Home Textiles Today articles from August 2007

Home Textiles Today archives from August 2007

Elrene Adds Window Treatments.
August 4, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral New York - After 75 years of serving up table linens and more recently, kitchen textiles as well, three-generation family rug supplier Elrene Home Fashions is opening a new window of opportunity this market with the...

Kmart's Program Not in Martha's Control.
August 4, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral New York - Stating that her company has "no control" over the breadth of Kmart's buys in its exclusive Martha Stewart Everyday program, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) president and ceo Susan Lyne said MSLO will...

Sunham Debuts Lacoste Home.
August 4, 2007... By Carole Sloan New York - The iconic Lacoste crocodile comes to home furnishings in the United States with the launch this week of Lacoste Home by Sunham Home Fashions, the licensee for bed and bath fashions in North America. The...

Welspun Flexing Global Sinews.
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - Welspun, the Mumbai, India-based producer of towels that entered the sheet market over the last two years, and more recently announced its entry into decorative bedding, is unveiling goods this market that reflect the...

High Country Linens Builds Up Team.(appointments)(Brief article)
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - Bedding supplier High Country Linens has added new members to its design and sales teams. Peter O'Keeffe has joined as design director.He previously had worked for WestPoint heading up Charisma design efforts.Prior...

Soft-Tex Debuts New Brands.
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - Bed pillow, mattress pad and memory foam producer Soft-Tex Manufacturing is launching two new brands during market week: I-Care and Earth Care; each brand was developed to deliver specific, highly requested consumer...

Vegas Market Sees Higher Demand.(Brief article)
August 4, 2007... By Staff Las Vegas - When building C opens next July, the 2.1 million square-foot structure will be the largest building to date on the World Market Center campus. But it won't hold that title for long. The fourth WMC unit, Building D,...

Ex-Cell Gets Pink for a Cause.(Ex-Cell Home Fashions Inc.)(Brief article)
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - Ex-Cell Home Fashions has teamed with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, creating for market a new collection of "pink products" in bath and table linen categories. Seven percent of the wholesale price of each...

July Comps Build Momentum.(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - Retailers staying on target during the third week of July with comparable store sales up 2.9%, the Johnson Redbook reported. Month-to-date, July was up 2.8% compared to July of last year, and up 0.5% over June, both...

Rug Price Hikes Loom.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Las Vegas - The weak dollar and higher material costs are pushing rug vendors to consider price hikes. Most will hold off until January.In January 2007 many instituted price hikes of about 5%. Bruce Hric, president of Capel,...

Off-Grid Business Out West.
August 4, 2007... By Jennifer Marks The big boys of retailing command so much market share and consume so much of our attention that it often comes as a shock to encounter the home textiles supplier determined to avoid selling major accounts. Or to meet the...

Stability Plus Vision.
August 4, 2007... By Carole Sloan This could well be a watershed market for the home textiles community. It could well be the crossroads for full-line and multi-divisional specialty stores to reallocate real estate and capital. We're looking at a wide...

Caldeira USA Opens Showroom.(Brief article)
August 4, 2007... By Staff New York - After making its New York market debut last February, decorative pillow, throw and window fashions manufacturer Caldeira USA has moved into a larger showroom in suite 508 at 261 Fifth Ave. The U.S. division of...

GTT International Readies Dorma London.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Riverside, Calif. - Home textiles importer and manufacturer GTT International has entered into a licensing agreement with The Dorma Group to launch a full line of bed coverings and home decor under the Dorma brand. The Dorma...

Mohawk Home Launches Woolrich Rugs.
August 4, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral New York - Woolrich, Raymond Waites and the great outdoors. These are the three headlining themes at Mohawk Home this market in the area and accent rug category. Woolrich takes center stage as Mohawk officially...

Bardwil Adds Accoutrements to Lenox.(Bardwil Linens)
August 4, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral New York - Bardwil Linens is further furnishing its popular Lenox-branded table linens program this market. The 97-year-old table linens supplier has created an embellished, mix-and-match assortment of tablecloths,...

