Home Textiles Today articles from May 2006

Home Textiles Today archives from May 2006

Sears offers solutions: Taake Outlines Home Strategy.(home fashions program)
May 1, 2006... HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. -- Sears is launching a three-part home-fashions program based on lifestyles that are designed to be "solution based" merchandise for their customers. The program tops out with Everyday Luxe, a top-of-the-line bed and...

Acquisition boosts Mohawk results.(News)
May 1, 2006... CALHOUN, GA. -- Getting a big assist from last year's purchase of a Belgian flooring producer, Mohawk Industries recorded a first quarter profit of $71.1 million, up from $70.0 million. Earnings would have been even higher but for a $3.0...

Kohl's raises stakes.(News)
May 1, 2006... MILWAUKEE -- Kohl's will continue to dress up its home textiles department, rolling out brand exclusives, expanding its "best" offerings, and upgrading merchandise presentations, chairman and ceo Larry Montgomery told Home Textiles Today...

Home, web sales on fire at JCPenney.(Chris Madden program )
May 1, 2006... PLANO, TEXAS -- Home continues to hum at JCPenney. The recent launch of Studio by the JCPenney Home Collection in bed and bath is rivaling the debut of the Chris Madden Collection two years ago. The balance of the Studio program--tableware,...

Wal-Mart shuffles home merchants.(reshuffling merchandising responsibilities)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Wal-Mart is reshuffling some home merchandising responsibilities among its senior vice presidents and general merchandise managers. Lucy Cindric, who formerly headed apparel, will now oversee seasonal and soft home, including bed and bath. Paul...

Martha Stewart: a Macy's home tithing.(home furnishings)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Martha Stewart Collection that will launch exclusively at Macy's in fall 2007 is targeting about $400 million in sales, or roughly 10% of the nameplate's $4 billion in home furnishings volume, according to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia...

Tuesday Morning eyes home to cure comp sag.(designer sheets and bedding)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Keeping most details close to the vest, Tuesday Morning Corp. alluded to plans that would play up better performing categories such as bedding and electronics, as the chain continues to struggle with compstore sales down 4.5% in the...

Dan River revs up with new global structure.(News)(Dan River Inc.)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Out of bankruptcy, slimmed down and flying the flag of a new corporate parent (Gujarat Heavy Chemicals), Dan River Inc. is revving up with a new corporate structure that creates "five major processes," or groups, within the company....

Suppliers, retailers press for better margins: sets, new products combat price deflation.(sales of bed-in-a-bag)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Despite price deflation which continues to erode sales dollars, if not volume; and lately a withering of disposable income as consumers pay higher prices for gas and heating their homes, making home fashions a highly deferrable...

Russian palaces inspire home furnishings.(home furnishings licensing program)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- The archives and architecture of the great Russian palaces and museums will be available to Americans via an extensive new home furnishings licensing program. Concept Marketing Group here has been appointed to develop a broad...

Thomasville eschews sameness in bedding lines.(News)(Thomasville Home Furnishings)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Thomasville Home Furnishings' latest bedding fashions span a range from cabin looks to the beach, from country estate to hip youthful looks and still others with ready-to-wear influence. The assortments' positive reception...

New home for Scoperta.(theater of trends dedicated to design and creativity )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... RHO, ITALY -- The 8th annual Scoperta is being held May 9-12 in its new home at the recently opened Fiera Milano fairgrounds here, outside Milan. With 116 exhibitors--a 53 percent increase over 2005--the show occupies 4,470 square meters,...

Como readies for Proposte.(News)
May 1, 2006... CERNOBBIO (COMO), ITALY -- The annual furnishings fabrics and curtains show, Proposte, is being held from May 10 to 12 at Villa Erba here with 107 exhibitors, 54 from Italy, 534 from other European countries. Due to a reconfiguration of...

Designers Guild unveils new products.(range of home fragrances and a baby linens collection)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- London-based Designers Guild recently previewed an array of new products at its showroom here with Libretto Holdings. New to the lineup is a range of home fragrances, a baby linens collection--perhaps recognizing...

