Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 21,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on February 22, 2010
Home Sleep Home has opened its second location in a former Mervyns store in Mesa, Ariz., according to the
Arizona Republic.
Home Sleep Home, a full-line furniture store, took over the two-story showroom space, a couple of weeks ago. This is the retailer's second location. The retailer currently has only the 45,000-square-foot main level open, but the owner plans to open the lower level soon to sell appliances, televisions and children's furniture.
The shopping area is also home to a newly opened Mor Furniture For Less store that took over a 40,000-square-foot space vacated by Circuit City.
February 21,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on February 22, 2010
Custom upholstery manufacturer Miles Talbott Furniture, High Point, has announced the launch of a new licensed upholstery line with Shabby Chic Brands.
The collection will blend English elegance with California casual to create the unique and eclectic aesthetic made famous by designer and Shabby Chic Founder Rachel Ashwell. Ashwell's original designs launched a brand that hit a chord with customers who have found her comfortable and relaxed approach to design both reassuring and achievable.
"Our strategy is to partner with the best talents in the industry who have distinctive designs that enhance our product offerings," said George Jordan, president of Miles Talbott. "The Shabby Chic brand is a fabulous addition to our assortment," stated George Jordan, company president. "As a company, we are not satisfied with simply following current trends; we want our customers to come into our showroom because they expect to see the most exciting styles in the industry."
"The Shabby Chic brand is one of the truly iconic home furnishing brands of the past 20 years," said Ramez Toubassy, president of Brand Sense Partners, the brand management and business development firm that acquired the brand in 2009; and CEO of Shabby
Chic Brands. "We feel that, now more than ever, the consumer is looking for design-driven and elegant, yet livable and casual, home furnishing products and that Miles Talbott is the best partner to deliver the brand's core tenants of beauty, comfort and function as they relate to upholstered furniture."
Rachel Ashwell opened here first Shabby Chic store in Santa Monica, Calif., with a line of slip-covered furniture, bedding, fabrics and vintage items.
"We have worked with Miles Talbott to create a lovely collection of chairs, loveseats and sofas, each with the qualities the Shabby Chic brand is famous for," Ashwell said. "An eclectic mix of leather and upholstered occasional chairs complement a sumptuous range of machine washable slipcovered furniture, both classically mushy and with a modern flair. Fabrics have been carefully chosen and include classic Shabby Chic® patterns as well as new introductions."
The collection will debut in April at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point at IHFC's InterHall, Space 202; at the Miles Talbott showroom, 1690 English Road; and the GuildMaster showroom, C&D building, 1A and 1G.
February 21,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Acquisition on February 22, 2010
Upholstery cushion supplier Snyder Paper Corp. has acquired the assets of Piedmont Paper.
Both companies supply and sell similar products, including industrial packaging supplies, packaging equipment and janitorial products.
Larry Kahill, executive vice president and COO of Snyder Paper, said the similarity of the two companies product lines and overlapping service areas made Piedmont Paper a perfect partner with which to join efforts.
Bringing Piedmont Paper into Snyder Paper Corporation will benefit both businesses and their customers," he said. "Together we will continue to provide Snyders customers and Piedmont's customers with excellent customer service and an even more comprehensive range of products to service customers and meet industry needs.
Hickory, N.C.-based Snyder Paper was founded in 1946 as a seller of paper towels to the furniture industry. Over the past 64 years, the company has grown to become a seller and supplier of industrial packaging, sanitary maintenance, office products, thread and bobbins, adhesives and packaging equipment to more than 5,000 businesses in a broad range of industries Snyder also designs and manufactures custom cushions for many of the region's upholstery companies. In addition to its newly acquired Piedmont Paper facilities located in Asheville, N.C., Snyder Paper also operates four locations in Hickory, N.C., and High Point.
Founded in 1944, Piedmont Paper has been a supplier of paper, packaging, shipping and janitorial products serving North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee for more than 60 years.
