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January 17,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on January 18, 2012
Hotel Maison, the modern furniture line inspired by boutique hotels from around the world, is updating and streamlining its offerings to focus on a less traditional, more innovative look to appeal to a broader demographic.
This new focus has prompted the development of a new line called Chic Boutique by Hotel Maison that will use multiple manufacturing partners. The Chic Boutique line will include the same product categories as Hotel Maison, but at opening price points to make it more appealing for online and catalog sales. The Hotel Maison line will continue to focus on bricks and mortar retail.
Two years ago when we first created Hotel Maison, we set out to offer designer product at affordable prices," said Kim Salmela, president and chief creative officer. "While we are extremely proud of the line, we were missing a hipper clientele that seeks the Hotel Maison aesthetic."
As part of these changes, Hotel Maison will access new sourcing focused on more mid-level price points. Hotel Maison is currently seeking a partner that can grow with the company as it expands beyond bricks and mortar channels in the U.S., as well as internationally.
The world has changed and the furniture business needs to change with it," said Judy George, principal at Hotel Maison. "Consumers are looking for fresh product that speaks to their lifestyle. They are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions. As such, we are moving ahead in new directions, with new sourcing, new distribution strategies and an aggressive social media marketing push for Hotel Maison and Chic Boutique."
In addition to the lower price point line, the company recently completed to licensing deals. One, with
Divatex, is for a line of top-of-the bed and bathroom products. The second is with a bedding producer and bedding retailer
Sleepy's.
The Hotel Maison and Chic Boutique mattress and furniture collections will initially be available through Sleepys retail chain and through Hotel Maison and Chic Boutique online. Both collections will be made available later to retail outlets throughout the country.
January 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in economic news on January 17, 2012
The National Retail Federation predicts 2012 retail sales will grow 3.4 percent to $2.53 trillion despite continued high unemployment and uncertain job growth.
That growth will lag behind retail's 2011 pace, when relevant sales rose 4.7 percent, but is ahead of many economists' estimates for real U.S. GDP growth this year, which predict a rise of 2.1 to 2.4 percent. NRF's sales figures do not include sales of autos, gas and restaurants.
"Over the last 18 months, retailers have been on the forefront of the economic recovery--creating jobs, encouraging consumer spending, and investing in America," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "Our 2012 forecast is a vote of confidence in the retail industry and our ability to succeed even in a challenging economy. Retailers have played a key role in driving growth, but to continue this momentum we need Washington to act on proposals that will spur job creation and unleash the power of the private sector."
Shay announced NRF's forecast on Tuesday to 24,000 retailers and their partners at NRFs 101st Annual Convention and Expo today in New York.
Though retailers ended last year on a strong note with holiday sales rising 4.1 percent over 2010, many factors will continue to influence the expected slowdown in consumer spending, but none remain more cumbersome than the stalled unemployment rate and lack of newly-created jobs.
Factors contributing to NRF's 2012 economic forecast include:
* Employment: The number of Americans out of work is at its lowest level in nearly three years, and the rise in employment and hours worked should bolster income and spending.
* Income growth: Consumers are constrained by modest growth in income. Congress extended the cuts in payroll taxes and unemployment benefits for only two months. While these provide a lift, and are likely, consumers may act cautiously until both are approved. Income is predicted to lag consumption on a year-over-year basis.
* Housing: While most of the economic reports dealing with housing have shown a little more strength, these reports should be treated with caution, as some of the improvement is due in part to unseasonably mild weather. NRF expects home sales and construction will improve slightly in 2012 with low interest rates and affordability at an almost 30 year high.
* Inflation: Increase costs have been a drain on consumer purchasing power due to extraordinary agricultural commodity price inflation as well as high oil prices due to global geopolitical tensions. NRF expects inflation to slow down near a two percent range. Rising gas prices may also put pressure on spending.
* Consumer Credit: Easier lending standards are expanding consumer credit. Revolving credit appeared to break out from its holding pattern, showing a big surge in November, which indicates consumers have confidence to take on debt.
* Consumer confidence: Confidence continues to rebound from August lows but remains fragile given volatile financial market conditions and anemic housing markets.
January 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on January 17, 2012
Industry veterans Jeff Katz, John Iasiello have joined full-line furniture vendor Emerald Home Furnishings' product development executive team.
Katz serves as vice president of upholstery, and Iasiello is vice president of wood products. Both bring a wealth of experience from the manufacturing and retail furniture sectors.
In addition, current Vice President Robert Kirchmeyer has taken on a new executive operations position. All of these positions report to Emerald President David Beckmann.
Katz comes to Emerald with more than 32 years in the furniture industry, most recently at Schnadig, where he was senior vice president of business development for all segments of Schnadig's portfolio of brands. Prior to that, he has worked in both retail and manufacturing with Levitz, John M. Smyth Homemakers, Sears Homelife, Broyhill and others.