Surtex hits big apple.(calendar for The Surtex show)
May 1, 2006... WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The Surtex show running May 21 to 23 at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will also include nine educational sessions grouped into three tracks: licensing, business, and trends--as well as "A Conversation...

Safavieh to make Martha Stewart area rugs.(agreement with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. )
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- On the heels of its partnership with designer Thomas O'Brien, upscale area rug company Safavieh has inked a second major licensing partnership--this time with lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. The multi-year agreement between...

Home Decor celebs send mixed messages.(survey of endorsement advertising)
May 1, 2006... PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. -- Consumers can be paradoxical, as a recent survey by The NPD Group found. TV home improvement guru Ty Pennington ranked as the most trusted celebrity endorser --but despite his exclusive home furnishings collection...

Linens 'n Things says "I do" with planner Mindy Weiss.
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Linens 'n Things has teamed up with celebrity wedding and event planner Mindy Weiss, who will act as the retailer's exclusive bridal and gift registry expert. The new program, which launched on LNT's Web site last month, is now...

Industry vet Marjorie Hoyne dies: former president of Covington Industries' Spectrum Fabric was a recognized design leader.(Obituary)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Services were held last week for Marjorie Hoyne, former president of Covington Industries' Spectrum Fabrics division, who died after a long illness on April 21. A decorative fabrics/home textiles industry veteran, Hoyne began...

More changes as Macy's Home integrates team.(Macy's Merchandising Group)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- The product development and design teams at Macy's Merchandising Group will be integrated with the merchandising teams at Macy's Home Store as of Aug. 1, under the leadership of Tim Adams, chairman, and Mike Osborn, president and...

Page stepping up at Tuesday Morning home.(promotion of Melinda Page in wake of retirement of Jack Reeves)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Tuesday Morning announced that lack Reeves, senior vp, gram, home furnishings, will retire from his post as of June 30. Melinda Page, who is being promoted from her current post as senior vp, merchandise planning, will replace...

Stephen Raish retires from JCPenney.(JCPenney Company Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... PLANO, TEXAS -- Stephen Raish has retired as executive vp and chief information officer at JCPenney. Raish, 55, had been with the company for more than 30 years. Before being named cio in 2001, he was president of Accelerating Change...

Heidenberger joins Designers Guild.(Kim Heidenberger)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Kim Heidenberger has joined the Designers Guild organization here as managing director of Torcello, a division of Libretto Holdings, the Designers Guild representation in the United States. Heidenberger was formerly the head of...

Martha Stewart revenues zoom.(Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Buoyed by surging magazine ad revenue, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia reported a sharply narrowed first-quarter loss of $6.8 million, recovering from a prior-year deficit of $19.2 million. Sales at the diversified media and...

Discounters drive April Comps.(market research of retail stores)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Building on robust Easter holiday sales, same-store retail sales picked up by 5.1% during the third week of April, the Johnson Redbook Index said. Measured on a month-over-month basis, sales were up by 4.4% from the third week of...

Housing sales set for soft landing mode.
May 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- With interest rates rising and demand showing some signs of eroding, the nation's housing market sent out mixed signals during March, telling a story that sounded like, "On the one hand... but then on the other." Sales of...

Home Builders confidence slumps.(home selling)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Increasingly concerned about rising mortgage rates, softer demand and ongoing affordability issues, the nation's single-family home builders are growing more cautious about the prospects for the new home market. The monthly...

Market snapshot.(Business)
May 1, 2006... MARKET SNAPSHOT HTT Stock Dow Jones Index[R] Industrials 2,517.42 11,382.51 -0.11% 0.35% NASDAQ ...

Greatest gains: during the week.(Business)
May 1, 2006... Greatest Gains during the week CLOSING PERCENT COMPANY PRICE CHANGE Quaker Fabric Corp. (QFAB) 1.57 4.67% Sears Holdings Corp....

Greatest losses: during the week.(stock performances of home textiles industry)(Table)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Greatest Losses during the week CLOSING PERCENT COMPANY PRICE CHANGE Wellman (WLM) 5.50 -15.12% Hancock Fabrics (HKF) ...

