HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network back issues from August 1996:
Seeking an edge in rugs: buyers in Atlanta strive to stand out.(Atlanta Summer Area Rug market)
Aug 05, 1996; ... ATLANTA--Buyers attending this week's Atlanta Summer Area Rug market have short, sweet shopping lists. They are looking for that elusive "something different" that will give them a competitive edge.As more types of retailers enter the area rug business, it becomes increasingly ...
A smoother Kmart core.(merchandising reorganization)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--C.S. Brooks and its boss, Charles Senter "Brook" Johnson, have bought their way back into the US. textiles business.C.S. Brooks Canada, where Johnson is chairman and chief executive, said last week that it had purchased Textile Industries Australia and its bedding brand, ...
Here comes the registry: creating a bridal gifts category killer.(The Registry Stores)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--The idea to marry a bridal registry with a category killer struck Stephen Werther, two years ago while gearing up for the holidays at Portico Bed & Bath a store he founded, along with Portico Home and Portico Kids."We made 1,500 gift-boxed bath items in three sizes and ...
Back in the U.S.A.: C.S. Brooks buys Sheridan textiles.(C.S. Brooks Canada Inc. buys Textile Industries Australia)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK -- Kmart's second merchandising reorganization in less than a year may make the company more efficient and friendly to its vendors, retail analysts say.Its merchandising departments will now be made up of what Kmart calls: "cross-functional teams" to support the hard ...
Top execs, plus partner buy Belding Hausman.(home fabrics company)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--Belding Hausman's two top executives, backed by a Dallas investment firm, bought the home fabrics company from Belding Heminway last week.Nancy Zarin and Wick Wolfe, Belding Hausman's managers, were joined in the deal by Lewis Partners, which is the majority shareholder. ...
L. Luria & Son sale ends family control.(Ocean Reef Management buys retailer; includes financial information)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... MIAMI--The Luria family agreed last week to sell its controlling interest in L. Luria & Son, the catalog-showroom retailer turned superstore, to Ocean Reef Management, an Aventura, Fla., investor group that has been the driving force behind Perfumania, the national disount perfume chain. ...
Perfect Fit sale final.(Foamex International sells Perfect Fit Industries to PFI Acquisition Corp.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... LINWOOD, Pa.--Foamex International said last week that it has completed the sale of Perfect Fit Industries, its home furnishings subsidiary, to PFI Acquisition Corp. PFI was formed for the deal by Jody Vitale, whose father once ran Perfect Fit, along with current Perfect Fit management and ...
Roberds chain posts loss.(first quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... Roberds Inc. reported a loss of $719,000 for the first quarter ended June 30, compared with net income of $1.7 million, or 28 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.The chain pointed to a weak retailing environment, as well as competitive ...
Decor president to L.C.I.(Ira Adler, L.C.I. Lay-Cee)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... Ira Adler, president of Tabletrends/Decor, resigned to become CEO and president of L.C.I. Lay-Cee, a vinyl-lace tablecloth and shower curtain manufacturer.Harry Berger, who had been president of L.C.I., will become chairman.Adler was COO and president of Decor through ...
Positively 4th Street (by the bay). (home furnishings stores in Berkeley, California)
Aug 05, 1996; ... BERKELEY, Cal. (FNS)--The three blocks of home furnishings stores two miles from the University of California campus here look like an accident of real estate.But "4th Street," the nick-name for the one-stop shopping district for the home, is as carefully planned as any mall or ...
A lesson in home ergonomics.(Retail Monitor)
Aug 05, 1996; ... FURNITURE RETAILERS PUNCH HOME OFFICE CLOCKWhile business lore is full of companies started on kitchen tables, more and more people are finding that with a computer, printer, fax and a variety of other necessary equipment, space for a real home-office becomes a necessity. It is not ...
Online shops linger in future.
Aug 05, 1996; ... WASHINGTON (FNS)--Despite the growing excitement over Internet shopping, online commerce won't be more than a bit player in the retail world until several technologies now under development become widespread--a process that is likely to take years, according to electronic merchants and ...
German RTA kickoff: 3K Mobel sets up a U.S. division. (ready-to-assemble; 3K Mobel USA formed)
Aug 05, 1996; ... SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, Cal.--3K Mobel GmbH, a German manufacturer of mid-priced ready-to-assemble furniture, has created 3K Mobel USA, based here, to expand its business in the U.S.The manufacturer is owned by Welle Holding, a German conglomerate that has revenues of more than $1.2 ...
