HFN The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network back issues from September 2003:
THE NEXT BIG THING?
Sep 01, 2003 ... A SINGLENESS OF PURPOSE: Salton is hoping its Melitta one:one single-serve coffee machine will do for home ...
IS THAT LIGHT YOU SEE THE END OF THE TUNNEL?(economic rebound may be occurring in retail)
Sep 01, 2003 ... NEW YORK-Knock on wood and cross every finger: From consumers' lips to retailers' ears, things just may be looking up at retail. Evidence is mounting that a much-needed economic rebound is in the works for the fourth quarter. Numerous retailers, vendors and analysts across the ...
AMAZON TO GET FIRST CRACK AT JAMIE OLIVER COOKWARE.
Sep 01, 2003; ... SEATTLE-Jamie Oliver's Professional cookware series from T-Fal will be available for preorder exclusively at Amazon.com until Sept. 15, when the line will become available at retail. T-Fal said it was Amazon.com's reputation for success with such tactics that led it to pursue ...
LANDS' END NOW IN ALL SEARS STORES; HOME IN 515 UNITS.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-Sears has rolled out Lands' End products to all of its 870 stores and the cataloger's home collection to 515 units, Lee Antonio, a spokeswoman, told HFN. The retailer acquired the cataloger in June 2002 and introduced merchandise to 183 units in 10 markets five months ...
CORRECTIONS.(Correction Notice)
Sep 01, 2003 ... The Aug. 18 issue of HFN misstated the home furnishings sales of Value City Furniture. The correct figure was $700 million, which would place the retailer at number 40 among the Top ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(includes multiple articles)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Muscalino President of Dan River Tom Muscalino, president of the home fashions division of Dan River, has been named president and chief operating officer of the company, succeeding Richard Williams, who will retire Dec. 23. In the interim, Williams has been named vice chairman, ...
BEALLS CHAIN TO GO COASTAL WITH HOME STORES THIS FALL.
Sep 01, 2003; ... BRADENTON, Fla.-Floridian department store chain Bealls is breaking into the home store business with three freestanding units scheduled to debut in November. Home accounts for about 10 percent of the assortment in the retailer's full-line stores, and based on its success, the ...
DOLLAR GENERAL NAMES JACKSON PRESIDENT.(Lawrence Jackson)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.-Dollar General Corp. has named Lawrence Jackson president and chief operating officer, effective Sept. 22. He succeeds Don Shaffer, who left the 6,479-unit dollar chain in May. Jackson most recently served as senior vice president of supply ...
SERENITY NOW.
Sep 01, 2003; ... It used to be for crunchy granola types, but meditation is coming on strong -- 10 million people are doing it regularly. It's not surprising in these particularly stressful times that seeking a higher awareness has become popular ....
IN POD THEY TRUST; SALTON'S EXECUTIVES ARE COUNTING ON THE SINGLE-SERVE ONE: ONE COFFEE MACHINE TO SERVE AS AN ENCORE TO THE FOREMAN GRILL.
Sep 01, 2003; ... MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill.-Salton and the entire housewares industry have spent the past five years trying to answer just one question: Where is the next George Foreman Grill? For an industry driven by hot items and for a company so dependent on one hot item specifically, the answer ...
THE GREAT INDOORS LOOKS TO BE OUT OF FAVOR WITH SEARS BRASS.
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Sears seems to have lost its patience waiting for The Great Indoors to turn a profit. When Arthur Martinez, Sears' former chief executive officer, introduced the first Great Indoors in 1998, the multicategory home superstore was hailed as a forerunner of a new retail ...
OXO MAINTAINS GOOD GRIP ON ERGONOMICS WITH NEW LINE OF PRODUCTS.
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-After three years of development, OXO is introducing its next generation of products: the OXO Good Grips i-Series. OXO said that as more companies get involved in this area of ergonomic gadgetry that it pioneered, it wants to make sure it stays ahead of the game. To do ...
TRADE SHOW CALENDAR.(Calendar)
Sep 01, 2003 ... September 5-9 MACEF Fiera Milano Milan, Italy (212) 459-0044 or (888) 343-7264 (USA) 011-39-2-485-501 (Italy) fieramilano.com 5-9 Maison & Objet Paris Paris Nord Villpinte Exhibition Center ...
FURNITURE DESIGNER JOSH OWEN REACHES FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.
