Home Textiles Today articles from September 2006

Home Textiles Today archives from September 2006

American Century Home Shifts into High Gear.
September 4, 2006... By Jennifer Marks HaiNing City, China and Salisbury, N.C. -- American Century Home is moving aggressively to expand not only the size, but the scope of its business. That entails a major push in direct-to-retail finished home textiles...

Calvin Klein Intros Seven Beds.(introduction of beds)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Carole Sloan New York -- Seven new beds have been introduced in the Calvin Klein Collection line with richer colors, engineered designs, and more intricate detailing featured. Collection also has a new Core towel, offered in 12 colors...

Charles D. Owen III Retires From Namesake Company.
September 4, 2006... By Staff Swannanoa, N.C. --Marking the end of an era in the Southern textiles industry, and a tradition of family ownership or management that spans back more than a century, Charles D. Owen III resigned Friday, Aug. 25, as president of...

Consumer Confidence Falters.(Survey)
September 4, 2006... By Don Hogsett New York -- With Americans growing increasingly fearful about the outlook for jobs, consumer confidence tumbled by almost 7% in August, skidding down to its lowest level in 9 months and reaching a new low for the year and...

Culp Steadies Results.(sales data)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
September 4, 2006... By Don Hogsett High Point, N.C.--Stabilizing sales after a long downward slide, hammered by imports, but at the same time building margins, slashing costs, thinning stockpiles and paring restructuring costs, the fabric producer Culp Inc....

Decosit: Fabric Trade Holds Steady.
September 4, 2006... By Carole Sloan U.S. Vendors React to Faster Market Conditions Brussels, Belgium -- Although there have been a few American dropouts from Decosit, those remaining American fabric companies see their presence at the show, that begins...

DWI Adds to Barbara Barry Line.(DWI Holdings adds Seascape prints to Barbara Barry Dream collection)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... 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...

Greenstein Bullish on Homestead's Future.(David Greenstein plans for the companies growth)
September 4, 2006... By Brent Felgner New York -- David Greenstein is trying to decide what to do next. In his office in a nearly empty former London Fog Group showroom on Seventh Avenue, Greenstein's eyes lit up as he pondered a series of possible...

Suppliers Active at Intertextil.(Intertextil Shanghai show)
September 4, 2006... By Jennifer Marks Shanghai, China -- As the industry's center of gravity shifts toward China, a few American faces joined the exhibitors' roster at last week's Intertextil Shanghai show. They weren't alone. Although Chinese manufacturers...

Key Part of Partnership: Hustle.(Intertextil Shanghai home textiles fair)
September 4, 2006... By Jennifer Marks In 2003, many manufacturers exhibiting at the Intertextil Shanghai home textiles fair hung posters describing their factories and listing the prestigious U.S. retailers that carried their goods. In conversation,...

A Name for Every Niche.
September 4, 2006... By Carole Sloan Home furnishings retailers seem to be accelerating their charge into the world of proprietary names. It seems to be part of the epidemic that has permeated the world of retailing in general, which has seen more and more...

Park B. Smith Wine Auction to Benefit Holy Cross.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Carole Sloan New York -- Park B. Smith will auction a significant part of his vast, legendary wine collection -- including 50 cases of the famed 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild -- at a sale to be held at Sotheby's here in conjunction...

Safavieh Adds New Sales Position.(David Ghadimi promoted to midwest sales manager )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff New York --To support increased business over the past year and even greater growth projected for 2007, Safavieh has added a new position, Midwest sales manager. David Ghadimi, formerly a sales representative in the...

Daniadown Taps Gabler Group.(The Gabler Group has been selected by Daniadown )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Dallas --The Gabler Group, based here, has been selected to represent the Daniadown line of Canadian-made bed linens and down products in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas and Missouri. Daniadown has...

Family Dollar Names Kelly President, COO.(R. James Kelly promoted)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Matthews, N.C. --Family Dollar Stores has promoted R. James Kelly to the position of president and coo. The company also announced a search for a new cfo; Kelly will continue to serve as cfo until the position is filled. ...

Jennings Rejoins HFPA.(Home Fashion Products Association has re-appointed Carolynn Jennings)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff New York --The Home Fashion Products Association (HFPA) has re-appointed Carolynn Jennings as executive director. Jennings is back after a one-year hiatus, and will once again provide leadership and staff support to HFPA's...

ITMA Board Names Directors.(International Textile Market Association)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff High Point, N.C. --Seven new directors will join the 11-member International Textile Market Association (ITMA) board of directors, including the first from furniture manufacturers. John Kearns, vp of Hamilton Fabric Sales in...

'Linen Lady' Dorothy Lampke Dies.(Obituary)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Palm Springs, Calif. -- Dorothy Simon Lampke, longtime owner of The Linen Man, died last month at the age of 91. Lampke, who passed away Aug. 10, founded the bed and bath specialty store with her husband, Berry Locke Lampke,...

