September 18,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on September 19, 2010
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r3189423275&f=10761
The Denver-based NASCAR team's driver had qualified 20th in Sunday's Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
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September 16,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on September 17, 2010
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r3161051924&f=10761
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP Arhaus Furniture, a home furnishings chain that designs its own goods, will open its first New Jersey store today at Freehold Raceway Mall.
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September 16,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on September 17, 2010
Century Furniture has partnered with interior designer Juan Montoya for a licensed furniture collection set to launch early next year.
Montoya will collaborate with Century to produce a range of pieces embodying his design sensibilities. Century will preview the designs at its New York showroom during the Sept. 22 What's New Whats Next design event at the New York Design Center.
The Montoya collection is the first for a new concept at Hickory, N.C.-based Century: Century Icons.
"The vision for Century Icons is to find and work with our industries' greatest design talents, to understand the soul of their work, and then bring that to life through our craftspeople in Hickory," said Alex Shuford, vice president of sales and marketing for Century. "Juan has a distinct viewpoint and we are excited to be able to create pieces that embody his vision for Century."
Montoya's collection for Century will include a mixture of occasional, dining and bedroom furniture in a range of mediums from steel to parchment to exotic woods.
"We want a collection that endures, that reflects my love of noble materials, European craftsmanship, clean lines, and attention to details," Montoya said. "We believe that our new collection, manufactured by such a talented and respected furniture company as Century, will provide the venue to have my vision and design aesthetic faithfully executed."
According to Kerry Glasser, Juan Montoya's licensing agent and president of New York-based Concept Marketing Group who brokered the license, "Leveraging the respective strengths of Mr. Montoya and Century will provide the ultimate consumer with an eclectic decorating experience just as Mr. Montoyas area rugs, decorative fabrics and other fine products have accomplished over the years."
September 16,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in economic news on September 17, 2010
August retail industry sales--excluding cars, gas and restaurants--rose 0.5 percent seasonally adjusted over July and increased 3 percent unadjusted over last year.
According to the National Retail Federation, which removes the above categories from U.S. Department of Commerce retail figures, the results reflect continued consumer caution.
"Most Americans are in a much better financial position than a year ago, but they are still spending cautiously, looking for bargains and comparing prices before buying," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "After leveraging aggressive promotions to bring in back-to-school shoppers, retailers are putting the finishing touches on promotions and pricing for the upcoming holiday season."
August retail sales from the U.S. Commerce Department show total retail sales (which include non-general merchandise categories such as autos, gasoline stations and restaurants) increased 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted over July and increased 3.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
"While the underlying trends remain positive, shoppers are still focused on getting their finances in order," said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. "The challenge for retailers is to convince consumers that the recession is over and to buy accordingly."
Led by traditional back-to-school categories, retail sales across the board showed strength. Clothing and clothing accessory stores sales increased a solid 1.6 percent seasonally adjusted and a 3 percent unadjusted over last year. Sales at health and personal care stores sales increased 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted over July and 2.2 percent unadjusted over last August.
Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores sales increased 0.9 percent seasonally adjusted over July and 4.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Building material and garden equipment stores sales were flat from last month and increased a strong 6.6 percent unadjusted from last August.
September 16,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Advertising on September 17, 2010
Banner Marketing has enhanced its partnership with Klaussner Home Furnishings as part of the launch of Klaussner subsidiary Enso Sleep Systems.
Enso Sleep Systems will provide customers with a new line of memory foam mattresses.
"We are very pleased to announce the continued growth of our strategic and valued partnership with Klaussner in 2011," said John Dresel, CEO of Banner Marketing, an integrated marketing and advertising firm based in Spokane, Wash. "We are excited to extend the partnership to work with Enso Sleep Systems, providing a valuable opportunity to help dealers market high quality furniture and bedding to consumers."
Asheboro, N.C.-based Klaussner has worked with Banner Marketing since 2009. Banner Marketing will provide advertising and marketing materials for Enso Sleep Systems, and launch the program at High Point Market in October, along with a continued program for Klaussner. The goal of the partnership is to help dealers promote high quality bedding and home furnishings through strategic advertising solutions and promotion.
"Enso Sleep Systems is a user friendly brand and this program builds on that initiative by putting the marketing resources needed for success at the dealers' fingertips, saving time and money," said Steve Brower, vice president of sales and marketing. "Building upon our current relationship with Banner Marketing makes perfect sense, and we're excited to get started."