Sep 01, 2003; ... PHILADELPHIA-When American furniture designer Josh Owen was an adolescent, he used to travel the world with his archaeologist father digging up ancient objects and trying to figure what they were and how they fit into specific cultures. Now, consumers and clients across the ...
RUBBERMAID RACES TO VICTORY LANE.(company records success with NASCAR sponsorship)
Sep 01, 2003; ... Rubbermaid is a big winner these days, and we're not talking about the company's latest quarterly report. When Joe Galli took over the reins of the housewares giant in 2001, he vowed that parent company Newell Rubbermaid would spend major bucks on consumer advertising. Instead ...
JACK AND MICK, ET AL.(understanding customers)(Column)
Sep 01, 2003; ... For those of you who are regular readers around here, my suggestion is to take a week off and skip this column: You've heard it all before. For the rest of you -- or anyone of the above still with me out of sheer loyalty -- welcome to my annual column on the subject of "You ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Fallani & Cohn, Southern Textiles Sign On for Woolrich Collection Woolrich Inc. has licensed table linen manufacturer Fallani & Cohn and bed linen producer Southern Textiles to create collections of soft goods for the new Woolrich Home Furnishings division. Fallani & ...
DECOSIT SPENDING; AMERICAN EXHIBITORS ARE BANKING ON A WEAKER DOLLAR TO SPUR BUYING IN BRUSSELS.
Sep 01, 2003; ... BRUSSELS, Belgium-Decosit, regarded by many as the best and most focused international trade fair for upholstery fabrics, celebrates its 25th anniversary later this week. This year's four-day show, from Sept. 6 to 9, is also expected to be a boon for U.S.-based companies banking ...
SURE FIT GETS A LITTLE BIGGER WITH MOVE INTO NEW CATEGORIES.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Sure Fit is going beyond slipcovers, and is launching a line of bedding and window treatments, as well as a Parsons chair, in time for the fall market. Along with its expansion to new product categories is a new catalog, Special Decorating Edition, which introduces the ...
NEW YORK SHOW TO OFFER ATTENDEES HIGH-FIBER DIET.(New York Home Textiles Show)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-New at the home textiles show this month is a fiber display called "Seeds of the Industry" that will illustrate the origins of the different fibers and their development into finished product. Penny Sikalis, vice president and group manager for George Little ...
A DEAL FOR DEALERS: MOHAWK OFFERS CASH, PRIZES IN PROMOS.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... DALTON, Ga.-Mohawk is running a series of late-summer promotions featuring cash and prizes for hard flooring and carpet product retailers. Mohawk Hard Surfaces rewards retailers and retail salespeople with electronics, sports or travel in its It's Showtime promotion through ...
SHAW ADDS 74 NEW RUGS TO LINES.(Shaw Rugs )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... DALTON, Ga.-Shaw Rugs has added a total of 74 new rugs to five different collections. New styles were introduced in the Reflections, Regal Heritage, Kathy Ireland, Studio and Antiquities collections. Ultra Shag, a new collection, was also launched recently. The new ...
PASSAGE FROM INDIA; RUG EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES ARE ON THE RISE AND GAINING MOMENTUM.(Industry Overview)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-India, already the largest exporter of wool floor coverings to the United States, won't relinquish its leading position anytime soon. Imports in U.S. dollars from India are growing at a faster rate than imports from China, Iran and Pakistan -- the second-, third- and ...
RUGS ARE GETTING MORE EXPOSURE IN THE PAGES OF SHELTER BOOKS.(home magazines)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Shelter magazine editors are sitting up and taking notice of the design renaissance that's occurring in the rug world. Exciting new designs; experimentation with shape, construction and materials; and the number of big-name designers who are entering the category -- ...
CARPET ONE DEALERS RECEIVE AWARDS AT SUMMER CONVENTION.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... ORLANDO, Fla.-Carpet One recognized top-selling dealers at the recent Carpet One International Summer Convention here. Dealer of the Year Awards, for retailers with the greatest percentage increase in volume of sales versus the prior year, went to Albert Pelusio Jr. of Rochester ...
SOUTHERN COMFORT; BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS FOUND THE TUPELO FURNITURE MARKET MUCH TO THEIR LIKING.
Sep 01, 2003; ... TUPELO, Miss.-Furniture industry insiders looking for promising signs may have found them at the recent market here. The relative lack of grumbling in the relaxed venue of the Tupelo Furniture Market was complemented by earnest product-hunting in some exhibitors' showrooms. ...
