUGS INTRODUCED FOUR NEW COLLECTIONS just in time for the opening of its new showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center, in High Point, N.C. The showroom, Loloi's second in High Point where the company has a freestanding...

High point weather report: 'the sky is not falling'.(furniture & lighting)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CONSIDERING THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY IS A PRETTY ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THE ENTIRE AMERICAN economy, the just completed fall High Point Market wasn't too bad at all. While it was clear that quantitative attendance...

New members named to Hall of Fame.
November 10, 2008... FOUR INDUSTRY LEADERS WERE INDUCTED IN the American Furniture Hall of Fame during the recent High Point Market The event was hosted by TV personality Susie Coehlo and was attended by an international collection of retailers, buying group...

Guildmaster is now ... GuildMaster.
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GUILDMASTER, THE DECORAtive furniture and accessories company that has also operated under the Decorize name, has officially become just GuildMaster. The name change was made at the High Point Market last month,...

Tiffany's one-of-a-kind luxury: new design service creates customized, hand-painted dinnerware.(tabletop)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE in tabletop luxury, Tiffany has made its Le Tallec porcelain studio in Paris available to those who want to customize their dinnerware. The new custom design service...

Royal Doulton gives pricing a makeover.(tabletop)
November 10, 2008... AFTER CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZING ITS PRICE points, Royal Doulton has revamped its pricing structure to better reflect its parent company's brand positioning. The Royal Doulton and Royal Albert brands were competing directly with Wedgwood,...

Libbey helps makeover.(tabletop)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN "ABC'S EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BUILD A home in Toledo, Ohio, Libbey stepped up to the plate. Along with approximately 4,000 other volunteers, Libbey participated in the show's...

Floor care looks to clean up: industry executives predict growth in cordless, deep cleaning categories.(FORECAST)
November 10, 2008... AFTER A 2008 THAT THE INDUSTRY would like to forget, manufacturers of floorcare products are using the ever-popular business catchphrase "cautiously optimistic" in describing their prospects for next year. Not that the industry will...

Design within reach branches into new categories.(housewares)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOR DESIGN WITHIN REACH, DESIGN IS AS important to its customer as it is to the company. "If you are that type of customer, then you have trouble finding a stapler," said Ray Brunner, founder. "You have an...

Nambe's sculpted metal line now available for the oven.(housewares)
November 10, 2008... METAL HAS A NEW PURPOSE AT NAMBE, AS THE tabletop company expanded its metal line to introduce casseroles and bakers at the recent tabletop market. Using its Butterfly shape, one of its most popular designs and designed by Neil Cohen, the...

Tabletop show surprisingly positive.(in home)
November 10, 2008... ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THE RECENT NEW YORK TABLETOP SHOW WENT BETI'ER than expected, vendors said. The bulk of the industry appeared relieved that business at the show wasn't nearly as bad as external circumstances suggested it could have...

Fall festivities in tabletop.(HFend)
November 10, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Compressed into a new three-day, midweek time frame, exhibitors and attendees of the New York Tabletop Show found time to celebrate afterhours. The permanent showroom buildings each held a party, while numerous...

Macy's big night.(home page)
November 17, 2008... THE STARS OF THE RETAIL AND ENTERTAINMENT WORLDS came out in force to fete Macy's 150th anniversary bash. Everyone from Big Bird and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger gathered at Gotham Hall near Macy's...

'De-luxe edition.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 17, 2008... From: Mike Dyas To: hfnmag.com Subject: 'De-Luxe' To the editor, In reply to "de-luxe," I believe you overlooked what I feel will be a parallel phenomenon: savvy customers bargaining. Customers will hold the upper hand...

At home in Lillian August: the specialty store looks to expand with its blend of items ranging from traditional to modern.(in home)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LILLIAN AUGUST IS A SPECIALTY HOME STORE with lots of specialties. The Norwalk, Conn.-based, five-unit chain with an eye on expansion features an upscale home furnishings mix with styles ranging from old world to...

Best tech 2008: innovation takes hold throughout the home in a variety of new products.(in focus)
November 17, 2008... When thinking of new technology, home furnishings don't necessarily come to mind--but think again. Technology is increasingly being used by the industry's vendors to differentiate their offering--and in some cases, create whole new categories....

Giving shelter.(trends)(Cover story)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designers such as Charlotte Moss and Darryl Carter joined forces with Hearst Home Group for the second-annual Designer Visions program to create apartments...

It's the stupid economy: in the meantime, I have a rather radical prediction about the next 35 days.(Opinion: HOME ALONE 2)
November 17, 2008... Depending on how you line up politically, you may believe it's a good thing that we have a brand-new president. The problem is that we have the same old economy. If only we could have elected a new economy two weeks ago, things could...

Making a blanket statement: Pendleton Woolen Mills approaches its 100th birthday with more product offerings and new collections.(textiles)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH AN EVENT LAST MONTH AT NEW YORK'S Tavern on the Green, Pendleton Woolen Mills raised the curtain on its 100th anniversary celebration, which will extend from now until the end of 2009. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Model for growth: JLA home has expanded as a home-textiles resource, thanks to a different way of doing business.(textiles)
November 17, 2008... OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, JLA HOME HAS risen to become a supplier for a variety of home textiles by way of a unique business model. The company sources products by linking manufacturers in China that specialize in certain aspects of...

More wool in front of their eyes: consumers have new designs and colors to choose from as rug makers keep using the popular material.(floor covering)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RUG MANUFACTURERS AND DESIGNERS ARE finding more ways than ever to work with wool--arguably the most popular and fundamental of fibers used in rug...