Letter To The Editor.(Letter to the editor)
August 4, 2007... By Staff Not a Laughing Matter W hile we were pleased that HTT printed our "Letter to the Editor" in the July 9 edition (albeit edited), we were quite disturbed to see the inclusion of Alen York's cartoon and several incorrect...

Market Intros.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Bedding AUSSINO USA New York (212) 213-8838 Aussino offers new bedding ensembles including these five. Lily Pond, a tropical print on 200 cotton sateen, features lilies and exotic leaves. Coordinating sheets have...

cmi Catalog Showcases Rugs.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Pawtucket, R.I. - cmi (Colonial Mills, Inc.), a manufacturer of braided-texture area rugs and accessories, has produced a full-color, 52-page product catalog and a 16-page wholesale price list. "The photography in the catalog...

O'Farrell Joins Orian.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Anderson, S.C. - Looking to grow its business in Canada, Orian Rugs recently hired 30-year industry veteran Pat O'Farrell to the newly created position of Canadian sales manager. O'Farrell comes to Orian from Brooks...

Regal Fabrics Hires Tavares.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Middleton, Mass. - Gil Tavares has joined Regal Fabrics as vp, a new position. Tavares, a longtime Northeast sales representative for Quaker Fabric, reports to Regal president Steve Kahan and is based here. "We're thrilled to...

Show to Aid Fowler Textile Council.
August 4, 2007... By Staff Santa Monica, Calif. - Museum-quality antiques will join contemporary art at the 17th annual Los Angeles Asian and Tribal Art Show, to be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Nov. 10-11 in a benefit for the Fowler Textile...

DKNY Fashion Gets Fresh.
August 13, 2007... By Staff New York - Donna Karan Home is repositioning its DKNY Fashion line, making the components less complicated, shifting to sets, adding comforters and paring price points by roughly 30%. The new attitude is "fresh, young and...

Textiles Exhibitors Open to Optimism.
August 13, 2007... By Carole Sloan High-end Suppliers Seek New Accounts New York - Home textiles suppliers are looking for a good response at the New York Home Textiles Market Week that is held in conjunction with the International Gift Fair here this...

Calvin Klein Broadens Home Lines.(Calvin Klein Home Inc.)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... By Staff White Label Collection Adds Six New Beds New York - With volume in the Calvin Klein Collection ahead of 2006, Rudy Schmatz, chairman of Calvin Klein Home bed and bath, said the overall business is good. The company also...

After 95 Years, Still a Linens Pioneer.
August 13, 2007... By Brent Felgner West Palm Beach, Fla. - Sometime in late May or early June of 2004, a jet plane touched down at Palm Beach International Airport. A woman, an interior designer for the White House, deplaned, went directly to a waiting...

Home Textiles Sales Up, Profits Flat at GHCL.(Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... By Staff Gujarat, India - Dan River parent company GHCL recorded a quarterly profit after tax of Rs 31.55, or $7.8 million, nearly flat compared to Rs 31.05, or $7.7 million for the same period one year ago. (All Rs amounts are stated here...

Luxe Brands Debuts Malaika Bedlinens.
August 13, 2007... By Staff New York - Malaika Bedlinens, an Egyptian manufacturer of authentic Egyptian cotton bedding, previously only available in the U.K., Europe and the Middle East, is being launched this summer market to North American retailers by...

Retail Briefs.
August 13, 2007... By Staff Mystery Retailer's Loss Big Lots' Gain Staff National closeout retailer Big Lots recorded 2Q sales of $1.08 billion and posted a quite respectable 5.2% same store sales gain in July. Comps, the retailer said were...

WestPoint Home Losses Mount.
August 13, 2007... By Staff New York - Sales in 2007 at WestPoint Home are down by one-fifth from 2006, and operating losses are approaching $100 million, six months into the year. However, WestPoint's owners, led by financier Carl Icahn, said they are...

