Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 12,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 13, 2013
Gormans Home Furnishings and Interior Design has been named as a Top Workplace in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press.
This is the third consecutive year that the Farmington Hills-based home furnishings retailer has been included on the list.
Employees from more than 130 companies and organizations from across southeast Michigan participated in the Top Workplaces 2012 survey. Each was evaluated on numerous factors including company direction, career opportunities, and leadership.
Gormans employs approximately 140 team members, including more than 60 interior design professionals, at its four metro Detroit showrooms and warehouse. A fifth design center and additional warehouse is located in Grand Rapids. Employees often cite strong management support, challenging work, ample opportunity and scheduling flexibility as among the reason they believe Gormans offers an exemplary place to work.
We are honored to have so many talented people on our staff, said Bernie Moray, CEO of Gormans. "Its their hard work and commitment to excellence, bolstered by their love of style and beautiful homes, that makes Gormans an outstanding company. We are constantly working to outdo ourselves.
February 12,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on February 13, 2013
No total numbers were provided, but Las Vegas Furniture Market reported its strongest attendance in four years at the recent winter show.
Buyer attendance was up 6 percent from a year ago; and more than 200 vendors and lines showed for the first time at the Jan. 28-Feb. 1 Market.
This past Winter Market set new company records for an overwhelming number of manufacturers and contributed to a renewed, positive outlook for the entire industry. I can truly say it was the best Las Vegas Market in my tenure of five years, said Robert Maricich, CEO of International Market Centers. Were getting a multiplication of better business, people playing to win and better buyer attendance. With the strength of this Las Vegas Market, recently released positive national housing reports, and clear industry momentum, we feel this bodes very well for a strong Spring Market. What we saw at Market is an encouraging indicator of whats to come in 2013.
U.S. retail attendance was up 6 percent over a year ago building on the strongest Las Vegas Market in recent years--with thousands of buyers attending the Winter 2013 show for the first time. International buyer attendance rose 5 percent year over year, most notably with a 15 percent increase among buyers from Latin America and Pacific Rim, respectively, as well as an eight percent gain in Canadian buyers over a year ago.
Retailers from all 50 U.S. states and 74 countries were in attendance. The most notable increases came from home décor buyers, which rose 39 percent, while home textile buyers grew by 26 percent. The categories of mattress retailers and contract hospitality buyers each increased by 11 percent from a year ago. Furthermore, Las Vegas Market doubled the number of floor coverings retailers due to the strategic partnership with Surfaces Expo.
We have long nurtured the idea of a cross-over market vis a vis this total home view," Maricich said. "Without question Las Vegas Market opens up new doors and distribution channels for participating manufacturers as a result of a compelling and diversified platform that is unlike anything else in the industry.
He cited at the most recent market that one in ten buyers seeking gift and home décor merchandise classified their business type as a furniture or mattress store, which he says demonstrates the cross-over appeal of the marketplace.
Essentially, this traditional furniture retailer is coming to the market also looking for smaller gift and décor pieces to enhance their product mix and reach more customers on a more frequent basis," Maricich said. "This supports the notion that retailers have evolved their merchandising approach and are using Las Vegas Market as a means to accomplish a more diversified sales strategy. Its not product dimensional, but rather, very lifestyle, consumer-centric. Its exciting to see new interest in our industry and evolved business models in retail.
The Winter Las Vegas Market, including Gift+Home, drew more than 1,800 exhibiting companies across 5 million square feet of space in three buildings. The 2013 Las Vegas Market welcomed 200 new brands in permanent showrooms and temporary booths spanning every category of total home. Newcomers included: 27 permanent furniture tenants; five designer brands in the Las Vegas Design Center; 38 permanent Gift+Home tenants; along with 30 furniture temporaries located on the sold-out floor of B2; and 107 Gift+Home temporaries located on C4 and C5.
This Market was reminiscent of a building opening in terms of traffic, new tenancy, investment and overall energy, said Tom Mitchell, IMCs president of home furnishings, referring to 190 building permits to construct or improve showrooms in the last few months. Among the strategic moves we put into motion, the home furnishings division leased 630,000 square feet of new space in 2012, including the renewal of 51 leaseholders such as Broyhill, Emerald Home, Lane and other major sources; delivered significant showroom expansions for such market leaders as AICO and Coaster; and successfully relocated a number of key exhibitors to create a more efficient and effective merchandising mix in all buildings. We also created a new 100,000 square-foot destination in Building C for bedding resources, which enhances Las Vegas Markets position as the international hub for the bedding industry.
Buyers across all categories were enthusiastic about market week in Las Vegas.
