Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
December 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on December 9, 2011
Buying group
Furniture First has added two people to its merchandising team.
Andrew Kauffman has been named director of mattresses, and Shauna Snyder has been named director of accents and accessories.
Kauffman has more than 20 years of experience in the furniture industry. He began his furniture career in 1989 delivering mattresses for a five-store sleep shop in Pennsylvania. He worked his way up to store manager, and eventually sales manager. In 1999, he joined a two-store furniture retailer as a sales manager and helped institute a sales training guides for mattresses and upholstery. In 2009, he took over as operations manager and assistant buyer.
Andrew brings a working knowledge of the day-to-day challenges that independent furniture retailers face in this tough economy, said Bill Hartman, president of Furniture First. His knowledge of mattresses and sales will be a great resource for our Members.
Snyder is responsible for creating, managing and improving the the organization's supplier program relationships in her new position. She reports to Tony Moretti, vice president of merchandising.
Prior to Furniture First, she held positions with Storehouse,
Art Van Furniture,
Surya and most recently,
Rizzy Home.
Shaunas extensive retail and wholesale background and experience in accessories and area rugs will help Furniture First Members build their business with incremental sales in this often-neglected category for furniture retailers, Moretti said.
The staff additions will allow existing team members, including Ron Page, senior director of merchandising, and Moretti to focus on core merchandise categories, case goods and upholstery, respectively.
December 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Technology on December 9, 2011
Furniture store automation software vendor Myriad Software will hold its 2012 user's conference March 5-6 in San Diego.
This year's theme is "Alliance," and the location is the Hilton Bayfront Hotel near downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.
The gathering will feature workshops on key Myriad modules and features; interactive workshops with "hands on" instruction; and the annual Owner's Roundtable, an open forum where owners and upper management can discuss topics and gather feedback from other owners.
December 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on December 9, 2011
Luxury furniture vendor Theodore Alexander is offering Althorp Living History retailers a chance to own one of two handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces.
These exclusive items will be awarded to the winners of the 2011-2012 Althorp Living History Dealer Event, which launched at the recent High Point Market. Two Grand Prizes will be awarded--one to a North American retailer, the other to one of Althorp Living History's international dealers. Winners will receive either the opulent Heritage Oak Cabinet or the Heritage Oak Jupe Table. Both are hand signed by Charles, Ninth Earl Spencer, the current owner of the namesake 14,000-acre estate in Northamptonshire, England.
The international contest is open to all Althorp Living History retailers and will continue through October 2012. Winners will be chosen based on several criteria including the largest percentage increase in Althorp Living History orders during the 12-month period, brand marketing and visual displays. Based on an original George II piece, circa 1740, the Grand Prize Heritage Oak Secretaire boasts one hundred drawers, twenty-six of which are secret, topped with a gilt-crested cornice. The Secretaire's estimated retail price is $30,300. The Grand Prize Heritage Oak Jupe Table, with 12 pull-out triangular segments and inset fold out leaves, has an estimated retail price of $19,900.
The 500-year history of the bucolic Althorp estate is inexorably linked with the finest English oaks. Many of the stately trees shading the grounds of the estate, home to 20 generations of the aristocratic Spencer family, date to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, circa 1558-1603. Honoring the estate's noble emblem, Theodore Alexander obtained the finest specimens of large-scale English brown oak burr from which to craft the two prized items. Rarely available, the burr veneer came from an exceedingly large and ancient tree which had reached the end of its natural life.
"Althorp Living History dealers are loyal ambassadors of the collection," said Russell Towner, Theodore Alexander USA's president. "That was evident by the hundreds who packed our showroom at market to hear firsthand from Earl Spencer anecdotes about some of Althorp's more colorful residents."
Theodore Alexander will announce the winners at the close of the October 2012 High Point Market.
December 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Accessories on December 9, 2011
Home decor vendor UMA Enterprises has expanded its Dallas Market Center showroom to 21,000 square feet, UMA's largest outside its California headquarters.
The showroom is located in the World Trade Center, Space 6-600 and will make its debut during the Jan. 18-24 Dallas Total Home & Gift Market.
"UMA Enterprises' expansion delivers even more quality resources to our buyers," said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. "We look forward to celebrating their home in Dallas in January."
"We want to welcome buyers to our newly expanded Dallas showroom," said Naval Bansal, president of UMA Enterprises. "We continue work to upgrade our product line by adding fresh products by the thousands on a regular basis. Our reasonable prices, large inventory, quick ship times, and high-fill rate of orders separates us from others; and helps us maintain growth during the uncertain economic times."
December 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Accessories on December 9, 2011
Decorative accessory industry association Accessories Resource Team has elected a new board of directors and officers.
The new officers and board of directors began their tenure Nov. 1 and will serve until Oct. 31, 2013.
The new officers and executive committee are: Steve Crowder, GuildMaster, president; Mindy Lowack, Dallas Market Center, executive vice president; John Clements, BJ's Home Accents, treasurer; Vanessa Turney, Light by Design, secretary; David Gebhart, Global Views, ARTS Awards; Monica Loving, HomeStyle, membership; Doug Self, j. douglas, ART Conference; and Cody Hutcheson, CODARUS, eduction.
The elected board members at large: Karen Greaber, Americas Mart; Lee Hershberg, International Market Centers, High Point; Susan Andrulis, IMAX; Steve Papevies, Southern Accessories Today; Mark Phillips, The Phillips Collection; Boyd Tasker, International Market Centers, Las Vegas; Laura Van Zeyl, Home Fashion Magazine and Residential Lighting; Kellee Hollenback, Troy/CSL-The Littman Group; Jim Hering, HW Home; Brad Clifford, Bravado Home; past president, Bill Fortson, BJ's Home Accents; and past president, Colleen Visage, Swarovski Lighting Business.
"Small business owners, whether they are retailers, sales reps or manufacturers often feel they are alone battling the everyday business challenges," said ART President Steve Crowder. "Today's business climate can be pretty scary. ART is one of the few trade associations in this industry where companies up and down the supply chain can come together to tackle the issues we all face. Our goal this next year is for ART to become the catalyst for ideas in solving some of today's marketplace game changers from technology to supply chain management; issues that everyone is dealing with day to day. ART provides the forum to tap in to the wisdom of the crowd."