Home Textiles Today articles from August 2003

Home Textiles Today archives from August 2003

Pillowtex begins wind down: Suppliers dash to fill marketplace void.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Up for grabs and fiercely contested, as Pillowtex winds down its business and prepares to slam the doors shut on its century-old operations, are a sheet and towel business worth about $675 million in 2002--much of which may now move...

Pillow begins wind down: clock ticks for retail picks.(Pillowtex liquidation)
August 11, 2003... KANNAPOLIS -- While many retailers would like to see Pillowtex's brands survive, they acknowledge the denouement of the company's liquidation needs to take place swiftly. Shelf space for the nearly $1 billion in private label and branded...

Latina Thalia bows big.(licensed Kmart coordinates marketed to Hispanic customers)
August 11, 2003... MIAMI -- Hoping to build on the significance of its steadily growing urban Hispanic customer base Kmart's top executives came here last week to unveil the chain's newest collection of about 400 skus of apparel, accessories, bedding and bath...

'03 is B-blanket bummer.(beach towels)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- For the beach towel category, the summer of 2003 was all wet --literally. Unusually cold and rainy weather throughout the nation rendered this one of the weakest summer selling seasons ever--with retail sales off from 8 to 10...

Croscill rocks into solid color towels.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Croscill is leaping into new territory, launching its first open solid color towel line and rolling out a "basics" line of open stock comforters, blankets, coverlets and decorative pillows to complement its solid color sheet line....

Hanover Direct shifts responsibilities.(Retail briefs)(executive appointments)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Hanover Direct will not fill the positions of chief merchandising officer for The Company Store division and president of Domestications, both of which had been held by Farley Nachemin. Nachemin recently joined Bed Bath & Beyond. Instead,...

Sears appoints trio to oversee Lands' End.(Retail briefs)(Mindy Meads, Lee Eisenberg, Dennis Honan)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Mindy Meads, Lee Eisenberg and Dennis Honan will oversee Lands' End following the resignation of David Dyer as president and ceo on Aug. 4. Dyer, who also served as executive vp and general manager of Sears Direct as well as The Great Indoors...

Fred's realigns responsibilities.(Retail briefs)(executive appointments)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Fred's has promoted Charlie Brunjes to executive vp/gmm, overseeing all merchandising for the 486-store general merchandise chain. Keith Curtis has been named executive vp of store operations. Charlie Michael was named senior vp/dmm hardlines....

Home Depot promotes merchants.(Retail briefs)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... The Home Depot has promoted Bill Lennie to senior vp, decor, and Craig Menear to senior vp, hard lines. It also added merchandising to the current marketing duties of John Costello, who is now evp, merchandising and marketing. The moves came...

Lillian Vernon names new chief merchant.(Retail briefs)(Alyce Goodman)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Alyce Goodman has been named evp and chief merchandising officer at Lillian Vernon Corp., where she will be responsible for all merchandising, product development, sourcing and creative services. She replaces Lina LoRusso, who left the company...

SanFilippo joins HTT.(Michele SanFilippo)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Michele SanFilippo has joined the staff of HTT as a product editor covering bed and bath. Previously, she served as director of communications for Travelsavers, an international travel marketing consortium in Oyster Bay, NY,...

Countdown to Pillowtex sell-off.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- By just about this time next month, Pillowtex's dismantling will be ready to begin in earnest, if everything goes according to plans filed with the U.S. bankruptcy court. Those proposals, still subject to an Aug. 20 hearing,...

Ikea gets in touch with its softer side.(New Jersey store places emphasis on home textiles)
August 11, 2003... CONSHOCKEN, PA -- The new Ikea store in Paramus, N J, that opened 12 days ago reflects the company's renewed emphasis on home textiles, both in merchandise and presentation. "Our biggest in-store change is in home textiles," said Ian...

Merchants: 'everything must go ... now.'.(sales data, various retailers)(Illustration)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Clearance was the word of the month, as retailers tried to clear out inventory to prepare for the fall and Back-to-School season. However. the month proved to be a mixed bag as some companies were pleased by the results of the...

