Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on April 2007
Organizers of an initiative to revive High Point’s Pre-Market have changed the event’s dates to Monday, August 20, and Tuesday, August 21, in a move that assures a sufficient number of hotel rooms and ends a conflict with the Tupelo Furniture Market.
Originally planned for August 22-25, the event designed for major retailers will include cocktail receptions, a panel discussion and a dinner for attendees. Major exhibitors are being encouraged to show “Market-ready” products during the event. The original dates overlapped with Tupelo’s August 22-26 summer event.
In a press release Thursday, Samson Marketing President and CEO Kevin O’Connor said, “Pre-Market has not been important to everyone, not is it likely to be important for everyone in the future. However, for many of the Top 100 retailers throughout the U.S., it is critical to preview new case goods product from their key vendors. Seeing Market-ready product from a majority of key vendors gives them the chance to comment on design changes and make early distribution commitments.”
O’Connor, who oversees Universal, Legacy Classic and Craftmaster as the head of Samson, said providing a forum for manufacturers to receive input on new introductions at Pre-Market—40 days ahead of the Oct. 1 start of High Point’s Market—will strengthen relationships with key customers and the High Point Market itself.
April 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 2007
Aaron Rents, Atlanta, announced Wednesday that first-quarter revenues increased 12 percent to a record $387.9 million.
The nation’s leader in sales and lease ownership of furniture, appliances and electronics said net earnings increased 35 percent to $29.2 million, which was also a record. The revenue increase included a $4.9 million gain from the sale of a parking deck at the company’s headquarters.
Aaron Rents currently has more than 1,380 company owned and franchised stores in the United States and Canada. “We feel that our first quarter was a good start for 2007,” said Charles Loudermilk, chairman and CEO. “We plan to continue to aggressively expand operations and look forward to adding more stores in future periods.”
April 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 2007
Room & Board, a nine-store retailer based in Minneapolis, announced the winner of its annual student design competition Thursday. Brian Lee, a senior at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, received a $1,500 cash prize with his design for the “Swivvie,” a multi-functional media storage cabinet.
His design, which has the potential to be manufactured from eco-friendly materials, will be considered for future production by the Room & Board design team. The award was presented Wednesday at the 11th Annual MCAD Partnership and Scholarship Luncheon at the design school. Room & Board has sponsored the design award since 2003 to encourage continuing education and the development of talented young designers. The Stow, a media console which won the competition recently, is currently in production for Room & Board.
In addition to sponsoring the $1,500 design prize, Room & Board has pledged $10,000 per year for the next three years to support a new digital fabrication lab and donated $5,000 to a Room & Board Scholarship Fund for 2007.
April 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 2007
Furniture Brands International, St. Louis, announced the closings of three factories and the elimination of about 250 manufacturing jobs Friday. Citing a need to bring costs in line with revenues, FBI also is cutting another 100 manufacturing jobs and 80 executive and administrative positions, or about 5 percent of its non-manufacturing workforce.
The plant closings, all in North Carolina, include the closing of Thomasville’s Plant C and the consolidation of two upholstery operations in Troutman into a facility in Hickory. The closings will eliminate about 150 jobs. The closings will be completed in August.
“We are obligated to bring our costs in line with revenues to drive better earnings performance at furniture Brands,” said Chairman and CEO Mickey Holliman. “We regret the hardship this will cause the affected employees and we appreciate the dedicated and energetic service these employees have shown the company.”
In March, Furniture Brands announced that its first-quarter net sales will be down 15 percent when the company reports sales next week. In addition to Thomasville, Furniture Brands includes Broyhill, Lane, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland Smith.
In May, Thomasville shut another plant in a move that eliminated 278 jobs. In June, the company announced the closing of a Broyhill factory that employs 700 people.
April 25,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 2007
A 40-year retail institution in Scottsdale, Ariz., is coming to an end.
Four-store Breuners Arizona has agreed to sale its property located at 1776 N. Scottsdale Road and 1800 N. Scottsdale Road to Scottsdale HealthCare. The property is home to Breuners Arizona and the Kids Room by Breuners.
Once a closing sale is wrapped up at the four stores, all four sites will close. The sale is set to begin Tuesday.
“It is with heartfelt appreciation that I thank everyone who has been so instrumental over the past four decades in making this furniture store such a success” said Mary Ann Levitt, president. “The decision to sell the properties was the most difficult we have ever had to make. Our family and staff will always treasure the life-long friendships that this business helped create.”
Norman Levitt, Mary Ann’s father, built the retail operation in 1967. It opened as Mayo’s Home Furnishings and then converted to Breuners in 1976. Mary Ann, along with her sister Ellen and brother Tom, took back the business in 1993 and expanded it to include two other Breuners Arizona stores in Arrowhead, Ariz., and Prescott, Ariz., as well as the Kids Room, which has become the largest children’s furniture store in Arizona.
Mary Ann Levitt said the property was never put on the market, but recent changes in south Scottsdale, including the development of Arizona State University’s SkySong across from the stores, led to unsolicited offers. The offer from Scottsdale HealthCare was too good to ignore, Levitt said. SkySong is a mixed-use project of 1.2 million square feet of office, research and retail space. Plans call to add multi-family residential, a hotel and conference center to the project.
She said in the immediate future she still sees herself going to industry events. “This is what I know,” she said.
Tom Daley, general manager for the retailer, serves on
Home Furnishings Business’ Retail Advisory Board. Daley said he is currently looking for another position in the furniture industry.
Jami Myers, upholstery and kids buyer for the store, is considering opening a juvenile furniture retailer in the area.