Oriental weavers spreads its wings: adds an upstairs line and one for bed and bath.
Aug 05, 1996 ... DALTON, Ga.--Oriental Weavers of America will try to extend itself in not one, but two new directions this month.The company, which has been criticized for selling its merchandise to too many accounts with too little differentiation, has developed a line for department and ...
High on hardware: fan, lighting suppliers look to Chicago. (National Hardware Show)
Aug 05, 1996; ... CHICAGO--After a disappointing Dallas Lighting Market, lighting and ceiling fan suppliers are gearing up for what they hope will be a more productive and profitable time at the National Hardware Show, which opens here Sunday.The show comes just one month after the Dallas Lighting ...
Louis de Poortere. (moving to new distribution center in Adairsville, GA)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... ADAIRSVILLE, Ga.--Louis de Poortere is moving to a new 20,000-square-foot distribution center here, according to Terry Flamant, vice president of U.S. operations. Louis de Poorter, which markets machine-made wool rugs from Belgium, is relocating here from its present warehouse in Dalton, Ga ....
Stanley Furniture Co. (reports higher sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... STANLEYTOWN, Va.--Stanley Furniture Co. reported sales were up more than 23.9 percent and earnings more than doubled for the second quarter of 1996. Second-quarter sales were $47.3 million. Net income increased 137 percent to $1.7 million, or 36 cents per share, from $719,000, or 15 cents. ...
Plunkett Furniture. (to open Northbrook, IL, store)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.--Plunkett Furniture, which has operated in the Chicago area since 1931, is scheduled to unveil its newest store ...
Fournier widens home office. (Fournier Furniture Inc. offering expanded furniture line for home office use)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... MINNEAPOLIS--As part of a strategy to broaden its penetration of the office superstore channel, Fournier Furniture has expanded its assortment of home office products in its California Oak Collection.All of the pieces in this grouping are characterized by a number of signature ...
DMI bolsters qtr. net. (DMI Furniture Inc. reports net earnings for third fiscal quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... LOUISVILLE, Ky.--DMI Furniture Inc., based here, has reported net earnings of $205,000, or 4 cents a share, on net sales of $12.4 million in its third fiscal quarter.According to Joseph Hill, vice president of finance. these results compare with earnings of $19.000 on sales of ...
Stimulating bedding purchases. (marketing mattresses)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--Diamonds may last forever, but mattresses do not. Hoping to educate consumers on that very point, bedding retailers are using a variety of materials, including information provided by the Better Sleep Council and manufacturers.According to Andrea Herman, director of the ...
Star's fan/light dimmers. (Star Controls is introducing new controls for lights and ceiling fans at the 1996 National Hardware Show)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CHICAGO--Star Controls, a division of Hybrinetics Inc., will introduce a wide range of dimmers, controls for ceiling fans and lights, and a new display at the National Hardware Show opening here on Sunday.Among the new products are multiple-location dimmers that allow for true ...
Catalina sees net below forecasts. (Catalina Lighting Inc. earnings, third quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... MIAMI--Catalina Lighting executives said they expect the company's third-quarter earnings to be below analysts' expectations. The company cited weak demand for lighting fixtures by retail customers as the chief cause."We believe third-quarter results will be considerably better ...
Syroco's push in wall decor. (introducing Wall Decor collection)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... PEABODY, Mass. -- Syroco is returning to its roots.The firm, the market share leader in resin outdoor furniture, has introduced the Wall Decor collection, a line of decorative accessory items, including mirrors, framed art and clocks.Up until 1990, Syroco was known as a ...
It's a fan! A light! A heater! (Pelonis USA's new combination ceiling fan/light kit/heater)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CHICAGO -- At the National Hardware Show, which opens here on Sunday, Pelonis USA, maker of ceramic heaters, will introduce a new concept in room heating: a combination ceiling fan light kit and heater. The new heater/light kit is designed to offer safe, efficient the hating with the ...
Good Earth expands its under-cabinet offerings. (Good Earth Lighting Inc. introducing new accent lights)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CHICAGO -- Good Earth Lighting has tapped into one of the fastest-growing new lighting product categories: under-cabinet accent lights. The company will introduce several products in this category, in halogen and incandescent versions. at the National Hardware Show, which opens here on ...
