HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network back issues from June 1995:
Maytag leaner, meaner: European selloff frees cash for North America. (includes article on importance of Hoover Europe to purchaser Candy SpA)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEWTON, Iowa--Maytag Corp.'s sale of its European business is less of a cutback, executives say, and more of a chance to get back to basics.First, said a corporate official here, money from the sale of the troublesome Hoover European Appliance Group to Candy SpA of Italy will be ...
Mass transit. (furniture retailing)
Jun 05, 1995; ... ATLANTA--If you want a look at furniture retailing in the year 2005, you'll have to wait until Aug. 31, 1995. That's when Home Depot Expo opens its third store--in Westbury, N.Y., on Long Island.The Expo Design Center, which begins where traditional home centers leave off, aims to ...
May retail sales slow. (home goods retailers)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Many home goods retailers reported mediocre to dismal May sales, blaming cool, rainy weather, the general economy and shoppers' reluctance to spend money this spring."It's primarily a reflection of a tough economic environment--in California, in particular," said Jonathan ...
New head at Tops. (Robert Gross to head Tops Appliance City)
Jun 05, 1995; ... EDISON, N.J.--An era ended at Tops Appliance City last week as Les Turchin, who founded the chain in 1970, turned over day-to-day operations of the eight electronics and appliance stores to a newcomer, Robert Gross.Turchin, who was chairman, president and chief executive, named ...
Levitz CEO steps down. (Robert M. Elliott)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... Robert M. Elliott has resigned as chairman and chief executive of Levitz, the $1 billion, 135-unit furniture chain, effective July 1. The company's president, George Bradley, will ...
Cutbacks at Spirella. (closes New York, NY, showroom)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... Spirella, a Toronto-based manufacturer of shower curtain and bath accessories, has closed its New York showroom at 295 Fifth Ave. to cut overhead. The company said it will show its merchandise during market weeks at a ...
First Alert adds operating chief. (James Amtmann named president and COO)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... First Alert, a maker of residential safety products, has named James Amtmann president and chief operating officer. Amtmann assumes his duties today.Amtmann most recently served as president ...
New president at Regent-Sheffield. (Lee Silvas)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... Jay Cotler has resigned as president at Regent-Sheffield Ltd., the company said. Lee Silvas, formerly vice president ...
Selfix buys child safety company. (Mericon Child Safety Products)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... Storage manufacturer Selfix Inc. has bought Mericon Child Safety Products from The Denshaw Corp., a private company, for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock.Mericon manufactures juvenile home safety ...
Home Depot slates book, TV premieres.(book 'Home Improvement 1-2-3'; television program 'HouseSmart')
Jun 05, 1995; ... ATLANTA (FNS)--Home Depot is branching out, into a little publishing and a bit of cable TV.Arthur Blank, president and chief operating officer, told the $12.5 billion home improvement company's annual stockholders meeting last week that Home Depot will publish a book, "Home ...
Carson's specialty furniture stores outrun projections. (Carson Pirie Scott also adding Ralph Lauren Home Collection shops to department stores)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... MILWAUKEE (FNS)--Carson Pirie Scott & Co.'s two free-standing furniture stores are exceeding the company's projections and the department store chain plans more in the future.The company is also beefing up the department store textiles sections with Ralph Lauren home shops. ...
Taking stock: retailers' results for the four weeks ended May 30, 1995.(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Tight consumer purse strings and reduced housing turnover helped produce more declines than gains in stock prices of home goods retailers, many of which have shown lackluster sales.About half the retail stocks in the furniture and home decor segment of HFN's stock index ...
'Interest rates to hit home.' (forecast for home furnishings retailers)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--If you're a retailer of small home goods, a category killer or a sofa or mattress specialist, you're going to be okay. And, if consumer electronics is your thing, then you're better than okay--you're in the driver's seat over the next two to three years.But the overall ...
Jamesway gets advice on bids. (hires investment banking firm for advice on possible sale of firm)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... SECAUCUS, N.J.--Fueling the speculation about the future of regional independents, Jamesway Corp. has retained an investment banking firm to advise the company.In an official statement, Jamesway declared that it had hired the firm to explore "the possibility of a sale of the ...
