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Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 18,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on April 2013
An eye for opportunity and continuing development of new
market segments and services has Stacy Furniture & Design staking a claim in the highly competitive Dallas/Ft. Worth market for home furnishings.
Last year, Stacy racked up more than $42 million in sales
at its Grapevine and Allen, Texas, namesake stores, an outlet store at its Flower Mound distribution center, and another location at a
former Robb & Stucky store in Plano.
Since incorporating as a retail operation in 1991prior to that it was a wholesale furniture distributor, serving dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and LouisianaStacy has grown into a full-service home furnishings resource, building its price points into the middle and upper end, and offering full design services.
FROM WAREHOUSE TO SHOWCASE
The showrooms Stacys customers see today are a long way from its beginnings as a store. The retail operation opened initially in the warehouse that served the original distribution business, selling in and through our racks, said Dorian Stacy Sims, Stacy Furniture & Design president, and daughter of founder and owner Rick Stacy.
This proved to be cost effective but made for very difficult conditions for our customers, Sims said. The heat in a warehouse during a typical Texas summer can be grueling.
Despite the less-than-ideal shopping environment, business continued to grow at a steady, dependable pace, helped along by a wave of home developments in the market.
In 1998, Rick Stacy, who Sims called our leader, visionary, chief dreamer decided it was time to build a real store, and construction began on Stacys Grapevine property. That store opened in July 2000.
His vision was a one-stop shopping experience for our customers home furnishing needs, Sims said. The Grapevine property has 40,000 square feet on the first floor dedicated to other needs for the home that Stacys doesnt sell. For instance, we have Carpet One, Morrison Appliance, Yard Art, a drop-in day care facility and a restaurant as tenants.
The Stacy Furniture showroom is on the second floor featuring 90,000-plus square feet of stained concrete and carpeted areas displaying furniture in both category specific and lifestyle vignettes. Over the years we continue to evolve with our assortment, display and price points due to the ever-changing needs of our customer. In 2003, we opened a similar, one-story footprint in Allen, Texas, and have had great success with that expansion of the market area.
When Gabberts decided to leave the Texas market in late 2005, Stacy looked at purchasing its Fort Worth facility. The structure, however, didnt fit Stacys needs, so while it passed on the building, it expanded its own reach with consumers by hiring the former Gabberts Design Studio staff.
We opened Dorians Interior Design studio in Fort Worth in 2005 to expand our selection in higher-end goods and design services, Sims said.
A new Trader Joes grocery leased that Fort Worth property in late 2011, and the Design Studio moved out, but design services for a higher-end clientele by that time were an established part of the retailers repertoire. And that meant a new brand to reflect Stacy Furnitures abilities.
This dynamic product assortment proved to be a very successful decision and a challenging one at the same time, Sims said. We began to incorporate more and more of the higher end lines, such as Henredon, Hickory Chair, Century and Sherrill into our existing Stacy Furniture stores until it became more efficient for us to incorporate the entire mix together and change our company name to simply, Stacy Furniture & Design. Today the customer experience at any Stacy Furniture & Design will host a wide variety of price points from Klaussner to Henredon, custom window treatments, whole house finish out and so much more.
MAKING MOVES
Stacy will be moving out of the Former Robb & Stucky location in Plano this year. The retailer had a short-term lease on the property, and while Dorian said that location has been successful, the landlord has contracted to demolish the building and replace it with multi-story office towers.
At this time, we are currently running a moving sale event and negotiating details on another property in the North Dallas area, Sims noted. Were hoping to make a new home announcement very soon.
The product selections between the existing Grapevine and Allen stores are primarily the same, but the feel of the two showrooms is different due to interior details. The Allen store, for instance, is a former Kmart location and has very high ceilings and carpeting. The furniture showroom segment of the Grapevine store has stained walls and tile flooring over much of the area.
Since starting our moving sale from Plano, weve begun to remodel and enhance the displays at our Allen location, Sims said. By creating a more open feel in some areas while building smaller, power display opportunity areas the customer can shop the store with ease.
UPSCALING THE
MESSAGE
Stacy Furniture & Designs primary advertising medium is television.
Rick and I personally appear in our commercials and try to balance between event driven offers as well as informative messages about products or services, Sims said. We are doing more and more social and digital media but are still trying to find the best balance to reach our customer.
For several years now, biannually weve mailed a 44-page Magalog (an upscale catalog) piece that has been very successful in expressing to our customers what we really offer in a format customers are proud to keep on their cocktail table for months to come.
The retailer also is working on scaling up the brand image.