Vendors show their stuff. (area rugs to be introduced at the fall 1996 High Point show)
Aug 05, 1996; ... ATLANTA--Summer markets have become a place for refining area rug lines. Vendors are adding patterns to existing product lines, fleshing out collections with coordinating runners and putting out some trial balloons as a sneak preview for this fall's High Point market.Buyers who ...
Dreamtime La-Z-Boy wins patent. (for #554 reclining chair; name changed to La-Z-Boy Inc.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... MONROE, Mich.-- A design patent has been granted to La-Z-Boy Chair Co. for its #554 "Dreamtime" reclining chair.The Dreamtime design is groundbreaking, both for La-Z-Boy and the industry, according to Jack Lewis, director of design. "It features a totally new combination of style ...
Meeting pressure from below: upscale stores deal with mass towel upgrade. (includes related article on marketing by discount chains)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--A towel is a towel is a towel. Or is it?The question has become more enigmatic as mass retailers upgrade their assortments to include bath towels that once were exclusively department store products and ceiling them at lower prices. Upstairs stores are implementing ...
Home steady at Burlington. (Burlington Industries Inc.'s financial results for quarter ending June 29, 1996)
Aug 05, 1996; ... GREENSBORO, N.C.--Burlington industries last week reported net sales in home furnishings were $214.6 million for its third fiscal quarter ended June 29, up from $213.8 million during the same period last year. Income for home furnishings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ...
Taking the bath: coordinates riding a retail wave. (includes related article on mix and match displays)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--Coordinated ensembles are gaining ground in bath departments as retailers find the packages give stores visual appeal and translate into bigger rings at the registerFollowing in the footsteps of their predecessors in the bedroom, coordinated bath ensembles are shifting ...
Quicker drying towels: new Fieldcrest line from Wal-Mart idea. (Fieldcrest Cannon Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... KANNAPOLIS, N.C. --Fieldcrest Cannon has found anew way to hang a towel: on technology.Last week, the mill reported it has teamed up with Wal-Mart to create a more absorbent towel The all-cotton towel also dries faster, said Bill Heitman, vice president and business manager of ...
Quaker Fabrics. (financial results for second quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... FALL RIVER, Mass.--Quaker Fabrics, a leading upholstered fabric mill that supplies the lion's share of chenille to the market, reported net sales were up almost 25 percent for the second quarter ended one 29 to $51 million from $41.1 million for the period in 1995.Net income for ...
Avanti Linens. (Michael Castillo named vice president of sales and marketing)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... MOONACHIE, N.J.--Michael Castillo has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing at Avanti Linens, a supplier of embellished towels. The sales management position was formerly held by Shirley Reese, who retired from the company after 17 years of service. Castillo will report to ...
Babying the boomers. (Sleep Options sells comfort products)
Aug 05, 1996; ... CINCINNATI--When Rob Washburn turned 40, about two years ago, he learned there are three things in life that are certain: death, taxes and chronic ailments.It started with back pain. Then an elbow injury led to shoulder trouble. Aware that he wasn't the only aging baby boomer ...
The new niche builders. (bed ensembles from Albrizio Designs; Ann Gish)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--Beyond leading home textile manufacturers are some lesser-known, risk-taking companies. While not big volume movers or even big money-makers, these suppliers are bringing fashion-forward and innovative products to market.Ann Gish, for example, brings to the market the ...
Ex-Cell Home reportedly buying Suzanne Linens. (Ex-Cell Home Fashions Inc.; Suzanne Table Linens)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK--Ex-Cell Home Fashions, a supplier of table linens, bath and decorative pillows, reported it would purchase Suzanne Table Linens, a division of Charles Samelson Inc.At press time, the deal was set to be signed Aug 1.Officials at Ex-Cell declined to comment on the ...
Tech-Style cuts sample time, cost. (Tech-Style Imaging)
Aug 05, 1996 ... NEW YORK--What if the price and time it takes to make a cloth sample could be cut to days and at a fraction of the cost to--the mill? Alan Shaw, a principal of Tech-Style Imaging, said he can make this happen. He also said that with his company's new Design Channel software program this same ...
Sunbeam creates EVP slot; exec to manage consumer products.(Company Profile)
Aug 05, 1996; ... FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Albert Dunlap, chief executive of Sunbeam Corp., last week took the next step toward his goal to create a new management team at the beleaguered $1.2 billion consumer products company.Dunlap named P. Newton White executive vice president of consumer ...