This was my first Vegas market," said Jeff Harris, vice president of Furnitureland South, Jamestown, N.C. "I was impressed with the buildings, the layout, and the ease of shopping.
The Las Vegas show continues to be a great resource for the industry and allows us to get a lot of business done very efficiently," said Catherine David, senior vice president of merchandising for Pier 1 Imports, Fort Worth, Texas. "My time at Market this trip has been very valuable.
I've been coming to markets since the 1970s, early 1970s--so I've seen a lot," said Carlos Capó, vice president of El Dorado Furniture, Miami Gardens, Fla. "It is the best market to shop, no question about that.
It was a great market for us," said Oscar Miskelly, owner and general buyer for Miskelly Furniture, Jackson, Miss. "Bedding vendors were great as usual as well as other new vendors. As president of the FMG buying group, we had over 60 retailers at our symposium--retailers like Nebraska, Star Furniture, R.C.Willey, Steinhaufels and many other Top 100s.
Click here for the complete Las Vegas Furniture Market release.
February 12,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 13, 2013
Retailer Henco Furniture is going out of business.
The Selmer, Tenn.-based retailer's owner Tom Hendrix is retiring to spend more time with his family and to write his biography "Live Your Dream".
The going out of business sale started Tuesday and is being conducted by Planned Furniture Promotions.
Located east of Memphis, Hendrix founded Henco Furniture 1996 at the age of 65, as a retirement project. With no prior furniture or retail experience, Hendrix and his wife Sherry Hendrix started the company. Today, Henco Furniture features more than 200,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse space located on a 40-acre campus.
Henco Furniture was built on a philosophy of "get the price right upfront on quality merchandise," Hendrix said. "Families drive past many furniture stores, from six states, coming to Henco to shop with us and we are very grateful for every mile driven."
The shopping experience was designed to make the visit fun. Shoppers enter the store by walking down a replica of a west Tennessee main street that brings back memories of warm, friendly hometowns throughout the region. Each of the "storefronts" leads to a different merchandise area, making it easy for shoppers to visit each of the displays or walk directly to a specific gallery.
"When a new customer visits, they always look astounded by the size of the showroom, the beauty of the displays and the overwhelming values they find here," Hendrix said, adding that running the store has been very rewarding and "tremendous fun."
In addition to selling its inventory, Henco's 300,000 square foot corporate campus with showroom, warehouse and on-site restaurant is being offered for sale.
February 12,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on February 13, 2013
Bedding supplier Englander Sleep Products has added a 10th mattress producer to its international organization, having licensed Smart Flex Industria De Colchoes of Sao Paulo, Brazil, to make and market its product throughout Brazil.
Kevin Toman, Englander president and recently appointed CEO, said Smart Flex is the leading producer of innerspring mattresses across Brazil and is a fully integrated operation that manufactures its own springs and foam.
"We're very happy to have partnered with a highly successful bedding producer that distributes throughout the largest country in South America," Toman said. "We're also pleased to represent Smart Flex's first licensed mattress brand."
Headed by managing director Guilherme Mello, Smart Flex was founded in 1987 and makes its own line of higher-end beds in a range of models, styles and comfort levels.
Toman said Smart Flex plans to market Englander's E-gel and Tension Ease products, among other company lines, and recently launched Englander-branded beds at Sleep House, a 33-store mattress and sleep accessory chain in Sao Paulo.
As part of the kick-off, representatives from the three companies participated in a series of meetings and events that included tours of Smart Flex's factory and visits to several Sleep House stores-all aimed at rolling out the Englander brand to the more than 300 floor salespeople that represent the retail chain.
February 11,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on February 12, 2013
Sonia Lise Longchamp has been named director of interior design for Boca Raton, Fla.-based furniture retailer Sklar Furnishings.
Longchamp will work with Sklar''s staff of 12 designers, as well as take a lead role in training. She will also be involved in larger design projects, for those clients seeking more comprehensive design or renovation services, as well as model and spec-home merchandising.
A licensed interior designer, Longchamp brings more than 30 years of experience in residential and commercial design, including space planning and furniture design. Her background has included ownership of her own interior design firm as well as work at some of the most prestigious design firms in the area. She was a designer at Robb & Stucky for eight years, and more recently the president and owner of her own firm, Sonia Longchamp Interior Design. Her areas of specialization include high-end residential design, hospitality, office and yacht design, as well as turnkey installations.
n addition to the ability to create pleasing and functional designs for her clients, Longchamp''s business sense enables her to establish realistic budgets for private clients and builders as well as meet critical project timeline requirements.