Home Accents Today articles from February 2009

Home Accents Today archives from February 2009

Feel-good fun: Redesigning value for 2009.
February 1, 2009... By Tara Riceberg How do we keep going in this new age? The answer is simple. We need to face fear and embrace change. I call it jumping when you try something new. But change doesn't have to be drastic -- it can be a little tweak. It can...

Turn Web visitors into paying customers.
February 1, 2009... Penny Schneck So you have a Web site. Now what? In these economic times, don't underutilize an existing channel that can generate sales and build customer loyalty. An important key to an effective Web site is its usability. Web site...

Our commitment to you.(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... Jenny Heinzen York Well, 2009 has not exactly gotten off to a great start. At the four markets I attended last month, traffic was generally slow to just OK not as bad as it could have been, but far from great. Buyers were placing...

New Products.
February 1, 2009... Copy written by Tracy Bulla, Angela Heck and Lindsey Strader. Home Accents Today is offering an inside look at the most recent product designs to hit the various winter markets from more than 190 vendors. The following pages include an...

Palecek names Van Ess new president.
February 1, 2009... Staff George Van Ess has been named president of home furnishings producer Palecek. Allan Palecek will remain CEO and continue to focus on creating Palecek's signature designs. Van Ess has been with Palecek for more than 17 years,...

Rug vendors honored in Atlanta.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Staff Several rug manufacturers were honored by the area rug industry at the 2009 America's Magnificent Carpets Awards event during the January Atlanta market. The awards, the signature event of the Atlanta International Area Rug...

Vendors increasingly look to Internet to do business.
February 1, 2009... By Jenny Heinzen York The Internet continues to be a growing force in the home accents industry, as more retailers are getting on board and learning the benefits of being able to do business with their vendors online. Mark Moussa,...

20th Annual ARTS Awards winners announced.(Murray Feiss of Generation Brands)(Bill Winsor and Cindy Morris of Dallas Market Center Company Ltd.)(Harvey Hollingsworth of Natural Light Inc.)
February 1, 2009... Staff Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team announced the winners of the 20th annual ARTS Awards at a gala event during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market last month. Awards were presented in 25 categories and...

Store Openings.
February 1, 2009... Susan Dickenson Charlottesville, Va. -- The Monticello Museum Shop at the new 42,000-sq.-ft. Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center opened to visitors in November. The shop features an expanded collection of books, home decor, gourmet food...

Home accents retailers discuss their sales year just ended, expectations and plans for 2009.
February 1, 2009... Compiled by Susan Dickenson This is a hot topic for me. I think the media has exacerbated the current economic conditions -- too often, people are defeatists and give up too fast. Good businesses can do well in bad environments. We not...

Best in Show.
February 1, 2009... By Susan Dickenson Sarasota, Fla., retailer John Murse's award-winning retail formula is based on 25% accessories,75% area rugs, and 100% passion for product. When John Murse's store, Rugs as Art, was selected by Americasmart rug...

Modern Exotics.
February 1, 2009... Tracy Bulla In an intriguing combination, city chic marries foreign flavor with a punch of ethnic spice. Natural materials, artisan-inspired craftsmanship and streamlined silhouettes give rise to an exceedingly slick and stylish brand of...

Retail Rx: Who's surviving, and how?(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... Susan Dickenson, Retail Editor When one of my Google Alerts delivered a headline about Retail Health Clinics to my desktop the other day, I thought, "Oh, great -- walk-in consulting clinics for failing retailers!" Nope. Wrong kind of...

Cool combo.
February 1, 2009... Lindsey Strader Palettes of serene blue and organic green set the table in high-style this season and have tabletop designs looking ever fresh. Although this trend-right duo exudes cool undertones, the patterns and designs created are...

Lasting impressions.
February 1, 2009... Lindsey Strader Plates, serveware and glassware flaunt pattern-bedecked surfaces full of irresistible texture and depth, bringing a dollop of flair to the table this season. Designers draw inspiration from a variety of sources including...

Eccentric Art.
February 1, 2009... Lindsey Strader Wall decor delves into the realm of three-dimensional formations with abstract being the key focal style. These intriguing designs demand an outside-the-box mentality, allowing creativity to flow freely. Materials vary from...

Nature's touch.
February 1, 2009... Lindsey Strader Signs of nature imprint wall decor designs with timeless elegance this season. Look for silhouettes of winter's bare branches or lush, tropical renderings of bamboo to offer an organic ode to mother earth.

Looking-glass class.
February 1, 2009... Lindsey Strader Mirrors line the wall of fame reflecting styles ranging from classic to ultra-hip. No two are quite alike with numerous shapes and materials to choose from. Some are coated in flashy gold, while others venture on the wild...

Wall decor sales forecasted to grow.
February 1, 2009... By Daphne Garland-McLean Wall decor sales are expected to climb by double digits over the next five years according to the latest projections by New York-based Easy Analytic Software Inc. If estimates by EASI statisticians hold true, wall...