Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
February 11,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 2007
Nationwide Marketing Group, the nation’s largest buying organization for independent appliance, electronics and furniture dealers, has developed a new revolving credit program with Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services and has designated Wells Fargo as a preferred provider.
The agreement was announced Friday on the eve of a series of Nationwide buying group meetings in Orlando that are expected to attract more than 3,000 independent dealers and vendors. The event called PrimeTime at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando this week has seen a 15 percent increase in registrations from last year’s event, making it Nationwide’s largest East Coast meeting in its 15-year history. The event features 180 exhibitors using 126,000 square feet of exhibition space.
In an announcement Friday, Nationwide Executive Vice President Les Kirk said the organization has been working with Des Moines, Iowa-based Wells Fargo for several months to develop an enhanced program.
“Our members participating in this program will immediately have access to the assortment of financing alternatives on the Nationwide promotional calendar. We are very impressed with the Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services team and look forward to working with such a professional group of representatives.”
In 2005, Nationwide effectively doubled its buying power in furniture through an alliance with High Point’s Furniture Marketing Group, which serves more than 75 large furniture chains with more than 500 stores. Across all categories, Nationwide serves independent dealers with more than 7,500 storefronts.
February 11,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on February 2007
Taylor King will introduce a licensed collection of upholstered furniture inspired by Mount Vernon, the historic home of the first American president, George Washington, at this spring’s High Point Market.
Taylor King collaborated with the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association to create the new collection, which will debut with more than 20 pieces.
Though fabrics and frame styles include historical references, the pieces are not strictly period reproductions.
“While we have been inspired by items from Washington’s estate to create this collection, the upholstery is styled for today’s consumer, both in scale and in sophistication,” said Del Starnes, president and COO of Taylor King.
Taylor King and the the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association developed the exclusive fabrics in the collection, drawing inspiration from historical items such as paintings, architectural details of the mansion and fabric samples found in the Mount Vernon archives.
Starnes cited several examples of the types of inspirational cues the new collection takes from historical items in the estate. A rich tapestry fabric pays homage to a 1793 painting by William Winstanley called “View of the North River,” Starnes said. One frame style includes an armless side chair from the first floor bedroom of the estate.
Founded in 1853, the non-profit Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association purchased the home five years later from Washington’s grand-nephew and has been working ever since to preserve this most popular historic home in America.
The organization already has collaborated with Durham Furniture, which produces a case goods collection inspired by Washington’s home and life.
February 11,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on February 2007
February typically is the slowest month in terms of traffic at major U.S. container ports, but activity should grow this month compared to February 2005, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released last week.
Port Tracker, produced by the economic research, forecasting and analysis firm Global Insight for the National Retail Federation, examines inbound container volume, the availability of trucks and railroad cars to move cargo out of the ports, labor conditions and other factors that affect cargo movement and congestion.
“The slow season will be at its slowest in February,” Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said. “Container volumes are expected to be down below already-slow January traffic levels but U.S. ports are operating congestion-free, while truck and rail performance is more than adequate for the slow-season volume. Even though it’s the slow season, we’re still seeing increases compared with a year ago. Traffic isn’t likely to grow as quickly as it did last year, but each month is still expected to set new records for that month.”
All U.S. ports covered by Port Tracker – Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle on the West Coast, and New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast – are currently rated “low” for congestion, the same as last month.
Nationwide, the ports surveyed handled 1.26 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container traffic in December, the most recent month for which actual numbers are available. The figure was down 6.7 percent from November but up 5 percent from December 2005.
Volume is expected to follow its usual pattern of declining over the winter months, although numbers will continue to show growth above one year ago. January is forecast at 1.24 million TEUs (up 2.3 percent from January 2006), and February (historically the slowest month of the year) at 1.17 million TEUs (up 9.8 percent). Volume will begin to move upward again in March, forecast at 1.28 million TEUs (up 3.1 percent). April is forecast at 1.37 million TEUs (up 3.4 percent), May at 1.39 million TEUs (up 6.1 percent), and June at 1.43 million TEUs (up 5.7 percent from June 2006).
February 11,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on February 2007
Swedish Retailer’s 2nd Pacific Northwest Store on Track to Open Summer 2007
PORTLAND, OR – IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today noted that all major walls have been raised for its future store opening this summer in Portland, OR. Under construction on nearly 19 acres at the southwestern corner of I-205 and Airport Way, the 280,000 square-foot IKEA Portland will include approximately 1,200 parking spaces and 75 bicycle racks, as well as a light-rail station in front of the store, providing convenient access for coworkers as well as for customers, who may use the home delivery service IKEA offers.
The store is slated to open Summer 2007 at the eastern end of Cascade Station, a 120-acre mixed use development of office, hotel and retail buildings in a pedestrian-friendly environment adjacent to the Portland International Airport. Until then, customers can shop at the Seattle-area IKEA store in Renton, WA or online at www.IKEA-USA.com.
“With our foundation poured and our walls raised, we are proud that we are well on our way to a grand opening this summer,” observed Pat Merwin, IKEA real estate manager. “With steel and the roof going up next, we hope to be fully enclosed by Spring 2007. We know there are many shoppers anxious for us to open.”
IKEA Portland will present 50 different room settings, three complete model homes, a supervised children’s play area, and a 250-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries or salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Family-friendly features include a Children’s IKEA area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. In addition to 500 construction jobs, 300 coworkers will join the IKEA family when the new store opens.
Candidates interested in working at this employer of choice should look online (www.IKEA-USA.com) for all positions available at the future IKEA Portland store, where they soon can apply for diverse positions available in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment. Also, setting itself apart from other retailers in the area, IKEA Portland will offer – among the 300 total positions to be hired for the store – approximately 80 food service opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria.
There currently are more than 250 IKEA stores in 34 countries, including 29 in the U.S., where other U.S. stores are being planned in: Brooklyn, NY; Charlotte, NC; Draper, UT; Orlando, FL; Somerville, MA; Sunrise, FL; and West Chester, OH. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” List (three years in a row), Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” (four years in a row) and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100” ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (four years in a row). IKEA incorporates environmentally friendly and socially responsible efforts into day-to-day business, and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. For the IKEA Web Site or for information about working at IKEA, please go to www.IKEA-USA.com
February 8,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on February 2007
The RoomPlace at Harlem is opening its 18th showroom today in Mishawaka, Ind.
The 31,074 square-foot showroom is the company’s first outside the Chicago market.
Headquartered in Lombard, Ill., the company has been in business since 1912. The retailer has 17 locations, including three in the metropolitan Chicago area, 13 in suburban locations and one in Merrillville, Ind.