February 21,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Internet on February 22, 2010
Decorateitonline Inc., Calgary, Alberta, has launched decorateITonline.com, a comprehensive new Web site designed to bring custom home design advice to the World Wide Web.
Designed to bridge the gap between traditional in-home decorating services and unguided do-it-yourself Web sites, decorateITonline.com provides clients with personalized advice from a professional interior decorator from the convenience of their computer.
"The service we offer is completely unique in that clients get all the benefits of hiring a traditional decorator, but without the hassles of scheduling appointments, driving around the city for samples, and dealing with high-pressure commission salespeople," said Sasha Stricker, president and creative director of DecorateITonline. "For less than the price of one poorly chosen accessory, we offer professional guidance and custom design solutions specifically targeted to our clients tastes and needs."
Users upload photos and measurements of the room they would like to decorate, complete a brief questionnaire (known as the StyleFinder Guide) to indicate their style, color, and lifestyle preferences, then the decorators set to work creating a personalized decorating plan.
In about three days, clients receive a detailed "portfolio" outlining the decorator's recommendations for color, space planning, furniture, accessories and lighting. Each portfolio includes explanations of the motivation behind each suggestion, as well as handy tips, ideas, and a shopping list of all the recommended items.
Clients have the option to choose a premium 3D package, which, in addition to the regular portfolio, also features computer-generated three-dimensional renderings of their room, complete with all the recommended changes, as well as a video presentation and a virtual tour of the "finished" room.
"Our 3D portfolios are an ideal option for people who haven't had a lot of decorating experience, or for those that might be reluctant to start a new project without being able to see the final product," Stricker said. "All of our packages are designed to give clients the tools they need to create their dream room, and to walk them through every step of the process to ensure they achieve the desired results. We aim to make decorating as simple, fun, and affordable as possible."
Clients can access their online portfolios anytime from anywhere, so all of their information is always close at hand. The Web site also features an online store, with a large selection of furniture, artwork and designer accessories, all shipped free anywhere in Canada and the continental United States.
The site also links to various tools, DIY advice, a portfolio of completed projects, and a design-oriented blog with regular updates on decorating tips, trends and lifestyle-related information.
Prices range from $75 (U.S.) for a single-room paint-color consultation, to $525 for a complete redesign of two rooms, with 3D room renderings, a video presentation, and virtual walk-through.
February 21,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in sourcing/importing on February 22, 2010
Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports will be a full 25 percent higher during the first half of 2010 compared with the same period a year ago, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released last week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
"This is a dramatic turnaround over what we've seen during the past two years," said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. "Increases in import volumes don't correspond directly with dollar volumes in sales, so caution has to be exercised when looking at these numbers. But retailers are clearly expecting to move more merchandise this year."
U.S. ports handled 1.09 million twenty-foot equivalent units in December, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. That was unchanged from November but up 2.6 percent from December 2008 to break a 28-month streak during which monthly totals were lower than the same month the year before.
January was estimated at 1.19 million TEU, a 17 percent increase over January 2009, and February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, is forecast at 1.1 million TEU, up 30 percent from the previous year. March is forecast at 1.18 million TEU, up 23 percent as retailers begin to stock up for spring and summer, April at 1.25 million TEU, up 27 percent, May at 1.3 million TEU, up 26 percent, and June at 1.38 million TEU, up 36 percent.
Those monthly numbers would put the first half of 2010 at 7.4 million TEU, up 25 percent from last year's 5.9 million TEU.
Total container volume in 2009 fell 17 percent from the prior year to 12.7 million TEU, the lowest since the 12.5 million TEU reported in 2003.
Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett disagreed with economists who fear that the economy is in the middle of a W-shaped recovery where another dip could follow current signs of an upturn.
"This forecast assumes that we are not in a double-dip recession and that a recovery is underway," Hackett said. "Although 2009 saw decreased import activity levels, the forecast for 2010 points towards growth."