Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
November 25,
2008 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 2008
David Ashwell has joined Zenith Global Logistics, a Conover, N.C.-based provider of global supply chain services to the home furnishings industry, as director of sales for North America.
Ashwell most recently served as director of transportation for Hooker Furniture Corp., where he planned and executed the company’s furniture distribution schemes, including managing inbound and outbound logistics. He reports to Steve Wolfe, vice president of business development at Zenith Global.
“We are delighted to have David Ashwell on board as part of our international supply chain team,” Wolfe said. “He brings to Zenith Global and its customers more than 25 years’ direct experience managing inbound and outbound logistics for furniture from warehousing and fleets to compliance and contracts. We believe David’s global understanding of the home furnishings industry will be instrumental as we work with our customers to help them identify and implement more efficient, effective supply chain solutions.”
Zenith Global recently announced a series of service expansions and business partnerships, the most recent of which was news that it would begin offering domestic shipping throughout all of North American and in all home furnishings categories via the addition of multiple distribution partnerships. Internationally, it joined forces with Asia-based CV International and Hecny Group for customized global supply chain logistics service and created a partnership with Hong Kong-based integrated distributions services giant IDS Group to expand warehousing, logistics and transportation services to 15 Asian ports. Zenith Global also expanded Less-Than-Container service without cubic foot minimums to four new ports in the Pacific Rim, bringing its LCL/no-minimum locations to six.
Zenith currently operates more than 4.5 million square feet of warehouse domestically with 11 locations in Southern California, Dallas, North Carolina and Virginia.
November 25,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on November 2008
The International Sleep Products Association’s (ISPA) 2008 Industry Conference and Exhibition, held Nov. 12–14 in Orlando, Fla., drew 248 attendees and a sold-out exhibit hall.
ISPA’s featured speakers discussed the global economy, how “green” trends will affect the mattress industry, the mattress industry’s new sustainability and recycling initiatives, mattress manufacturing industry trends and general business cost-saving actions. The closing session provided an interactive opportunity for executives to discuss their experience and to get answers to their questions about the new consumer product safety law and 16CFR Part1633.
“This event offered something for everyone,” said Gerry Borreggine, President of Therapedic International. “With the current economic downturn, it’s good for us to come together as an industry to focus on the issues that affect us. We all are facing much uncertainly concerning the future. But when we come together and share ideas, it allows us to feel stronger about meeting the challenges that lie ahead.”
One highlight of the conference was a presentation given by the advertising agency Leo Burnett USA outlining preliminary plans for an industry-wide national marketing campaign, designed to communicate the link between a new mattress, a good night’s sleep and a healthier lifestyle. Mattress retailer executives Dale Carlsen of The Sleep Train and Barrie Brown of Mattress Giant voiced their support for advancing this industry marketing campaign.
“We all stand to gain by helping consumers better appreciate the vital role new mattresses play to sleep, health and overall quality of life,” Carlsen said. “We need to make this industry marketing campaign a reality.”
To see a sampling from the sessions presented at this year’s Industry Conference, visit www.sleepproducts.org/IndConfPresentations
ISPA’s 2009 Industry Conference and Exhibition is slated for Nov. 4–6 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Bonita Springs, Fla.
November 25,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 2008
People who don’t want to fight Black Friday crowds will have a less chaotic shopping option just three days later on the Internet. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is expected to be more promotional than ever this year as retailers offer one-day sales and special offers to bring holiday shoppers online—especially at lunchtime.
That’s according to a survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org digital retail division.
To get a handle on holiday shopping, office workers won’t be heading to the mall over their lunch hour; they’ll be eating at their desk. This year, according to the BIGresearch survey, 55.8 percent of workers with Internet access, or 72.8 million people, will shop for holiday gifts from work. The trend of employees with Internet access shopping from the office has continued to increase: In 2005, only 44.7 percent said they shopped online for holiday gifts from work.
Though slightly more than half of workers will be shopping from the office, some are more likely to make a dent in their wish lists than others. According to the survey, 70 percent of young adults ages 18 to 34 with Internet access will shop at work. Additionally, men are more likely to shop from work than women (60.3 percent vs. 51.5 percent).
The poll on consumer shopping at work was conducted Nov. 5–11, 2008. The survey, which polled 8,758 consumers, has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent.
November 25,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on November 2008
HFBusiness Now will not publish on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, but will resume Monday, Dec. 1.
We at
Home Furnishings Business wish all our readers a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
November 24,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on November 2008
Leggett & Platt, Carthage, Mo., has completed the sale of its $100 million Polyester Fibers unit to an affiliate of Empire Investment Holdings, Miami, which acquires and runs non-core business units from Global 2000 companies.
The Polyester Fibers unit makes high-loft non-woven materials used in bedding, furniture and filtration products. The sale price was not disclosed in a press release issued by Empire Investment Holdings Monday. Polyester Fibers’ four operating units include Tupelo Fibers, Cumulus Fibres, Cameo Fibers and Buffalo Batt. The 450-employee company has nine manufacturing plants and two distribution centers with more than 1 million square feet. It also has strategic partnerships with four factories in China.
Monday’s announcement said the new owners of Polyester Fibers will continue to operate the business as four distinct operating units, each of which will have its own management team.