October 8,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Display on October 9, 2012
Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN) will show how fashion influenced its brands in 2012 with a fashion-runway inspired display during High Point Furniture Market.
The display coincides with High Point Markets new Fashion Focus campaign highlighting the strong relationship between fashion design and home design.
Many great runway looks ultimately translate into fabulous furnishings, said Jim Brenner, chief marketing officer of Furniture Brands, St. Louis. We love that the High Point Markets campaign makes Market feel even more like our version of Fashion Week.
The company will display a piece from nine of the companys brands, together in the International Home Furnishings Center, calling out fashion inspired materials and design. In homage to the High Point Markets Style Spotters program, Furniture Brands is encouraging writers, editors and bloggers to tweet photos of the fashion-inspired pieces on Twitter (using hash tag #FBRUNWAY) or to post photos on individual design blog pages or Facebook.
Pieces will be displayed in a runway show platform formation outside the Drexel Heritage and Thomasville showrooms on the eigth floor of the IHFC during High Point Market week. An invitation only cocktail party is being held for the press to view the pieces.
October 8,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Accessories on October 9, 2012
John Beard Collection/Brown Dog Publishing has taken a permanent High Point Furniture Market in the C&D Building, space 4G.
John Beard is a self-taught American artist whose work has been featured in many renowned private collections, design related publications and exhibitions. Finding inspiration from daily life, Beard channels his energy to create works of art on canvas.
We are excited to welcome The John Beard Collection/Brown Dog Publishing to C&D, adding to our premiere line-up of home furnishings and accessories exhibitors, said Becky Minton, director of sales & leasing at the C&D Building.
October 8,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Motion Upholstery on October 9, 2012
Motion upholstery furniture vendor Lane Furniture has developed a retail solution to enable dealers to expand their power recliner and motion floor samples.
The Power Tower provides a power source for 14 motion chairs while also serving as an eye-catching floor display.
Power on average is $100 upgrade to the consumer, and currently power represents approximately 10 percent of category sales. Electricity to floor samples is a primary constraint for those sales. Lane tested this Power Tower concept with Nebraska Furniture Mart earlier this year and grew sales by 95 percent; and share of power sales to 44 percent.
Most stores dont have enough electrical outlets to plug in all of their power chairs, said Dan Masters, president of Lane. And its expensive to retrofit their spaces for more power. With the Power Tower, retailers now can plug in as many as 14 different power recliners in an easy-to-access, eye-catching location.
In a typical store, Masters added, only a few power recliners will be plugged in while the majority of the units sit inactive on the floor accompanied by signs that simply say: Available in Power. With the Power Tower, this scenario changes, since more than a dozen models are powered up and ready for action.
The Power Tower is a breakthrough retail solution that enables retailers to floor more products with power, said Masters. The impactful graphics will attract more traffic to the area and the enhanced power source will enable salespeople to better demonstrate these products to consumers. This new display will have a powerful impact on sales.
The Power Tower stands six to seven feet tall. The unit is backlit, with colorful product display screens. Displays can be easily refreshed to promote different products. All the power outlets are surge-protected.
This market, Lane is broadening the options in its motion line to increase consumer choice. For the first time, 90 percent of the companys recliners are now available in three configurations--wall saver, rocker or glider. A power option also is available on each model.
Consumers can now choose nearly any Lane recliner and get it as a wall saver, rocker or glider, said Masters. And they can upgrade to Power Recline on all these models as well.
Lane will offer a special free Power Promotion to consumers in March 2013 to build awareness and drive sales of its power motion line.
October 8,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on October 9, 2012
Two new exhibitors, Northwood Collection and New Pacific Direct, are showing at Showplace at High Point Furniture Market.
And an additional exhibitor, Lauren Galleries, has increased the size of its showroom, further establishing Showplace as a primary destination at High Point Market.
Lauren Galleries, a Sarasota, Fla.-based producer of framed artwork, including canvas paintings, prints, giclées and mirrors, returned to Showplace in April 2012 after a five-year absence. Based on the tremendous traffic attracted in April, the company added 40 percent more space to its showroom for this market, said Michelle Glassman, owner and president.
Showplace has been extremely successful for us, said Glassman. It attracts the right mix of furniture stores, national chains and hospitality companies that were trying to reach.
This market, Lauren Galleries is introducing about 300 new pieces of art, including textured prints and fashion-forward pieces with embellished mats. Styles range from traditional to contemporary, including a variety of coastal designs. Many products are exclusives.
