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

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

MADE IN CHINA (BY AMERICANS); *THE WORKERS ARE STILL CHINESE, BUT AMERICAN HOME; FURNISHINGS PRODUCERS ARE INCREASINGLY TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN CHINA.
September 4, 2006... Byline: HFN Staff Report SHANGHAI, China-The local population hasn't yet resorted to calls of "The Americans are coming, the Americans are coming," but over the past three years, the number of U.S.-owned home furnishings manufacturing...

NACCO SWEETENS ITS RETAIL MIX WITH LE GOURMET CHEF.(NACCO Industries acquired Le Gourmet Chef)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Jennifer White CHILLICOTHE, Ohio-Only a month after NACCO Industries said it would spin off its Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex business, the company announced that its Kitchen Collection retail division will acquire Le Gourmet Chef,...

HOME PAGE.
September 4, 2006... A Look Ahead America's Retail Idol, Part 2, coming in the Sept. 18 issue of HFN. Bed Bath & Beyond will report second-quarter earnings on Sept. 20. The High Point Market will be held in High Point, N.C., from Oct. 16 to 22. ...

WILLIAMS-SONOMA NAMES DEMATTEI GROUP PRESIDENT.(appointment of Dave DeMattei)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO-Williams-Sonoma Inc. has appointed Dave DeMattei, president-emerging brands, to the position of group president-Williams-Sonoma, Williams-Sonoma Home and West Elm brands. DeMattei reports to Howard Lester, chairman and chief...

ONEIDA CLEARED TO EXIT CHAPTER 11.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... ONEIDA, N.Y.-The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has confirmed Oneida Ltd.'s prenegotiated plan of reorganization, setting the stage for Oneida's emergence from Chapter 11 as a privately held company. The company,...

PENNEY ADS BLURRING REAL-TIME LINE DEBUT ON MTV AWARDS SHOW.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Rusty Williamson DALLAS-J.C. Penney Co., advertising trailblazer? At first glance, the moderate department store giant might seem an unlikely candidate to push the boundaries of advertising-vs.-content-in a hipster forum, no...

CORRECTION.(Correction notice)
September 4, 2006... An item in the Aug. 28 issue of HFN on a $1 million gift to the University of Chicago's Medical Center misidentified the source of the funds. The donor was the Housewares Charity Foundation. The funds are raised at its gala event held each...

TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
September 4, 2006... SEPTEMBER 1-5 Maison & Objet Paris-Nord Villepinte Paris 011-33-158-071-800 (888) 522-5001 maison-objet.com 3-6 Autumn Fair Birmingham National Exhibition Center Birmingham, England springfair.com...

GRAMERCY MAKEOVER.(Gramercy Park Hotel)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Allison O'Rourke The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York recently experienced a rebirth, courtesy of entrepreneur Ian Schrager and artist Julian Schnabel. Together, the pair has created the "anti-brand" hotel, celebrating an individual...

WORKING WITHOUT A NET.(marketing of Pontiac G5 and Foster's Beer)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg What do the Pontiac G5 and Foster's Beer have in common with home furnishings products? Pretty much nothing. Yes, I know that cars and beer are very different than pots and pans or sheets and towels. Even...

IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING.(clocks)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard Many clock suppliers are turning to new retail channels, premium products and licensed designs to create demand and grow their business. The moves come just in time, as clock sales declined again in 2005 to $655...

ALL GROWN UP.(dorm room decor)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Parents and students shopping for bedding and bath products are finding that dorm room decor has grown up. Large, bright graphic prints that once adorned comforters and sheets and screamed "flashy"...

ARRELLE EXPANDS WEB SITE TO SHOWCASE AND SELL.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini CHICAGO-After 10 years of having a Web site that wasn't functional and failed to display its product assortment, Arrelle Fine Linens decided it was vital to invest time and money into making its site more...

MILLI INTRODUCES OUTDOOR FLOOR PILLOW LINE.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Milli Home has unveiled its first collection of outdoor floor pillows. The Somerset pillows, which feature lush, retro botanical prints in three colors, are water-resistant. "Everyone has been decorating indoors and now they have started to...