Wall Street watch: for the week ended April 27, 2006.(stock performances of home textile industry)(Table)
May 1, 2006... WALL STREET WATCH FOR THE WEEK ENDED APRIL 27, 2006 MANUFACTURERS & SUPPLIERS % CHG. CLOSE % CHG YEAR-TO- COMPANY...

Big spenders crave innovation: "time to put on your thinking caps. Gen-X is waiting.".(OPINION Today)
May 1, 2006... Last year, much was made of the first Baby Boomers' ageing transition into their 60s. But another generational milestone went largely overlooked: In 2005, the first batch of GenXers turned 40. And this year, the final cohort of the GenX...

Scaring up organic cotton: "hopefully ... the marketplace will see them as inspiration, not a buzzword for desperation.".(supply and demand of organic cotton)
May 1, 2006... Walking through the showrooms during the Home Textiles Market in New York last month, there were several new "trends" that seem to have emerged spontaneously across the market. One was the extensive offering of organic cotton for both...

De la Roche replaces Gaffney at Springs.(News)(John de la Roche appointed at Springs Global US Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... FORT MILL, S.C. -- John de la Roche, president of Springs Canada, has been named senior vp, bedding merchandising, for Springs Global US Inc., succeeding highly respected veteran Tom Gaffney, who has resigned from the company after a 21-year...

2005 a flat year in bath.(home textiles industry)(Industry overview)
May 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- The elimination of quota last year--with the jolt of new category players and increased retailer direct importing it sent through the industry--was just one of the reasons the bath industry stayed flat at $3.7 billion in sales in...

Textiles still going strong at High Point market.(News)
May 15, 2006... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Despite what many exhibitors felt was a significant decline in traffic, home textiles suppliers saw plenty of qualified buyers that wrote orders. Luxury bedding and decorative pillows, and color, color and more color were...

Solutions drive Wal-Mart's reinvention.(News)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
May 15, 2006... ROGERS, ARK. -- Wal-Mart's evolving focus on providing solutions and expanding its core customer base is pulling formerly disparate home merchandise closer together, by style, color and function. The effort runs across basics and the...

August 2006 market/show dates.(Calendar)
May 15, 2006... August 7-11 * New York Home Textiles Market Showrooms / local hotels August 12-17 New York International Gift Fair Jacob Javits Center / Piers August 13-16 New York Home Textiles Show Metropolitan Pavilion * some showrooms open...

Linens 'n Things names key execs.(Retail Briefs)(Linens 'n Things Inc. promotes Robert Homier and appoints Michael Larkey)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Linens 'n Things has promoted Robert Homier to executive vp of merchandising, and named Michael Larkey senior vp marketing. Both will report directly to chairman and ceo Robert DiNicola. Homier was recruited April 17 as svp marketing;...

Family Dollar to source directly.(Retail Briefs)(Family Dollar Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Family Dollar is expanding the direct-sourcing of its "treasure hunt assortment," said chairman of the board and ceo Howard Levine. The opportunistic buys from overseas and closeouts can range from toys to $3 bath towels. "While we've developed...

Fred's Stores bullish on mix.(Retail Briefs)(Fred's Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Fred's Stores will continue altering its merchandise mix by about 3.5% per year, and will keep its assortments broad yet convenient to shop, said ceo Michael Hayes. The 663-store general merchandiser differentiates from competitors Dollar...

Home drives Kohl's 1Q results.(Retail Briefs)(Kohl's Corp.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Kohl's coo Arlene Meier said home was a leader in the 741-store chain's stellar first-quarter, along with the menswear department. Net income for the quarter was $167.2 million, up 34.1% from $124.7 million a year ago. Net sales increased 16.1%...

Pier 1 downtrends; retains JPMorgan.(Retail Briefs)(Pier 1 Imports Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Pier 1 Imports has retained JPMorgan to evaluate strategic alternatives, indicating a sale of assets could occur. Comps dropped 11.5% in April and 6.5% year-to-date. Pier 1 will report quarterly results June 15, and now projects a loss of $0.24...

Williams-Sonoma plans aggressive 2006.(News)
May 15, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Williams-Sonoma has a full agenda this year for its nameplates, all backed by a powerhouse e-commerce operation that has become the most profitable part of total business. During the Lehman Brothers Ninth Annual Retail...