John Iasiello also brings more than 30 years of furniture industry experience to Emerald Home, most recently as senior vice president of product development at A.R.T Furniture, where he led all aspects of the company's product development efforts, including the development of proprietary collections for dealers such as Macy's and Art Van Furniture. His retail and manufacturing background includes Huffman Koos, Macy's, Breuners Home Furnishings, Natuzzi and Broyhill.
"Splitting the roles of product development and bringing on these amazingly talented individuals will allow more focus and efficiency in each category and help Emerald enter a new era of design and quality in our product offerings," said Tacoma, Wash.-based Emerald's president, David Beckmann. "The strength of this management team will also allow current vice president, Robert Kirchmeyer, to move into the operations side of Emerald Home. His time and efforts will be focused on critical operations issue to insure Emerald Home continues as a world-class supplier in the next 50 years."
January 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on January 17, 2012
Bedding vendor Comfort Solutions is coming to Las Vegas Furniture Market with a new brand position and identity.
The new brand platform, "Never Stop Dreaming," will serve as the inspiration and guiding force behind Willowbrook, Ill.-based Comfort Solutions' operation, organization, product development and public outreach in 2012 and beyond.
President and COO Dave Roberts said the statement "Never Stop Dreaming" holds multiple meanings: The brand position "reflects the philosophies we've embraced for more than a decade, but also represents a new call to action' on several fronts that involves our licensees and employees, retail customers, consumers and the public-at-large."
The design and typography of Comfort Solutions' name and logo has been simplified, streamlined and modernized. The Never Stop Dreaming message supports the corporate brand and is now an integral part of the total brand communication.
The longstanding, iconic King Koil name will remain the cornerstone product brand under which all of the producer's innerspring bed designs, including Extended Life, will be represented. The company also will present at market a new King Koil line with fresh, modern designs to further leverage the global awareness of the name in collaboration with its international licensees.
Comfort Solutions' new brand direction, which will umbrella all of its Las Vegas introductions and activities, carries primary meanings of unity, purpose and outreach for the organization.
"While we retain our licensing model, we've worked hard to unify and strengthen our organization as a single entity and teamone that unanimously supports this new direction and the concerted efforts needed not only to live it, but to live up to it," Roberts said. "Those efforts embody our firm commitment to meaningful sleep solutions that consumers actually need and want. That's been our mission for many years and the key driver behind our intensive market research and product development programs. Going forward, then, we'll continue to think and act expansively about sleep solutions that address real problems and satisfy real needs in the marketplace."
Roberts pointed to the Las Vegas debut of the new iMattress collection, as well as the recent introductions of its Extended Life and Sleep iD lines, as examples.
"Those are products that, respectively, address the comfort and temperature concerns of Baby Boomers, provide for the sleep needs of millions of overweight Americans, and capture individual consumer physiologies and sleep preferences, ultimately aiding both the selling and decision process," he said.
He added that the company also has begun maximizing research affiliations with longstanding partners such as the International Chiropractic Association and is cultivating other learning opportunities with experts in a number of sleep sciences.
The branding initiative also addresses another company tenet: Innovation with purpose. In keeping with that philosophy, sweeping changes and enhancements in the construction, design and esthetics of virtually all of Comfort Solutions' branded collections, including a dramatic new visual identity for many of its products, will be introduced in the Las Vegas showroom WMC-A546.
Comfort Solutions' new brand face also includes a major outreach in 2012 to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, a Memphis-based non-profit facility dedicated to the treatment and care of children with pediatric cancers and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by the late actor/entertainer Danny Thomas and opened in 1962, St. Jude Hospital was established on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life.:
St. Jude Hospital has treated children across the United States and from more than 70 countries for nearly 50 years. The research hospital has helped increase the survival rate for the most common type of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, from 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today.
"Given the work they do, we can think of few better ways to support and contribute to the dreams of families with critically ill children," Roberts said.
The company and its research partners also will explore products that would factor in the recovery of critically ill patients through improved sleep.
January 16,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Rugs on January 17, 2012
Capel Rugs is launching a new custom design program at the winter home furnishings markets in Atlanta and Las Vegas.
"Chenille Creations" is a custom-made rug program that lets designers and distributors choose a base, accent and border from more than 18 designer colors of plush, ultra-soft cotton chenille. In addition to choosing the color combinations, customers also select from more than 24 standard shapes and sizes or specify custom dimensions, creating infinite design possibilities.
Handcrafted in the United States, Capel's Chenille Creations rugs feature distinct patterns that are reversible for twice the wear.
At the winter markets, Capel also will add new collections to its successful licensing programs with Biltmore For Your Home and Williamsburg.
"We're excited to bring these new collections to the marketplace," said Troy, N.C.-based Capel's vice president of product and creative director, Tami Watras. "From cozy and soft with Chenille Creations to fresh and crisp with Arabella, they are right on trend with the decor of today's homes."
"The response to our latest introductions from our retail partners has been tremendous," added Capel Rugs Vice President of Sales Allen Robertson. "We are looking forward to continuing that success and helping our retailers grow their rug business throughout the winter with these additions."
At the Jan. 30-Feb. 3 Las Vegas Furniture Market, Capel shows in World Market Center, space A226.