CCA GLOBAL PRESENTS FIRST LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO INDUSTRY LEADER BREWINGTON.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... CCA Global Partners presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to floor covering industry veteran Harold Brewington during its Global Summit in Denver last month. Brewington owns Carpet One Floor & Home, Flooring America and Lighting One...

ANNUAL FCIF GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL BENEFIT INDUSTRY MEMBERS.(Floor Covering Industry Foundation)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... CCA Global Partners is gearing up for its Fourth Annual FCIF Golf Tournament to raise funds for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation. The tournament will take place Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Marriott Evergreen Conference Resort near Atlanta....

SUMMIT SUCCESS.(Top Carpet and Tile)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Quail DENVER-The first CCA Global Partners Global Summit was viewed as a success by co-chairmen and co-chief executive officers Alan Greenberg and Howard Brodsky, who said they will consider a repeat performance. The...

BUDDHA OR BUST; THE RE-EMERGING ASIAN TREND MAKES CONSUMERS BRING HOME SOME ZEN.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Andrea Lillo NEW YORK-To counter daily news reports of wars and the stress of work and family life, many people have incorporated meditative and Zen elements into their homes to create a comforting haven. With the re-emergence of...

ART STUDENTS SHARE EXPERTISE.(Accessories Resource Team)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer SEDONA, Ariz.-Set against the backdrop of the red rock Boynton Canyon here, attendees at the 14th ART Conference discovered the Seven Secrets of Sedona. The Accessories Resource Team drew a record 120 industry...

ROBB & STUCKY EXECUTIVE VP EXPLAINS STRATEGY FOR BUILDING LUXURY BRAND.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer SEDONA, Ariz.-Mary Wilson, executive vice president of advertising and marketing for Robb & Stucky, outlined her experience and challenges in branding as company executives take this regional luxury interior design and...

PRIMITIVE AND NATURAL ARE SHAPES OF THINGS TO COME IN ACCENTS.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Andrea Lillo NEW YORK-People will return to their roots this fall, so to speak, as the trend for decorative products is markedly primitive and natural in shapes and materials, a recent survey of retailers' Web sites and catalogs...

MADE TO ORDER.(monogramming tableware)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-It pays to personalize. Monogrammed dinnerware, which taps into a wider trend toward personalized anything, is proving to be a profitable business for small, nimble manufacturers, as well as the...

MORE COMPANIES FIND NET BENEFITS OF BETTER SITES.(web sites)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko NEW YORK-A handful of tabletop vendors have recently overhauled or unveiled their Web sites in an effort to hone their brand images and strengthen their marketing capabilities. Among them are Oneida, the Zrike Co.,...

SWAROVSKI SPARKLES FOR TV, FILM.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Architectural Digest and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently saluted the 2006 Primetime Emmy Award nominees for Outstanding Art Direction with an intimate cocktail reception held at the A+D Architecture & Design Museum in Los...

SONIC BOOM.(toothbrushes)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-Both Oral-B and Philips Sonicare are launching sonic toothbrushes at very low price points, taking aim at new audiences. The Philips Sonicare Xtreme e3000, which was introduced this month and retails for...

NPD REPORT: ROOM TO IMPROVE COFFEE PODS.
September 4, 2006... PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.-Coffee pod machines are gradually making their way into consumers' kitchens, but they are not winning the hearts of users-yet, according to a survey from The NPD Group. The survey found that some pod customers are...

DRAWER DISHWASHERS A NICE FIT FOR RETAILERS, CONSUMERS.(Fisher & Paykel)(Viking Range Corp.)(Electrolux AB)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick NEW YORK-The drawer dishwasher category is growing as numerous companies are attracted to its higher price points. This high-end, design-driven dishwasher arena is currently cornered by two luxe brands,...

ROBB & STUCKY TO ADD CULINARY CENTERS IN FLA.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.-Based on the success of Robb & Stucky Casual Living/Outdoor Store's KitchenAid Culinary Center here, the luxury home furnishings retailer plans by early 2007 to roll out the format in two more...