JCPenney launch goes Madden.(Chris Madden named spokeswoman for JCPenney Home collection)
August 11, 2003... PLANO, TX ,-- In what is called a "strategic collaborative alliance," home furnishings design guru Chris Madden has signed on as the national spokeswoman for the billion-dollar-plus JCPenney Home collection brand. Madden, in addition to...

Rachel gets out in front of Shabby Chic.(Rachel Ashwell)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Shabby Chic has incorporated a new push behind its designer Rachel Ashwell, as well as a new logo. "I want my voice to be out there more now," Ashwell said. "It needs to come to the forefront." Formerly called Shabby Chic...

Joan Fabrics restructures, focuses on marketing.
August 11, 2003... TYNGSBORO, MA--Joan Fabrics, the country's largest home furnishings fabric mill with more than $500 million in 2002 revenues, has reorganized its various divisions into sales, marketing/design and manufacturing functions. In what Elkin...

Old partners team up at Heritage to grab share.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- The teacher and the student are back together. Bob Woodcock, most recently president of the defunct fabric converter Lanscot Arlen, last month joined up with Tom Hilb, owner of Heritage House Fabrics. In 1961 Woodcock went to...

Waters promoted at Cranston Print Works.(Nona Waters at Cranston Print Works.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... CRANSTON, RI -- Nona Waters has been promoted to stylist in the New York design studio Of Cranston Print Works. Waters, a 25-year veteran of Cranston, reports to Lynne Jordan, design director of the New York Studio. In the design...

White goods rivals clean up quickly.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- Scrambling fast to pick up the pieces and expand their own sales and market share, basic bedding producers have started to divvy up what's left of Pillowtex's $250 million basic bedding business. The payoff could be...

Seeing promise in orphaned bath rugs.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- At roughly $47 million in 2002 sales, bath rugs was perhaps the smallest Pillowtex product franchise, but a handful of other producers is working hard to find a way to call that business their own. Dalton, GA-based Shaw Rugs...

Retailers are suddenly just a little bit nicer.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- One entirely unexpected, but nonetheless welcome, impact of the liquidation of Pillowtex may be the emergence of a kinder, gentler retailer, with more time to talk and less of an inclination to beat a supplier up for markdown money....

The next chapter.(The New York Home Textiles Market.)(Column)
August 11, 2003... By the time the New York Home Textiles Market gets under way in 38 days, the consortium of liquidators doing business as GGST LLC will have already concluded its acquisition of Pillowtex's assets and flipped them to a new owner or owners. ...

An interesting yarn.(The Yarn Fair.)
August 11, 2003... It was small but full of good stuff. It being the Yarn Fair held in New York late in July. And since fiber and yarn are where the whole fabric thing begins, it was a chance to see well in advance what fabric trends are evolving. First...

P/Kaufmann merges three divisions under Braemore.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- P/Kaufmann Inc. has folded three of its four decorative fabric divisions into one unit that will operate under the Braemore nameplate. P/Kaufmann will continue as a separate decorative fabric supplier, according to Ron...

Job future doubts put crimp in outlook.
August 11, 2003... NEW YORK -- After holding steady in June, consumer confidence stumbled and fell during July, tripped up by a worsening jobs outlook, falling by 8.3 percent to a level of 76.6, down from 83.5 the prior month. "The rising level of...

Textiles take pounding in July.
August 11, 2003... WASHINGTON -- As textiles production migrates offshore at a rapid rate, the domestic textiles industry lost 8,900 jobs in July, the third-highest monthly total ever, the American Textiles Manufacturers Institute reported. And that doesn't...

Same-stores end July on an uptick.
August 11, 2003... * Exceed target for first time since last November NEW YORK -- With sales for most of the nation's big discounters running at or ahead of plan, and helped by a tax-free holiday in seven states, same-store retail sales for July perked up by...