PakTex Taps Former Target DMM Ismail.(Poonam Ismail appointed )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Laguna Beach, Calif. --PakTex has appointed Poonam Ismail as its country manager for Pakistan. Ismail was formerly the Lahore-based dmm for Target Corp. with responsibility for sourcing, a post she began in 2003. Previously,...

ShopKo Names Ingersoll to Merchandising Post.(ShopKo Stores appoints Jack Ingersoll )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Green Bay, Wis. --ShopKo Stores has named Jack Ingersoll senior vp of merchandise support, responsible for financial planning, assortment and space planning, allocation and replenishment, inventory management and pricing. ...

August Comps Finish on Target.(Same-store's sales statistics)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
September 4, 2006... By Staff New York -- Same-store retail sales improved by 3.5% during the final week of August, providing a boost that put sales for the entire month on target. For all of August, same-store sales improved by an on-plan 3.3% over...

Restoration Hardware Earns First Non-4Q Profit.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Corte Madera, Calif. --"We are proud to announce that for the first time in the company's history, we were profitable outside of the fourth quarter," said Restoration Hardware president, ceo and chairman Gary Friedman. The...

Retail Briefs.(Neiman Marcus Group Inc expands its online home section)(Williams-Sonoma Inc company sales and earnings)(Cost Plus Inc company sales and earnings)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Kohl's in Vera Wang Exclusive Staff Kohl's will launch Very Vera by Vera Wang, an exclusive lifestyle program licensed by the designer to encompass sportswear, intimate apparel, handbags, leather accessories, jewelry,...

Retail Doldrums Crimp Comps.(sales in depatment stores)
September 4, 2006... By Don Hogsett New York -- Even back to school and the start of the cool-weather clothing season couldn't do much to drive consumers into the malls during August. Same-store retail sales remained spotty, with the Johnson Redbook monthly...

Sanko Buys German Firm.(Sanko Towel buys Egeria)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Staff Gaziantep, Turkey --Sanko Towel, a major Turkish manufacturer, has purchased Germany towel brand Egeria. Calling the Egeria name well-recognized across Europe, Sanko Towel said its mills "will produce Egeria Germany's huge...

Springs Bows Two Wamsutta Collections.(Springs Global)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... By Carole Sloan New York -- Springs Global has introduced two major collections under the Wamsutta brand - the Palace Collection and the Natural Collection. The Wamsutta Natural Collection represents the company's major effort in...

New Luxury Textiles Show in Atlanta.
September 18, 2006... By Staff Atlanta - A new market for luxury home textiles will debut next spring at AmericasMart. The Atlanta International Fine Linen & Home Textiles Market will run concurrently with the Atlanta Spring Gift, Home Furnishings &...

Biennale Gives Broader View of Luxury.(Biennale des Editeurs de la Decoration )(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Carole Sloan Paris - With a new approach, a new venue and timing, the classic Biennale des Editeurs de la Decoration created a fresh approach to luxury home furnishings events here this month at Carrousel du Louvre. Formerly a...

Bloomie"s Home Comes to Bergen County.(Bloomingdale's Inc opens new home furnishings store)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff New York - Bloomingdale's this week will open a new home furnishings store in The Shops at Riverside shopping center in Bergen County, N.J. The 75,000-square-store features a complete array of home furnishings as well as The...

Cotton Production Lagging Demand.
September 18, 2006... By Staff Washington - Driven once again by accelerating demand from China's textile industry, worldwide cotton consumption is forecast to rise by more than 3% in the new Cotton Year that begins this month, climbing to a record 25.7 million...

Decosit Brussels Keeps Quality.
September 18, 2006... By Carole Sloan Diverse Attendees Drive Interest Brussels, Belgium - Despite differences between the organizers and exhibitors at Decosit Brussels, American exhibitors were generally pleased with the results. All those interviewed...

Textiles Industry Going Green.
September 18, 2006... By Jennifer Marks New York- Now that it's hip to be green, the home textiles industry is producing a bumper crop of product to feed what it hopes will be a hearty appetite at retail for organic, or at the least 'eco-friendly' products...

Eddie Bauer Home Debuts at LNT.(Linens 'n Things )(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Becomes First to Carry New Collection Redmond, Wash.- Linens 'n Things has become the first major retailer to carry the new Eddie Bauer home collection, with products from JLA Home and Pacific Coast Feather. As seen on the LNT...

EWHT to Host Jobs Outlook Event.
September 18, 2006... By Staff New York - Executives Working in Home Textiles will host a networking party and panel discussion focused on home textiles jobs outlook, on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Panelists will be: * Carol Wojcik - vp,...

Feizy to Bow Lifestyle Licensed Rugs.(Feizy Rugs )(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Dallas - In January, Feizy Rugs will introduce accent and area rug collections under licensing agreements with lifestyle expert Sandra Lee and artist/designer Tracy Porter. Sandra Lee, a best-selling author and Food Network...

For the Record.(Calendar)
September 18, 2006... By Staff In the Sept. 4 issue, the story 'Suppliers Gather in Shanghai' contains inaccurate information about Veken due to a translation error. The statement 'Veken would like to take a stake in an American company and buy a European...