RESTORATION HARDWARE 'LOGS DOUBLE-DIGIT PROFIT IN Q2.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick CORTE MADERA, Calif.-It's all in the books for Restoration Hardware. The home furnishings specialist has its catalog business to thank in part for its double-digit sales gain and profit for the recent...

THE COSTUMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer Creative types strutted their stuff at the recent Accessories Resource Team's ART Conference at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz. The social highlight of the weekend was the Crystal Ball, an enchanted evening of...

MACY'S EXECS: WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO HOME.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Macy's home business, newly strengthened by the extreme makeover of more than 400 stores and the platform of an iconic national brand, is on the mend, according to company executives Janet Grove and Tim Adams...

AIN'T THAT A SHAME: SURVEY SAYS NAME GAME JUST ISN'T THE SAME.(Consumer brand preferences)
September 11, 2006... NEW YORK-It's a classic chicken-and-egg situation: Do brands matter less in buying home furnishings because there are fewer brands, or are there fewer brands in home because they matter less? To brand or not to brand, that is the question....

HFN HOME PAGE.
September 11, 2006... A LOOK AHEAD The Gifts & Home Products China Sourcing Fair will be held at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from Oct. 19 to 22. Stanley Furniture will report third-quarter earnings on Oct. 24. Ethan Allen Interiors will report...

PANTONE SET TO LAUNCH PAINT BRAND.
September 11, 2006... CARLSTADT, N.J.-For years, people have been using the Pantone color system to pick paint colors. Starting this month, they can do it with Pantone-branded paint. Pantone Inc. is linking up with high-end paint producer Fine Paints of Europe...

WESTPOINT HOME CLOSING LAST U.S. WEAVING UNITS.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... NEW YORK-And then there were none. Just three months after rival textiles mill Springs Global announced it was closing its remaining U.S. weaving facilities, WestPoint Home confirmed last week it will do the same, shutting down its last...

QUICK TAKES.(J.C. Penney Corporation Inc's contract with Saatchi and Saatchi)(National Stationery Show)(Phillip Haney appointed at Lexington Home Brands Inc.)
September 11, 2006... Retail J.C. PENNEY has named Saatchi & Saatchi its new advertising agency of record, effective Dec. 1. The partnership reflects one facet of the midmarket chain's long-range growth plans and mantra to forge an emotional connection with its...

FEDERATED ROLLS OUT MASSIVE MACY'S AD PUSH.
September 11, 2006... Macy's is ready for its closeup. Last week, Federated Department Stores rolled out the largest ad campaign in the company's history to relaunch the Macy's brand. The campaign marks the conversion of the more than 400 May Department Stores...

THE IDIOT WIND.(business conditions)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg You may not need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but we sure could use an economist to figure what in the world is going on with business conditions. Are you as confused about the state of things...

THE NAME DOESN'T SAY IT ALL FOR HOME SHOPPERS.(Survey conducted in October 2005 by the NPD Group)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Nathan Weber NEW YORK-Brand, it appears, has assumed a central importance in the minds of consumers. Well, maybe not all consumers, or at least not among most of those shopping for furniture, housewares and textiles. In an...

TABLETOP REPORT.
September 11, 2006... Another year of flat sales, but plastic provides a bright spot. Acquisitions, bankruptcy filings and management changes underline the industry's struggles. Licensing activity heats up.

CHANGING THE TABLE.(growth in tableware industry)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor Although HFN's State of the Industry numbers may not show it, the tabletop category was a busy one last year. While growth in the category as a whole was virtually flat, with less than a half percent increase in...

TABLED GROWTH.(tabletop sales)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Carla Webb O'Connor Flat was the word in tabletop last year. As many of the same issues that have affected the category over the past several years carried over into 2005, the category continued to struggle to gain ground....

DIRECTORY.(Directory)
September 11, 2006... Abbiamo Tutto P.O. Box 6624 McLean, Va. 22106-6624 PHONE: (703) 790-0172 CONTACT: Donna Marie Territo, president Alco Industries 111 Melrich Road Cranbury, N.J. 08512 PHONE: (609) 495-2300 CONTACT:...