Faze Three to add latex-backed rugs.(News)(Faze Three Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... MUMBAI, INDIA -- After 21 years in the reversible cotton bath mat business, Faze Three Ltd. of India is entering its next phase with the addition of latex-backed cotton bath rugs to its product line. Ajay Anand, president and ceo, told HTT this...

Decosit ties to DecoContract.(News)
May 15, 2006... CERNOBBIO, ITALY -- Decosit and DecoContract will merge in the event set for Sept. 9-12 in Brussels. Patrick Geysels, director of show organizer Textirama, in an announcement here pointed out that as the residential and contract events have...

Fortunoff recruits Orlick as ceo.(News)(Fortunoff Fine Jewelry and Silverware Inc. appoints Arnold Orlick )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... WESTBURY, N.Y. -- Veteran retailer Arnold Orlick has been named ceo of Fortunoff, the home furnishings and fine jewelry specialty chain based here. Orlick has an extensive background as a senior executive especially in the home furnishings...

Karastan launches American Treasures.(News)(Fieldcrest Cannon Inc. Karastan Rug Mills Div.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- Consumers will be able to easily coordinate rugs, runners and carpeting from one room to another with a new program introduced by Karastan. The American Treasures collection, which includes wall-to-wall carpeting with area rugs...

Wearbest signs Chinese partner for Bella-Dura.(News)(Wearbest/Sil-tex Mills Ltd.and Zhejiang Babei Textiles Co., signs a licensing agreement)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... GARFIELD, N.J. -- Wearbest SilTex Mills has signed a licensing agreement for Zhejiang Babei Textiles Co. in China to make its Bella-Dura high performance fabrics. The purpose of the agreement, according to Irwin Gasher, Wearbest president...

Clearing up cotton naming.(Feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 15, 2006... To the Editor: I note the Opinion piece "Scaring Up Organic Cotton" in the May 1 issue [HTT, page 18], which deals with mislabeling products made with organic as well as Egyptian cotton. There has been a skunk in the corner for some...

F. Schumacher inks Waverly wallpaper license.(News)(F. Schumacher and Co. signs a distribution agreement with Blue Mountain Wallcoverings)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- Continuing its move to license its family of home furnishings products, F. Schumacher & Co. has signed an agreement with Blue Mountain Wallcoverings, Toronto, for the manufacture, sales and distribution of existing and future...

Designers Kline and Roth team up.(News)(Kline and Roth Private Label)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... CLAVERACK, N.Y. -- Pamela Kline of Traditions by Pamela Kline, a luxury linens designer/ supplier, together with Tom Roth of Weathervane Hill, have formed a new company: Kline and Roth Private Label. The company combines the sourcing...

Ginsey and P&G partner.(News)(Ginsey Industries partners with Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... ATLANTA -- Bath product supplier Ginsey Industries has teamed with Procter & Gamble for a full line of child-friendly bath accessories under the Pampers Kandoo brand. Ginsey will design with a focus on empowering children ages 2 to 7 to...

Calendar goes retro.(News)
May 15, 2006... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The second home furnishings charity calendar, "Women of the Trade," will debut at the October Int'l Home Furnishings Market. Makeup, poses and black-and-white pix will evoke the 1930s and '40s, said Ray McKinnon, chairman of...

Southern Textiles names Richard Downing president.(PEOPLE Today)(Leggett and Platt Inc. appoints Richard Downing )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... FORSYTH, GA. -- Richard Downing has been named president of the newly formed top of the bed division of Leggett & Platt. The division, which includes Southern Textiles top of the bed business based here and the down bedding products of...

Gold + Williams hire Amado for design.(PEOPLE Today)(Mitchell Gold Co. appoints Victoria Amado )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Furniture manufacturer Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is branching out into area rugs and other accessories, recently hiring Victoria Amado as vp of accessories development and merchandising. Amado, previously director of...