Pillowtex advert team forms own business.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... DALLAS -- The members of Pillowtex's advertising department have launched their own business, AdTex Advertising, which will target home textiles accounts. DJ Adams, former Pillowtex advertising manager, is president. Christi Adams, former...

Bill Coffey retires.(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... SHELTON, CT -- Latex Foam International chairman Bill Coffey retired during the company's recent annual shareholders meeting. An industry pioneer with more than 50 years in the latex foam and rubber products business, Coffey began his...

Midwest Textile Assn. finalizing golf outing.(People Today)
August 11, 2003... COLUMBUS, OH -- Final preparations are being made for the 14th Annual Midwest Textile Association's Charity Golf Outing to be held this year on Sept. 8th at The Golf Club of Dublin, Dublin, OH. Originally founded on the principal of helping...

Smith Capel, 39, died suddenly in India.(People Today)(Obituary)
August 11, 2003... RALEIGH, NC -- J. Smith Capel Jr., 39, passed away while on a business trip in India earlier this month. He was director of imports and overseas business for Capel Inc. and had served in that position since 1985. He was a member of the...

Sadinoff scion steps up.(People Today)(Jonathon Sadinoff appointed executive vp at Beacon Looms)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... TEANECK, NJ -- Jonathon Sadinoff has been named executive vp at Beacon Looms. The company's marketing, merchandising, sourcing and product development groups now report to Sadinoff. Included are Beacon's window, bedding, shower curtain and...

Ruttenberg promoted.(People Today)(Lance Ruttenberg promoted to executive vp at American Textile Co.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... DUQUESNE, PA -- The American Textile Company has promoted Lance Ruttenberg to executive vp and vp of operations. He also will become a member of the company's executive committee. Ruttenberg was responsible for initiating a lengthy search...

Webster joins Target.(People Today)(Nancy Webster appointed vp)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Springs design chief Nancy Webster has joined Target Corp. as vp of trend design & corp. In June, Webster exited Springs Industries, where she had been senior vp of creative development. Webster joined Springs in 1998...

Wall Street watch for the week ended August 7, 2003.(Business Today)(stock prices, various retailers and manufacturers)(Illustration)
August 11, 2003... WALL STREET WATCH FOR THE WEEK ENDED AUGUST 7, 2003 HTT Stock Index * 2451.47 +0.76% Dow Jones Industrials 9126.45 -1.16% NASDAQ Industrial 1652.21 -4.78% S&P 500 974.12 -1.63%...

Editor's notes.(bringing joy to a child's shopping experience)(Editorial)
August 11, 2003... At the Kids Today conference in June, noted child psychologist and consumer researcher Langbourne Rust said something in his presentation that's really stuck with me. He said that while young children may not directly influence sales of...

Exclusive report: kids retail giants.(By the Numbers)(rankings)(Illustration)
August 11, 2003... High Point--The top 20 kids retailers sold $9.4 billion in kids home furnishings last year, a 4.3% increase over 2001's $9.0 billion. The top 20 sold kids merchandise through 11,000 retail units, catalogs and e-commerce sites. The top 20's...

Prestige finds success with 'baby' characters.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- Toy manufacturer Prestige has great expectations for its newest addition to the baby family--Baby Hello Kitty. Randi Gershin, national sales manager for the company, said it has also found recent success with its Baby Snoopy...

RC2 making new John Deere products.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Bolingbrook, Ill. -- RC2 Corporation, parent company of Learning Curve, is expanding its line of John Deere licensed products to include additional ride-on products as well as a new line of John Deere FeltKids. The company has made...

Scholastic adding 'Clifford's Puppy Days'.(Licensing)(Scholastic Entertainment expects numerous licensing opportunities from new animated TV series)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- Scholastic Entertainment Will expand on its successful Clifford The Big Red Dog brand this fall with a new animated TV series, "Clifford's Puppy Days," debuting in September on PBS Kids. "Clifford's Puppy Days" follows Clifford...