Home Strength Mixed in July.(Financial report)
August 13, 2007... By James Mammarella New York - Home furnishings departments showed mixed strength across the retail landscape in July, a month of uneven results among merchants. JCPenney clearly drubbed its department store rivals, with a sales...

Barington Capital Presses Dillard's.
August 13, 2007... By Staff Investor Seeks Strategy Changes by Retailer Little Rock, Ark. - The hunt is on for outside influence over 328-unit Southern regional department store chain Dillard's, as investment firm Barington Capital continued to press for...

Crown Crafts in Proxy Dustup.
August 13, 2007... By James Mammarella Gonzales, La. - In the latest give-and-take between infant and juvenile products manufacturer Crown Crafts Inc. and 14.6% shareholder Wynnefield Group, each party rolled out its own proxy pals as proof of broader...

July Comps Finish on High Note.(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 13, 2007... By Staff New York - Back-to-school and sales-tax holidays helped merchants finish the July retail month with a 3.2% comparable store sales gain in the fourth week, and up 2.9% for the month, just above the 2.8% goal, the Johnson Redbook...

Observations Around the Agora.
August 13, 2007... By Carole Sloan As markets go, the one that just concluded in New York was uneventful - which is good. No one is saying business is great, but there were no visible signs of retailers or suppliers tearing hankies to shreds. And for...

Wheel Turning in Retail Universe.
August 13, 2007... By Jennifer Marks Anybody else around here wondering if everything old may be new again? My association with this industry began seven years ago, give or take a few months. American mills were king, although we didn't realize at the...

Revere Augments Bath Lines.
August 13, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Bath Towel Assortment Doubles With Addition of Four New Styles New York - Bath towel manufacturer Revere Mills was packing them in this market with an expanded pre-packaged banded and ribbon-tied towel collection,...

Intertextile Exhibitors Ready to Go.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Shanghai - As buyers and exhibitors gather here this week for the Intertextile home textiles show, rising raw materials costs and currency valuations are a likely subject of discussion. "The value of the yuan and the reduction...

Linens 'n Things Promotes Progress.
August 20, 2007... By Jennifer Marks Clifton, N.J. - Linens 'n Things' senior executives last week emphasized areas of progress in textiles and housewares, and fielded questions from analysts about liquidity, inventory levels, markdowns and clearance rates....

Springs Global Outlines Future Growth Plans.
August 20, 2007... By Brent Felgner Sao Paulo, Brazil - With its public offering here complete and with Springs Industries and Coteminas under the singular control of its Brazilian management, Springs Global is enduring what it hopes will be short-term pain...

TJX Companies Look to Expand Home.
August 20, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Framingham, Mass. - Coming off its strongest second-quarter performance in its history, The TJX Companies Inc. laid out several of its "growth opportunities" going forward, in particular a heavier focus on its "no walls...

Retail Briefs.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Bye-Bye Berkus? Staff Linens 'n Things will continue to flow new goods to its Nate Berkus captive celebrity brand through the back half of the year, but the fate of the program beyond that point is undecided. ...

J.C. Penney Reports Uptick in Home.(www.jcp.com)(J.C. Penney Corporation Inc.)
August 20, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Plano, Texas - J. C. Penney Company Inc. said the pulse of its home business started to pick up during the second quarter, particularly in the bath, housewares and gift categories. "It is fair to say that home has...

Macy's Progresses in Home.
August 20, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Cincinnati - Admitting that customer demand for home goods remains "less strong than we expected," Macy's Inc. said in the second quarter it nonetheless experienced encouraging customer response and sales in some home...

Caldeira China Opens its Doors.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Yuyue, China - Caldeira China (known locally as Hao Sheng Textiles) has opened its new purpose built complex with a bang. The grand opening ceremony, held at the firm's new Yuyue headquarters, 20 miles from Hangzhou in Zhejiang...

DWI Updates Barbara Barry line.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Four new beds, paced by Seascape, a print, have been added to the Barbara Barry Dream collection of bed and bath at DWI Holdings for spring. The original collection was focused on understated woven designs, but the...