Dollar General taps Thorpe for Soft Lines.(PEOPLE Today)(Dollar General Corp. appoints James Thorpe and Rita Branham)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... GOODLETTSVILLE, TENN. -- Dollar General has appointed James Thorpe to senior vp and general merchandise manager of seasonal, home and apparel. Along with Rita Branham, a Dollar General veteran who was promoted in March to senior vp and gmm...

Arley welcomes Johnson.(PEOPLE Today)(Arley Corp. appoints Don Johnson )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- Don Johnson has joined Arley Corp. as executive vp, sales and merchandising, bedding and window divisions. Johnson, a long time home textiles industry executive, most recently was with Springs, having joined that company after...

Calderon taps Studebaker.(PEOPLE Today)(Calderon Textiles appoints Dan Studebaker)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... INDIANAPOLIS -- Calderon Textiles has hired Dan Studebaker as vp of supply chain management, reporting directly to Calderon president Azher Khan. His responsibilities will include management of purchasing, inventory, fulfillment,...

Crawford to head design.(PEOPLE Today)(American Century Home Fabrics appoints Mary Crawford, Helena Handwerker and Melissa Hernandez )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... SALISBURY, N.C. -- Mary Crawford has been promoted to head designer of bedding and upholstery fabrics at American Century Home Fabrics. Crawford formerly was assistant to Marion Murray, who left the company earlier this year. She reports to...

Nourison makes appointments.(PEOPLE Today)(Nourison Ltd. appoints John Cross and Joseph Ramsey )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... SADDLE BROOK, N.J. -- Nourison recently appointed John Cross to the newly created position of director of Georgia operations, reporting to vp Andrew Peykar. Joseph Ramsey was named account executive for the Tennessee and Kentucky region,...

Four promoted at cmi.(PEOPLE Today)(CMI appoints Donald Minchello, Christopher Fanning and Elsa Domingos )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Braided area and accent rug and home accessories manufacturer cmi recently made four promotions to its staff to keep up with recent growth, according to the company. Donald Minchello Jr. has moved up to distribution and...

Federated slowed by may acquisition costs.(BUSINESS Today)
May 15, 2006... CINCINNATI -- Still picking up the tab for last year's buyout of May Department Stores Co., Federated Department Stores recorded a first-quarter loss of $52 million, compared with a year-before profit of $123 million. Weighing down the...

Early May comps lag plan.(Same-store sales)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- Even though sales of seasonal goods got a lift from warmer weather, same-store retail sales came in modestly beneath plan during the first week of May, possibly hurt by a one-week shift in the Mother's Day holiday, the Johnson...

April retail results mixed.(BUSINESS Today)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Boosted by soaring prices at the pump and getting a further lift from a late Easter shopping season, total U.S. retail sales perked up by 0.5% in April, rising to $362.7 billion from $360.9 billion during April, the Commerce...

Wall Street watch: for the week ended May 11, 2006.(Business)(Bed, Bath and Beyond Inc.)(Linens 'n Things Inc.)(The Home Depot Inc.)
May 15, 2006... MANUFACTURERS & SUPPLIERS CLOSE % CHG % CHG. COMPANY 5/11/06 THIS WEEK YEAR-TO-DATE Crown Crafts (CRWS) * 0.58 -1.69% ...

Consumers start to hesitate.(OPINION Today)
May 15, 2006... THE LATEST STATS TO COME fluttering out of Washington and retail think tanks suggest stores may be facing a soft summer season. The Commerce Department last week reported that U.S. retail sales fell slightly below Wall Street's April target--a...

Tripartite theory of textiles.(marketing)(Column)
May 15, 2006... IT LOOKS LIKE THERE MAY be a new, three-way division among suppliers and retailers in home textiles. Occupying the mainstream, both in terms of distribution and volume, are the typical players: the Wal-Marts, the Kmarts, the BBBs, the LNTs,...

JCPenney cuts costs.(News)(JCPenney Company Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... PLANO, TEXAS -- With strong margins and cut interest costs, JCPenney drove first-quarter profits up 22.1% to $210 million from $172 million last year. Sales advanced just 2.5%, to $4.2 billion. Comps grew by 1.3% in department stores,...

