Daily News Archive
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July 17,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on July 18, 2012
Lexington Home Brands will debut its Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living during the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago.
Lexington announced the expansion of its license with Tommy Bahama into outdoor furniture in December.
The new assortment will include seven complete lifestyle collections, consisting of deep seating and sectionals, outdoor dining, bistro tables and bars, fire pits and occasional tables. Lexington launched the initial Tommy Bahama indoor home furnishings collection in April 2000, and has built that business into among the most successful and recognized brands in the category.
The Tommy Bahama brand is iconic, with designs and a lifestyle message that have proven highly effective in attracting the aspirational consumer, said Phil Haney, president and CEO of Lexington Home Brands. The Outdoor Living category is a natural extension for Lexington. We have a keen understanding of the brand and lifestyle, and will leverage our design and
marketing expertise to create a unique experience at retail. A key element to our success with Tommy Bahama indoor designs has been the concept of bringing the outdoors inside. It seems somewhat intuitive, therefore, that it would work with equal impact in the opposite direction.
Due to the scope of the initial offering, Lexington will launch the new Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living program in Chicago at a 22,000-square-foot venue one mile from the Merchandise Mart, home of the Casual Market. The facility, Venue One, is located at 1044 West Randolph St. across from Oprahs Harpo Studios.
Lexington will be operating continuous town car service to and from Venue One from 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19 through 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.
Recognizing that the launch of a marquee program like Tommy Bahama represents a unique opportunity, we chose an outside venue to in order to maximize the impact and scale of the initial presentation for our dealers, Haney said. "We will open Venue on Wednesday, Sept. 19 to accommodate both existing and new dealers who may not have anticipated an outside venue for the launch. As we do with our High Point showroom, which is outside the IHFC complex, we will make the transportation a pleasure for our dealers.
Key points of differentiation in the Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living program include exceptional design, validated by the success of the Tommy Bahama indoor collections; and a best-in-class assortment of unique outdoor fabrics and trims. A custom presentation unit that will be the centerpiece of the display in Chicago features 200 hanging fabrics, high-impact graphics and program information, and 30 designer correlation boards to inspire consumer with juried selections.
A third point of differentiation will be that every SKU in the program will be stocked in Lexingtons distribution complex in North Carolina for immediate delivery. Dealers will no longer be required to assume the inventory risk of container orders, although container pricing will be available for stocking dealers. This component of the program will be significant for smaller dealers and designers who lack the ability to flow large container orders.
The Outdoor Living category has experienced dramatic growth over the last several years as consumers have chosen to invest in larger and more sophisticated outdoor living spaces, said Jim Burke, senior vice president of sales at Lexington. Consumers want a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor. They expect continuity in design, brands and quality. Their willingness to invest in outdoor spaces often rivals their propensity to invest in the interior of their homes. This represents a unique opportunity for a brand like Tommy Bahama, which is known for exceptional styling and quality.
Given the phenomenal success that Lexington Home Brands has demonstrated in their lifestyle designs for indoor product, the decision to expand our relationship to include the Outdoor Living category was one that felt very appropriate, said Chrisann Furciato, vice president of licensing for Tommy Bahama. When it comes to interpreting the relaxed sophisticated style of Tommy Bahama in the home, Lexington totally gets it.
July 17,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on July 18, 2012
AmericasMart Atlanta has named the best in display and merchandising for the July 11-18 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.
The Visual Display Award celebrates visual presentation excellence in both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits at the premier gift and home industry event of summer. The VDAs are determined by independent design and retail visual merchandising experts with decades of combined experience.
Twenty-nine showrooms among permanent exhibitors were honored along with 18 temporary exhibitors including a Best of Show in the Temporary Category.
The July 2012 winners for Visual Display among permanent showrooms are:
* Allstate Floral & Craft Inc.
* Jascotina Inc.
* Knud Nielsen Company Inc.
* Winward International
* PolarX Ornaments & Gifts
* Global Views
* John Beard Collection
* Riado
* Avenue B
* KnobStoppers/Cake Vintage
* Saro Trading Company
* Appelman/Schauben & Co.
* Tozai Home
* Jim Shore/Enesco
* Que, A Division of Gift Craft
* C & F Enterprises, Inc.
* Couronne Company Inc.
* Authentic Models Inc.
* The Round Top Collection
* Grace Direct Inc.
* MoMo Panache
* Godinger Group
* Simply Primitives
* Kindred Hearts Inc.
* Silvestri
* Toys South Inc.
* Stonewall Kitchen Ltd.
* Common Ground Distributors Inc.
* Esschert Design USA LLC
The July 2012 Temporary Best of Show Visual Display Winners was Emporium Home.
Other temporary VDA winners include:
* Karma Living
* Julian Mejia Design, Inc.
