Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
November 27,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 28, 2012
Furniture retailer Cantoni is set to open a Natuzzi Italia showroom concept in its newly expanded flagship store in Dallas.
The Natuzzi Italia store-within-a-store concept is exclusive to Cantoni in Dallas.
Cantoni will mark the occasion with a grand-opening gala - A Celebration of Italian Design - in partnership with Modern Luxury Interiors Magazine Dec. 6 at the showroom.
"Cantoni's partnership with Natuzzi Italia delivers on our 28-year-commitment to bringing our clients the best in cutting-edge modern design," said Michael Wilkov, founder and chief energizing officer of Cantoni. "Natuzzi Group-Italy's largest furniture manufacturer-is known around the world as a leader in leather furniture and Natuzzi Italia represents the best of Natuzzi on a global level. Natuzzi Italia designs are merchandised with a comprehensive range of high-style furnishings for a whole home concept that epitomizes the excellence, fashion and quality of products designed and crafted in Italy."
Cantoni's 4000-square-foot, glass-encased Natuzzi shop-in-shop will feature the label's collections including Plaza, Frank, Opus, Savoy, Brio, Wave, Sound, Avana, Surround, Releve, Cambre and Opera. Patrons will be greeted by the warm and welcoming hues of natural materials and woods that comprise the foundation of each unique installation in the Natuzzi Italia space. Each vignette will feature distinctive furniture collections, case goods and accessories, all hand-crafted in Italy.
In keeping with the theme of the evening, Cantoni's grand opening celebration will feature live cooking demonstrations in the store's fully functioning Bontempi Cucine kitchen by renowned local chef Anthony Van Camp of SER Steak & Spirits. Guests will also enjoy fine Italian wines and cocktails by Ultimate Vodka & Patron, along with Italian-style music by dsqelectric, and an opportunity to view the latest designs from local Maserati dealer Park Place.
According to Brad Cates, senior vice president, Natuzzi Americas, the Natuzzi Italia store-within-a-store concept is unique to Cantoni and to the Dallas marketplace.
"As we move forward with aggressive growth plans for Natuzzi Italia in major markets, we are particularly excited to partner with a retail leader like Cantoni because it provides great consumer exposure to the Natuzzi Italia brand inside one of the industry's most recognized and respected lifestyle furniture retailers," he said. "No one understands the desires of design-conscious shoppers in the Dallas market better than Cantoni."
Wilkov attended his first Salone trade fair in Milan in 1984 the year he opened Cantoni, and has continued to attend the fair personally every year since.
"In launching Cantoni, my goal was to bring great modern design to our clients in Dallas," he said. "We've grown and expanded considerably since then, but 28 years later our vision remains the same. It's incredibly satisfying to be able to translate our experiences in Milan for our marketplace with true, made-in-Italy designs."
Cantoni will open the Natuzzi Italia showroom to the public Friday, Dec. 7. Shoppers will find that the new 4,000-square-foot Natuzzi Italia installation is one part of a stunning 20,000-square-foot expansion that recreates the feeling of a shopping experience more typically found in Milan.
November 27,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on November 28, 2012
Luxury bedding vendor E.S. Kluft & Co. has opened three additional stores in China with plans for two more before the years end.
Kluft, which launched its first retail locations in China last year, continues its partnership with Eternal Sleep Limited, best known as Chinas largest supplier of mattresses to five-star hotels.
Exclusively selling Aireloom by Kluft and E.S. Kluft & Co. brands, Eternal Sleep has just opened two stores in Xian in central China; and one in Shenzhen outside of Hong Kong. The decision was made to expand following the success of the original three retail locations in Shanghai and Beijing.
Our expansion in China is very exciting for us, and proves that weve created a thriving showroom space thats exceeding our customers expectations. I attribute that success to our ability to take a luxurious American-made product and adapt it to the Chinese market, said Earl Kluft, president and CEO of E.S. Kluft & Co., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. In fact, we spent the first 90 days of operation in 2011 really listening to customer feedback, which prompted us to alter about 25 percent of our selection to meet the needs of select Chinese clientele looking for firmer and lower profile mattresses. With those tweaks made, we were ready to replicate the store model beyond Shanghai and Beijing.
