Daily News Archive
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March 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 2007
Furniture retailers will face the same pressures from Asian-owned companies as their counterparts on the vendor side did when North American manufacturers faced competitive pressures from the East.
That was one of the opinions Dennis Novosel, president and founder of Stoney Creek Furniture in Stoney Creek, Ont., shared with members of the North Carolina Furniture Export Council at their regular High Point Market breakfast meeting Tuesday.
“In my mall, I just rented a space to the first Chinese retailer in our area,” Novosel told the group, referring to a 250,000-square-foot design mall he owns in addition to Stoney Creek and Ashley Homestore locations. “They already have four or five stores elsewhere, and they own their own factories (in China). ... We’ll see more of this, and it’s going to be a complicated issue.”
Novosel, who just got back from three weeks in China and Vietnam and a pioneer among Canadian retailers importing directly from China, told the vendors that direct sourcing is far more open than not too many years ago.
“The first time I went over in the ‘80s as a single-store retailer, I couldn’t really buy a lot,” he said. “On this trip, I can definitely buy there. One of my points to you is we should all be afraid. ... I could be in your business and probably very successful within a six-month period for an investment of $200,000. ... It’s already happening, and it’s happening all the time. What are we going to do as retailers and manufacturers to solidify” relative to such competition.
One thing vendors can do is maintain the integrity of their brand when it comes to distribution.
“Don’t demand, demand, demand, and then go outside your normal distribution--I do not believe manufacturers can play in all the distribution channels,” Novosel said, adding that vendors should weigh the effect on long-term business of short-term sales gains. “Those of us who have beautiful stores and present the product properly will find other vendors ... Our options are a lot different than before.”
Novosel also gave a Canadian perspective on the Las Vegas Market relative to High Point.
“After attending High Point for 25 to 30 years ... and Las Vegas for a couple of shows, I see a change,” he said. “My opinion is that as North Carolina manufacturers and North Carolina distributors, your strength will come from the East (in Canada). My Canadian compatriots in the West are buying into the Las Vegas Market, and also buying into West Coast manufacturers and distributors. Las Vegas is easier for them to get to.”
When asked about his activity with Ashley stores, Novosel pointed to the vendor’s logistical excellence.
“The Ashley model is something most manufacturers should be analyzing a lot,” he said. “The Ashley model is not about getting (inexpensive) furniture, it’s about logistics. ... It’s the best logistics company I’ve ever found.”
March 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Technology on March 2007
Klaussner Furniture Industries, Asheboro, N.C., has named Colorado Springs, Col.-based Profitsystems as its recommended technology vendor for Klaussner dealers. All of KFI’s licensed stores currently run on the system, which offers fully integrated management and accounting.
“We are extremely excited about this partnership and the opportunities it will provide for both licensed and non-licensed Klaussner dealers,” said Chris Leonard, KFI’s project manager for marketing and information systems.
KFI said the partnership allows it and Profitsystems to work together to further integrate and align retail and manufacturing systems and processes. The underlying goal is to make it easier and more efficient to exchange timely, business critical product information between all parties involved in servicing the retail customer.
The company also said in the announcement that having a standard retail system platform provides Klaussner licensees with the ability to exchange best practices for software, business processes with other Klaussner licensees. Software developments specifically created for KFI licensed stores may also be used by Klaussner’s non-licensed retailers running Profitprofessional where applicable.
March 26,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 2007
Richard Garrity has joined Chromcraft Revington, West Lafayette, Ind., in the new position of senior vice president of supply chain management. He reports to Ben Anderson-Ray, chairman and CEO.
Prior to joining Chromcraft Revington, Garrity worked at Thomasville Furniture Inds. as vice president of supply chain management. His previous experience includes similar supply chain executive management positions with Staples Inc, and other companies.
Garrity will be responsible for worldwide supply chain management, including purchasing, domestic and international transportation logistics, warehousing and distribution, customs and regulatory compliance, inventory management and customer service. The move is part of the company’s transition from a divisional structure to function-oriented responsibilities.
“We welcome the perspective, knowledge and experience Garrity brings to the Chromcraft Revington management team,” said Anderson-Ray. “We believe his experience, both in our category and outside the furniture industry, will help optimize the Company’s global strengths and business opportunities, adding new dynamics to the strength of our executive team as we shift our focus to be more market driven and responsive to both consumers and customers.”
As part of Garrity’s employment agreement, he will receive 7,500 shares of restricted Chromcraft Revington common stock.
Chromcraft Revington businesses design, manufacture and market residential and commercial furniture throughout the United States. Under the corporate brand, CR-Home, the Company wholesales its products under the Chromcraft, Peters-Revington, Silver Furniture, Cochrane Furniture and Sumter brand names.
March 25,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on March 2007
Cindy Crawford Home, one of furniture licensing’s most successful lines at Rooms To Go over the past two years, is being expanded to other major regional chains across the country.
According to at least one published report, Cindy Crawford Home generates annual sales in excess of $100 million at Rooms To Go, Seffner, Fla.. With that success, Cindy Crawford Licensing, Malibu, Calif., is selling the collections to other major furniture retailers, including Raymour & Flanigan, Liverpool, N.Y., which launched the line recently. Glenn Rotner, COO of Crawford’s company said Salt Lake City’s R.C. Willey and the Detroit area’s Art Van Furniture also plan to offer Cindy Crawford Home. He said plans for the rollout of Cindy Crawford Home beyond Rooms To Go’s nine-state market area call for partnerships with top regional chains on an exclusive basis in their markets.
In an exclusive interview last month, Cindy Crawford told Home Furnishings Business that she’s planning to make personal appearances to help launch the collections in those markets. Rooms To Go Founder and CEO Jeff Seaman said the chain has little involvement in the expansion of the Cindy Crawford brand, but said some factories his company has an ownership interest in are producing the Cindy Crawford line.
One of the most successful models of all time, Cindy Crawford has appeared on the covers of more than 600 magazines worldwide. Thanks, in part, to Rooms To Go’s round-the-clock advertising in the nine states it operates in, Cindy Crawford Home Collections, which debuted in mid-2005, almost immediately became one of the furniture industry’s most successful licensing programs.
“Other retailers became interested,” she said. “So, fortunately, we’re now able to become more of a national brand through working with these other retailers. We already have deals with several people, and you’ll hear more about those in a couple of months. I’m going to go for some of the (Cindy Crawford Home) launches over the next few months.”
In February, she announced a deal with Malibu Designs to produce a line of home décor products that will include decorative accessories, tabletop, kitchen décor and other categories.
March 25,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on March 2007
Representatives of Marlon Brando’s estate are suing Palliser and Southern California retailer City Leather over the sale of the home theater chair called the Brando, according to the Associated Press.
The lawsuit, filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges the misappropriation of the name of a deceased celebrity. Brando died in July 2004 and permission was not obtained to use his name, according to the lawsuit.
The estate’s representatives are asking for unspecified damages and a court order to halt the sale of any more goods using the Brando name.
Jason Brainard, vice president of City Leather, told the Associated Press that officials at his stores were told to stop using the Brando name when selling the chair. No decision has been made yet on what to rename the chair, he said.