Tops inks Informix to aid efficiency. (Tops Appliance City hires data tracking service)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... EDISON, N.J.--Tops Appliance City has signed up with a computerized data-tracking service to help improve the chain's operating efficiency. Tops officials disclosed they selected Informix-OnLine Dynamic Server, Informix-NewEra and Hewlett Packard hardware.Tops, an electronics and ...
Saks postpones debut in Mexico City til '97.
Jun 05, 1995; ... WASHINGTON (FNS)--Faced with Mexico's continuing economic turmoil and related construction delays, Saks Fifth Avenue has pushed back its debut in Mexico City until spring 1997.The opening, Saks' first in Mexico, originally had been planned for late fall 1996.However, the ...
Home Depot gives up on Arlington. (plans for Arlington, VA, store)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... WASHINGTON (FNS)--After more than a year of wooing homeowners and county officials, Home Depot has given up its effort to open a unit in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Va., a Washington suburb.A May 11 letter from Home Depot to the Arlington County Board stated, "Despite ...
Federated has heart, to the tune of $7.4M. (Federated Dept. Stores charitable contributions)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... CINCINNATI--Federated Department Stores Inc. gave more than $7.4 million in 1994 to educational, arts, cultural and social welfare organizations throughout the contry, an increase of 31 percent.This total includes contributions of about $5 million by Federated alone, and ...
Builder's Square to be spruced for sale. (Kmart to sell unit)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... DEARBORN, Mich. (FNS)--A shareholder's question at the Kmart Corp. annual meeting was pointed: "Do you see any future for Builder's Square?"The response from chairman Donald Perkins was equally blunt: "Builder's Square will be sold." But first, he said, "We must get it into shape ...
Team sports sell, big-time: licensed products do well in nearly every channel.
Jun 05, 1995; ... Major U.S. retailers are scoring sales with licensed sports merchandise.Sports licenses have become perennial sellers for major retailers in nearly every channel of distribution, including leading home furnishings catalogs Domestications and Spiegel, national chains JC Penney and ...
Sporting home: licensing the link. (sports-licensed home furnishings)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Baseball threw a curve ball to the home furnishings licensing industry during the 1994 strike, but sales are still winners in the other sports arenas.Eager sports fans are lapping up car racing, basketball and hockey merchandise, manufacturers reported. ...
Computer soft sell; Dial-a-Mattress rides superhighway. (online and Internet sales)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Dial-a-Mattress is expanding its efforts to sell mattresses by computer.As the name says, the retailer's chief line of business remains selling over the telephone. But now it has branched out to several online computer services and the Internet."We're 50 ...
Channel crossing. (ready-to-assemble furniture)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Only a decade ago, RTA makers and comedian Rodney Dangerfield shared a common dilemma: no respect.Today, however, fueled by enhanced assembly techniques, broader features and wider design options, RTA has proven to be both respectable and profitable for most ...
Fans for a mega store: Incredible Universe said to set launch.(Furniture Network)
Jun 05, 1995; ... FORT WORTH--Incredible Universe, the consumer electronics and appliance category killer owned by $5 billion Tandy Corp., reportedly will roll out an 80-SKU assortment of ceiling fans in all of its outlets by next year.According to vendors, the initial launch, slated for this fall ...
BASF tells the future: designs and colors for floorcoverings.(Furniture Network)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--BASF Corp. has looked into the future of floorcoverings--and says it includes Renaissance and Colonial designs as well as yellowed shades and earth tones.BASF, a leading supplier of yarn systems, polymers, chemicals and colorants for floorcovering manufacturers, has ...
Levitz Furniture. (retirement of chairman and chief executive Robert M. Elliott)(People Watching)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... BOCA RATON, Fla.--Levitz Furniture's chairman and chief executive, Robert M. Elliott, will retire on July 1.According to the company, its president, George H. Bradley, will serve as interim chief executive, and Ronald A. Kaplan, currently group vice president of the company's ...
New channels see the light. (Lighting Decorative Home)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--If consumers put contemporary halogen torchieres and other lamps next to their stereos, entertainment centers and computers, shouldn't they be able to buy the lamps in the same store as the audio and video equipment?The answer is an emphatic "yes," according to lighting ...
