HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network back issues from November 2001:
TRADE SHOW CALENDER.
Nov 05, 2001 ... november 6-7 Minneapolis Fall Midseason Home Furnishings Market International Market Square Minneapolis (612) 330-9476 8-9 Grand Rapids Woodworking & Furniture Supply Fair Grand Center Grand Rapids, Mich. (828) ...
LUXURY LINEN VENDORS READY TO ACCOMMODATE AT HOTEL SHOW.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-This week it's the hospitality industry's turn to hope for the best. The 86th annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show will be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center here Nov. 10 to 13. Linen vendors will be there in full force, hoping that hotel chains, ...
NEWS BRIEFS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Cone Mills Reports $800,000 Loss, Lower Sales in Third Quarter Cone Mills reported a third-quarter net loss of $800,000, or 7 cents per share, excluding restructuring charges related to the sale of the John Wolf converted fabric unit and its exit from the khaki business ....
BOB VILA SHOW ROLLING OUT THE CARPET FOR IRELAND.
Nov 05, 2001 ... DALTON, Ga.-Kathy Ireland, who has partnered with Shaw Industries to create a rug and broadloom line, will appear on "Bob Vila's Home Again" television series Nov. 19 with her Shades of America broadloom collection. The carpets were installed in four bedrooms of a resort home ...
EVERYTHING'S COMING UP DAISIES IN RUGS THIS FALL.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Roses are red, violets are blue, and in this fall's new rugs, daisies are popping up in almost every hue. Couristan, Majestic Rug Co., Susan Sargent and The Rug Market are a few of the rug suppliers that have introduced styles featuring daisies. "It happened ...
TECHNOLOGY CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME IN NEW MATS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-A mat that can be shaped like a flower, a tomato or even Scooby Doo represents several improvements in technology for manufacturers. Pat Moyer, Mohawk's vice president of marketing, referred to one advancement as the "cookie cutter," or die cutter. "Die ...
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK; PALLISER UNVEILS ITS FIRST STORE FEATURING THE EQ3 LINE, GEARED TOWARD THE YOUTH MARKET.
Nov 05, 2001; ... WINNIPEG, Manitoba-Palliser Furniture, armed with a European design sensibility and a crew of ex-IKEA talent, trained its sights squarely on younger consumers with its first store dedicated to Palliser's hip EQ3 collection. The 10,000-square-foot prototype store, which opened ...
ACCESSORY VENDORS FIND NEW AVENUES AT MARKET.
Nov 05, 2001; ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Lighting and accessory buyers had plenty of new looks and suppliers to work with at last month's International Home Furnishings Market here. Across the spectrum, exhibitors made forays into new product categories and made bold moves to target added retail ...
CASUAL INDUSTRY: ANYTHING BUT.
Nov 05, 2001; ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Recession and war are taking their toll on many businesses, but the casual furniture business faces added challenges because of its seasonal nature. The uncertainty of the retail climate compounds the dilemma faced by a business that is so heavily tied to the ...
ALL SIGNS POINT TO PARTIES.
Nov 05, 2001 ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-It was a quieter High Point market than usual, but the furniture industry put on ...
THE SPOT TOUCH.
Nov 05, 2001; ... Textures that have shimmer, sheen or luster are in big demand this fall. Velvet, suede and fabrics with beading are hits at retail. Suede leads the way as this season's undeniable hit for ...
NO GROUNDING THESE FREQUENT FLIERS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... D'huyvetter on Flying: No Problem On an airplane several years ago, Paul D'huyvetter, senior vice president of Oriental Weavers of America, settled in for the trip with a book. His seatmate gaped at the cover. It was a thriller about a hijacking. "How can you read that?" she ...
GETTING AROUND GETTING AROUND.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, companies are increasingly turning to various communication tools to get business done. Audio conferencing, videoconferencing, Web conferencing, e-mail and instant messaging are some of the solutions that have allowed ...
TODAY'S SPECIAL: SINISTER MARKETING.
