March 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 15, 2012
Home furnishings industry veteran Katie Hatch has started a trend consultancy for furniture retailers and manufacturers.
Design Intuition provides companies with trend forecasts and presentations on new technologies, growing consumer demographics and color trends.
Hatch is a 20-year veteran of the home furnishings and consumer products industries and is chief designer of Katie Hatch [Design]. She started Design Intuition as a separate business unit that focuses solely on the trend forecasting aspect of her all-inclusive product development business.
"For years I received requests from colleagues wanting to preview the analysis, reports, and presentations that we develop as part of our product development process," Hatch said. "Unfortunately I had to say no because they were private and covered by non-disclose clauses."
Hatch said she started the company in response to increased requests for her trend forecasts over the last few years.
"I believe the downturn in retail sales forced businesses in all industries to cut costs and streamline processes for efficiency," she said. "Successful businesses have been able to ride out the downturn with flexible business models and innovative product development. Key insights into consumer, retail, business, and design trends have helped companies reduce overhead while increasing profitability during the past three economically challenging retail years."
The 550-page 2012 Design Intuition Trend Report is organized in eight sections beginning with an overview of the macro environment. Each section drills down from business and retail trends toward more specific design, color, print and pattern trends.
"Our trend reports are different from others in the industry because they a key component of the Design Intuition forecasts is a section on disruptive innovations, current and on the horizon," Hatch said. "Using these tools, collaborative meetings with buyers, sales teams, and suppliers provide an action plan for the project."
Within each section, Hatch has outlined 12 trends. Design Intuition identifies a trend only after it has survived the early adopter phase its lifecycle.
Hatch said the 12 trends for 2012 "are beginning their journey up the bell curve towards mass-market appeal, and most have a five-year horizon. It is important differentiate between fads and trends. While some consumer goods companies thrive on the fast and furious lifecycle of a fad product, for most it is a costly merchandising mistake."
While the complete 2012 Design Intuition Trend Report was made available to a select group of subscribers in the fall of 2011, Hatch is now sharing free downloadable excerpts with her Linked-In community and she invites others to Link and join in the conversation. In addition to the trend reports, Hatch includes hyperlinks to her Pinterest moodboards specific to each trend. Currently she has more than 20,000 images organized by color, design, print and pattern trends and continues to update daily as new fashions, innovations, and styles hit the market. Her boards are available
online.
The 2013 Design Intuition Trend Report will be available in early Fall 2012. Interested subscribers should contact Katie Hatch at (805) 886-4619, by
e-mail, or connect on Linked-In.
Hatch worked in international sourcing and product development for seven years at Powell Co. As vice president of merchandising, design and creative director, she oversaw the creation of the Powell Kids, Powell Beds, and Home Office categories.
Katie's interest in multi-channel marketing led her to her position as divisional merchandise manager for
Sundance Catalog Jewelry Catalog. She founded
Katie Hatch [Design] in 2003 where has been designing home furnishings, furniture, and consumer goods consumer goods. In addition, Katie works with closely with private label suppliers to analyze market opportunities for existing and new products. She works in partnership with retail buyers on behalf of her clients to construct merchandise assortments that will be successful at retail and profitable for the retailer and supplier.
March 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 15, 2012
The International Home Furnishings Representatives Association has named its slate of 2012 winners of the Charles B. Costar Dean of IHFRA Awards.
The awards will be presented at the annual IHFRA Presidential Gala at the upcoming Spring
High Point Market. The gala will be held on Friday, April 20, at the IHFC Ballroom on the 11th floor of the Green Wing of IHFC.
The Dean of IHFRA award recognizes quality of service and dedication to
IHFRA and the chapter. The award was renamed in 2007 to the Charles B Costar Dean of IHFRA to honor Costar, a longtime member and officer of the organization, in recognition of Costar's dedicated service and loyalty to the group.
- Hank Holste is a member and 1st vice president of the Midwest Furniture Club in Chicago. Holste has been a sales representative since 1977, and he has represented Baker Furniture for more than two decades and in three markets, Minneapolis, Houston, and Chicago. He currently represents Harden Furniture in Illinois and southern Wisconsin. He enjoys golf and skiing.
- Barry White has been a furniture representative in South Carolina for more than 40 years. He is a longtime member of the Virginia/Carolinas Chapter and was presented the Ed Vosburgh Sr. Memorial Award for outstanding furniture manufacturers' representative. White currently represents Bernard's, Inc., Craftmaster Furniture and Mobel Furniture. He has been presented the Salesman of the Year award on two different occasions.
- Jeffrey LaKritz has been a member of the Michigan Chapter since 1972, serving on the Chapter Board for many years. Jeffrey currently represents StyleCraft, Nuevo Living, Holland Bar Stool and Naos.
- Michael L. Burton Jr. is currently vice president of the HRFG of Southern California Chapter, as well as IHFRA member. He is third generation in the home furnishings industry. His grandfather, Larry Brooks, owned and operated Park View Furniture, and his father, Michael J. Burton, has been in the furniture business for 35 years. Michael is a sales representative for Robert Michael Ltd, USA Premium Leather Furniture, and Uniters N.A. for southern California and southern Nevada territories.
- Russell Bienenstock is editor in chief and CEO of Furniture World magazine. Furniture World has provided indepth retail marketing, finance, operations, sales management, and sales education information to retail home furnishings executives since 1870. Russell has written more than 23 educational guides that cover furniture product knowledge, styles, and interior design topics. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library, the American Furniture Hall of Fame, City of Hope's National Home Furnishings Industry, and serves as secretary of the Greater Metropolitan Home Furnishings Association.
