Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
May 13,
2008 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedroom on May 2008
Ashley Furniture Inds., the nation’s largest furniture company, announced Tuesday that it has settled a lawsuit it brought against Lifestyle Enterprise, High Point, N.C., over patents it holds on its South Shore and North Shore bedroom sets.
In a brief, two-paragraph statement, Ashley officials said Lifestyle officials had agreed to stop selling the group that was at issue in the lawsuit and paid an undisclosed amount of money to Ashley.
“Ashley is pleased with the resolution of this matter and the confirmation of its patent rights,” officials said, according to the statement. “As a leader of innovation in the furniture industry, Ashley will continue to enforce its intellectual rights and will diligently pursue claims to protect these rights.”
A representative of Lifestyle Enterprise declined to comment on the matter.
Based in Arcadia, Wis., Ashley filed its action against Lifestyle in U.S. District Court in Wisconsin’s Western District in April 2007. In an answer to the lawsuit in June 2007, lawyers for Lifestyle argued that the items Ashley had patented had been “known or used by others” at least a year earlier.
The North Shore and South Shore bedrooms some online retailers are currently selling are large-scaled, ornately detailed collections with extensive carved elements and stone surfaces. The North Shore poster bed features four column-sized posts with a decorative metalwork frame linking the top of each post.
May 13,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Dining on May 2008
Chromcraft Revington reported Tuesday that sales in its first quarter declined 18.9 percent to $27.5 million as it continues to restructure its operations. The West Lafayette, Ind.-based company posted an operating loss of $2.2 million after seeing a $2.0 million loss in the same period a year ago.
The company recorded inventory write-downs and asset impairment charges of $700,000 and additional restructuring costs of $700,000 for exit activities and employee termination benefits as it prepared to cease manufacturing at its Delphi, Ind., factory and move that work to overseas suppliers. The move, which shifts the Delphi facility to a distribution and warehouse operation, will reduce the company’s workforce by 150 people.
Chairman and CEO Ben Anderson-Ray said, “Conditions in the furniture industry continued to be very difficult in the first quarter, and we expect the second quarter and the balance of the year to remain challenging. However, we remain committed to our strategy of transitioning our business to one that is consumer and customer driven. ... We believe this transition will position our company for the future when economic conditions improve.”
May 13,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
The owners of Continental Furniture, Thomasville Home Furnishings, Urban Interiors and It’s Gotta Go—an operation with locations throughout greater Seattle—are closing three of its stores.
The company announced a strategic business decision to close Urban Interiors, It’s Gotta Go and a La-Z-Boy Comfort Center store. A consolidation sale begins Thursday representing $5 million in inventory. All business and services of the closing stores—and its six employees—will relocate to the company’s Continental Furniture and Thomasville of Puget Sound showrooms.
The sale will disburse the consolidation merchandise across its entire family of stores.
“We’ve enjoyed a tremendous relationship with the people of Seattle and surrounding communities for many years,” said Al Moscatel, owner. “In order to continue this tradition and insure our longevity, closing our Urban Interiors and It’s Gotta Go stores and consolidating our operation into Continental and Thomasville of Puget Sound showrooms will enable us to service the future needs of all our customers.”
The company owns three Thomasville stores in the Seattle area.
May 12,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
The Jan. 1 acquisition of Appliance Canada boosted first-quarter 2008 sales at Toronto-based Leon’s Furniture Ltd. by 9 percent to $196.4 million (Canadian) compared to the prior year, but same-store sales were down. Net income rose 2.5 percent to $11.1 million.
Sales were up 2 percent at Leon’s 29 franchise furniture and appliance stores, but corporate-owned same-store sales fell 1.3 percent. The company has 35 corporate stores.
Management blamed severe winter weather, an early Easter and a new Family Day in February in Ontario for the slowdown in same-store sales.
CEO Terrence Leon said that while pleased with Appliance Canada’s initial performance under Leon’s ownership, the retailer’s margins are lower than those of a typical Leon’s store.
May 12,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
The buying group Furniture First has added three new retailers to its membership. They are: David Pierce of Pierce & Sons Inc., and Furniture and Mattress Outlet in Muscatine, Idaho; Forrest Lilly of Indian River Furniture, Rockledge, Fla.; and Clay Erickson of Erickson Furniture, Everett, Wash.
The $1.4 billion Furniture First currently has 160 retailer-stockholders with 328 stores in 44 states. The average member has been in business for 40 years and operates two stores.
In addition to the general membership meetings, one at the spring High Point Market in North Carolina and one at the winter Las Vegas Market, Furniture First also organizes educational symposiums relating to business operations and advertising strategies. This year’s symposium will be held August 19–21 in Chicago.
Furniture First is a home furnishings and mattresses buying cooperative representing independent retailers of medium-low to medium-high-end quality products across the United States. For more information, contact Bill Hartman, president, at (800) 411-3477, ext. 123; or via e-mail at BHartman@FurnitureFirst.com