Vendors help retailers do more with less.(floor covering)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEVERAL RUG VENDORS HAVE RETOOLED their sample programs recently to give retailers with limited space the tools they need to sell more rugs while making a minimal investment. Nourison recently introduced its...

No time to rest: the mattress industry is working to avoid a potentially difficult 2009.(furniture & lighting)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MATTRESS-INDUSTRY PICTURE WAS not pretty in 2008, and shows few signs of getting any more attractive next year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The downturn in the U.S. economy was one of the primary causes in...

Hubbardton Forge: reaches another pinnacle.(furniture & lighting)
November 17, 2008... HUBBARDTON FORGE'S DYAD SERIES OF TABLE and floor lamps was named the winner of the American Society of Furniture Designers' 2008 Pinnacle Award for Design Achievement in Lighting, which was given during the recent High Point Market. ...

Calico's expanded home.(furniture & lighting)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Calico Corners, best known for its fabrics and window treatments, has launched Calico Home, a new collection of "accessories to help make your home unique," according to the company. Calico Home includes accent...

Lladro looks ahead: the new CEO steers the company toward high-end clientele while also pushing the boundaries of design.(tabletop)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SIX MONTHS INTO HIS NEW ROLE AS CHIEF EXECutive officer of Lladro, Rick Fencel couldn't be happier. "It's everything I wanted it to be and more," said Fencel, a few weeks prior to the New York tabletop show....

The picture of health? Frame makers are undaunted by the tough economy.(FRAME REPORT)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SO ARE PHOTO FRAMES TRULY recession-proof? The industry will certainly find out this year, but vendors are confident the category will pull through. "Nothing is recession-proof, but there are products that...

Prinz.(FRAME REPORT: NEW PRODUCTS)
November 17, 2008... Prinz premieres its Gatsby grouping of lattice-trimmed vintage photo frames, an example of the company's focus on gift-giving and home decor. The emotional tie-in to photo frames--the visual connection to loved ones--has helped keep the photo...

Lenox.(FRAME REPORT: NEW PRODUCTS)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lenox does a lot of sales volume in frames, particularly those that tie into a well-performing bridal dinnerware pattern. In fact, frames are the number-one SKU in all bridal giftware collections, according to Sherri...

Burnes Home Accents.(FRAME REPORT: NEW PRODUCTS)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sentiments frames continue to sizzle. Some of the newest versions have a little more attitude than in the past, including these new Sassy Sentiments frames from Burnes Home Accents. These wood frames come in...

Malden.(FRAME REPORT: NEW PRODUCTS)
November 17, 2008... Wall decor is a strong performer right now, according to Mike Wluka, vice president of sales at Malden, "especially anything in black, walnut, simple shapes, matted, unmatted, because it's a very inexpensive way to do a room." Malden's newest...

A new chapter for photo albums.
November 17, 2008... THE MIGRATION FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL photography, which has benefited the tabletop frame business, has had mixed results for the album business. Frame manufacturers who also sell albums said interest in albums has declined. The need...

Comforting thoughts: product sales in the home category rise as utility costs continue to escalate.(HEALTHY HOME REPORT)
November 17, 2008... RISING HOME UTILITY COSTS HELPED PUT THE home-comfort products category on an upward growth curve during the past two years and are expected to continue fueling this industry going forward. Research conducted by HFN found that U.S. retail...

Crock-Pot preps new ads.(HEALTHY HOME REPORT)
November 17, 2008... JARDEN CONSUMER SOLUTIONS HAS PUT A NEW face on Crock-Pot. The company has unveiled a new logo and packaging for the patented brand. The packaging presents a more contemporary look, with colors and icons intended to create an emotional...

Hernan brings Mexico to market.(housewares)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOUNDED ON A DESIRE TO BRING AUTHENTIC MEXICAN cookware and accessories to those who want to make this cuisine at home, Hernan debuted its line at the recent tabletop show in New York. The collection promotes...

New units come into focus.(housewares)
November 17, 2008... THE NEW ORGANIZATIONAL structure at Focus Products Group will allow the company to offer "suites" of products in its various categories, according to Keith Jaffee, chief executive officer. This is a new approach for the consumer-products...

Cuisinart's ad ingredients: the company's new campaign: a bigger presence in print, TV and online.(housewares)
November 17, 2008... BUCKING THE TREND OF PULLING BACK ON MARKETING AND advertising in a tough business climate, Cuisinart has launched what the company describes as "its most comprehensive marketing campaign to date." A Cuisinart statement said the effort...

Boscov's buy is a family affair.(in home)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BOSCOV'S WILL STAY IN THE family. Boscov's department stores has signed an asset purchase agreement for the sale of substantially all of its assets to a family group led by Albert Boscov, Boscov's retired...

Survey predicts Happy Holidays on web sales.(in home)
November 17, 2008... ACCORDING TO RESULTS OF THE 2008 eHoliday study conducted by Shopzilla for Shop.org, 56.1 percent of online retailers expect their holiday sales to increase at least 15 percent over last year, said the National Retail Federation. ...

Macy's hopes shoppers 'Believe': Macy's is asking shoppers to believe.(in home)
November 17, 2008... That' s the word behind the retailer's new holiday marketing campaign, which launched earlier this month. The campaign draws from the fabled 1897 editorial in the New York Sun, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." The editorial...

Bloomie's spreads the word on Traub.(HFend)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bloomingdale's feted Marvin Traub, its former chief executive officer, at its 59th street flagship store in Manhattan to introduce his book, "Like No Other Career." The cocktail party drew top retail and vendor...

Playing Dominoes.(HFend)
November 17, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Domino magazine had both coasts covered recently with big events in Los Angeles--its annual bazaar--and in High Point, N.C., at a launch party for the magazine's new book held at the furniture market. It was all...