Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
August 27,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on August 2007
Montana outdoorsman, artist, and outdoor lifestyle personality Dick Idol will expand his signature line of home furnishings with Shadow Mountain at the October High Point Market with Saranac Falls, a collection inspired by the refined rustic feel of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks.
Saranac Falls joins Idol’s first collection with Shadow Mountain, High Plains, which debuted in High Point last fall and is now retailing well, according to the licensor. The new collection includes coordinating case goods, upholstery, lighting, area rugs, and bedding, all with a sense of bringing a sense of the great outdoors into the home.
“We remain extremely excited about our partnership with Shadow Mountain because it allows the brand to reach a broader group of more premium customers who are looking for unique, stepped-up designs, yet still want a good value and the ease of buying a package of products that are complementary but still look eclectic,” Idol said. “We always dare to be different, but try to achieve an overall look and character that feels like home to most consumers.”
Chad M. Turney, president and CEO of Shadow Mountain, said, “We believe that this new group fits nicely within our strategy of offering more authentic, fashion-forward designs to the smaller independent retailers whom we primarily serve.”
Inspired by the history and rustic artistry and design he discovered on a recent visit to the Great Camps in the Adirondacks, Idol conceived the idea of the new Saranac Falls Collection. The bedroom and dining room case good collection celebrates the best of the Adirondack style with its clean lines, twig mosaic details mixed with a unique X-motif, planked wood insets, warm two-tone cherry finish, distressing, and antique pewter hardware.
Shadow Mountain will launch the new Dick Idol Legends collection at the October High Point Market at its newly expanded showroom in historic Market Square, Suite 392. In addition, both Dick Idol and Shadow Mountain will be showcasing an assortment of their products at the new Rustic Pavilion at the Suites at Market Square this October.
August 27,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2007
Jeff Young has resigned his position as president of Furniture Brands International’s high-end HDM division, according to a source inside the company.
HDM comprises Drexel Heritage, Hendredon and Maitland-Smith. Young was named president of the combined unit in May 2005. He came to FBI in 2002 as president and CEO of Drexel Heritage. Young spent most of his career with Lexington, eventually becoming president of the company, now Lexington Home Brands.
August 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 2007
Virginia Sterling, Galax, Va., the new solid wood bedroom company that John and Michael Scarsella launched last spring, is expanding its High Point showroom space for October Market.
The new showroom, Space 204 Market Square, formerly housed Shaw Living. Located on the second floor of Market Square almost directly across from the courtyard elevators, the space is roughly 60 percent larger than the company’s previous showroom with a conference room and full kitchen.
“It is about location and size,” said Michael Scarsella. “The new space is better located in Market Square, making us more accessible to our current and prospective dealer base. In addition, the space is significantly larger, allowing us to fully display our growing product line. We will have seven complete bedroom collections on the floor this fall.”
Virginia Sterling said it enjoyed an overwhelming response to the four initial solid wood bedroom collections introduced in March at the High Point Market and will roll out three new groups in October.
“We have opened more than 125 dealers across North America, with more coming on board each week,” Scarsella said. “We began shipping product in June after increasing our production runs to meet the demand. Despite the tough conditions this summer, our sell-through at retail took off immediately and has been excellent.”
August 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on August 2007
Toronto-based case goods company Leda Furniture has left the High Point Market after 15 years to embark on a fly-in program for its retail partners.
“This was not an easy decision to make,” said Leda President Marco L. Confalone, “but with buyer behaviors toward attending Markets changing, coupled with an inability to find a suitable new showroom location conducive to providing proper case goods displays, we have decided not to renew the lease on our current location and just pull out of the Market.”
The company had shown on the fifth floor of the International Home Furnishings Center for the last five years. Prior to that, the company had been on the 11th floor.
Confalone said renovations on the fifth floor wing resulted in lower walk-by traffic.
“Plus, with the number of buyers now attending only one Market a year, it was not prudent to remain at that location,” he said.
To stay in touch with its retail customers, Leda is introducing the Retailer Fly-In program to give retailers the opportunity to visit the company’s facility and showroom in Toronto.
“We have always offered to fly current and potential retailers to our facility,” Confalone said. “Now is a great time to promote this program, as there are a number of buyers who are probably tired of the typical Market travel rut, so the fly-in is an opportunity for them to see our line without having to worry about rushing around and overloading their senses with product and information. Factory visits can be calm and more productive than rushing from showroom to showroom. These visits can be accomplished in one day, in and out of Toronto.”
Leda is not looking to lease a Las Vegas Market showroom, but Confalone said he is watching the Market to see if it progresses to cater more to the medium- and high-end retailer.
He also said the company may return to High Point in a few years when Market attendance and the furniture economy improves.
August 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on August 2007
Denver-based Furniture Row announced that its Sofa Mart and Furniture Row Outlet brands have teamed up to raise money for an organization that provides help to some of the estimated 2 million street children in Mexico City.
As part of the event called “Hope is Always in Style,” the companies will allocate $20 from every sofa sold through Sept. 12 to World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children around the globe. The campaign, which was developed in 2000, helps street children in Mexico become more self-sufficient and move into more stable environments through World Vision’s “Ninos de las Calle” program.
Furniture Row, which operates more than 330 stores in 31 states, also announced last week that it will open a shopping center with four of its nameplates this fall in Sherman, Texas. The company said that the 53,500-square-foot complex will be completed this fall. It will contain the company’s Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions, Sofa Mart and Denver Mattress Company brands.
Earlier this year, Furniture Row officials announced that the company has doubled the speed of its store expansion program. In March, the company, which had been opening up to 10 Furniture Row shopping centers each year, said it would build 20 store complexes this year.