Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
May 8,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on May 9, 2013
McRoskey Mattress Co. is celebrating 114 years of hand-crafting mattresses and box springs with a new identity.
Through a series of playful print ads, a Web site overhaul and a new logo that speaks to the companys hand-made heritage and Made-in-San Francisco pride, McRoskey Mattress wants to send the message that "nothing can cradle your dreams quite like a McRoskey."
Our customers have always known that McRoskey mattresses are incredibly comfortable," said McRoskey Mattress President Robin McRoskey Azevedo, the third generation of McRoskey to run the company. "What they might not know is that they are made by hand, made right here, and some people will go to extraordinary lengths to sleep on theirs every night.
The new ads are a combination of hand-drawn illustrations and photography. In one, a mountain climber hikes up a peak, while a Sherpa-like guide behind him carries the hikers McRoskey. In another, guests arriving at posh hotel are accompanied by a McRoskey-toting bellhop.
Theres a whimsical quality to the ads, said Carolyn Goodman, president and creative director of San Rafael, Calif.-based Goodman Marketing Partners, the agency that conceived the rebranding effort. "Theyll hopefully inspire a knowing smile as they reinforce the fact that people are just absolutely attached to their McRoskey. Thats why they buy them again and again, and why families have one generation after another still buying McRoskeys."
McRoskeys long history, and hand-crafted heritage are evoked in its new logo, an image of the label thats stitched on every McRoskey Mattress. The sewn-on emblem, complete with grommets, bears the well-known elliptical company logo, along with the words Made in San Francisco, U.S.A. prominent underneath.
Were exceptionally proud to be a part of the fabric of this city," said McRoskey Azevedo. "My grandfather was one of the only mattress makers still operating and supplying mattresses following the 1906 earthquake."
The new Web site is cleaner and easier for visitors to navigate, letting them quickly find more information on comfort options and how a McRoskey is made. McRoskey.com also incorporates bold new imagery that reinforces the message of comfort while dispelling the notion that although it is over a century old, McRoskey is not an old-fashioned company.
May 8,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Financial Reports on May 9, 2013
Juvenile furniture and bicycle vendor Dorel Inds. reported first quarter 2013 revenue of $594.2 million, a 4.3 percent drop from the prior-year period.
Net income was $22.3 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, compared with $29.1 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2012.
"As stated in our year-end results press release issued March 6, 2013, the year is off to a slower start than 2012 as was expected," said Dorel President and CEO, Martin Schwartz. "In Recreational/Leisure the expected lower quarter was compounded by exceptionally poor weather in both North America and Europe."
He noted that in the U.S. the March-April period was the second coldest on record; and that some regions in Europe had the coldest spring in 50 years.
"As in Recreational/Leisure, operating profit for the quarter in Juvenile was lower than last year," Schwartz said. "There are challenges in the economy and consumer confidence in our more mature markets, but with controlled spending and enhanced gross margins the impact on earnings was mitigated."
He added that Dorels' Latin America business as a whole recorded increased profits as Dorel Chile's revenues grew substantially; and Dorel Brazil had its best operating results since 2010.
"Home Furnishings had one of its best quarters since 2011 as the continued growth in on-line sales helped deliver a substantial increase in earnings," Schwartz said. "We are a leader in this retail channel in furniture and the results are apparent in the quarter's results."
May 8,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on May 9, 2013
Luxury mattress brand Pure Latexbliss has joined the End It campaign to raise awareness about modern-day slavery.
In addition prominently displaying signage outside its showroom at High Point Furniture Market, the company has added the movements logos to its Web site and will offer its retailers an opportunity to get involved, providing those that request it with posters for their showroom floors.
The goal of the End It campaign and that of Pure Latexbliss is to raise awareness that slavery still exists. The campaigns Web site, educates readers that today 27 million men, women and children are working as slaves in 161 countries, including the United States. The enslaved are forced to work in factories, quarries and brothels, victims of human trafficking. The campaign notes that one of the first steps to stopping modern-day slavery is to share the message of its existence. That prompted the campaigns creation of a Red X logo to serve as a conversation-starter, and it is quickly becoming ubiquitous with the goal of ending slavery.
When we learned about this crisis we felt compelled to act and to join the conversation. Whats unique about this movement is that were not calling for money, we want your voice instead. Raising awareness is the first step to eradicating modern day slavery, said Pure Latexbliss President Kurt Ling. We will continue to display our Red X logo at all furniture markets and were happy to create that same poster for our dealers who feel called to action. One year from now I believe well look around and see this Red X everywhere.
To join the End It movement, manufacturers and retailers can go to enditmovement.com to download a free digital tool kit that includes an action guide with logos and fact-sheets as well as files to create and print posters and educational cards.
May 7,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on May 8, 2013
from http://www.local10.com/news/ikea-breaks-ground-on-miamidade-location/-/1717324/20059206/-/14l008z/-/index.html
Ikea broke ground on the furniture chain's second South Florida location in Sweetwater, Fla. The store's opening is scheduled for summer 2014.
The 416,000 square-foot store will feature 1,500 parking spaces, and will also potentially be partially powered by solar energy.
"This location will help bring the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience closer to our many South Florida customers who live in Miami-Dade and are currently shopping at IKEA Sunrise," said Mike Ward, Ikea's U.S. president.
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May 7,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in on May 8, 2013
from https://newsdesk4.moreover.com/click/?p=Qy84NzcxOTAwMTY1Jm49TkFQQ08&a=MTQxOTgwOTg4NTA&f=TmV3cw&s=cmljaHhtbA&u=YWNyZW5zaGF3QG5hcGNvLmNvbQ&c=TkFQQ08&i=MA&e=SW5zdXJhbmNlIEpvdXJuYWw&d=1989&t=1
A former operator of a Baton Rouge, La., furniture store destroyed by a fire in 2006 pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge stemming from the blaze and was put on probation.
The Advocate reported that Ron Henderson, who managed American Wholesale...
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