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August 13,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on August 14, 2012
Frank Hood, president of bedding vendor Kingsdown, will follow retiring Chairman and CEO W. Eric Hinshaw as CEO.
Hinshaw, 62, joined Mebane, N.C.-based Kingsdown in February 1976 after a brief career in public accounting. Five years later he was elevated to the post of chief executive officer. During his time with the company, he and his management team are credited with transforming Kingsdown from a regional manufacturer into one of the worlds largest sleep products companies with global sales in more than 21 countries. He is also the former chairman of the International Sleep Products Association and received its Exceptional Service Award in 2000.
Hinshaw and his management team achieved those results by developing a better sleep through science platform that changed the way consumers and retailers talked about sleep product purchases. Today, Kingsdown products are positioned to help people get a better nights sleep and contribute to better health and performance. More than 7 million consumers have gone through the companys unique bedMatch diagnostic system that helps them find the right mattress and pillow for their body type.
At the time he was appointed chief executive officer at the age of 31, Hinshaw was one of the youngest leaders of a mattress company. Now, 31 years later, he has been one of the longest serving chief executives in the industry.
Hood, who has been working in a transition phase with Hinshaw and the rest of the management team over the last several months, assumes his new responsibilities immediately. Hinshaw will remain an advisor to the company and remains one of its largest minority shareholders.
We are grateful to Eric for his visionary leadership of our company for more than three decades. We understand his desire to open a new chapter in his life and spending time with family and working on causes that are near and dear to his heart, said Hood. I appreciate the opportunity that the board has given me and the confidence that they have in our leadership team. We have an amazing roster of bedding industry talent with Kevin Damewood heading sales, Joe Schmoeller leading operations and Lee Hinshaw heading our international group. Each has many other industry veterans on their respective teams.
This is an exciting new chapter for our people and our customers. We will continue to invest in innovation, design and diagnostic technology to deliver the most cutting edge products for all of our retailers. Also, with five manufacturing facilities around the country, we will continue to expand our strong delivery system to service our client base.
I have never forgotten that we are in a business where consumers have entrusted their health and wellness to us by purchasing our products. That responsibility has driven us to constantly enhance our product offerings and get better at what we do, said Hinshaw. We have accomplished so much and I am confident Frank and his leadership team will deliver more great achievements for our company in the future.
Since joining Kingsdown in 2008, Hood has served in a number of senior positions at the company, including: chief information officer, president of the Sleep to Live Institute which licenses bedMatch technology and has overseen marketing efforts. In February of this year, he was named president of the company and assumed responsibility for the day-to-day operations.
Hood, 46, has extensive consumer products company experience, serving as a senior vice president of Quiznos and prior to that post, senior vice president of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.
August 13,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 14, 2012
The High Point Market Authority and American Society of Interior Designers have set October Furniture Market's Design Viewpoints seminars.
The seminars will take place Oct. 14-16, starting each day at noon at the High Point Theatre, next to the Transportation Terminal. The series offers up to .3 continuing education units (CEUs).
This Markets series showcases an expert panel that will help designers find their inner network star, a presentation of exclusive consumer research from Houzz, and a look at future influences on interior design by icon Charlotte Moss. Two of the presentations will also feature exclusive book signings, one for Nathan Turners new book Nathan Turners American Style and one for Charlotte Mosss latest book A Visual Life: Scrapbooks, Collages, and Inspirations. One attendee will win an iPad at the end of the Houzz presentation.
Each Market, we try to raise the bar on the presentations for the popular Design Viewpoints Series, offering topics that are critical to the success of designers and retailers, said Cheminne Taylor-Smith, VP of Marketing for the High Point Market Authority. We are thrilled to have such a stellar group of speakers, and to be able to offer information like the exclusive consumer research from Houzz that we know will help attendees work smarter with consumers.
ASID is proud to join High Point Market in offering top-notch speakers on hot-button topics. Our focus is to develop events that are educational as well as inspiring, says Heidi Salati, director of member programs, ASID. Working together with High Point Market has given ASID the chance to offer its members another quality educational opportunity.
All seminars in the Design Viewpoints Series are free to interior designers and retailers attending High Point Market. No RSVP is required, and a boxed lunch will be first-come-first-served. Topics and speakers for the Design Viewpoints Series include:
* Sunday, Oct. 14, "Lights, Camera, Action!": A panel of design experts will reveal how they found their broadcast niche, and will provide tips to help you make the most of local, national, and international media. Panelists include Nathan Turner, featured on the Today Show, Extra!, and season one of Bravos Million Dollar Decorators; Lori Dennis, co-founder of DesignCamp.com who has been on HGTV, NBC, Food Network, and Oxygen; Kelli Ellis, co-founder of DesignCamp.com, featured on TLC, HGTV, and Bravo; and Shay Geyer, design expert for Good Morning Texas since 2006 (.1 CEU Credit). Following the presentation, Nathan Turner will sign copies of his new book, Nathan Turners American Style.