Jarous sets up design consultancy. (Janelle Jarous)(Area Rugs)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... ATLANTA -- Janelle Jarous, most recently director of design at American Rug Craftsmen, has formed her own design consultancy, J.J. Tapis et Textiles.Jarous' client list already includes several heavy-hitting area rug firms, such as MER and Horizon Pacific."I am following ...
Seizing new turf: Doneger puts home in apparel stores. (Doneger Home Connection)(Textiles Network)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Doneger Home Connection, one of the industry's last resident buying offices, is looking for new avenues to keep its home textiles business strong. One new route is to pitch a home angle to ready-to-wear retailers.A division of Doneger Buying Group, the country's leading ...
Leather values. (leather furniture)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Furniture manufacturers are bullish on leather.Furniture suppliers that have never used leather before have added leather pieces to their lines, and those that have always had a leather presentation have increased their leather collections dramatically in the last few ...
Catalog Coming Home: Lands' End unit goes private label.
Jun 05, 1995; ... DODGEVILLE, Wis. (FNS)--Coming Home, the home division of Lands' End, is dropping the last branded items from its catalog and reinforcing its Coming Home brand in home textiles.The May-June Coming Home catalog is the last that will carry Fieldcrest's Charisma Classic 310-count ...
Jacquards take off at Hometextil. (Hometextil Americas, textile show)
Jun 05, 1995; ... ORLANDO, Fla.--Jacquards and moderately priced tapestries were the fabrics of choice at this year's Home-textil Americas, according to South American buyers and U.S. exhibitors.Jacquards, especially overprinted types, were the clear market leader. And suppliers said that, when ...
Homemaker Industries. (names Jeff Cohen senior vice president of sales)(People Watching)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... NEW YORK--Homemaker Industries has named Jeff Cohen senior vice president of sales. He was vice president. Cohen joined Homemaker in 1986.Kurt Nelson has been named vice president of sales for the Western region. Prior to this he was regional manager. He began working at Homemaker ...
Cranston Home Fashions. (John Garofalo named vice president of sales and marketing)(People Watching)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... NEW YORK--John Garofalo has joined Cranston Home Fashions, a division of Cranston Print Works Co., as vice president of sales and marketing. He replaces Beverly Brady who has left the company. For the past six years, Garofalo was vice president of merchandising for Ex-Cell Home Fashion's ...
Springs Industries. (purchased Dawson Home Fashions)(Textiles Express)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... FORT MILL, S.C.--Springs Industries has concluded the purchase of substantially all of the assets of Dawson Home Fashions for an undisclosed cash amount. The aquired operations include a manufacturing plant in Sardis, Miss. which will become part of Springs' ...
Deborah Mallow. (sues for copyright infringement)(Textiles Express)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... NEW YORK--Designer Deborah Mallow has filed two lawsuits alleging copyright infringement by direct-mail apparel retailer Blair Corp.; two of its women's shirt suppliers, Lucky Winner and Joro Fashions; the fabric converters Print Trends and Jaftex; and the print plant, Swan Finishing Co. One ...
Whitehead ready for move. (Jim Whitehead goes to Pacific Linen)
Jun 05, 1995; ... BOTHELL, Wash.--Burdines executives had a few questions when Jim Whitehead told them that he had accepted a job as the number-two executive at Pacific Linen.In particular, they wanted to know if the rumors that Federated might consolidate Burdines into Macy's played any part in his ...
Windows up at Brentwood. (Brentwood Originals enters window coverings business)
Jun 05, 1995; ... CARSON, Cal.--Brentwood Originals is parlaying its dominant position in the decorative pillow market to build a successful window coverings business.Last year, Brentwood began offering blouson valances made from the damask fabrics it uses for its decorative pillows. "There seemed ...
Throws grow into tapestry.(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... ABBEVILLE, S.C.--A frequently asked question regarding jacquard woven throws is, 'Where do we go from here?'Rug Barn thinks it has the answer."The tapestry program we introduced [at High Point] will be the most significant since we introduced triple wovens," said David ...
Thief River Linens looms larger.
