May 11,
2008 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas attended the recent grand opening of a Stressless® Comfort Zone at Mill River Furniture in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Douglas was at the April 23 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ekornes furniture gallery at Mill River.
“We’re excited about bringing Stressless® seating to consumers in the St. Johnsbury area,” said Skip Gray, owner of Mill River Furniture. “The only way to truly understand the unique level of comfort is to actually sit in a Stressless®. We encourage consumers to come experience for themselves why Stressless® earns the title, ‘The Innovators of Comfort.’”
According to the American Chiropractic Association, which endorses Ekornes seating, approximately 80 percent to 90 percent of the population experiences spinal pain at some point in their lives, and Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain alone.
“The beauty of the lumbar support system in Stressless® seating,” Gray said, “is that it offers continuous support, matching the changing contours of your lower back even as the chair glides to recline.”
The new Stressless® Comfort Zone at Mill River Furniture features a demo chair and C-80 technical module that explains the chair’s interior construction, an informational video, and a leather and wood sample module to show the full range of options available for Stressless® seating.
May 8,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
Home Furnishings Business Senior Editor Jo Fleischer writes about the increasing number of furniture stores--of all sizes--putting the Internet to work for selling goods in these days of high gas prices. Click
here to read about it.
May 8,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on May 2008
Taylor Vaughan has been elected CEO of Vaughan Furniture Co., Galax, Va., replacing Bill Vaughan.
Taylor Vaughan, who will continue his role of president, began his career at Vaughan Furniture in 1976 and has previously held the positions of vice president, senior vice president, senior executive vice president and became the company’s president in 2007. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration/Management from Emory and Henry College.
“Taylor has the experience, the dedication and the heart to become a great leader for Vaughan Furniture,” said Bill Vaughan. “I am confident that all the pieces are now in place for Vaughan to continue its recent success as a marketing resource for North America’s best retailers. From our Vaughan-Vietnam office in Asia to our warehouses and support teams in the U. S., Vaughan is poised to buck the trend in 2008 and have a solid growth year.”
John Vaughan was elected chairman of the board, a post he held previously from January 1997 to January 2005.
“My father’s keen business mind and dedicated oversight as chairman will help make the transition seamless,” said Bill Vaughan. “Taylor and the rest of the senior management team look forward to benefiting from his involvement.”
Bill Vaughan has served the company as CEO since December 1998 and Chairman since January 2005 and will continue as a member of the board of directors. Vaughan Furniture has recently announced the closing of its final domestic facility and will complete its transition to a marketing company later in May.
May 8,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on May 2008
A federal report on a deadly furniture store fire in Charleston, S.C., last year said firefighters responding to the blaze didn’t have enough water, according to Associated Press reports.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a draft report late Thursday that said crews had too few hoses and not enough water volume. Nine firefighters were killed in the fire June 18 at Sofa Super Store.
May 8,
2008 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2008
Multi-channel home furnishings retailer Design Within Reach reported a net loss of $600,000 on net sales of $46.9 million for the first quarter ended March 29. In the same quarter of last year, the company lost $3.8 million and reported net sales of $43.8.
“Our first quarter results demonstrate our skilled management team’s and employees’ abilities to drive sales and leverage expenses in a challenging economic environment,” said Ray Brunner, chief executive officer. “We continue to build brand awareness through our innovative catalog, mass media and online marketing programs, as well as our recently redesigned DWR Web site. Tools for Living remains on track with an expanded range of products and two stores scheduled to open in New York and Los Angeles in the fall. As we continue to build a strong financial and operational foundation for long-term sustainable growth, we remain committed to not only providing well-designed modern luxury goods, but also ensuring that our growth initiatives warrant the effort and return on invested capital.”
The retailer broke out its sales by channel and showed sales from its 68 studios climbed 9.9 percent to $31.3 million in the quarter. Direct sales from the Web site and catalog dropped 3.6 percent to $10.6 million.