Daily News Archive
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October 2,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on October 3, 2012
Chinese retailer and supplier of leather upholstery Zuoyou has inked a partnership with Era Nouveau to supply retailers in the North and South American markets.
After 26 years of building to more than 2 million square feet of production facilities to support its 1,200 store retail network, Zuoyou has added capacity to expand its distribution.
Both sides believe the new business model will provide the best possible value to the U.S. retailer and the end consumer. Era Nouveau will introduce more than 20 new frames, in addition to the existing product line supplied to its top 100-focused retailer base for the last three years, in its showroom at Center Point on Centennial in High Point.
"As manufacturers and retailers, we have become known as
a premiere source for affordable, high quality furniture in our domestic markets," Jin Lan Huang, chairman of Zuoyou said. "As we looked to grow in the Americas, we found Era Nouveau's marketing position and young, dynamic culture were a natural fit to build our global network of distribution. With over 2,500 employees and a plan to have over 5 million square feet of manufacturing facilities by the end of 2012, we feel that their strategy lines up well with ours to achieve rapid growth."
Earlier this year, Zuoyou hired Giuseppe Colafiglio to lead the
manufacturing and development of the launch into export. Giuseppe brings more than 18 years of Asian experience with well-known leather producers including Cheers/Man-Wah, Superb and DeCoro.
"With my background working with several major leather producers in China, I have been impressed from day one at Zuoyou's commitment to quality and integrity," Colafiglio said. "The exclusive partnership
with Era Nouveau illustrates our commitment to solid business relationships both at the supply and retail level."
Sam Contreras, CEO of Era Nouveau, said his company had bee seeking additional sources for its products for some time.
"From our first meeting with Zuoyou, it was a clear, comfortable relationship for both sides with the same shared vision," he said.
Era Nouveau has been known as a company that provides motion furniture in better leathers at value price points. Contreras said that Era Nouveau will be showing stationary leather in addition to
motion furniture, but will remain focused on telling the story with leather.
"While we will offer value pricing that will allow our retailers to aggressively promote, we will continue to focus on our position in the marketplace as a premium leather source," he said.
Target retails will range from $999 to $3,999.
October 2,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in economic news on October 3, 2012
The Furniture Buying Index is holding steady for October at a reading of 72, according to America's Research Group.
"With the Presidential election front-and-center right now, consumers are watching TV less to avoid all the political ads that are currently running," said Britt Beemer, chairman of ARG. "Avoiding political ads also means seeing less advertising for other products as well. This translates into advertising for furniture not being seen by the consumer."
Beemer said the index remained stationary while consumers landed in a standby position awaiting the results of the election and its impact.
The Furniture Buying Index is compiled each month by ARG from interviews with between 5,000 and 8,000 consumers across the country. In a typical month, 80 percent of the consumers interviewed can name a specific furniture item they intend to buy. The Index's mark signifies what percent of the benchmark 80 percent actually have a particular item in mind.
October 2,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on October 3, 2012
Toronto-based gift company Ganz has acquired Midwest-CBK, supplier of holiday, gift and home décor, from MVP Group.
The deal includes the Midwest-CBK brand name, holiday, gift and home and outdoor décor business.
"Midwest-CBK is a perfect addition to the Ganz family of brands, a company with a similar heritage, strong values, experience, vision and focus," says Scott Wehrs, president of Midwest-CBK. "By combining forces, both Midwest-CBK and Ganz will continue to grow and provide the industry with exceptional new product design and development, and outstanding service."
"This acquisition unites two renowned and highly respected market leaders, combining the strengths of both companies with best-in-class people, products, service and support for independent retailers," said Howard Ganz, president of Ganz. "This strategy brings many benefits and opportunities to retailers through an unmatched selection of holiday, gift and home décor products, innovation in products and programs, depth of design and outstanding sales and support teams, backed by a company with the combined resources of Midwest-CBK and Ganz."
Midwest's and Ganz's product development and sales teams will continue to operate independently thereby allowing each to focus on their strengths.
October 2,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on October 3, 2012
As the high-end market continues to shift as consumers redefine their concept of luxury, manufacturers, retailers and designers alike must respond accordingly.
High-end furniture supplier E.J. Victor is bringing together a group of designers at the High Point Market to host an educational event.
The panel discussion, moderated by Ellen Gefen, host of the Home Fashion Report and editor of TheHome.com, is set for Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. in the E.J. Victor showroom.
Panelists include Palm Beach-based interior designers Allison Paladino and Jack Fhillips, who will introduce a collection this Market. Also joining the table will be Cecilia Berber-Thayer and Sarah Kammlah, the team behind the Berber.Kammlah collection.
The discussion, held in the E.J. Victor showroom at 116 S. Lindsay St., is open to retailers, interior designers and media attending the Market.
"There's no question that with fewer and fewer stores available to display product, and the growing expense of design centers across the country, our business is continuing to evolve further toward serving the interior design trade," said John Jokinen, E.J. Victor president. "and we are continually searching for new ways to partner with interior designers with value-added services. This event was conceived to bring together leading interior and product designers-each of whom is transforming the luxury market with fresh attitude and design sense-to share their unique insights into the key trends and the changing needs of high-end consumers with retailers and other designers. The panel discussion will be a not-to-be-missed experience for any buyer or designer who operates in the high end of the marketplace."
There is no charge to attend the event. Light refreshments will be served and seating is limited. Reservations are not required, but appreciated. E-mail Erika to RSVP or to get more information.
October 1,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on October 2, 2012
The Bombay Co. brand is selling home furnishings again, this time online at www.bombaycompany.com.
The site offers a range of Bombays signature pieces, including furniture, décor, gifts, wall décor, lighting, bedding textiles, seasonal and holiday items. The assortment includes a mix of best-selling Bombay archival pieces, in addition to a range of new designs, all embodying the brands dedication to stylish design and quality craftsmanship. Featuring more than 250 products, the items will range in price from approximately $25.00 for accessories to $1,500 for furniture pieces.
Were thrilled to announce the launch of the Bombay Web shop, which offers our loyal customers 24/7 access to the comprehensive Bombay collection of classic and eclectic home décor, accents pieces and furniture embodying value luxury, stylish design and time-tested quality, said Wil Hollands, president of Hermes-Otto International USA and owner of The Bombay Co. brand. We are pleased to introduce this new consumer-facing online store as a part of our expanded business model, offering our dedicated customers easier access to their favorite Bombay pieces from the comfort of their homes.
The site home page features a series of inspirational lifestyle photos showcasing the array of items offered in the Bombay collection. Each product page includes descriptions, measurements, care instructions, reviews, and multiple images. Additionally, the site offers the unique functionality to foster a sense of community and connect to the brand through social media on Bombays Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages. To check-out, customers have the option to either register an account or checkout as a guest.
The Bombay brand also is available at select specialty and mass retailers and online nationwide.