Jun 05, 1995; ... THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.--Thief River Linens has always moved in the right circles.When Linda Bentson started the bedding accessories company seven years ago, she manufactured products for such high-quality specialty shops as Scandia Down and Duxiana. Furniture stores, designer ...
Williamsburg line shops to reflect Colonial period. (Crown Crafts shops in department stores)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Flush with the success of its Royal Sateen shops, Crown Crafts plans to open in-store boutiques for its Williamsburg line, with the first opening sometime late this summer in a Belk's department store.Crown Crafts opened its first Royal Sateen shop two years ago; today, ...
Pionnering vendors try out cybershop. (Phoenix Down, Pacific Coast Feather, Imperial Home Fashions)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Downloading has taken on a whole new meaning since Phoenix Down, Pacific Coast Feather and Imperial Home Fashions signed deals to market their products on Cybershop.Phoenix Down's pillows and-comforters will be available on the online service within the next few weeks ....
Design scope buoys Surtex95. (design licensing fair)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--The quality and variety of designs at Surtex95, the design licensing fair, boosted buyer shopping at the fair, according to exhibitors."It seems that people are more concerned with achieving the right design direction than they have in the past, when price dictated ...
DuPont anodized ad blitz; Meyer featured in mass market push. (for cookware)
Jun 05, 1995; ... WILMINGTON, Del.--DuPont, looking to promote hard anodized aluminum to the mass cookware market, plans to spend $3.5 million on a fourth-quarter advertising campaign for its SilverStone Select coating.DuPont says Meyer is currently the only cookware vendor using the SilverStone ...
Storage boom. (home storage equipment)(Housewares Network)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--A more focused merchandising approach by specialty and home center retailers is boosting sales in the bath storage and organization arena.Retailers from Bed Bath & Beyond to Home Depot are developing comprehensive bath departments with products ranging from towels to ...
Burwood takes high road in Ch. 11. (Burwood Products Co.)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.--To regain profitability and recover from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, clock manufacturer Burwood Products Co. plans to move away from low-end products and emphasize licensed and highly decorated lines, company executives said.The company filed for Chapter 11 in ...
Euro steam heats up; chemical-free systems hit U.S. homes. (steam cleaning systems)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Suppliers' efforts to enter the U.S. consumer market with European steam-cleaning systems have been simmering over the past months.Now, they're picking up steam.Manufacturers see a potential market here for systems that clean and sanitize without chemicals ....
ACE Hardware-Housewares: the best of both worlds. (Tucson, AZ, store)
Jun 05, 1995; ... TUCSON, Ariz.--On the Northwest corner of 22nd Street and Kolb Road here there's a store that has mass merchant cookware pricing and the intimate atmosphere of a gourmet specialty shop.Called Ace Hardware-Housewares Etc., it features 46 linear feet of cookware, 90 percent of which ...
Whitford, Farberware settle suits. (over licensing of Whitford's Excalibur nonstick technology)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... PHILADELPHIA--Nonstick coatings supplier Whitford Corp. and cookware manufacturer Farberware Inc. have reached an out of court agreement in a litigation concerning Whitford's licensing to Farberware and Farberware's use of Whitford's Excalibur nonstick technology, said Whitford. ...
Orrefors Kosta Boda builds brands. (glass and crystal brands)
Jun 05, 1995; ... BERLIN, N.J.--Orrefors Kosta Boda, a niche crystal and glass supplier based here, is launching an extensive, focused advertising campaign designed to build brand recognition for both its Orrefors and Kosta Boda lines.The firm also has developed a new distribution and product ...
Wedgwood cuts Royal Court, Whiteware dinnerware tags. (prices)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... WALL, N.J.--Wedgwood, a leading formal china supplier, has repositioned two of its bone china dinnerware lines."The reality of the business is if it isn't a promotional line, it doesn't get put into advertising and events as often," said Brian Eady, vice president of marketing for ...
Tienshan aims to save the children. (dinnerware company's product line will benefit Save the Children charity)
Jun 05, 1995; ... SOUTH NORWALK, Conn.--Tienshan is putting children to work--as designers.It's not a case of children being exploited, but rather, underprivileged children being aided by the art work of their contemporaries: the housewares dinnerware company is putting adaptations of the drawings ...
