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January 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 14, 2010
The Winter Las Vegas Market, Feb. 1-5, will feature a new showcase for outdoor furnishings called "Alfresco Spaces."
Located on Building B's second floor, Alfresco Spaces will be dedicated to up-market, design-led furniture and furnishings that can be used both inside and outside the homeon terraces, in conservatories, garden rooms, patios, beside the pool or on the beach. The showcase also will feature an array of sustainable products as part of World Market Center Las Vegas' "One Good World" program.
"Until recently, outdoor furnishings designs had been stagnant for some time," said Tim Branscome, World Market Center Las Vegas' vice president, international. "Fortunately, a revived passion for outdoor spaces is driving a design revolution in this category, complete with new materials and treatments that complement contemporary interior designs. The launch of Alfresco Spaces, which coincides with introduction of INSPIREDESIGNTM, a dynamic hospitality show aimed at contract, hotel and resort buyers, has the industry voicing enormous interest in the rebirth of outdoor furnishings."
Harbour Outdoor from Australia, one of Alfresco Spaces' exhibitors, was inspired to create unique outdoor furnishings that combine Sydney's everyday outdoor lifestyle, coastal location and the taste for quality and style.
"More than ever before, homeowners are realizing the importance of the homestead, where the backyard is clearly an enhancement of the living area in the house," said Alexander Eburne, vice president of sales and marketing for Harbour Outdoor. "The economy has motivated people to choose to stay and invest in their home environments, while they obtain immeasurable enjoyment with their new-found outdoor life."
Other exhibitors included in the new showcase include EcoSmart Fireplaces, Kannoa, Deesawat, John Kelley, Gypsy Faire Tents, Patio Heaven Somers Furniture and Seccio among others.
January 13,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 14, 2010
Contemporary furniture retailer Ligne Roset's Minneapolis store will close in around 60 days, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Wednesday.
Owner John Stedman cited the high-end chain's difficulty in midsize markets such as Minneapolis.
A going-out-of business sale begins Friday with 25 percent discounts on furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories. Stedman said that Roam, an adjacent store carrying Blu Dot merchandise, might expand or move and is not participating in the discount sale.
January 12,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 13, 2010
Bernie & Phyl's, Norton, Mass., has announced the furniture retailer was included on The Boston Globe's 2009 list of the "Ten Most Memorable Ads" of the year for its "Don't Tell Bernie" ads.
The advertising campaign was created by Advertising Management Services of Andover, Mass.
The ads feature founders Bernie and Phyllis Rubin's three children--Larry Rubin, Rob Rubin, and Michelle Pepe--who have helped run the family-owned business for many years, but more recently have taken on the role of primary spokespeople from their high profile parents.
In one of the "Don't Tell Bernie" ads, the Rubin children offer free high-definition televisions with a minimum purchase, but warn viewers "don't tell Bernie!"
"The ads have really resonated with our customers," said Larry Rubin, president of Bernie & Phyl's Furniture. "We received a flood of e-mails from viewers who loved the playfulness of the ads, and now everyone is having fun repeating the phrase "don't tell Bernie!"
Bernie & Phyl's Furniture plans to continue building on the success of the "Don't Tell Bernie" advertising campaign in 2010, in addition to developing new creative concepts that showcase the entire Rubin family.
The six-store, family-owned Bernie & Phyl's Furniture also has received the Better Business Bureau Local Torch Award for Excellence in 2009, 2007 and 2004, which is given to companies that embody the highest ethical standards; and was the National Home Furnishings Association's 2002 Retailer of the Year.
January 12,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 13, 2010
Internet Databases has signed two new vendors, Turning House and Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. to its FurnishWeb dealer and sales representative portal, which features a comprehensive online order, inventory, shipping and tracking system.
Turning House, a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, makes solid wood furniture from reclaimed timber; and Stork Craft is a leading source for juvenile products, with brands including Stork Craft Furniture, Ragazzi Fine Furniture, Status Furniture and Canwood Furniture.
"FurnishWeb has allowed Turning House Furniture to communicate more accurately and effectively with our sales force and our dealers," said Turning House Sales Manager Becky Koger. "The sales reps especially love the 'smart sales' feature, which gives a history of any accounts buying habits at a glance."
"FurnishWeb is a great value add for our dealer and sales force network by providing a heightened customer service support system," said Dan Ward, Stork Craft's vice president of sales and marketing. "FurnishWeb's technology allows instant and up-to-date information with orders, shipments, inventory, product knowledge, and sales. Stork Craft is very excited to have partnered with FurnishWeb using their innovative technology.
January 12,
2010 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on January 13, 2010
RugMark USA, Washington, D.C., which works to end child labor in the carpet industry through its GoodWeave certification program, has launched of a customized carbon offsetting program in partnership with Carbon Clear, one of world's largest carbon management companies.
"RugMark has worked for more than 15 years to make South Asia's rug industry child-labor-free, and with our more than 70 member companies, we're gaining momentum toward that goal," said Nina Smith, RugMark USA's executive director. "This initiative will help the industry achieve a new goal: to become carbon neutral."
The newly launched carbon calculator will help RugMark's North American member companies offset the carbon dioxide that is unavoidably emitted in the process of shipping their GoodWeave certified rugs made in India and Nepal, halfway around the world. RugMark estimates that more than 1,900 tons of carbon dioxide could be offset through its member importers alone--equivalent to the electricity usage of more than 900 homes over the course of a year, or the use of more than 725,000 gallons of gasoline. The amounts paid for offsetting fund development projects, including two textile projects in India.
"As a business that strives for sustainability, emma gardner design is grateful to GoodWeave for developing this tool to help us manage our carbon footprint," said Emma Gardner, principal of emma gardner design, one of GoodWeaves long-standing industry partners. "It's important to recognize the environmental costs of doing business and try to mitigate them in meaningful ways. We plan to use this to offset the carbon dioxide emissions of all our rug shipments."
The carbon offsetting program is an interim step in a larger effort to address environmental issues in the rug industry. A new GoodWeave standard now under development will incorporate further social and environmental requirements in addition to its no-child-labor criteria. These include living wages for of-age workers, high standards for sanitation, and environmental benchmarks for waste products.
"Issues like environmental degradation and child exploitation are interrelated," said Smith. "Both occur where lack of opportunity forces choices favoring short-term gains that compromise a community over the long-term. Improving social and environmental conditions can help break the cycle of poverty."
To learn more about the Carbon Clear partnership, click
here.