Flatware's riding an upward curve; trade-ups build bigger margins for discounters.(Mass Appeal, part 1)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK -- Flatware, the most profitable tableware category per linear foot for mass merchants, is gaining even greater margins as the retailers look to upgrade their assortments.Vendors my mass merchants are trading up by layering on higher price points. They're also offering ...
DuPont in liner push. (DuPont Fluoroproducts advertising for Teflon Bakeware Liners)
Aug 05, 1996; ... WILMINGTON, Del. -- DuPont Fluoroproducts, whose Teflon Bakeware Liners -- introduced last November on QVC -- represented the division's first-ever consumer housewares product, is breaking its first advertising campaign in support of the line this month.Placing ads in national ...
Unifying Ekco; Varakian named to leading role. (Ekco Group Inc.; Bob Varakian)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NASHUA, N.H. -- Ekco Group Inc., a leading gadget supplier, has taken another step in its year-and-a-half-old restructuring program by naming Bob Varakian vice president of marketing, to unify product development, production and marketing efforts.The company has also adjusted the ...
Selfix Inc. (financial results for quarter ended June 29, 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CHICAGO--Home organization manufacturer Selfix Inc. reported net sales of $10.16 million for the 13 weeks ended June 29, a 4.5 percent decrease from $10.63 million for the period in 1995. Net earnings for the period were $709,000, or 19 cents per share, up sharply ...
Lifetime Hoan Corp. (financial results for second quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... WESTBURY, N.Y.--Lifetime Hoan Corp. reported net sales for the second quarter ended June 30 of $21 million, up from $15.6 million for the quarter in 1995, a 35 percent increase. Net income increased 24 percent to $1.3 million, compared with $1 million.For the six months ended June ...
Aroma Housewares Co. (Don M. Ogan becomes president)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... SAN DIEGO, Cal.--Aroma Housewares Co. has named Don M. Ogan president. He was vice president of sales and market and ...
Baldwin doubling holloware lines. (Baldwin Hardware Corp.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... READING, Pa.--Baldwin Hardware Corp. is more than doubling its holloware collection with 18 new pieces. and is introducing solid brass votives, pillars and hurricanes to its line of candleware for the home.The new holloware products are available in patterns that feature floral, ...
Syratech sales gain 31.5% in 2nd qtr. (second quarter 1996)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... BOSTON--Syratech Corp., citing its growth in the seasonal and housewares markets, reported a 31.5 percent jump in second-quarter sales for 1996. Sales for the quarter were $38.6 million, up from $29.4 million for the second quarter of 1995.Syratech's net income was $8.6 million for ...
Danforth brings forth pewter. (Danforth Pewterers is introducing new giftware and jewelry designs at the 1996 New York Gift Show)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... MIDDLEBURY, Vt.--Danforth Pewterers is presenting almost 100 new jewelry and giftware designs at the major summer gift shows, including the New York Gift Show, Aug. 11-16 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.New designs include a garden bench, twig chair, porch rocker, birdhouse, ...
Gift show blows into Chicago. (141st semi-annual Chicago Gift Show, July 27-31, 1996)
Aug 05, 1996; ... CHICAGO--The 141st semiannual Chicago Gift Show blew into the windy city, at McCormick Place North,July27-31,1996. It featured a new logo and tagline, a Saturday opening debut, seminars, special events, product focuses in several areas and other added attractions. Attendance was anticipated ...
Federated: hey, Culligan. (Culligan International Co. agreement with Federated Stores Inc. for marketing of water purification equipment and supplies)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NORTHBROOK, Ill.--This year, to mark its 60th anniversary, Culligan International, a leader in water purification and treatment products for household, commercial and industrial applications, leapt into the retail marketplace. Now the company is gearing up for its recently announced ...
New products spur gains at B&D. (Black & Decker Corp.'s financial results for second quarter, first half 1996)
Aug 05, 1996 ... TOWSON, Md.--According to a recent company statement, Black & Decker sales and earnings for the year to date are on the rise, thanks to new product development, despite sluggish retail across the inThe corporation increased sales 6 percent in the second quarter, to $1.2 billion ...
Slant/Fin's intros tackle heat. (new product introductions involving a heater and a humidifier)
Aug 05, 1996; ... GREENVALE, N.Y.--Slant/Fin is gearing up for the Aug. 10-14National Hardware Show in Chicago, where the company will introduce two new home-comfort products.In a health-conscious market, Slant/Fin's new convection heater and ultraviolet humidifier may appeal to consumers looking to ...