KINGSDOWN OPENS TWO MALL-BASED RETAIL STORES.(under the name Sleep To Live)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... MEBANE, N.C.-Kingsdown Inc., taking a step to promote its own growth, has launched its first two retail stores under the name Sleep To Live. The first one opened in late July at The Streets at Southpoint, a regional mall in Durham, N.C. The other one, at The Mall in Columbia, a ...
FLOOR LAMPS COME INTO THE SPOTLIGHT IN BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON PROMOTIONS.
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Floor lamps are taking a prominent place in this season's back-to-school promotions, which seem to be effectively driving sales, industry sources said. This year is on track to beat last year's back-to-school season results, buyers and vendors report. "For ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Holmes, Color Kinetics Ink LED Deal Color Kinetics Inc., a pioneer of light-emitting diode illumination technologies, and The Holmes Group Inc., a multibrand, global manufacturer of consumer products, have signed a license deal. Through the agreement, Holmes will license Color ...
LIGHTING ONE SHUFFLES ITS STAFF, CONSOLIDATES OFFICES IN GEORGIA.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... MARIETTA, Ga.-Lighting One, the cooperative owned by CCA Global Partners, is consolidating its three offices into its parent's headquarters here, and has made several staff changes in an effort to become more focused on the needs of its showrooms and vendors. Eric Bernstein has ...
THE RISE OF FALL; HARVEST THEMES ARE GAINING POPULARITY OVER HALLOWEEN AND THANKSGIVING PATTERNS FOR AUTUMN.
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Pumpkins and leaves versus witches and turkeys -- many manufacturers are adding general fall and harvest looks to their product lineups for the autumn selling season, traditionally a popular time for Halloween- and Thanksgiving-themed patterns. "This [fall and harvest] category ...
CORRADO JOINS SYRATECH AS SALES VP FOR VERA WANG.(Deborah Corrado)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... BOSTON-Syratech Corp. has named Deborah Corrado vice president of sales for the newly licensed Vera Wang collection. In her new role, Corrado will be responsible for overseeing the development, planning and implementation of sales strategies for Syratech's Vera Wang license, ...
YOUTH IS SERVED: NEW LINES OF CHILDREN'S FLATWARE BOW.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-No longer just a smaller version of regular-sized utensils, children's flatware has become fun, interactive and whimsical. Alessi conferred with a cultural specialist in child development when it designed Aglo Ordini!, its first children's dinnerware and flatware set ....
WHEREOWARE ADDS SERVICES FOR ART LICENSING.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... McLEAN, Va.-Whereoware, a provider of technology-based sales and marketing solutions in the gift and home industry, has launched an expanded suite of products and services designed specifically for licensed artists and licensing agencies. The company has named Tabitha Bowling director of ...
COMING INTO THE COLD; BSH IS FINALLY UNVEILING REFRIGERATION BEARING ITS THERMADOR BRAND IN THE UNITED STATES.(BSH Home Appliances)
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-A dozen years in the making, BSH Home Appliances is introducing refrigeration in the United States. It's under the Thermador brand, and it gives the high-end manufacturer its first complete line of kitchen appliances in this country. "This isn't really about ...
T-FAL'S NEW CEO MEYER FORMULATING GROWTH PLANS FOR BRANDS.(Scott Meyer)
Sep 01, 2003; ... PINE BROOK, N.J.-Two short months into his rule over the T-Fal branch of Groupe SEB's empire, Scott Meyer, the company's new president and chief executive officer, has big plans for the brand and the way the company does business. Meyer said he "saw a tremendous amount of ...
CLOCK VENDORS SEE 4TH QUARTER AS PRIME TIME FOR GIFT-GIVING.
Sep 01, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Clock suppliers are looking forward to the fourth-quarter gift-purchasing season, which insiders say makes up nearly 40 percent of clock purchases. "Clocks are a huge fourth-quarter business," said Pat Devlin, general manager at Chaney Instruments. "The ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Vac Shipments Hit Record in July On the heels of a big rebound in June, manufacturers' shipments of full-sized vacuum cleaners were the most ever for a July. Uprights, canisters and stick vacs reached 1,569,283 units, up 8.8 percent from 1,441,865 in July 2002. The record was ...
DOLLAR GENERAL'S Q2 PROFIT SOARS.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Aggressive store expansion has enabled discount leader Dollar General to increase its sales for the second quarter by more than 13.5 percent over the same period a year earlier, to more than $1.65 billion. That translated to a profit of more than $59.9 million, soaring nearly 41.5 percent ...