Blue Jean Teddy expanding product range.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Canoga Park, Calif. -- Several new companies, including gift giant Applause, have signed on as licensees for Blue Jean Teddy, the Americana bear dressed in denim that had its genesis as a Springs infant bedding collection. Applause will be...

Two Red Shoes looking for licensors.(Licensing)
August 11, 2003... Lake Oswego, Oregon -- Artist tephanie Bauer of Two Red Shoes is ready to license her whimsical animal paintings to youth-related companies for children's and infant room decor. Disney has recently licensed several images for its Baby...

Fun Rugs offering Olive Kids line.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Marlborough, N.H. -- Olive Kids, a licensed brand for juvenile-themed designs, and Fun Rugs, a producer of cotton and acrylic printed and woven rugs, will launch a line of hand-hooked rectangular and shaped printed nylon rugs and high/low-pile...

TeaSeaCo producing 'Guess How Much I Love You' line.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- Children's accessory manufacturer TeaSeaCo is producing a new line of licensed small furniture items based on the children's book "Guess How Much I Love You." The pieces, under license from RJM Licensing, add to a growing list...

Engelbreit to debut on infant line at Mervyn's.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... St. Louis -- Children's book illustrator and artist Mary Engelbreit has partner with Mervyn's to create an exclusive line of baby items for the retailer. The collection will feature Engelbreit's Lamby and Doggy characters, and will include...

Dolly making Boyds Bears decor.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Tipp City, Ohio -- Infant bedding manufacturer Dolly has teamed up with Boyds Bears to manufacture a line of licensed nursery bedding and decor featuring the Americana-style bears. The two newest collections are exclusives for Babies "R" Us and...

United Media representing Arthur.(Licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- United Media has partnered with Marc Brown Studios to represent the global rights to children's television show Arthur, including all licensing sales and brand management. The company said licensing and promotional opportunities...

United Media promotes Helene Gordon to vice president, sales.(People in licensing)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- United Media has promoted Helene Gordon to vice president of sales. Cordon took over the helm of United Media's domestic sales department last June. With more than 16 years experience in the licensing industry, she manages the...

Wildflower Group adds new vice president of operations.(People in licensing)(Jeanne Perry )(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- The Wildflower Group has named Jeanne Perry to the post of vice president of operations. She reports directly to the company's founding partners and principals, Michael Carlisle and Fred R. Paprin. Perry is charged with...

Warner Bros. promotes Antonioni to vice president.(People in licensing)(Gustavo Antonioni)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Burbank, Calif. -- Gustavo Antonioni has been promoted to vice president of retail business development, creative and brand assurance, Europe, Middle East and Africa for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Overseeing retail business...

4Kids taps Saah as director of sales, marketing.(People in licensing)(Nadia Saah joins 4Kids Entertainment Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- 4Kids Entertainment has named Nadia Saah as director of marketing and sales. Saah will spearhead licensing and brand-building efforts of several of the agency's popular properties. Saah was previously the director of...

Little Tikes wins master toy license for 'Caillou'.(Licensing)(from Cinar Corp.)
August 11, 2003... New York -- Little Tikes has been named master toy licensee for Cinar Corporation's preschool television show "Caillou." The partnership marks Little Tikes' first foray into the character-licensing arena, and the company will offer a soft...

Ikea opens N.J. store with new kids focus.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Paramus, N.J. -- Ikea opened a new store here on July 30--the third in the tri-state area--and showed many of the new children's products the company will focus on hi the coming year as part of its theme of "Living With Children." The...

Kideco makes U.S. debut at Atlanta gift market.(News Watch)
August 11, 2003... Atlanta -- Kideco made its U.S. debut at the Atlanta gift market here last month, showing a line of French organdy textiles and accent pieces as well as a new convertible loft bed. The textiles are available in six different collections,...