Home Highlights Kohl's 2Q Results.
August 20, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Menomonee Falls, Wis. - Home proved a key category for Kohl's Corp. during its second quarter, coming in second only to men's in sales performance. The 834-unit mid-tier department store specified that bedding,...

Longtime Fabric Exec Lou Masser Dies.(executive)(Obituary)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff Paramus, N.J. - A graveside funeral and burial was held here Aug. 17 at Cedar Park Beth-El for longtime decorative fabric executive Lou Masser who died Aug. 15. Masser, 86, retired in 2003 after 58 years in the decorative...

Pillowtex Adds Licensees to its Roster.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Official Pillowtex, LLC signed has expanded its roster of licensees for both the Cannon and Royal Velvet brands. International Home Fashions will manufacture and market blankets for the United States and Canada....

Wal-Mart Home Sales Remain Soft in Quarter.
August 20, 2007... By Cecile B. Corral Slow Home Sales Cited as a Factor Bentonville, Ark. - At the dusk of the second quarter, Wal-Mart Stores' home category sales results were unchanged from recent memory - soft. But it looks like new days are...

Hits and Misses.
August 20, 2007... By Staff With Market Wrapped up, Suppliers Identify the Best and the Rest Arley Don Johnson, executive vice president : Hits : In bedding, Monique, a solid quilted damask; Palmas, a large scale tropical print on cotton canvas;...

Dan River Unveils Bedding Program.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Ensconced in its new showroom at 7 W. 34th Street, Dan River unveiled a new printed bed-in-a-bag program targeting the first-time apartment buyer. Nest sets include a 200-count sheet - although retailers can...

Orian Rug Launches into Wool.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - One of the last domestic manufacturers of rugs left in the United States, Orian Rugs continues to crank out innovative product domestically - recently unveiled its first-ever wool rug, and a new generation of...

Venus Home Celebrates Eco Harmony.(Venus Home Fashions)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff Foothill Ranch, Calif. - Venus Home Fashions is employing certified organic cotton for its new Eco Harmony collection of bath towels. On that same page, the company's new Eco collection uses a low twist 100% cotton for this bath...

Bacova Bath Rug Lines get Truly Organic.
August 20, 2007... By Staff High Point, N.C. - Bacova Guild is serious about becoming environmentally friendly. It has implemented several measures at its manufacturing and warehousing facilities that involve efficient energy use and recycling, among other...

Brentwood Dec Pillows get Natural.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Los Angeles - Brentwood Originals' Natural Elements recently unveiled collections that speak to eco-friendly trends via the natural fiber content of some of the decorative pillows in this new program. While a few coordinate pieces...

JLA Expands Rug Assortments.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Building on its packaged area rugs that go with its bedding programs, the burgeoning rug division of JLA Home, which opened its doors late last year and debuted its first line in February, is now pairing up two sizes of...

Foreston Trends enters kitchen.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Well-versed in the table linens category after 25 years of being a major supplier of tablecloths, napkins, placemats and runners, Foreston Trends has lately added kitchen textiles to its line. Dick Gould, vp sales,...

Louisville Bedding Debuts Simmons SmartFit sheets.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Louisville, Ky. - To address the leading consumer complaint about sheets - fit - Louisville Bedding Company has introduced the patented and trademarked Simmons SmartFit sheet. "Our consumer research found that a proper fit was...

Springs Debuts Sheet Programs.(Springs Global launched Wamsutta DreamZone and Wamsutta Sleepology sheets)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff Fort Mill, S.C. - Springs Global launched two new sheet programs recently, one a luxury story and the other a performance item. Wamsutta DreamZone employs an extra-fine denier, lone-staple Egyptian cotton to create a...

Ex-Cell Home Debuts Eco-Soft Shower Curtain Liner.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Ex-Cell Home Fashions has created an eco-friendly shower curtain liner it calls its Eco-Soft liner. Made of EVA, this item is biodegradable, odorless and resistant to mold and allergy. It is chlorine-free. The...