The six-store retail chain is just the beginning of Klufts aspirations in China. To meet the demand for American luxury mattresses, Kluft and Eternal Sleep Limited plan to expand into every major first-tier and second-tier city in China over the next few years. Two additional stores already are planned to launch before the end of 2012.
All products continue to be manufactured in Klufts California plant and exported to China. The pricing for the products is $3,500 to $50,000 in U.S. dollars. Previously, Kluft has licensed the companys brands in other countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Mexico, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
November 27,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 28, 2012
Home furnishings retailer Upstairs Downstairs Furniture has redesigned its Web site to incorporate its e-commerce store.
The Culver City, Calif-based retailer has included local favorites along with other items not carried in its brick-and-mortar location.
The store has streamlined the process of buying furniture online with a simpler Web site design. Potential customers will have the option to view items by searching for an individual piece. The site offers great flexibility in setting up a wish list, saving your cart for future placements, and easy access to shipping & return information.
"When our customers visit our new online store, not only do they get the same price as our brick-and-mortar store, they also receive free shipping," said Nick Wayne, the owner. "We want the shopping experience to be simple and easy-to-use."
Upstairs Downstairs Furniture was started in 2004.
The Web site will cater to the store's local customer base, with an in-store pickup option, but will also expand its business across the country. The imported hardwood collections will now be available for purchase in all 50 states. Free shipping is available to the contiguous 48 states and to Alaska and Hawaii for an additional charge.
November 27,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on November 28, 2012
Electric fireplace and furniture vendor Twin-Star International has donated 31,400 space heaters to relief groups aiding victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Twin-Star, Delray Beach, Fla., donated 5,000 Duraflame space heaters on Nov. 11 to Island Harvest, Long Islands largest hunger-relief organization. Island Harvest is distributing the space heaters to shelters and individuals most left in need within the storm-damaged metropolitan and oceanfront areas.
Twin-Star International is to be commended for their spirit of compassion and generosity in providing much needed assistance to those Long Islanders affected by superstorm Sandy, said Rand Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. Many people continue to face adverse conditions, especially with falling temperatures, so Twin-Stars gift of space heaters will help immeasurably. Their generous gift is of great help and we offer our heartfelt appreciation.
In addition, Twin-Star donated 26,400 Duraflame space heaters to The Salvation Army, a national charitable and relief organization with a major presence in New York and New Jersey.
The Salvation Army is delivering the donated space heaters to hurricane survivors throughout the affected areas, said Michael Orfitelli, Disaster Services Coordinator for The Salvation Armys Eastern Territory. The folks that were hit hardest by the hurricane are so grateful for this gift of warmth from Twin-Star."
Thousands of heaters were distributed in Rockaway, Queens, where many families with children had been without heat since the hurricane.
In each case, Twin-Star donated a variety of small, portable space heaters with capacities up to 1,500 watts.
Thousands of New York and New Jersey residents are struggling to stay warm as a result of damage inflicted by this devastating storm, said Robert Cohen, CEO of Twin-Star. Flooding has impacted residents ability to heat their homes and, in many cases, they have been forced to remain in shelters until power is restored.
As a Florida-based corporation, Twin-Star understands the toll left in the wake of natural disasters and the challenges individuals face in the aftermath of those disasters.
We want to do everything we can to help the people and their communities get through this very difficult situation, Cohen said.
November 27,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on November 28, 2012
Dale Flowers has been named product development engineer for Boyd Specialty Sleep, a new position for the company.
In his new position, Flowers will focus on product development and quality assurance, as well ass assume certain purchasing responsibilities. He reports to Denny Boyd, president.
Flowers joins the company from Schneider Electric Technology Center. Prior to his tenure there, he worked in senior product design, engineering and project management roles at a several companies, including S-B Power Tool, formerly Skil Corp.
"We greatly appreciate the broad skill set and extensive experience that Dale brings to our team and our company," Boyd said.