Conair stretching its line of massagers.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... STAMFORD, Conn.--Conair Corp. is expanding its Family Fitness line of health-care products to include four massagers designed for health-conscious consumers. Each has features to help relax and relieve tired, aching muscles.The Spin Doctor Massager is a hand-held shiatsu massager ....
Storage stock on parade. (organization and storage products to be exhibited at National Hardware Show)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CHICAGO--As the cocooning trend continues, consumers will need more places to store their belongings. Whether it's in garages, small drawers or closet corners, storage and organization companies will be meeting this need with new products debuting at the National Hardware Show in Chicago. ...
Royal shows a profit in 2nd qtr. (Royal Appliance Mfg. Co.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... CLEVELAND--Royal Appliance Mfg. Co. reported net sales for the quarter ended June 30 were $62.97 million, up 8 percent from $58.26 million for the same period in 1995. The company reported net income of $1.33 million, or 5 cents per share, contrasted to a net loss of $1.89 million in the ...
Seymour names president. (Stephen Brian named Seymour Housewares president; Joe Gantz named board chairman)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... SEYMOUR, Ind.--Seymour Housewares has named Stephen Brian president and chief operating officer and Joe Gantz chairman of the board.Brian replaces Norman Proulx, who left the company to pursue other interests, according to a company statement. Proulx will continue to serve on ...
Users left out of loop: convergence still a mass unknown. (Consumer Electronics)
Aug 05, 1996; ... NEW YORK -- Technology companies and entertainment and information providers are busy jockeying for position in the nascent market emerging from their converging fields. But they may be missing the most important part of the equation -- the consumer.That was a key finding of a ...
Major records: refrigerators lead a torrid June.(Assn. of Home Appliance Manufacturers statistics on major-appliance shipments)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996; ... CHICAGO The biggest shipment month in major-appliance history was highlighted by the biggest month for refrigerators.Manufacturers moved 5,417,600 appliances in June, 4.7 percent more than in the 1995 month and 0.4 percent more than the previous benchmark, 5,396,200 in March of ...
It's a challenge to make a buck: puny profit margins weaken the appeal of PCs.(includes related article on PC market share)
Aug 05, 1996; ... In the words of one prominent retailer, the personal computer has become the "sacrificial lamb" of the consumer electronics retail business.While gross sales of PC hardware continue to rise -- with the worldwide PC market growing at 16.5 percent rate, according to Dataquest, an ...
Dish push across U.S.: EchoStar at $199. (direct broadcast satellite television)
Aug 05, 1996; ... ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- EchoStar Communications Corp., marketer of the DISH Network digital satellite TV service, reported it will go nation wide with its offer of DISH hardware at a suggested retail price of $199 when purchased with an annual programmingpackage at $300.The ...
Walt Disney Co. (home video unit sees revenue, income gains)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... NEW YORK-- Although Walt Disney Co.'s creative-content division reported lower-than-expected operating income for the third quarter, the company's home-video unit gave the dark cloud a silver lining.The division--which includes movies, television, home video and consumer products ...
EchoStar Communications Corp. (customer base reaches 100,000)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--EchoStar Communications Corp. reported its DISH Network digital satellite TV service has reached 100,000 customers in about six months. The service was first made available in early March, after the launch of the company's first satellite in late December. A second ...
U.S. Satellite Broadcasting Co. Inc. (added 127,000 subscriptions in fiscal fourth quarter)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... ST. PAUL, Minn.--U.S. Satellite Broadcasting Co. Inc., one of two Digital Satellite System broadcasters, reported that it added 127,000 paid subscriptions in its fourth fiscal quarter, bringing its total to 918,000 ....
Dataquest. (expects DVD semiconductor sales to surpass $3.6 billion by 2000)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... SAN JOSE, Cal.--With the first DVD system expected to ship later this year, the semi-conductor opportunity generated by the DVD market is expected to exceed $3.6 billion by the year 2000, according to Dataquest, the high-tech market research ...
PageMart Inc. (names Richard Nelson president of PageMart International)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 1996 ... DALLAS--Wireless messaging provider PageMart Inc. has named Richard Nelson president of the company's subsidiary, PageMart International. Nelson, formerly ...