Helen Gagalis, Tastemaker of Throws, Dies.(Gagalis Co.)(Obituary)
September 18, 2006... By Staff New York- Helen Gagalis, who along with her husband, Nick, helped to create a market for high-priced carriage-trade fashion throws in luxury fibers a quarter century ago, died at her home here July 22 of a heart attack. In...

Global Competition Heats Up.(textile industry)
September 18, 2006... By Staff New York - Even as individual companies are competing in a global economy against one other, the competition is also pitting country against country, region against region. India complains of China's export tax rebates. China...

HOM Furniture Opens World Rugs.(HOM Furniture has opened its first area rug store )(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Clint Engel Plymouth, Minn. - HOM Furniture has opened its first area rug store and has revamped rug departments across the chain, aiming to make the most out of a growing category. The company's 15,000-square-foot World Rugs is...

Jo-Ann Embraces Christopher Lowell.(Christopher Lowell Enterprises )
September 18, 2006... By James Mammarella Hudson, Ohio and Los Angeles - Designer Christopher Lowell and Jo-Ann Stores have begun a partnership that could change his profile in home textiles and ultimately see the $1.87 billion fabric and craft retailer enter...

Blankets, Throws Thrive at Maison.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Carole Sloan Paris - Blankets and throws were an unusual standout category in the home textiles world at Maison & Objet here earlier this month. Lightweight fabrics, airy in feeling and light as tissue or gauze, were shown in highly...

Valdese to Open Showtime Space for Mancini.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Valdese, N.C.- Valdese Weavers will have a separate showroom in the Market Square Tower in High Point, N.C. open at Showtime in December, for the debut of the decorative fabrics collection designed for it by Wesley Mancini. ...

Manufacturing Holding Its Own.
September 18, 2006... By Don Hogsett Tempe, Ariz.- The U.S. manufacturing sector remained stuck in neutral during August, as one key gauge of activity dipped but not as deeply as projected, and the rate of manufacturing growth slowed after perking up somewhat...

Strike While the Iron is Lukewarm.(home textiles )
September 18, 2006... By Jennifer Marks Lots of deals in the works these days. Many of them, perhaps most, will never come to fruition. Why? For the same reason that the deals attempted just a few years ago, before the dam broke open, failed: hubris. At...

Holding a Show for Show"s Sake?(home furnishings)
September 18, 2006... By Carole Sloan It's been a busy couple of weeks in Europe vis a vis industry shows or markets, not unlike the pattern that has been growing domestically over the past couple of years. And one significant observation emerging from...

Oriental Weavers Announces PromotionsWitt, Reynolds and Baird Elevated.(appointment of Jonathan Witt, Kim Reynolds, and Brad Baird)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Dalton, Ga.- Area rug vendor Oriental Weavers North America (OWNA) has promoted Jonathan Witt, Kim Reynolds, and Brad Baird, and has welcomed Aaron Gray and Tatum Joyce to the team. Witt, who joined the company in 1997 and was...

Pier 1 Bullet Harder to Bite.(Pier 1 Imports Inc.)
September 18, 2006... By Don Hogsett Fort Worth, Texas- Hit by a fistful of one-time charges, and with sales sliding, margins thinning and costs and interest expense both soaring higher, Pier 1 Imports danced closer to the edge of the tar pit, recording a...

Quaker Fabric Launches Safer Scotchgard Fabric.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Fall River, Mass.- The venerable Scotchgard fabric protector will be relaunched by 3M, its producer, teaming up with Quaker Fabric for residential, contract, and outdoor fabrics. Scotchgard was taken off the market some years...

Retail Briefs.
September 18, 2006... By Staff TJX Promotes Meyrowitz to CEO Staff Off-price retailer The TJX Companies will bestow the additional duties and title of ceo to president Carol Meyrowitz, effective on the first day of the company's next fiscal year, Jan....

Retail Softened in August.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Washington - Sales turned soft during August, limping ahead a skimpy 0.2%, hitting the wall after a much larger 1.4% increase the month before, the Commerce Department reported. A big part of the month's weakness was a...

Home Flat at Retail Ventures.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Columbus, Ohio- Home is not one of the better-performing categories at Retail Ventures, although the multi-channel retailer has tightened inventories and bumped up gross margins, dramatically reducing second quarter losses. ...

Wal-Mart Welcomes Colin Cowie for Holiday.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff Bentonville, Ark. - Celebrity party planner Colin Cowie will debut an exclusive-to-Wal-Mart line of home decor, branded as Csquared by Colin Cowie, featuring such items as barware, photo frames, and floral decor. Wal-Mart...

Westgate Adding Bath to the Mix.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff New York- Westgate, the corporate brand for Home Fashions International (HFI), will enter the bath market at the February New York Home Textiles Market. Westgate is the new name for the company previously known as Home...

WestPoint to Close Plants, Dismiss 700.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... By Staff WestPoint, Ga. - Under steady pressure from low-cost imports, WestPoint Home will shutter its two remaining greige weaving plants in the United States, both in Alabama, putting about 700 workers out of a job. The company will...