Soft-Tex debuts 'I-Care' and 'Earth Care' brands.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Lines Focus on Solutions, Comfort New York - Bed pillow, mattress pad and memory foam producer Soft-Tex Manufacturing recently launched two new brands: I-Care and Earth Care; each is a first-time introduction. The I-Care...

Bardwil opens up Lenox Bath lines.(Bardwil Linens)(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Bardwil Linens' Lenox Bath division has struck a chord with its Platinum collection of cotton and bamboo blended bath towels. Banking on retail reaction, the company has created several new offerings. The original...

Rockland Mills Heads to New Factory.(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff Baltimore - Rockland Mills will relocate its drapery lining manufacturing facilities to a state of the art 400,000-plus-square-foot plant in Bamberg, S.C. The company currently has a slightly larger manufacturing facility...

WestPoint Expands Ray Line.(WestPoint Home introduced Moppine and jersey knit sheets )(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - WestPoint Home has expanded the Rachael Ray line it launched earlier this year in bed and bath. New to the line are jersey knit sheets in Stay-Brite tones, blankets in eight colors, and the Comfy Sheet - a moisture...

Buying Luxe But Not Living It.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Stevens, Pa. - A new survey finds that most affluent consumers don't consider "high-end luxury living" a big part of their lives. The second quarter Luxury Tracking Report by Unity Marketing advises luxury marketers "to come...

Croscill Responds to Product Demand.(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - The bath division of Croscill Home Fashions is seeing its shower curtain business beginning to grow more rapidly than its bath coordinates, so the company recently expanded its assortment. Patrick Clemente,...

High Point Redesigns Website.
August 20, 2007... By Staff High Point, N.C. - The High Point Market's Web site, www.highpointmarket.org , has been redesigned to improve its functionality and ease of use. "The market's site has existed in its current form for a little more than four...

Textiles Cos. Award for Design Acumen.
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Shades of India was awarded "Best of Market" last week in the Best New Product competition at the New York Home Textiles Market Week segment of the New York International Gift Fair at the Jacob Javits Center. ...

New Chief Executive at Kitan.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Jerusalem - Esther Eldan has been appointed chief executive officer of Kitan Industries, part of the Clal Industries Group. Eldan previously was ceo of the 31 Group, and before that was ceo of Haifa Chemicals. She...

Rug Suppliers Bet on Vegas.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Las Vegas - Rug vendors Mohawk, Hellenic Rug Imports, Kas Oriental Rugs, Jaipur Rugs and Merida Meridian have signed leases for the World Market Center's Building C, which is scheduled to open July 2008. The third showroom...

Early August Comps Look Decent.(Brief article)
August 20, 2007... By Staff New York - Tax holidays and some early back-to-school shopping gave sales a lift during the first week of August. The Johnson Redbook Index posting an aggregate comp of 2.3% for the week ended Aug. 11, slightly ahead of the 2.1%...

Home Depot Reports Slump in Quarterly Sales, Profit.(Financial report)
August 20, 2007... By Staff Comps Fell 5.2%, Sales Down 1.2% in Second Quarter Atlanta - Last week, The Home Depot said it foresees softness in the home and housing markets going into 2008 as it reported a 10% drop in second quarter earnings. Home...

Sears Lowers 2Q Guidance For Second Time.
August 20, 2007... By Staff Comp-store Sales Down with Declines across most Categories Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Holdings Corporation lowered its second quarter expectations, the second time is has done so in recent weeks. For the second quarter...

The Heat and Other Hot Topics.
August 20, 2007... By Jennifer Marks New York just wrapped two weeks of back-to-back markets - the showroom-oriented event that focuses mainly on volume accounts and the Gift Fair-anchored market week at the Javits and showroom buildings that primarily...

Issues Emerge from the Market.
August 20, 2007... By Carole Sloan Time for yet another market post-mortem. And actually, despite the fears and trembling of some naysayers, it was a very lively market. There were still a few folks who were in despair over the August - and upcoming -...