Our trade line has always been if youre not shopping at Stacys your burning money, but that just is too price-oriented, and thats not how we want to compete, Sims said. Were working on our marketing and branding to expand and talk to the current customer were trying to sell.
Sims noted that Stacy Furniture & Design is in a very competitive market with very astute independent retailers and successful chain operations.
It forces Stacys to keep on our toes, stay ahead of pricing issues and marketing opportunities, and ultimately makes us better merchants, she said. We are different in the respect that we offer a wider variety of price points and opportunities to fully address any customers needsno matter the budget. From the chain perspective, you can never replace the value of a locally owned and operated, family business dedicated to great customer service.
LOOKING AHEAD
Like most retailers, Stacy Furniture & Design felt the heat during the recession, but Sims is optimistic about the retailers prospects.
She said Stacys had been on a consecutive sales growth pattern for 17 years until late 2008.
While Texas was slower to feel the fall out of the economy than other areas, we have felt it, Sims said. Sales did drop, significantly at times, and we had to make many changes to our operation costs and cut expenses wherever possible.
I think the most important thing weve learned is, most likely, you can always keep evaluating expenses and overhead to reduce waste, and it should be a priority, not fall to the back burner. For the customer, we continued to partner with manufacturers that have shorter lead times to help manage our inventory costs but also provided the customer with a quicker delivery fulfillment.
Sims said shes hearing good things about the housing market picking up in the market Stacys Furniture & Design serves.
By continuing to expand our advertising and fine tune our product mix message, we feel we are doing a better job at reminding them how important it is to make their house a home she said. Boiling it down, we are continuing to advertise as much as possible to remind people that new furniture is a good thing. HFB
April 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Financial Reports on April 18, 2013
from http://www.rttnews.com/story.aspx?Id=2097161
Shares of Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RH) gained nine percent in extended trade Thursday after the home furnishings retailer reported better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter and also forecast results for the first quarter as well as fiscal 2013 above analysts' estimates.
The company reported a loss for the fourth quarter, reflecting charges related to its initial public offering. However, excluding items, adjusted earnings as well as revenue beat analysts' estimates.
Read Full Article...
April 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on April 18, 2013
Fabric supplier Valdese Weavers has promoted two to expanded executive positions.
Blake Millinor has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer, and Laura Levinson has been named senior vice president of design and merchandising.
Most recently, Millinor was president of the company's contract division. He joined Valdese Weavers in 2001.
"Blake's dynamic leadership has established Valdese Weavers, through the exceptional development of our VW Contract division, as a market leading supplier to all of the leading brands in the various segments of the contract industry," said Mike Shelton, president and CEO. "Blake's transition, to include under his direction the company's residential sales and marketing efforts, has been enhanced through the interaction he has experienced for the past five years working closely with Laura Levinson and Zack Taylor (former company VP/ Residential, and now president of Wesley Hall Inc.) to fashion the overall product, sales, and marketing strategies across all markets that have resulted in the substantial growth that Valdese Weavers has experienced. I have absolute confidence in Blake's ability to help lead our company to even greater heights, for many years to come."
Millinor began his textile career at Milliken, and held a variety of responsibilities in the contract units of Mastercraft and Tietex prior to joining Valdese Weavers.
Levinson is responsible for all creative aspects of the business. She most recently was senior vice president of product development and design.
"Laura has for many years provided the creative impulse for the design and development of our products," Shelton said. "This has undeniably been the predicate for our growth and allowed for our significant gains in market share. Her vision and leadership has inspired the individual design and development directors and staff at each of our brands: Valdese Weavers, Circa 1801, Home Fabrics, Valdese International Products (VIP), and Valdese Weavers Contract. Beyond this responsibility, Laura has a unique skill set that has established her also as a great business leader inside our company and in our industry. Her broader role within our executive team will give us the benefit of her vision across a broader range of disciplines inside Valdese Weavers."
Levinson joined Valdese Weavers as a design associate in 1990. She received a masters of fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. She relocated to New York and established a design studio for Valdese Weavers to enable enhanced design integration with key customers' creative teams. Laura was named the first female vice president in Valdese Weavers' history, and relocated to North Carolina in 2001.
Further announcements will be forthcoming from Millinor and Levinson concerning organizational changes to their departments in the wake of their promotions.
April 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on April 18, 2013
Fabric supplier Valdese Weavers has promoted two to expanded executive positions.
Blake Millinor has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer, and Laura Levinson has been named senior vice president of design and merchandising.
Most recently, Millinor was president of the company's contract division. He joined Valdese Weavers in 2001.