Smilze adds textiles to lineup.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Foley, Ala. -- Hand-painted youth furniture manufacturer Smilze has added textiles to its product mix, with coordinating sheet sets, towel sets and youth robes for each of its six collections now available. The company showed the new...

University Loft expands with Kittles.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Indianapolis -- After a retail launch last fall with Art Van Furniture, University Loft Company has now added another retailer to their mix--Indiana-based Kittles Home Furnishings. Bob Colin, a buyer for Kittles, said that initially there...

Rightsell debuts crib bedding line at gift fair.(News Watch)(Kelly B. Rightsell Designs)
August 11, 2003... Atlanta -- Artist Kelly B. Rightsell debuted a new line of crib bedding at the summer gift fair here, utilizing fabric from her new licensed fabric collection from Oakhurst Textiles together with other coordinating prints. The initial...

K.I.D.S. names Weinman new president.(People around the industry)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... New York -- The Kids In Distressed Situations board of directors has appointed Janice Weinman president of K.I.D.S. Weinman comes to the charity with an extensive background in administration, policy development, fund-raising and marketing...

Schaffer joins Baby's Dream as president, CEO.(People around the industry)(Michael Schaffer)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Buena Vista, Ga. -- Michael Schaffer has joined furniture manufacturer Baby's Dream as president and chief executive officer. Schaffer was previously vice president and chief marketing officer for Child Craft Industries, where he worked for...

Hasbro taps former McDonald's executive for board.(People around the industry)(Jack M. Greenberg)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Pawtucket, R.I. -- Hasbro has elected Jack M. Greenberg, former chairman and chief executive officer of McDonald's Corp., to the company's board of directors. "Jack Greenberg is a well respected business leader with a great deal of global...

L.A. Mart opening Temporaries floor in Jan.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Los Angeles -- The second floor of the L.A. Mart will house a new temporaries section starting in January at the Gift and Home Furnishings Market. Owned by Merchandise Mart Properties, the new Temporaries floor includes showrooms with...

Sweet Beginnings adds The House Collection with an eye toward value.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Atlanta -- Hand-painted furniture manufacturer Sweet Beginnings debuted a new line of furniture, dubbed The House Collection, at the gift market here last month. The items will have lower price point options than Sweet Beginnings' hand-painted...

Third generation going strong at Karl's: after 75 years, family business is a Philly institution.(Up Close)(Company Profile)
August 11, 2003... Philadelphia -- As a third-generation co-owner of an independent kids specialty store, Adam Richman knows what it means to earn and keep customers' trust. Karl's, the children's store his grandparents started 75 years ago, is in a historic...

Awesome offices: furniture producers find creative ways to offer study space for kids.(Up Close)
August 11, 2003... High Point--Everyone knows the three S's of youth bedroom: sleep, storage and study. Creating a comfortable environment for kids to do homework is often a big priority for parents--but finding the space for a study area in children's small...

Importing remains hot topic.(Kids Today Conference)
August 11, 2003... Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- The kids industry is no different than the home furnishings industry in that importing products is a volatile issue with major implications for the entire supply chain. At the Kids Today conference here, three...

Psychologist Acuff taps into kids brains.(Kids Today Conference)
August 11, 2003... Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- The needs, perceptions, abilities and wants of children can shift dramatically from stage to stage developmentally, and it is key for retailers and manufacturers to understand those, according to noted child...

Atlanta gift show: full slate of colorful kids items at summer gift market.(Show Biz)
August 11, 2003... Atlanta -- The International Gift & Home Furnishings Market here in July offered a plethora of new items in children's gifts, textiles and home accessories. Hand-painted items made a splash in everything from beds to lamps to pillows and...

Tupelo promises values for youth market.(Show Biz)(toy, furniture product updates)(Brief Article)
August 11, 2003... Bean Bag Boys is showing three new animal-print beanbags with retail price points between $59 and $69. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These new wood glider rockers from Brooks Furniture feature a fully upholstered look and a channel back....

