Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
November 4,
2008 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 2008
Disputing initial newspaper reports, Albuquerque, N.M.-based American Home Furnishings officials said Tuesday that the 11-store retailer will shut down its operations in Arizona, which has been hit hard by foreclosures, and will consolidate some operations in its home state, according to records in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles.
Inside Tucson Business and the Associated Press reported Tuesday that the company’s initial statement said there would be no closings, but COO Ted Leveque told the business publication Tuesday that “we are going to close down our Arizona operations and liquidate the stores,” and added that the housing crisis has had a particularly harsh impact in Arizona.
In court records, the company said it plans to rebuild its business around three stores.
“Under this newly proposed structure, we would be able to preserve our 70-plus-year heritage and continue to serve customers in the New Mexico market,” company officials said, according to a company statement that was issued Tuesday.
The plan calls for three stores in Albuquerque to be consolidated and operate together with locations in Santa Fe and Farmington. The court papers indicated that the bankruptcy filing was prompted by Wells Fargo Retail Financing cutting off a revolving credit facility. The bank is owed $4.9 million.
November 3,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 2008
The Western Home Furnishings Associations has opened the nomination process for its 2009 Western Retailer of the Year.
The annual award recognizes the contributions of home furnishings businesses in the West that are dedicated to building industry excellence. Nominees should demonstrate exceptional store design, innovative advertising, outstanding operations and an unwavering commitment to community and the environment.
Past winners include Jerome’s Furniture (2008), Linder’s Furniture (2007) and Dearden’s (2006). Active members of the home furnishings community can submit nominations via the WHFA.org Web site, which also has more information on award criteria.
The WHFA, Roseville, Calif., is the largest affiliate of the National Home Furnishings Association with a membership of more than 1,000 independent home furnishings retailers (with 2,400 stores) in 12 states.
November 3,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Technology on November 2008
Profitsystems, Colorado Springs, Colo., announced Monday that Shelley Parlin has been promoted to chief operations officer.
Parlin, who has more than two decades of experience in her family’s furniture store, was vice president of professional services at Profitsystems, a provider of home goods management software, consulting and business solutions.
She will report to President and CEO Jeff Niskern and will have overall responsibility for sales and marketing. Her role will expand as the company moves toward a renewed growth effort in 2009, and Parlin will work to enrich the sales department’s development.
“Parlin’s emphasis on service to our clients, combined with impeccable project management skills, has earned her the respect of retailers and owners industrywide,” Niskern said.
November 3,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 2008
The Furniture Training Co., North Logan, Utah, announced Monday that its clients’ retail furniture sales associates have now completed more than 100,000 Internet-delivered training lessons. Some of these interactive web-based lessons provide product knowledge training in upholstery, casegoods, fabrics and fibers, leather furniture, mattresses, and rugs. Other lessons use streaming video and computerized role-playing exercises to teach associates improved selling skills for greeting customers, handling “I’m just looking customers,” discovering customer’s needs, presenting furniture solutions, and closing sales with confidence.
Evaluation data from sales associates who have completed the online furniture lessons indicate that 95 percent of users enjoy taking the training on the computer; 99 percent say the online training is easy to use; and that furniture sales increased for 95 percent of those working on the sales floor.
Home furnishings retailer Ken Eheart, owner of Eheart Furniture said of the Furniture Training Co.’s Internet training: “In these challenging times we have found the small upfront price for e-learning courses on furniture product knowledge and sales training is not an expense but a good way to increase our furniture sales. We are very excited by the ease of training over the Internet, 24/7 access, and the consistent training information.”
A free demonstration of online furniture training lessons is available at
www.furnituretrainingcompany.com, as well as additional information about The Furniture Training Co.
November 3,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on November 2008
Four people are confirmed dead and two others are injured after a fire at Yingjia Furniture’s Factory in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to a report on the China View news Web site.
Three workers and a 4-year-old boy, who was staying with his mother in the plant’s dormitory, were killed, said a spokesman of Urumqi’s public security bureau.
The two injured included the plant manager and another worker. The small, privately owned furniture plant employs about 20 people, mostly migrants, the spokesman said.