EDITOR'S NOTE.(retail industry second quarter 2003 financial results)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Due to a reporting error, the sales and net income figures of retailers posting quarterly results that appeared in the Aug. 18 issue of HFN were incorrect. Below is a corrected version of the chart: Q2's top retailers by sales gain ($ in millions) Rank, Company ...
THE HFN LIST; THE TOP 10 PRIVATELY OWNED HOME VENDORS.(Industry Overview)
Sep 01, 2003 ... Company Category 2002 Sales ($ in millions) 1) Springs Industries Textiles $2,450 Soon after going private in 2001, Springs went on the acquisition trail, buying Burlington's window treatments ...
PARTY FAVORERS.
Sep 01, 2003; ... Of the endless number of parties covered on this page during a season (which runs roughly from September to June), there are some standout moments that deserve to be ...
THE WIRED BUNCH.(consumer electronics)(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003 ... Consumer Electronics returns to the HFN fold this week in a report on how the big-three ...
SURVIVAL BY REVIVAL: DEPARTMENT STORES BRINGING BACK PROVEN TRAFFIC DRIVERS.(Industry Overview)
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Department stores, reeling from the market share lost to discounters and specialty stores, are working to revive their one-stop-shopping appeal. Retailers such as Federated Department Stores, Saks Department Store Group and Sears are easing back into categories they ...
KMART TAPS TRIO OF TOP EXECUTIVES TO FILL NEW POSITIONS.
Sep 08, 2003; ... BOSTON-With its losses narrowed and $10 million worth of stock available to reward key executives, Kmart has begun cherry-picking talent to fill top roles. The Troy, Mich.-based discounter said Tuesday it has hired former Gap veteran Lisa Schultz as chief creative officer, a new ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)
Sep 08, 2003 ... Costco to Build Second Home Unit Costco Wholesale plans to go ahead with a second Costco Home store but has yet to choose a location, according to Jim Sinegal, president and chief executive officer. "We like what's happening" with the original test unit, located in ...
ROSS, UNITE CLIMB ABOARD ANTI-IMPORT TEXTILES COALITION.(financier Wilbur Ross, Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees)
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-The growing coalition of groups lobbying to protect the U.S. textiles industry from a flood of imports landed two new prominent members on Wednesday. Wilbur L. Ross, the New York financier who has agreed to buy Burlington Industries Inc. out of bankruptcy, and UNITE, ...
CLEESE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ROLE FOR SALTON.(actor John Cleese in commercials)(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003; ... LAKE FOREST, Ill.-Salton Inc. has named actor John Cleese as the new host of commercials introducing the Westinghouse Unplugged Cord-Free vacuum cleaner. The company said a series of five 30-second commercials, as well as a long-form commercial, will include Cleese's well-known brand of ...
SIMMONS OFFICIALS REFUTE REPORTS FIRM'S FOR SALE.
Sep 08, 2003; ... ATLANTA-Don't get your checkbook out just yet. Despite an Aug. 29 Associated Press article stating that Fenway Partners-owned Simmons Co. is for sale for at least $800 million, Simmons' president says it ain't so -- yet. The article, which cites an unnamed "source with knowledge ...
BLACK TO THE FUTURE.(consumer electronics)(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003; ... In the high-tech world of electronics, the word is that black is the new black this season. Across the consumer electronics ...
ELECTRONICS ON A MASS SCALE; WHETHER THROUGH A FULL-ON ASSORTMENT OR A MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD MIX, DIFFERENT STRATEGIES PAY OFF FOR THE BIG-THREE DISCOUNTERS.(Industry Overview)
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-They rack up a whopping $21 billion in consumer electronics sales combined. But Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart, which rank among the nation's top consumer electronics retailers, are tackling the category in distinctly different ways that mirror their overall business strategies. ...
HAPPY TALK.(back to school spending for 2003)
Sep 08, 2003; ... I love happy news, don't you? So when I saw this headline a few weeks ago, "Back-to-College Spending to Reach $26 Billion," I perked up. Then I really put on a happy face a couple of weeks later when I read, "Back-to-School Helps Fuel Retail Comeback, According to Latest ...