MORE THAN CASUAL ACQUAINTANCES.(casual tableware)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Allison Zisko It wasn't that long ago that casual dinnerware was considered the secondary story in tabletop. The upstairs department, with its lucrative bridal business, was the key to the category. Casual offerings were a bit of...

RUN FOR COVERS.(growing market for throws)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-The throw, the blanket's smaller sidekick, is expected to pick up sales speed and be a strong seller in the upcoming fall and winter seasons, suppliers said. The throw business was in a slump for...

COMFORTEX EYES THE ENVIRONMENT WITH LATEST PLAN.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini MAPLEWOOD, N.Y.-Comfortex Window Fashions, a manufacturer and fabricator of custom window treatments, has launched a companywide program that is focused on reducing waste, reusing materials and recycling. The...

POISED FOR GROWTH.(CCA Global Partners Inc.)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Quail ST. LOUIS-The first franchise location for The Floor Trader, the latest retail concept to come from CCA Global Partners, is up and running in Hiawatha, Iowa, and another 20 locations across the United States are...

EMMA GARDNER UNVEILS NEW INVENTORY PLAN.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Quail LITCHFIELD, Conn.-Emma Gardner Design has made the move to inventoried options with its Curio area rug. Curio was introduced at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in May and was met with such wide...

THE CASUAL FURNITURE MARKET'S SET TO BLOW INTO THE WINDY CITY.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Allison O'Rourke CHICAGO-More than 300 manufacturers will turn out this year to showcase various selections of indoor and outdoor furniture, as well as garden accessories, at the 28th edition of the International Casual Furniture...

TRADE SHOWS, SHIPMENTS HOT TOPICS AT ART CONFERENCE.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer SEDONA, Ariz.-A crowded trade show calendar, late shipments and communication breakdowns were just some of the frustrations shared by retail panelists at the recent 14th ART Conference here, sponsored by the Accessories...

TREND EXPERT: CONTRADICTION CAN BE KEY TO BETTER BUSINESS.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer SEDONA, Ariz.-The American consumer is full of contradictions, which can make trend tracking incredibly complex. But trendspotters need to live with contradictions, make the most of inconsistencies and embrace...

STUDY: AMERICANS SPENDING MORE TO DECORATE THEIR WALLS.
September 11, 2006... NEW YORK-Americans are spending more money to decorate their walls, according to the latest study on art and wall decoration by Unity Marketing, a market research firm based in Stevens, Pa. The total market for wall decor, including picture...

THE CARTRIDGE FAMILY.(Trends in coffeemakers)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Jennifer White NEW YORK-Don't confuse all single-serve coffee machines with pod brewers. That's the message Keurig executives wants to get across. They want to refute the assumption that there's zero growth in the single-serve...

MAUVIEL, RSLE SPONSOR WEIR COOKING SHOW.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... NEW CASTLE, Del.-Mauviel, the French copper cookware company, and Rsle, the German stainless-steel kitchen tool manufacturer, join the list of sponsors of "Joanne Weir's Cooking Class," a brand new 26-part cooking series featuring cooking...

KAISER BAKEWARE RECEIVES CONSUMERS DIGEST AWARD.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... INDIAN TRAIL, N.C.-Kaiser Bakeware's La Forme Cookie Pan received the Consumers Digest Best Buy Award for excellence. According to results published in the September/October 2006 issue of Consumers Digest magazine, Kaiser's La Forme's...

HSN'S SHOW OF LOVE.(Home Shopping Network)(Television program review)
September 11, 2006... ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-A new cookware line from chef Tim Love makes its debut on the Home Shopping Network. The cast-iron cookware line, The Cottage Collection by Tim Love, is manufactured by Outset, a maker of barbecue and barware...