Nov 05, 2001; ... Companies who are marketing to exploit consumer emotions during these tragic times should themselves be patriotically veiled and dropped off without their Amex cards in Kabul. I have had all I can stomach of the self-righteous people behind the brands who have taken out ...
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
Nov 05, 2001; ... So the October market cycle was not exactly an overwhelming success. Lots of stores stayed away from the textiles, furniture and tabletop markets for lots of reasons. They didn't want to get on airplanes. They didn't want to be exposed to anthrax. They didn't want to be in large ...
NEWS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... O'Sullivan Q1 Sales Down 4.6 Percent Ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer O'Sullivan Furniture reported net sales of $86.3 million for its fiscal 2002 first quarter, a decrease of 4.6 percent from sales of $90.5 million in the comparable period a year ago. The ...
NEWS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... WFCA Becomes IICRC Shareholder The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification shareholders and board of directors approved the World Floor Covering Association as the latest IICRC shareholder and issued stock to D. Christopher Davis, the organization's chief ...
NEWS BRIEFS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Meiwa Now Cambridge Potteries Dinnerware company Meiwa USA has dissolved and re-emerged as Cambridge Potteries, a sister company to flatware manufacturer Cambridge Silversmiths. David Connell, who built up the Meiwa business with his wife, Kati Connell, is the president of ...
NEWS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Global Marketing, Sitram Part Company Global Marketing Corp. and Sitram have jointly ended a decade-long agreement between the two companies in which Global managed Sitram's U.S. subsidiary. Instead, Parsippany, N.J.-based Global plans to develop its presence in new housewares ...
COPY TALK.
Nov 05, 2001 ... An Organic Advisory Board The newly launched Organic Style has put together an advisory board to guide the publication on matters having to do with organic living. The board includes Dr. Andrew Weil, author and botanist; Michael McDonough, eco-architect; Eric ...
JORDAN'S AND LINENS 'N THINGS: AN EVER-GROWING RELATIONSHIP.
Nov 05, 2001 ... AVON, Mass.-"Perfect Bedfellows" is how the relationship between Linens 'n Things and Jordan's Furniture is described in an advertising piece, and according to Laurie Silva, Jordan's general merchandise manager, it's absolutely true. "We've been doing this for a few years now ....
FANTOM LOOKS FOR PARTY TO BUY ASSETS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... TORONTO-A court-appointed receiver for Fantom Technologies Inc. said last week that the floor-care manufacturer is seeking a purchaser or purchasers. The high-tech company, best known for introducing cyclonic bagless vacuum cleaners to North America, filed for protection from ...
HEIMTEXTIL COMES TO NEW YORK, CHANGES DIRECTION IN MIAMI.
Nov 05, 2001 ... NEW YORK-Messe Frankfurt is revamping its U.S. lineup of textiles trade events, adding a new show in New York in April and repositioning its 9-year-old Heimtextil Americas event to one focused on fabrics. That show will now be called Heimtextil Americas Fabrics and is being ...
CHARGEBACKS TAKE BACKSEAT.
Nov 05, 2001 ... To the editor: I've been reading HFN articles on retail chargebacks with great amusement, because I spent the first 30 years of my life on the manufacturing side and the last three-and-a-half years on the sales side. I've become more aware of each one's problems, including ...
CONFERENCING: THE NEXT BEST THING TO BEING THERE.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Although the catch-all term is "teleconferencing," the technological solutions available for conducting business over long distances fall into three main areas: audio conferencing, videoconferencing and Web conferencing. Audio conferencing is the most familiar form, in which ...
THE GOOD LIFE; THE PERSONAL HEALTH CATEGORY CONTINUES TO GROW AS CONSUMERS TRY TO TAKE BETTER CARE.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-At its inception, the healthy lifestyle trend was viewed as just another fad to sell products. But that fad has since established itself as a modern way of life, and the industry says it's still gaining followers. "This is still a booming enterprise," said Jennifer ...