RETAIL PILATES.(financials)
Sep 08, 2003; ... Pilates, as apparently I am the last person on planet Earth to realize, is about the latest, greatest thing to happen to exercise since the invention of Vic Tanny. I don't really pretend to know all that much about how it works or exactly how it differs from the 10,000 other ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003 ... Culp's First-Quarter Sales Down More Than 14 Percent Culp Inc.'s net sales for the first quarter ended Aug. 3 were $73.7 million, down 14.3 percent from $86 million in the same quarter last year. The net loss was $411,000, down from $23.2 million. The first quarter of fiscal ...
CULP SEES CHINA AS THE KEY LINK IN ITS UPHOLSTERY FABRIC BUSINESS.
Sep 08, 2003; ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Robert Culp III is China-bound. Earlier this year, in the first move of its kind for the industry, Culp Inc. announced its initiative to manufacture upholstery fabrics in China with a leased, 65,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility near ...
IN BEDDING TOGETHER; BAY LINENS AND QUILTCRAFT FORM AN ALLIANCE TO BUILD THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESSES.(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-Dianne Morris is going back to her first love: designing. Bay Linens, the company she established in 1989, has grown in size, keeping her busy with other facets of the business. Last month she signed a strategic partnership with Dallas-based Quiltcraft. Owned ...
DESPITE ITS STATUS, RETAILERS IN NO RUSH TO GET PILLOWTEX BRANDS OFF SHELVES.
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-It's business as usual at retail. A month after Pillowtex said it was liquidating and selling its brands -- Charisma, Fieldcrest, Royal Velvet and Cannon -- most retailers seem to be going about their regular sales events. There were discounts, all right, but not much ...
SHEAR DETERMINATION; THE QUALITY OF THE WOOL HELPS DICTATE THE QUALITY OF A RUG.
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-While retailers and suppliers may not be fully versed in each of the countless varieties of wool, they know too well that a careful wool selection matters. The type of wool chosen for a rug is a determining factor in its price, look and wearability. Wool used in floor ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(miscellaneous brief articles)
Sep 08, 2003 ... Angela Adams Adds To Studio Rug Line Angela Adams, known for her bold allover patterns, has taken a step toward minimalism with her latest rugs. The Maine-based designer recently added five styles to her Studio Rug Collection of hand-tufted New Zealand wool rugs made ...
EARLY SHOW DATES PUT PRESSURE ON SOME VENDORS TO GET READY.(Home Textiles Show)
Sep 08, 2003; ... NEW YORK-If it seems like the fall Home Textiles Show comes up earlier and earlier, you're not imagining things. This year's show is slated for Sept. 19 to 23, three weeks before the mid-October date that it's had for the past few years. The earliness of this year's show has ...
NEWS BRIEFS.(appointments and promotions)
Sep 08, 2003 ... Baker Leaves Helm of Decorize Jon Baker has stepped down from his posts as Decorize Inc. chairman, chief executive officer and president, but will continue to serve as a board member. Jim Parsons, co-founder of Decorize, a current director and executive vice president, assumes ...
CASUAL CHAOS; AN ALTERED LANDSCAPE AWAITS BUYERS HEADING INTO THIS WEEK'S CASUAL FURNITURE MARKET.
Sep 08, 2003; ... CHICAGO-Winds of change are blowing through the casual furniture industry as it convenes in the Windy City this week for the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market at the Merchandise Mart. Consolidations among vendors and retailers, combined with the growing ...
CHINA-BACKED UNIVERSAL ENTERS UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE MARKET.(Universal Furniture)(Brief Article)
Sep 08, 2003 ... HIGH POINT, N.C.-Universal Furniture, one of the leading case goods importers, is bringing its deep pockets and dedicated Chinese production to bear on the U.S. upholstery market. Universal, which is owned by Chinese furniture power Lacquer Craft, plans to launch an upholstery ...
LIGHTING INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR NEW UL TORCHIERE RULES.(Underwriters Laboratories)
Sep 08, 2003; ... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-Underwriters Laboratories is putting the heat on the lighting industry with its updated safety standard for incandescent torchieres. In effect, the new UL standard 153 for portable luminaires requires additional flammability testing for torchieres ...
HOLIDAY BREAK; SILVESTRI MOVES PAST ITS OLD FOCUS AND NOW WORKS ON LICENSING ARTISTS.
Sep 08, 2003; ... BOSTON-Once a company known for holiday lights and ornaments, Silvestri has successfully re-created itself over the last few years and become a home for licensed craft products. "We've really carved a niche for ourselves," said Linda Simpson, vice president of product ...