"Blake's dynamic leadership has established Valdese Weavers, through the exceptional development of our VW Contract division, as a market leading supplier to all of the leading brands in the various segments of the contract industry," said Mike Shelton, president and CEO. "Blake's transition, to include under his direction the company's residential sales and marketing efforts, has been enhanced through the interaction he has experienced for the past five years working closely with Laura Levinson and Zack Taylor (former company VP/ Residential, and now president of Wesley Hall Inc.) to fashion the overall product, sales, and marketing strategies across all markets that have resulted in the substantial growth that Valdese Weavers has experienced. I have absolute confidence in Blake's ability to help lead our company to even greater heights, for many years to come."
Millinor began his textile career at Milliken, and held a variety of responsibilities in the contract units of Mastercraft and Tietex prior to joining Valdese Weavers.
Levinson is responsible for all creative aspects of the business. She most recently was senior vice president of product development and design.
"Laura has for many years provided the creative impulse for the design and development of our products," Shelton said. "This has undeniably been the predicate for our growth and allowed for our significant gains in market share. Her vision and leadership has inspired the individual design and development directors and staff at each of our brands: Valdese Weavers, Circa 1801, Home Fabrics, Valdese International Products (VIP), and Valdese Weavers Contract. Beyond this responsibility, Laura has a unique skill set that has established her also as a great business leader inside our company and in our industry. Her broader role within our executive team will give us the benefit of her vision across a broader range of disciplines inside Valdese Weavers."
Levinson joined Valdese Weavers as a design associate in 1990. She received a masters of fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. She relocated to New York and established a design studio for Valdese Weavers to enable enhanced design integration with key customers' creative teams. Laura was named the first female vice president in Valdese Weavers' history, and relocated to North Carolina in 2001.
Further announcements will be forthcoming from Millinor and Levinson concerning organizational changes to their departments in the wake of their promotions.
April 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on April 18, 2013
Mattress manufacturer and retailer Verlo Mattress Factory, Milwaukee, Wis., has announced five executive and management promotions.
The new promotions, effective immediately, include Dale Rome, vice president of sales & operations; Bobby Cleveland, general manager; Tom Metz, director of product development & special projects; Darren Brylow, assistant general manager; and Stephen Shelly, director of operations.
The strength of Verlo is the expertise of our people, said Verlo CEO Chris Nolte. We are very fortunate to be able to leverage the experience of our seasoned employees. It makes growing our business that much easier.
With more than 23 years of experience in almost every facet of Verlo, Dale Rome has dual strengths in operations and sales. Throughout the years, he has earned the respect of both Verlo employees and franchisees. As a former Marine, he leads by example and inspires his team. Rome is regarded as a caring protector, both at work and outside of work when he serves as a volunteer firefighter.
Bobby Cleveland has years under the belt, holding many roles at Verlo. He started in sales and was soon asked to launch a new store in Glendale, Wis. He then became store manager at the Menomonee Falls, Wis., location. In 2009, Cleveland returned to sales at the Greenfield, Wis, store, where he has consistently been a top producer. In addition to his career at Verlo, Cleveland is a successful entrepreneur, having launched a company that locally manufactures and sells handcrafted holsters. Although his companys product is different from Verlos, the platforms of the two companies are very similar, and the experience has helped prepare him for his new responsibilities at Verlo. To better focus on his new position at Verlo, Cleveland is handing over operations of his company to his business partner.
Tom Metz has been has spent most of his life in the mattress industry. He started working for the original owners of Verlo in 1976, and was instrumental in setting up the first Verlo franchise operation, which was owned by his twin brother. He later helped to open four other franchises, as well as his own Verlo stores in Crystal Lake, Ill., and in Lake Geneva, Wis. He later sold his business, but continued to work in the mattress industry in Minnesota. Metz returned to Wisconsin in 2007 to work at VyMaC, Verlos main supplier. In 2012, he rejoined Verlo as corporate sales manager.
Darren Brylow owned a Verlo mattress before joining the company, and his belief in the product played a role in his decision to work at Verlo. During his 12 years with the company, Brylow has moved through the ranks, first delivering mattresses, then making them, and later selling mattresses and managing stores. He became store manager of the Greenfield store in 2010.
Stephen Shelly joined Verlo over a year ago. He had worked as the assistant manager at an Auto Zone store for two years, and as an accountant in a family-run tax and accounting business for seven years. Since joining in 2011, his role and responsibilities have grown. Most recently, he has been instrumental in the monumental task of implementing a new IT infrastructure that will make Verlo stores more efficient and profitable.