Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
September 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on September 12, 2012
Home furnishings retail buying group MEGA Group USA unveiled its MEGA RetailDeck program at last week's convention in Louisville, Ky.
Formerly called MEGA Merchandiser, this tool has been totally redesigned to harness technological advances to efficiently merchandise, price, tag and sell their floors.
Retailers can view multiple images, detailed specifications, related colors and accessories and more product information from any internet-enabled device. Customers in-store experience will improve with salespeople using MEGA RetailDeck to find the perfect product by brand, category, model number or desired features like color, dimensions, fuel types, resolution and more.
MEGA RetailDeck puts all pricing guides in one place side by side including MSRP, MAP, MEGA costs, SPAs, vendor and group rebates as well as competitors pricing. Further, pricing and product availability is accessible through customized integrations with distributors and participating vendors or uploading individual point of sale data.
MEGA RetailDeck also makes professional price tags in just seconds without any manual data entry. But the real feature that sets this program apart is in how it keeps tags up to date. MEGA RetailDeck tracks everything about tagged products and automatically alerts retailers whenever changes in the marketplace suggest a tag requires updating.
This program makes it almost effortless for retailers to tag their stores the way they always have wanted to but were never able to in the past, said Missy Hodges, Appliance Manager for MEGA Group USA. Its like having an industry expert devoted to your sales floor strategy all day, every day.
Additional features such automatically generated QR codes that bring tech-savvy consumers directly to the individual product on the retailers own website and MEGA RetailDeck¢ raises the bar for in-store tagging to new heights.
Professional price tags raise profits by reducing haggling," said Jim Sendrak, CE Division Manager for MEGA Group USA. "Its easier than ever to participate in this winning retail strategy.
MEGA RetailDeck is specifically designed to allow retailers to do all this from any Internet-enabled device; and works seamlessly on desktop computers, tablets and smart phones. Especially optimized for the iPad, using this app on a tablet can improve the shopping experience for customers as well as staff.
September 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on September 12, 2012
Home furnishings women's leadership network WithIt has named recipients of the 2012 Jena & Stephen Hall Scholarship.
Full-time students Liz Moore of Kendall College of Art & Design and Kimberly Small of Winthrop University each earned $2,500 to cover tuition expense.
In addition, WithIt hosted 20 Student Scholars at its recent professional conference through the sponsorship of Brown Jordan, Sunbrella, furniture designer Richard Frinier and WithIt 2010 Presidents Award recipient Catherine Frinier. Students pursuing degrees in home furnishings-related careers, including Moore and Small, were able to learn from keynote speakers, engage in timely roundtable discussions and network with fellow attendees.
We had a stellar group of young women participate in the conference, all chosen by their university faculty as outstanding students with interest in pursuing careers in the home furnishings industries, said WithIt Professional Conference Chair Jackie Hirschhaut, American Home Furnishings Alliance.
According to Amber Knight, a student at North Carolina State University, being a WithIt Student Scholar was an eye-opening experience.
I met so many amazing people; members and speakers, she said. I made connections that I had never thought possible when I was first invited to attend. The women at WithIt shocked me with their power, confidence and inspiration.
WithIts 2012 Student Scholars represented 13 universities or colleges: Krystin Glass, Abbey Reynolds and Elizabeth Terrell from Appalachian State University; Charlotte Lambert from Auburn University; Kristine Edwards and Erica Lang from High Point University; Moore and Lane Risdon from Kendall College of Art and Design; Rachel Atkinson and Julia Ross from Meredith College; Caroline Cooper and Sarah Gene Kilpatrick from Mississippi University; Sara Englehart and Knight from North Carolina State University; Tina Brumm from Philadelphia University; Elizabeth Warlop from Rhode Island School of Design; Jerri Hobdy from Savannah College of Art & Design; Julia Staley from UNC Charlotte; Felicia Dean from University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and Small from Winthrop University.
To support WithIts mission of recognizes and nurturing the academic endeavors of future home and furnishing industries leaders, visit here to make a donation.
September 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on September 11, 2012
Upholstery supplier Rowe Furniture will move its High Point Market showroom from the International Home Furnishings Center to the first floor of Showplace.
The showroom, comprised of the west side of the building, gives the company the needed space to show the entire lines for Rowe, Robin Bruce and Clayton Marcus. The showroom will also feature a Studio Rowe Gallery, the company's store within a store concept, so that retailers can see how the footprint comes together.
"The showcase is designed to help independent retailers compete in the lifestyle world of retail marking and presentation made popular by national retailers," said Phil Haney, Rowe CEO. "The new showroom provides an opportunity for us to showcase the amazing progress that our associates have made in expanding and redesigning the product lines for each of our brands."
The expanded space features a dramatic lobby with dedicated entrances in the various lifestyle displays and the gallery, which adjoins the company's Newbury Street Café.
The café offers buyers a respite from market with an indoor and outdoor venue for lunch, afternoon beverages and the location for the company's Market-famous lobster rolls held each Sunday during the show.
"We are thrilled to have an industry leader like Rowe anchor the first floor of Showplace," said Tom Mitchell, president of home furnishings for International Market Centers. "Rowe is the perfect addition to the building and further strengthens Showplace's position as a must-see destination at the High Point Market."
September 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on September 11, 2012
Gregory Heller has joined Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN) division Thomasville as vice president, retail and chief creative officer, a new position.
Heller is responsible for the creative direction and merchandising of the Thomasville brand and oversees company owned Thomasville stores.
Heller most recently was director, merchandising and product development for Baker Furniture. Prior to that, he held positions with increasing levels of responsibility in product development, portfolio management, visual merchandising and sales management for companies such as Plunkett Furniture, J.C. Penney, Lerner New York and The Childrens Place.
Gregorys retail background, combined with his product portfolio development work will be a great addition to the Thomasville team, said Ed Teplitz, president of Thomasville and Drexel Heritage Furniture. Putting Gregory in this role assures an intense focus on Thomasvilles brand essence, from product development all the way to the ooh and the ahh of a great in-store experience.
Im very excited to join the Furniture Brands family in continuing the Thomasville legacy of creating timeless quality products and presenting environments that will inspire our customers when making their furniture and accessories selections," Heller said. "It is my intent to give our customers a wide array of choices, allowing them to express their individual style when creating beautiful interiors for every room of their home.
September 10,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 11, 2012
Rock legend Rick Springfield will headline next month's High Point Furniture Market Stars Under the Stars entertainment series.
On Saturday, Oct. 13, Market will kick off with Carolina Crafted, featuring a tasting menu from six North Carolina breweries and three famed barbecue craftsmen. Attendees can enjoy the perfect blend of sauce and hops as each barbecue dish is paired with the perfect brew.
On Sunday, Oct. 14, Springfield will hit the stage with his unique brand of audience interaction, unstoppable energy, and unforgettable songs that have become part of the soundtrack to peoples lives. To date, Rick Springfield has sold more than 19 million records with 17 top-40 hits. He has performed for millions of devoted fans over the last three decades and continues to play more than 100 shows a year.
Doors open for all events at 7 p.m. at Center Stage, between the Transportation Terminal and Showplace, and the Rick Springfield concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Food and drinks are provided to all Market attendees with a current Market pass and photo ID. No one under the age of 15 will be admitted.