M. KAMENSTEIN TO DO PFALTZGRAFF PANTRY LINE.
Nov 05, 2001; ... ELMSFORD, N.Y.-Pfaltzgraff Corp. and M. Kamenstein have entered into a licensing agreement that will put Pfaltzgraff's brand and patterns on M. Kamenstein's pantryware products. The initial assortment will include the Naturewood, Jamberry, French Quarter and Summer Breeze patterns, said ...
SHARP ADDS HANGING MICROWAVE OVENS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... MAHWAH, N.J.-Sharp Electronics Corp. said last week it is creating a separate subcategory of microwave ovens that hang amid cabinets. Called Over The Counter ovens, the series gives builders and consumers more flexibility in positioning such appliances in kitchens and elsewhere ....
IHA PANEL ADDRESSES CURRENT, FUTURE STATE OF HOUSEWARES.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-At its second annual forecasting luncheon, the International Housewares Association offered insider reviews of the present and future of housewares. Clark Johnson, vice president of The NPD Group, said September sales for non-electric housewares fell 7 percent from last ...
HAPPY HOLIDAYS? ANALYSTS' FORECASTS ALL OVER THE MAP.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-With the holiday shopping season fast approaching comes a flurry of conflicting forecasts on how well retailers will fare. Will there be a decline? A slight increase? Or will sales remain flat compared with the prior year? That depends on whom you ask. Trade ...
DIXIE WHISTLES LOWER PROFIT AS 3RD-QUARTER SALES DROP.
Nov 05, 2001; ... CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-The Dixie Group attributed an 11 percent decline in sales for the third quarter to weak demand for most of its markets even as the carpet and rug supplier posted a slight profit. The company also said it had reduced its debt load. Net sales came in at $132.3 ...
THE T IN CHARITY.
Nov 05, 2001 ... T-shirts are mobile billboards for the modern age. This season they are destined to be the gift of choice if they benefit one of the Sept. 11 organizations. The I Love FDNY shirt benefits the Leary Fire Fighter Foundation and is on ...
HGTV EXPANDS ITS HOME AUDIENCE WITH SOME HELP FROM DREXEL STORES.
Nov 05, 2001; ... KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-Home & Garden Television is taking its home fashion programming into 200 furniture retail stores through a partnership with Drexel Heritage. The promotional campaign puts television monitors in Drexel showrooms, running excerpts from Drexel-sponsored HGTV ...
NEWS BRIEF.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Tiffany to Open Store in China Tiffany & Co., New York, said last Friday it was opening its first store in China, in the capital of Beijing. The opening is scheduled for next month. The store will be in the lobby of the Palace Hotel at 8 Goldfish Lane, Wangfujing, "in the heart of ...
COACH CLASS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... Coach recently invited a few friends to preview its exhibit, "Living With Art," which runs through Nov. 24 in New York. The exhibit is in honor of the company's 60th anniversary and features ...
THE DANDY DOZEN.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Home magazine presented its 2001 American Furniture Awards to 12 companies and designers whose works are timeless, elegant and practical during last month's International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C. The winners, by category, are as follows: designer who makes a difference, ...
GOURMET SHOW TO STAY IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Nov 05, 2001 ... SAN FRANCISCO-The Gourmet Products Show, which returns to San Francisco's Moscone Center next April, will stay in that city in the spring through at least 2005, despite the move of the International Housewares Show to the same general time frame. Gourmet Show organizer George ...
THE BON MARCHE'S NEW STORE PUTS THE FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY.
Nov 05, 2001; ... HELENA, Mont.-The Bon Marche unveiled a new prototype store here, departing from its traditional department store model with a possible blueprint for other chains in Federated Department Stores' portfolio. The 65,000-square-foot freestanding store is designed to create a more ...
BOMBAY THINKS OUTSIDE OF THE BOX WITH BIGGER PROTOTYPE.
Nov 05, 2001; ... FORT WORTH, Texas-The Bombay Co. will open its largest store ever, nearly double the size of its current units, in a test concept. The 7,300-square-foot store, located in the new Tices Corner strip center in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., opens Monday, Nov. 5. The extra space is devoted ...
