Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 19,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on February 2007
American Furniture Warehouse, Englewood, Col., has launched an e-commerce Web site,
www.shopafw.com. Announced Monday, the Web site gives shoppers access to scores of products with delivery to addresses in Colorado and Wyoming within two to four days. Nationwide delivery also is available. According to published reports, the company’s customer service office will confirm online purchases by phone prior to delivery.
American Furniture Warehouse operates 11 stores in the greater Denver area.
February 18,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on February 2007
The public forum on “The Future of Furniture Manufacturing” set for Wednesday at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., has been moved from the Belk Centrum center to the P.E. Monroe auditorium due to overwhelming response.
The forum, co-sponsored by Lenoir-Rhyne College and Home Furnishings Business, is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be moderated by longtime industry executive Alan Cole. The panel will include Mickey Holliman, chairman and chief executive officer of Furniture Brands International; John Bray, president and chief executive of Vanguard Furniture; Bob Maricich, president of Century Furniture; Don Coleman, president of Hickory Springs; and Art Padilla, associate professor of management, entrepreneurship and innovation at North Carolina State University.
The forum is part of the Leading Edge Series conducted by the college to provide attendees with a comprehensive look at issues important to the Hickory, N.C., area.
The event is free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, call (828) 328-7314 or e-mail NealOrgain@lrc.edu.
February 18,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 2007
According to a recent consumer survey commissioned by the 440-store Select Comfort chain, 20 percent of shoppers say the mattress buying process is painful and 70 percent say it could be improved.
Based on a survey of 1,000 consumers last month, the results indicate that only 26 percent of consumers rated the experience as positive. In fact, consumers ranked buying a bed as slightly less painful than buying a new car and worse than visiting in-laws. Select Comfort officials said the results help explain why many shoppers are waiting too long to replace their mattresses, with 86 percent waiting until their mattress becomes uncomfortable.
Peter Bils, Select Comfort’s senior director of sleep innovation, said the company’s stores are focused on helping consumers understand the science of a good night’s sleep.
“Buying a mattress can be intimidating, confusing and painful for several reasons, including the sheer number of models and the nature of the in-store experience,” he said.
February 18,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 2007
Cabela’s, Sidney, Neb., announced Monday it is opening a new destination store in Hazelwood, Mo., on April 13 that will be stocked with hunting, fishing and outdoor gear—as well as a large furniture department.
Officials said the store will be the 19th Cabela’s location and its first in Missouri. It is expected to attract 2 million to 3 million shoppers annually, with more than half coming from more than 100 miles away.
The 130,000-square-foot store will include a 50,000-gallon aquarium, hundreds of animals in dioramas and wild game in their native habitats. The company, which is the nation’s largest catalog and Internet seller of outdoor-related merchandise, offers an extensive line of lodge-styled furniture, as well as a line of camoulflage upholstery sofas and chairs.
February 18,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Customer Service on February 2007
Federated Department Stores plans to open an Internet fulfillment center in Goodyear, Ariz., by 2008, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week.
The move is part of an effort to satisfy growing orders on Macys.com, the Web arm of Cincinnati-based Federated. A similar, $130 million Macys.com fulfillment center will begin operation in Portland, Tenn., this spring in order to be ready for this year’s Christmas shopping season.
Goodyear city officials anticipate Federated will spend $100 million on the Arizona fulfillment center, which will be located around 20 miles from downtown Phoenix and enable Federated to manage its own Web fulfillment from order to delivery. About 500 people will be employed--another 350 in high season--at the 600,000-square-foot center, which is expected to be open for Christmas 2008. A potential second phase could increase that size to almost 1 million square feet.
The Arizona location also will give Federated an easier way to serve Web customers in the West. The Tennessee center was chosen for its proximity to Eastern, Southern and Midwest markets.