* French Heritage
* Vagabond Vintage, LLC
* Fairhope Favorites
* Golden Hill Studio
* Beachcomber Trading Company
* My Spirit Garden
* Lizzy Js
* Second Nature Designs Ltd.
* Pick Up Sticks Jewelry Co. LLC
* Von. G Art
* Good Idea Kids, LLC
* Pura Botanica
* Tracy Arrington Studios
* Beach Handbags
* Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress
* Oxidos
July 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on July 17, 2012
Online home Furnishings retailer Wayfair announced that it now offers a wedding registry.
Brides, grooms and parents-to-be can choose from among 5 million products from more than 5,000 brands for home-related products.
"Registries traditionally have focused on kitchen, bedroom and bath, often offering a limited selection of products in one style or design aesthetic," said Kristine Kennedy, editorial director for Boston, Mass.-based Wayfair. "Today's couples are looking for home items that fit their specific lifestyles and interests. Our new registry makes it easy for people to find exactly what they want for their next stage of life--whatever that may be."
In addition to offering design and decor products for every room in the home, Wayfair's registry service uniquely offers items from many other lifestyle categories, such as Home Improvement, Outdoor Recreation, Garage, Patio and Fitness. From furniture and flooring to gas grills and greenhouses, power drills and picture frames to closet storage and kitchen sinks, registrants have the freedom to select gifts that meet their actual needs.
"If you need an air conditioner, ask for it. There's nothing wrong with being practical, and people appreciate spending money on gifts they know will be useful. You don't have to register for a vase these days, though we do sell 1,800 of those if you want one," said Kennedy.
To help guide registrants through the process, wayfair.com enlisted the expertise of its Wayfair Homemakers, a panel of design experts featured on the company's blog, My Way Home, to create a comprehensive guide of top product picks covering everything from useful must-haves to fabulous finishing touches.
Other features include Wayfair Rewards, a loyalty dollars program where both the registrant and buyer receive 3 percent back to be used toward future purchases, as well as free shipping on most orders over $69, including extra-large or heavy items like furniture or appliances, which can help save hundreds of dollars.
July 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on July 17, 2012
High Point Furniture Market has revamped its Web site to help buyers better plan and navigate Market, and to help exhibitors promote themselves to attendees.
The new High Point Market site makes it easier for market-goers to create their schedule right on the Web site, using social media log-ins such as Facebook and Twitter accounts, eliminating the need for new user IDs and passwords to remember. Once buyers have logged in, they can begin to create their Market plan by adding events and exhibitors, writing and storing notes and reminders, sorting their plan by building or shuttle stop, and printing lists in their preferred order. Easy to access and easy to use on any mobile device, MyMarket keeps buyers and exhibitors connected.
For exhibitors, the new site offers upgrades and enhancements to help them grab the attention of buyers and designers. Each company that shows at Market can gain Facebook likes and Twitter followers directly from its profile page on the site--High Point Market is among the first trade shows in the country to feature that on its site. Companies can also add logos, descriptions, Twitter and RSS feeds, YouTube videos, and press releases. All releases will also be featured in the new Press Center on the site. These new tools are free for Market exhibitors.
The revamped Web site, featuring an integrated MyMarket, streamlines and enhances the Market experience and makes it more successful for attendees, said Tom Conley, president and CEO of the High Point Market Authority. The additions and upgrades to the Market site allow buyers to get a head-start with Market plans before they head to High Point, and they provide important tools to help exhibitors market themselves to buyers, designers, and the media.
This is just the first phase in our long-term plan to add tools and information that will help buyers navigate and shop the worlds home for home furnishings. Each Market, we will offer upgrades and fresh ideas to help make the High Point Market even more profitable for all of our attendees and exhibitors.
July 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on July 17, 2012
Elk Group International will be expanding the Trump Home collection to include decorative mirrors.
The mirror introductions will be shown at the upcoming Las Vegas Market, and will be marketed under Sterling Inds., a division of Elk Group International.
The eight Trump Home designs span traditional, transitional and contemporary designs. Wholesale pricing ranges from $29 to $229. In addition, new portable lighting designs will debut at pricing starting at $35 for table lamps and $89 for floor lamps.
"The Trump Home collection resonates with the aspirational customer and with our new introductions this market we're able to offer even greater value," said Cathy Hoffman Glosser, execute vice president of global licensing for The Trump Organization. "Decorative mirrors were a natural next step and will complement and strengthen our existing business. Luxurious, quality designs at an affordable price point is what has made this collection so successful."
Bradford Smith, CEO of Elk, said the introductions capture the elements of Trump Home flair.
"I'm thrilled that customers are offered such a luxurious array of additional choices that may help facilitate the introduction of fresh design elements to their décors," Smith said.
Trump Home includes mattresses, lighting, bath textiles and accessories, and crystal barware, stemware and giftware.