* Monday, Oct. 15, "Exclusive Research: What Your Clients Want": Exclusive research from online source for home remodeling and design Houzz will reveal insights into the changing behavior of consumers and how they work with interior designers. Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz, will provide not-to-be-missed results that show what home owners say are their favorite projects, how much they are willing to spend, the demographics for consumers who are ready to hire a designer, how new tools have changed the design process, and much more (.1 CEU Credit). One seminar attendee will win an iPad, courtesy of Houzz.
* Tuesday, Oct. 16, "Outside Influences on Interior Design": Design icon and Wall Street Journal Magazine contributing editor Charlotte Moss will highlight the top influences on interior design trends, from travel and fashion, to food and culture. Moss has an incredible background in interior design, filled with accolades and awards such as Elle Decors Vision Award and IFDAs Circle of Excellence Award (.1 CEU Credit). After the presentation, Moss will sign copies of her newest book, A Visual Life: Scrapbooks, Collages, and Inspirations.
August 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on August 13, 2012
High-end furniture vendor Habersham will move its High Point Furniture Market for the October show.
Also, in an effort to significantly enhance its dealer/designer training capabilities and high-end client service offerings, Habersham plans to convert its existing design studio near corporate headquarters in Toccoa, Ga., into a full-scale training/design center.
In High Point, Habersham will relocate its showroom in the Market Square building from its long-standing location on the main level to space 191.¨¨In recent years weve invested in a number of factory and operational improvements that have dramatically expanded our custom furniture and cabinetry capabilities, said Matt Eddy, CEO of Habersham. As the trade and higher-end consumer audience for our custom offerings has grown, so too has demand for the detailed product training and high-touch customer service the custom segment requires. By consolidating and redirecting some of our resources, well be able to build a destination training and design center that not only arms our dealer/designer base with the tools and knowledge they need to effectively explain and sell the line, but it will also provide a showplace to meet with VIP customers, as well as a host of other programs we plan to develop.
Located just a few miles from the main Habersham factory, the design studio was originally built to house offices and studio space for the companys artisan and design team. The factory expansions/improvements have since created space for the team to move into the main plant, opening up the opportunity to redesign and expand the design studio. Plans call for a complete build-out of the space to showcase a variety of Habersham kitchen, master bath, master closet and other cabinetry designs, as well as a number of the lines top-selling and prototype furniture styles. In addition, the space will also include various meeting spaces outfitted with finish samples, training tools, computers for demonstrating CAD and other renderings and more.
The companys new High Point showroom will continue to be the launching pad for new furniture introductions and a showplace for some of the companys latest custom cabinetry and furniture innovations. ¨¨The new High Point showroom will be more boutique in style, said Habersham President Tom Skipper. Showcasing all elements of Habershams capabilities, it will offer an enticing footprint for stand-alone retail or in-store boutiques. Designers will find it easy to work and refreshingly creative.¨¨We think there will be great synergy between the two spaces, Eddy said. The High Point showroom will continue to offer a broad overview of our latest designs and classic best-sellers while the new design and training center invites our customers to go deeper -- learning how to truly maximize the sales potential the line offers and, ultimately, expand their business with us. Weve only scratched the surface of the opportunities we think the new training/design center will provide. Our sales representatives can bring their VIP trade customers here. Our trade customers can bring their key clients here. Well be able to develop and host individual training programs custom-tailored to the specialized needs of our customers. The list goes on and on.
Looking forward, Eddy says the company is also exploring other avenues to continue building business for its upscale custom offerings, including potential participation in trade shows that exclusively target the higher-end market.
August 12,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on August 13, 2012
from http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/furniture-retailer-leons-reports-second-quarter-profit-down-from-year-ago-166001996.html?thx=y
Leon's Furniture Ltd. (TSX:LNF) reported a nearly 20 per cent drop in its second-quarter earnings compared with a year ago as it marketing costs rose.
The retailer said Monday it earned $9 million or 13 cents per share for the quarter ended June 30, down from $11.2 million or 16 cents per share a year ago.
Systemwide sales totaled $207.7 million including $45.6 million in franchise sales, down from $209.3 million a year ago, when franchise sales totalled $45.5 million.
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August 11,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Business Strategy on August 12, 2012
from http://www2.tbo.com/news/money-911/2012/aug/12/bznewso1-ikeas-self-checkouts-prove-self-defeating-ar-460793/
Stacy Leigh considers herself a regular Ikea shopper. She visits the Tampa store about once a month, and she bought her whole kitchen there. One thing she can do without: The checkout experience.
"It's horrible," she said, loading several shelf kits into her SUV at the Ikea loading dock. "I was in line 20 minutes at least."
Ikea is trying to improve and recently tore out what Leigh considers the worst culprit of delay and frustration: Self-checkout lanes. No longer must shoppers scan every item by hand, even large furniture boxes, and bag items themselves.
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