1st quarter retail results show uptick.(Departments)
August 11, 2003... High Point--More than half-six to be exact-of the retailers on Kids Today's first quarter 2003 retail report card charted a revenue increase, compared with first quarter of 2002 results. With rare exception, the profit picture was even better....

Furniture lamps & accessories textiles playthings gear.(Products on Parade)
August 11, 2003... Olive Kids has introduced a colorful line of kids clocks, including this cowboy version, to coordinate with its bedding lines. Retail is $19.99. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Paul Brent Studio Editions has released a new collection of...

WPS profits jammed.(WestPoint Stevens Inc., )
August 18, 2003... WEST POINT, GA -- WestPoint Stevens Inc., which last month sought Chapter 11 shelter from its creditors, recorded a second-quarter loss last week of $72.0 million, compared with a small year-before profit of $2.0 million. Its sales, most...

Penney Q2 breaks even.(J.C. Penney Co. )
August 18, 2003... PLANO, TX -- Helped by a continuing rebound in its department store and catalog business, J.C. Penney Co. recorded a break-even second quarter, improving on a year-ago loss of $6 million. Importantly, operating profits in the core retailing...

Rug market peace at hand.(Industry Overview)
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- Area rugs have been locked in an unrelenting market share war against broadloom for the floors of the nation's homes over the past decade as hard surface flooring steadily displaced carpeting, simultaneously spurring demand for...

It could have been much worse.(the blackout of 2003)
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- The biggest blackout ever to hit the US was one for the history books. But luckily for home textiles suppliers, it Won't linger as a painful memory to their pocketbooks. When the power surge struck the Northeast region of...

Jane Seymour in Saks coming out party.
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- Looking to bring the department store customer back to the department store, Saks Department Store Group formally introduced its first collection with actress Jane Seymour recently, with plans for the next installment for spring...

International demands push inventories higher.(Retail briefs)(Wal-Mart )(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Total inventories, including the international division, were up nine percent at Wal-Mart during the second quarter, far above the company's goal of growing its inventories at half the rate of its sales increase, which was 11.3 percent. ...

Martha KO'd in Kmart quarter.(Retail briefs)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Due to Kmart's bankruptcy and store closings, sales of Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart declined by 21 percent on a comp basis, and 38 percent on a total store basis, executives said during Martha Stewart Omnimedia's second quarter...

Nasdaq pulls plug on Odd Job listing.(Retail briefs)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Closeouter Odd Job Stores has been delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Market and is now trading on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol ODDJ. The 74-store regional retail company fell out of compliance with a requirement that it maintain a...

On the comeback, Sam's aids Wal-Mart.
August 18, 2003... BENTONVILLE, AR -- Helped by a turnaround in its Sam's Club warehouse business, and the continued rapid expansion of its international franchise, second-quarter profits at Wal-Mart Stores jumped up by 21.1 percent, to $2.4 billion from $2.0...

Crown Crafts broadens babies' role: Kids help drive top line results.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... GONZALEZ, LA -- Beefing up its margins while building sales, Crown Crafts Inc., slashed its first-quarter loss--its seasonally weakest quarter--by 85.1 percent, to a break-even deficit of $108,000 from a year-ago loss of $727,000. Sales at...

Crown Crafts broadens babies' role: brands, sourcing discussed.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... GONZALEZ, LA -- Crown Crafts is joining the great Asian migration. The company is now transitioning its sourcing contracts from Mexico to Asia, and has closed its Mexican manufacturing facility, Burgundy Interamerica, at a cost of $129,000,...

A gift for all: show pumps up hopes.(Industry Overview)
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- Though high-end manufacturers still feel somewhat insulated from the troubles of the economy, they see no reason not to seek other pockets of retail opportunity, especially since the number of retailers continues to shrink. At...

Credit, core biz push Target in Q2.
August 18, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Propped up by its rapidly growing and vastly profitable credit card business, along with its core Target stores, Target Corp. pushed second-quarter profits up by 4.1 percent, to $358 million from $344 million last year,...