WILLIAMS-SONOMA GETS BACK INTO THE GREEN OF THINGS.
September 11, 2006... An e-mail alert from Williams-Sonoma drew attention to the return of Sonoma Green, a color developed for its Le Creuset Cookware. The color is found on new Dutch ovens, bistro pans and cookware sets from Le Creuset, as well as a new KitchenAid...

REPORT: COMPARISON SHOPPING SKYROCKETS FOR WHITE GOODS ONLINE.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick LOS ANGELES-Major appliance comparison shopping is no longer a store-to-store process, as consumers are swarming the Web to price-shop white goods. Price comparison Web site Pricegrabber.com, in a report...

NECO EXPECTS RECORD EXHIBITOR COUNT AT LATEST EDITION OF ITS ANNUAL FALL EXPO.(NECO's Fall EXPO X)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick MASHANUCKET, Conn.-An anticipated record crowd of exhibitors at NECO's Fall EXPO X from Sept. 18 to 19 at Foxwoods Resort & Casino here is proof of growth in the independent major appliance dealer channel, according...

MAYTAG MAKES FIRST PRODUCT LAUNCH SINCE BEING ACQUIRED BY WHIRLPOOL.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick BENTON HARBOR, Mich.-Maytag is gearing up for the launch of a new front-load laundry line-its first product introduction since being acquired by Whirlpool earlier this year. Maytag's Epic front-load washers and...

REPORT: NEW CASH, PRODUCTS COULD GET PIER 1 BACK ON TRACK.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick FORT WORTH, Texas-A few extra bucks and a return to its import style with differentiation could help Pier 1 Imports' suffering top and bottom lines, according to a Wedbush Morgan Securities report. The retailer...

SLIP IN CREDIT INDEX FOR AUGUST POINTS TO SOFT RETAIL SALES.(Manufacturing Credit Manager's Index)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick COLUMBIA, Md.-A slipping Manufacturing Credit Manager's Index in August pointed to sluggish retail sales and foretold slowing economic growth. The National Association of Credit Manager's Manufacturing Credit...

RETAIL EXECS OUTLINE STRATEGIES AT GOLDMAN SACHS CONFERENCE.(Annual Global Retail Conference)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer, Michael Rudnick and Barbara Thau NEW YORK-Kohl's is adding more higher-end home lines-such as the upcoming Vera Wang collection-to reach more contemporary shoppers, while Williams-Sonoma is testing a Pottery Barn gifts...

A GRANGE OF EMOTIONS.(Grange Furniture showroom)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Nancy Meyer Friends of Valerie Moran gathered in the Grange Furniture showroom in New York to bid the CEO a grand farewell after 21 years at the helm. Moran joins B&B Italia at the end of September as chairman of North and South...

BUDDHA OR BUST; THE RE-EMERGING ASIAN TREND MAKES CONSUMERS BRING HOME SOME ZEN.(home decor)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Andrea Lillo NEW YORK-To counter daily news reports of wars and the stress of work and family life, many people have incorporated meditative and Zen elements into their homes to create a comforting haven. With the re-emergence of...

HOLIDAY TIME.(retailer selling Christmas season products)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... RETAILERS ARE CHIMING IN with new products for the Christmas selling season, such as the Black Forest Cuckoo Clock at the MoMA Store. Caption(s): The Black Forest Cuckoo Clock at the MoMA Store.

BLOOMIE'S WEARING IT WELL AT NEW HOME STORE.(Bloomingdale's Inc. opens new home furnishings store)
September 25, 2006... HACKENSACK, N.J.-Bloomingdale's cut the ribbon on its new Home & Furniture store here last Thursday, taking its display cues from fashion and its own freestanding home stores. In The Shops at Riverside here, Bloomingdale's home store has...

MAY INTO MACY'S: IT'S ALL OVER BUT THE SHOPPING.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-The surgery is complete. After months of clearing out merchandise, knocking down fixtures, trucking in new goods, putting up displays and stringing up fresh signs, the Filene's home store in the...

HOME PAGE.
September 25, 2006... A Look Ahead The cost of new residential construction in August will be released by the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau on Oct. 2. The third installment of America's Retail Idol will run in HFN on Oct. 9. Target Corp....