The family owned and operated company has been in business for 22 years. It shows in a 1,650-square-foot showroom in space 1628 of Showplace.
New Pacific Direct, an importer of upholstered dining chairs, barstools and accent furniture in rattan and solid wood, is exhibiting this market in a 1,700-square-foot showroom in space 3450 of Showplace. The company last showed at the High Point Market in 2007.
We stopped showing when the recession hit, said Henry Limarta, CEO of the 12-year-old company. Now, the economy has stabilized and new opportunities are emerging. Since we have a strong presence in the West at the Las Vegas Market, we felt the time was right to come back to High Point and reach out to more retailers in the East.
At market, New Pacific is introducing 150 new items, including a collection of retro-modern accent chairs and dining chairs, colorful metal barstools and dining chairs, and organic wood accents and stools.
We are looking forward to being back in Showplace, said Limarta. Its a modern, upbeat atmosphere that is easy to shop.
Based in Union City, Calif., New Pacific ships container-direct from Asia and offers freight programs from its West Coast warehouse.
Showing at the High Point Market for the first time is Northwood Collection, a Toronto-based producer of wall décor. The line includes framed art, canvas art, mirrors, clocks, oil paintings and accessories.
Northwood Collection is exhibiting in a 1,000-square-foot showroom in space 1621 of Showplace.
Were looking to expand our base of home décor and furniture retailers, said David Douglas, vice president of sales, about the companys decision to exhibit in High Point. Showplace is large enough to attract the key buyers and small enough that people dont get lost. Theres a strong mix of vendors here, and the building is easy to get around and friendly.
At market, Northwood Collection will show a variety of new framed and canvas pieces featuring new techniques and designs.
Well feature a new collection of fresh artwork, new textures and stylized framing designed for the ever-changing wall décor market, said Douglas. He added that the 28-year-old company is known for innovative design processing and trendsetting product development.
Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers, said the addition of these new and expanded exhibitors reflects the dynamic nature of Showplace and the High Point Market. High Point is where the world comes to shop for the very latest on-trend furnishings.
October 7,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on October 8, 2012
Hooker Furniture (NASDAQ-GS:HOFT) has created two new senior corporate marketing and sales positions as part of its long-term strategic growth strategic initiatives.
John Albanese has joined the company in the new position of vice president of corporate marketing; and Michael Delgatti has assumed the new role of executive vice president of corporate sales. Delgatti also will continue in his current role as President of Hooker Upholstery. Both report to Alan Cole, president of Hooker Furniture.
Most recently an executive with Micro D, Albanese combines a background of key management roles within the traditional furniture industry at companies such as Bassett, Natuzzi and American Drew/Lea Industries with extensive experience in home-related internet marketing and e-commerce firms.
Johns deep roots and understanding of the traditional furniture business, combined with his leading edge knowledge of internet and mobile marketing and sales will be invaluable as we seek to partner with our retailers to better engage consumers, especially the up-and-coming Millennials, said Cole.
In the new corporate marketing role, Albanese also will lead the integration of marketing efforts among Hookers three brands, Hooker, Bradington-Young and Sam Moore Furniture. Kim D. Shaver, Vice President of Marketing Communications, will report to Albanese. He will be based in Hookers Martinsville, Va., headquarters.
Delgattis new role is part of a realignment of Hookers corporate sales management reporting structure. Delgatti is responsible for sales management of Hooker Case Goods, Bradington-Young/Seven Seas and Sam Moore. Reporting to Delgatti are: Ray Harm, senior vice president of sales for Hooker Case Goods; Craig Young, senior vice president of dales for Bradington-Young/Seven Seas; and Frank Richardson, vice president of sales for Sam Moore.
Delgatti joined Hooker in 2009 as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Bradington-Young and was promoted to executive vice president and then president of Hooker Upholstery in July 2010.
Under Mikes leadership, both Sam Moore and Bradington-Young have grown in sales and become profitable, Cole said, adding that Delgatti has successfully expanded Sam Moores line to include sofas and sectionals and has helped to nearly double sales in the Seven Seas leather division.
Prior to joining Hooker, Delgatti held senior executive roles with Southern, Clayton-Marcus and Broyhill. Delgatti will continue to live in Hickory, N.C., and maintain an office at Bradington-Young and Sam Moore and Hooker corporate offices in Martinsville.