BETTER THINGS FOR MARTHA: FURNITURE, FLOOR COVERING.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Martha Stewart is expanding into furniture and floor covering with an eye beyond her current comforts at Kmart. For the move into furniture, Martha has partnered with Bernhardt, a decidedly upscale manufacturer with deep roots in furniture galleries and department ...
KATE SPADE'S NEW BAG.
Nov 05, 2001 ... The designer best known for her simple yet stylish handbags is entering the home arena with a textiles and ...
INDEX SHOWS MAJOR DROP IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE.
Nov 05, 2001 ... NEW YORK-Although consumer confidence plummeted in October to its lowest level since January 1994, intentions to purchase some big-ticket items like major appliances appear to be holding steady. Those intentions, however, may not be enough to stave off a full-scale recession. ...
BUFFETT: DOUBLE DOWN ON R.C. WILLEY IN VEGAS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... HENDERSON, Nev.-R.C. Willey, the Salt Lake City-based furniture and appliance retailer, opened its first store in the Las Vegas market with a visit from the boss -- famed investor Warren Buffett. Buffett, apparently pleased with what he saw, promptly announced that a second R.C ....
CORRECTIONS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... In an article in the Oct. 22 issue of HFN, the headquarters location of ...
BABY BOOMERS, ETHNIC GROUPS TABBED AS PROMISING SHOPPERS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Opportunities for the tabletop industry lie not in the bridal market, but in the aging baby boomer population and in the growing number of African- and Hispanic-Americans, according to research and demographic experts who presented their findings at the National Tabletop & ...
THE BRIGHT STUFF; MARKET VISITORS LOOKING FOR THE LATEST TRENDS FOUND AN ASSORTMENT OF FRESH LOOKS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-There were some things retailers just couldn't miss during the home textiles market here, and their impressions may be among the trends to watch out for this coming spring. "Everybody wants a little happiness," said Alan Laytner, president of Laytner's Linen & Home. ...
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS; RUG BUYERS ARE FACTORING IN REGIONAL TASTES FOR NEW TRENDS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Ask a retailer which rugs he or she liked at the recent furniture market in High Point, N.C., and the answer will probably be based on geography. Animal skins sell in Dallas and Detroit. Traditional goes well in the Midwest and lighter tones fare better in the Sun Belt ....
IMPORTER: LABELS ALONE WON'T PREVENT CHILD LABOR.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Flip a hand-knotted Indian rug over and there may be a small label on the back certifying that the rug was not made illegally by children. But according to the managing director of a rug manufacturer, that label could be meaningless. In a speech presented last month to ...
MATTRESS MAKERS FIND HOTELS THE ULTIMATE TESTING GROUND.
Nov 05, 2001; ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Persuading a client to test-ride a new mattress has gotten easier as bedding manufacturers target a captive audience: hotel guests. Contract executives for major bedding manufacturers have been busy, and successful, getting their mattresses into hotels where ...
DEFYING THE ODDS; TABLETOP'S FALL MARKET, THE LAST OF OCTOBER'S TRADE EVENTS, DOES BETTER THAN EXPECTED.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-The third time seems to have been the charm as last week's Fall Tabletop Show here, the last in the triumvirate of home furnishings markets in October, fared better in terms of attendance and ambience than the textiles and furniture shows. There were fewer retail ...
TOASTS OF THE TOWN.
Nov 05, 2001 ... NEW YORK-There haven't been many reasons to celebrate lately, but the round of parties marking ...
AHAM: WHITE GOODS SET SEPTEMBER RECORD.
Nov 05, 2001; ... WASHINGTON-Manufacturers' domestic shipments of major appliances set a September record, but full-size vacuum cleaners and portable appliances suffered declines. White goods reached 6,574,000 units in the five weeks ending Sept. 29, up 7.9 percent from the previous September ...
UNDAUNTED VENDORS TAKE ROAD SHOWS TO NO-SHOWS.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-If they don't come to the show, take the show on the road. That's the philosophy of scores of furniture, tabletop and textiles vendors responding to the less-than-overwhelming fall markets in the aftermath of the September terrorist attacks. Instead of the ...
NEWS.