- Brad Pyne serves on the board of Greater Metropolitan Furnishings Association and has earned the designation of CHR (Certified Home Furnishings Representative). He has been in the home furnishings industry for 25 years and currently represents Aico and Synergy Home Furnishings. Brad's career started as a corporate merchandise manager for Rowe Furniture. In 1997 he joined Benchcraft as a sales representative in New York.
- Les Neff has been a part of the furniture industry for most of his adult life. He held both selling and buying positions with Goods Furniture and Bruener's Furniture in Lancaster, Pa. Since 1997, he has been a manufacturer's representative with England Furniture, covering eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. At England Furniture he received the large territory top sales award and the "Mr. D" Award in honor of the founder, Dwight England. As a member of the Tri-State Chapter, he received the Congeniality Award for his industry work and engagement. In 2010 he was honored with the Rep of the Year Award from Tri-State Chapter.
For more information on the IHFRA Presidential Gala, contact the IHFRA office via
e-mail.
Online reservations are available.
March 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on March 15, 2012
Naples, Fla., furniture retailer Clive Daniel Home will host Africa Week March 19-24.
The event will include complimentary wine tastings, luxury travel and interior design presentations, art and room settings to simulate the luxury lodge look.
The company's principals, Clive and Daniel Lubner, believe in a softer, more experiential approach to today's consumer, and Africa Week is of many in-store special events the Clive Daniel finds successful.
"The objective is to introduce new customers to our showrooms," said Daniel Lubner. "The upscale adventure traveler is our demographic, and our home furnishings buyers are potential customers for these travel companies. In addition, we have the opportunity to share a bit of our family's South African roots and relate on a personal level with our customers. It's a win-win marketing tool, and it provides a rewarding experience for all involved."
During Africa Week, customers can meet and greet experts on travel to the mysterious and exciting continent of Africa; view movies and documentaries in the Home Theater; and sip wine and sample unique African gourmet items at the Wine Bar, while taking vicarious visits to luxurious safari lodges and tent camps, train excursions, riverboat cruises, glamorous city hotels, and wildlife reserves and preserves.
They also can get tips from the insiders representing companies such as Orient-Express, More Hotels, South Africa, and outfitters like Go2Africa and &Beyond. They can learn the dos and don'ts of safari travel from top local travel agents, and decor ideas from the Clive Daniel Home design staff.
Presentations throughout the week showcase gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Mt. Kilimanjaro, an elephant camp in Botswana, and unlimited other options. Destinations cover all of Africa.
Guest hosts include leading Naples-based travel agencies Betty Maclean Travel and Preferred Travel of Naples, and South Africa-based Africa holiday experts, Go2Africa.com. One key element of the Clive Daniel philosophy is the local community connection. While the speakers come from around the world, many of them are hosted by the local agencies.
Most of the presentations take place in the Clive Daniel Home Chat Room, which has flexible setup and seating options and can accommodate up to 100 people. In events ranging from cooking demonstrations to Shakespearean performances, community groups may use the Chat Room at no charge, subject to availability.
For Africa Week, each presenter provides its own props and displays, and receives setup assistance from the professional Clive Daniel Home visual merchandising team. One of the presenters, Betty Maclean Travel, is providing the traditional safari cocktail, Zanzibar Champagne Sundowners.
In addition, displays throughout the store showcase African themed art and artifacts. Spaces between the seminars also give guests an opportunity to stroll through the showrooms and get inspiration for their homes.
March 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 15, 2012
Mattress vendor
Therapedic International will debut a new IHFC showroom at the April 21-26
High Point Furniture Market.The 5,000-square-foot location, space M-607 in the
International Home Furnishings Center is three times the size of Therapedic's temporary previous space in Furniture Plaza, and allows for a more open and spacious presentation of the company's mattress and top-of-bed lines, as well as highlight latest introductions.
"As we continue to grow and expand our product offerings, we realized we needed more room," said Therapedic President and CEO Gerry Borreggine. "This larger, stand alone space allows us to showcase 25 percent more products than before. Additionally, this move was a strategic decision to capture the heavy foot traffic in an active bedding area."
March 14,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 15, 2012
Designer and HGTV personality
Candice Olson and
Highland House will introduce a licensed furniture collection at
Fall High Point Furniture Market.The Candice Olson collection for Highland House will include between 70 and 80 pieces of upholstery, case goods and occasional accents for living room, family room, dining and bedroom. The collection will showcase Candice Olson's elegant, clean-lined transitional design philosophy and incorporate many of her signature fabrics and finishes.
"We are fortunate to be working with a designer and high-profile HGTV icon of the caliber of Candice Olson," said Parker Goss, Highland House president. "We believe the High Point launch of her new product line will be the product event of the year. Candice's creative energy and design philosophy are an ideal fit for Highland House and the direction the company is taking. We know that consumers as well as dealers will be drawn to Candice's clean, creative transitional designs as well as to the price points we intend to offer with her new product line. And, we are especially pleased to be offering Candice Olson upholstery and case goods under one roof for the first time."
"I have watched and admired Highland House for a long time, and I'm thrilled at the possibilities that lie ahead for my furniture collection with them," Olson said. "Because we live in an era where there's a proliferation of mass-manufactured items, I'm especially impressed with the manufacturing and logistics capabilities at Highland House, where each piece receives the care of true craftsmen. In addition, Im pleased that both my upholstered furniture and case goods will be produced by the same company and be displayed in one showroom under one umbrella."
Highland House, headquartered in Hickory, N.C., i
s a wholly owned subsidiary of Century Furniture.