ROWE FURNITURE FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 PROTECTION.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... MCLEAN, Va.-Rowe Furniture, one of the largest domestic producers of sofas and chairs, announced last week that it has filed for voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code and will sell its retail subsidiary, Storehouse,...

WILLIAMS-SONOMA RINGS IN 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Williams-Sonoma Inc. founder Chuck Williams, center, and Howard Lester, chairman and chief executive officer, second from left, recently rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of the company's 50th anniversary. The...

GIFT FOR LIFE GALA MOVES TO JANUARY.(event planning)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... NEW YORK-The annual Gift for Life Gala, the gift, stationery and home decor industries' leading charitable organization, announced last week that it is moving to coincide with the New York International Gift Fair in January. The event had...

STEIN MART TAPS MOLL FOR TOP MERCHANT POST.(William Moll )(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-Stein Mart has named William Moll executive vice president and chief merchandising officer in a newly created position. Moll has served as the off-price department store chain's general merchandising manager for ladies'...

HOUSEKEEPINGCHANNEL.COM OFFERS A CLEAN ALTERNATIVE.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard BOISE, Idaho-Two years ago, Allen Rathey decided he would rather write about cleaning and organization than actually doing it. Rathey, who had owned a professional industrial cleaning company for 20 years, had...

TIME FOR HOLIDAY.(Christmas business forecast)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Barbara Thau The leaves have not yet fallen from the trees, but Santa's already stuffing his bag with home goodies that retailers hope will ring up hefty fourth-quarter sales. Merchants from Sears to IKEA and Sam's Club are playing...

QUICK TAKES.
September 25, 2006... RETAIL PIER 1 IMPORTS will share confidential business and financial data with Danish retail magnate Jakup a Dul Jacobsen in connection with "a possible negotiated transaction with Pier 1," the company stated in a filing to the Securities...

PARALLEL UNIVERSES.(textile industry loosing market share)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Warren Shoulberg You read about it in the newspaper last week: an industry in total turmoil. American manufacturers rapidly losing market share to Asian competitors. Shutting down U.S. manufacturing facilities as fast as they...

THE FINANCIAL REPORT.
September 25, 2006... Low-cost home goods manufacturing has moved beyond Chinese shores and into other Asian countries like Vietnam as factoring firms follow with trade financing. Consumer financing is being tightened as interest rates climb. Retailers who can no...

SQUEEZED AT HOME; LONG-TERM FINANCING HAS INDEPENDENT STORES FEELING THE PRESSURE OF TIGHTER MARGINS.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick Rising interest rates have recently caused some retailers to tighten the reigns on long-term-financing zero-interest programs. As interest rates climb, home furnishings retailers seeking to preserve margins are...

ASIA'S IMPACT.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Michael Rudnick AS VIETNAMESE AND SOUTH KOREAN PRODUCTION develops and expands, U.S. importers and retailers are increasingly trading with suppliers in these markets, sparking the interest of U.S. factoring firms. In the past...

HOLLANDER EXITS THE TOP-OF-BED FASHION BUSINESS.(Hollander Home Fashions Inc. plans)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini BOCA RATON, Fla.-Hollander Home Fashions said last week that it would slowly exit the top-of-bed fashion bedding business. The departure means that Hollander will close its New York design office and trim five...

A NATURAL SELECTION.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Trends in the home textiles business are in one season and out the next, but the organic/natural movement that emerged in home about two years ago is showing some staying power. U.S. sales of organic...

RACHEL ASHWELL SPREADS SHABBY CHIC IN U.S., ABROAD.(Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell plans to launch more stores)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic plans to open 50 new stores in the United States and key international markets in the next five years. The company, which was founded by designer Rachel Ashwell in 1989,...

HUNTER DOUGLAS SHEDS LIGHT ON STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECT.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Byline: Rosamaria Mancini NEW YORK-Window covering giant Hunter Douglas sponsored a light research studio for students at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn, N.Y. Eight Pratt students explored the light-enhancing...