Nov 05, 2001 ... Domingue Leaves Sears Bed and Bath Division Charles Domingue, divisional merchandise manager for bed and bath at Sears, has been named DMM of boys in the retailer's children's division. Sears has not yet named his successor. Domingue, who joined Sears in 1996, will ...
KATE SPADE'S NEW BAG: HOME.
Nov 05, 2001; ... NEW YORK-In 1993, a then-unknown name was embroidered on little black labels and stitched on to a small collection of handbags. Kate Spade's name represented the only adornment on basic silhouettes and spare fabrics that defined her idea of fashion accessories. That aesthetic ...
BANKRUPT HOUSE2HOME TO LIQUIDATE ALL STORES.
Nov 12, 2001; ... IRVINE, Calif.-Barely a year ago, the struggling HomeBase chain of do-it-yourself warehouses bet its future on a new concept called House2Home. The company closed about half its units and converted the remainder to the new home decor superstore format. It wasn't enough. Last week, ...
SUNBEAM AND RUBBERMAID JOIN HOUSEWARES NO-SHOWS.
Nov 12, 2001; ... ROSEMONT, Ill.-Add Sunbeam and Rubbermaid to the list of housewares giants that will not exhibit at the International Housewares Show in January. Applica Inc., maker of Black & Decker branded small appliances, dropped out of the show three weeks ago. Andrew Hill, ...
HOW DO YOU SELL RELIEF?
Nov 12, 2001 ... The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 have created a stronger need for all kinds of stress relievers, from ...
IMRA: MASS RETAILERS, HOME HAVE THE EDGE THIS SEASON.
Nov 12, 2001; ... NEW YORK-Although a recessionary economy and the events of Sept. 11 have placed a dark cloud over the retail community, mass merchants have a leg up on other channels of distribution for the make-or-break holiday selling season. And sales of home products stand to benefit from ...
NEWS.
Nov 12, 2001 ... Michaels Resigns as Waverly Lifestyle President Christiane Michaels has resigned as president and general manager at Waverly Lifestyle Group. Michaels, who joined Waverly in October 1996 from WestPoint Stevens Home Fashions where she was vice president and director of ...
SUNBEAM CORP. RESTRUCTURES, CREATES 4 SEPARATE DIVISIONS.
Nov 12, 2001; ... BOCA RATON, Fla.-Sunbeam Corp., attempting to climb out of Chapter 11, has restructured to form four separate divisions. The new divisions -- Sunbeam Products Inc., Coleman Corp., Coleman Powermate Corp. and First Alert Corp. -- fall under the auspices of the parent company ...
KMART NAMES BLUNCK BLUELIGHT.COM CEO.
Nov 12, 2001 ... Kmart named Richard Blunck chief executive officer of its Internet arm, BlueLight.com. Blunck took the reins as interim CEO in May, when Mark Goldstein, the e-tailer's first CEO, left the company. Dave Karraker, director of corporate communications for Kmart, would not disclose ...
KMART GOES HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
Nov 12, 2001; ... TROY, Mich.-Specialty cookware from the Martha Stewart Everyday collection and products with season-specific motifs will pepper Kmart's holiday home mix this season. "Martha Stewart is going to be big for the holidays," Abigail Jacobs, public relations manager for Kmart and its ...
APPLICA SEES BOOST IN Q3 SALES, PROFITS.
Nov 12, 2001; ... MIAMI LAKES, Fla.-Applica Inc. said last week that third-quarter earnings rose 2 percent as sales climbed to $203.2 million from $199.4 million in the same period last year. Net income for the most recent quarter came in at $8.5 million, or 35 cents per share, compared with $8.3 million, ...
QUOTA CHANGES PROPOSED TO AID U.S., PAKISTANI TEXTILES INDUSTRIES.
Nov 12, 2001 ... NEW YORK-The Bush administration has abandoned efforts for Congress to reduce duties on Pakistani textiles and apparel imports, sources said. Instead, President Bush will allow Pakistan to carry forward into 2002 quotas on textiles and apparel unused this year, and to borrow ...