Mariposa appoints new rep. (Steve Roth Associates named sales representative for Hawaii, northern California and northern Nevada)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... Mariposa, a tableware and giftware supplier, has appointed Steve Roth Associates of San ...
Stainless cashes in on casual. (stainless steel flatware)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--From housewares to silver departments, stainless stell flatware offerings reflect consumers' demand for functional and transitional products to suit their casual lifestyles.Stainless steel dominates the flatware industry's retail sales, accounting for 66 percent or $235.4 ...
Hopping on beermaker bandwagon. (home brewing devices)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--As the weather warms up, Americans are turning their thoughts to the carefree days of summer--to hot dogs, baseball, beaches and beer.Retailers across America--including Hecht's and John Wanamaker--publicized beermakers alongside grills, fans and iced tea machines this ...
Braun Flex Integral line debuts. (electric shaver)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Braun, a leading men's shaver manufacturer, unveiled its new Flex Integral Shaver line for men last month.The Flex Integral Shaver line consists of four models, with suggested retails ranging from $109.99 to $179.99. It is available to department stores and mass ...
Maytag divestment seen positive. (sale of Hoover Europe)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NORTH CANTON, Ohio--Maytag Corp.'s sale of its European appliance division is expected to have a long-term positive impact on its Hoover North American floor care operations both domestically and internationally, officials said.The $170 million sale of Hoover Europe to Candy SpA of ...
Incredible Universe aims to vacuum the world. (vacuum cleaner merchandising)
Jun 05, 1995; ... FORTHWORTH--Welcome to the show! And get ready: Shopping for a vacuum has never been quite like this.The assortment is huge. But then again, so are these "gigastores." Each store is almost four acres, packed with more than 85,000 consumer electronics items and appliances. Shoppers ...
Hold Everything holds its niche. (retailer)
Jun 05, 1995; ... SAN FRANCISCO--By staying tuned to the needs of its upscale clientele and offering exceptional customer service, the home organization chain Hold Everything has carved a comfortable niche in the retail arena, storage vendors said."In the last year and a half, they've become very ...
Shipments of vacs off 4% in April. (Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers Assoc. statistics)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... NEW YORK--Vacuum shipments dropped 4 percent in April reflecting a general softening in the economy, but year-to-date sales remain strong, Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers Assoc. officials said.Last month, 1,167,347 vacuums were sent to retailers, down from 1,216,610 during the same ...
Majors ease off. (home appliance industry, April 1995)
Jun 05, 1995; ... CHICAGO--Diminished expectations in the past month for white-goods shipments in 1995 still point to the second-best year on record.As business softened in April and May, analysts backed off predictions that the current year would equal or exceed the record set in 1994. Reduced ...
Closing the sale. (Hitachi Home Electronics America Inc. implementing new marketing strategy)
Jun 05, 1995; ... NEW YORK--Hitachi Home Electronics (America) has decided that outstanding quality and lots of built-in features are not enough.So when the company revved up its 1995-'96 video product line to include a number of user-friendly innovations, it took steps to make sure people would ...
Sega's Saturn scores: swift sales follow an early rollout. (Sega Enterprises Ltd.'s Saturn video game system)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995; ... REDWOOD CITY, Cal.--The early launch of the Sega Saturn video game system did not take consumers by surprise, according to several retailers who reported robust sales results after just one week.At launch there were 30,000 Sega Saturn units distributed nationally to 1,800 stores ....
RCA sales incentives. (Thomson Consumer Electronics' RCA Digital Satellite System)
Jun 05, 1995; ... INDIANAPOLIS--Thomson Consumer Electronics is following up its "Small Dish, Big Wish" RCA Digital Satellite System sweepstakes with a series of consumer incentive programs that includes a no payment-no interest program and mail-in rebate plan.The company is doing so to keep DSS ...
Nintendo of America Inc. (promotional agreement with NBC-TV and Blockbuster Video)(Brief Article)
Jun 05, 1995 ... REDMOND, Wash.--Nintendo of America Inc. has teamed up with Blockbuster Video and NBC-TV to deliver a two-tiered rental and sweepstakes promotion for its new Virtual Boy video game system. Backed by more than $5 million in marketing support--including a dedicated, 20-second spot produced by ...