Editor's notes.(Editorial)
May 15, 2006... Spring is in full swing. It's a time of renewal and change from Mother Nature and the retail sales floor to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando and Kids Today. By now, most of you know I've stepped in as editor and wow, what a time...

Number of babies born rises slightly in '04.(By the Numbers)
May 15, 2006... There were 4.1 million births in 2004, about 1% more than in 2003. The 2004 crude birth rate, 14.0 births per 1,000 total population, was 1% lower than in 2003. The crude birth rate measures the number of live births per 1,000 total population....

AJ Kids debuts at Manchester Furniture.(designed by Alexander Julian )
May 15, 2006... Manchester Furniture and designer Alexander Julian debuted AJ Kids at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C., the first foray into youth furniture for the award-winning designer. "This is something I've wanted to do...

J.Crew bows youth line.(News Watch)(J. Crew Group Inc.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... In response to requests from loyal customers, J.Crew has launched a children's line, dubbed crewcuts. The clothing collection for boys and girls ages 2 to 8 is a playful take on the adult collection, with cashmere sweaters, sun-washed tees and...

Industrial designs at Skip Hop.(Scott Henderson created designs were introduced)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Skip Hop is venturing into a new category with the launch of a collection of accessories designed by award-winning industrial designer Scott Henderson at this month's JPMA. "We were looking for product areas where there haven't been any...

Emess adds to CosmoGirl line.(products of Emess Design Group)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Lighting manufacturer Emess sign Group expanded its licensed CosmoGirl brand at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point. The collection has 18 products, which feature touches such as felt, braided trim, lace, beads and...

Broyhill launches youth collection.(Broyhill Furniture Industries Inc.)
May 15, 2006... Broyhill Furniture distinguished itself at the High Point furniture market with the launch of its Broyhill Kids division. Though the company has had youth offerings in the past, they've been spin-offs of popular adult groups, such as the best...

Baby's Room hosts grand reopening.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Lombard-Ill.-based Baby's Room, a specialty retailer of infant and children's furniture and accessories, had a grand reopening April 1 for its Novi, Mich., store, a franchisee of USA Baby. Baby's Room expanded, more than doubling its retail...

Demare Gliders offers drop-ship program.(services and products of Demare Gliders)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... St-Honore de Shenley, Quebec--Demare Gliders is offering drop shipping on its fully upholstered chair and ottoman. The quick-ship option delivers the glider to the consumer's door ready for easy assembly. The chair, which features a...

Freddy & Friends sling seats launch with contest.(handcrafted chairs and rockers from Freddy and Friends)
May 15, 2006... The Original Freddy is a new line of handcrafted chairs and rockers from Greenville, N.C.-based Freddy & Friends. The chairs, developed by John Barkland, are based on the main character of the upcoming children's book series, "The Chronicles of...

Flexas open third U.S. store.(Flexa Mobler A/S)(United States)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Flexa furniture, Denmark's largest children's furniture manufacturer, opened its third licensed U.S. location with a grand opening event on April 22 in Virginia Beach, Va. Owners Carol Ann and Jim Janca opened the store based on their...

Industry veteran, SLF launch juvenile division.(Mike Schaffer)(Creations)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Veteran Mike Schaffer has a new role in the industry. The former president and CEO of Baby's Dream now is president of Creations, a juvenile division of SLF. Schaffer, who also was an executive at Child Craft and started his career with...

Town and Country pillows designed to hold MP3 players.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Town and Country debuted My Tunes high-tech pillows at the New York Textile Market last month. The pillows have hook-ups and speakers to accommodate iPods and MP3 players and come in shapes such as hearts, cylinders, boom boxes, bowling bags...

Master Design introduces three kids collections.(Master Design Furniture)
May 15, 2006... High Point -- Case goods and occasional importer Master Design Furniture launched a youth and master bedroom program sourced from three factories in Brazil at last month's furniture market here. The offerings included youth bedrooms priced...

Art in motion offers youth line.(News)
May 15, 2006... Vancouver, British Columbia -- Art publisher Art In Motion is offering a line of prints geared to the youth market through its Art Catalog. The line includes four collections from artists Lauren Hamilton, Robbing Rawlings, Catherine Richard and...