Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
November 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Technology on November 9, 2011
The International Home Furnishings Representatives Association and Web4Retail have partnered to improve performance for retailers via Web site and social marketing.
With decades of experience in both traditional and online marketing, Web4Retail offers retailers a variety of Internet marketing solutions including Web site design and development and social media markeing, such as Facebook Pages for businesses.
"In viewing all of the research that Web4Retail has conducted, we believe they are the only provider that fully shares IHFRA's commitment to improving and preserving the independent retailer," said Kathy Parks, IHFRA's executive director.
"Social media is on the minds of most retailers," said Web4Retail President and CEO Denise Keniston. "Furniture retailers, especially, want their marketing efforts to include social media, and we are offering them affordable solutions."
"Staying current with what the Web can offer is important in retail today," said Web4Retail Executive Vice President Sev Ritchie. "With the continued growth of social media and the increased hours per day that a consumer spends interacting on social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, it is essential that businesses stay current."
November 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on November 9, 2011
The Sustainable Furnishings Council's Greenleaders training course now counts for LEED continuing education credit.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program is an internationally recognized green building certification system.
The Greenleaders course, the home furnishings industry's first and most comprehensive certified sustainability training, was created in 2009 by a LEED-AP and SFC staff and vetted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council board, including ranking staff of World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance, and one of the two co-founders of USGBC/LEED.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, promotes sustainable building and development practices with strict rating systems and a curriculum. The Sustainable Furnishings Council's Greenleaders contributes an essential piece within the Education Review Body-approved continuing education courses. These courses offer credit toward the credential maintenance requirements of the LEED Green Associate and LEED Accredited Professional, with specialty professional credentials. While most of the LEED programs focus on the building, Greenleaders focuses on furnishing the interior. It also is distinguished by the thorough overview it provides of sustainability issues in home furnishings and by the practical business-building tools it includes.
To date, nearly 600 home furnishing professionals have enrolled in the Greenleaders certification program, with more on the way. The six-unit GREENleaders program is worth six continuing education credit hours, and covers a wide range of topics pertinent to the home furnishings industry and sustainability, including environmental issues, sourcing products and components, design issues, and showroom operations.
"The training has been well-received from the start," said SFC Executive Director Susan Inglis. "Interior design, manufacturing, and retailing professionals all find the course immediately useful and practical. We are delighted to be able to offer this value to a wider audience through recognition by the LEED Education Review Body."
November 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on November 9, 2011
TheHome.com has released 14 exclusive video interviews with designers and home furnishings executives from the October 2011 High Point Furniture Market.
Produced by High Point-based Gefen Productions, some of these segments previously aired on the Home Fashion Report during the High Point Market, and others were shot exclusively for TheHome.com.
New segments will be added in the coming weeks and months. Interview segments include trend reports on color, style and inspiration for collections and products that debuted at the fall 2011 High Point Market.
TheHome.com brings viewers home fashion trends and advice directly from industry experts through video interviews and editorial content.
Since 1984, Gefen Productions has produced the Home Fashion Report, the premiere television show for the home furnishings industry. The half-hour reports have covered emerging trends and trendsetters, interviews with industry leaders, accomplished manufacturers, retailers and design professionals. The Home Fashion Report has shown hundreds of thousands of market-goers the showrooms not-to-be-missed and the hot products at each April and October High Point Market.
November 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on November 9, 2011
The Western Home Furnishings Association has partnered with James G. Parker Insurance Group on an insurance program to protect retail members' businesses.
James G. Parker is a top 100 privately owned insurance agency specializing in middle market commercial insurance with more than 15
offices to serve WHFA members. For more than two years, WHFA and James G. Parker have been crafting a program that provides custom-tailored insurance coverage to meet each member's needs at special WHFA member pricing.
"The value for WHFA members is that we are a brokerage firm, not an insurance company," said James G. Parker Account Executive Michael Bloome. "We have access to multiple markets and are able to aggregate buying power for lower insurance cost to members. Basically, the more WHFA members that participate in this program, the more successful the program will be for members. Another value of this partnership is we will assist in educating members about the various types of insurances and how to make sure they are properly covered."
Available coverages include property, general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation, and employment practices liability. The program through James G. Parker also offers services to supplement human-resource departments, assist with safety goals and employee training requirements, as well as resources to help complete strategic planning for future growth and development.
"Our retailer Board was convinced that JG Parker Insurance Group had the right offerings, level of service, experience and commitment to our membership to deliver real and immediate savings," said Sharron Bradley, WHFA executive director. "Through market leverage and risk mitigation, the team at JG Parker will work hard to reduce our members total cost of insurance; finding the areas in their business where making small adjustments will provide maximum protection year-after-year."
To receive a free insurance quote, call 800.422.3778.
November 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Delivery on November 9, 2011
Import cargo volume at the nations major retail container ports is declining, according the monthly Global Port Tracker report.
With most holiday merchandise already delivered, November is forecast at 1.9 percent below the same month last year, according to the Port Tracker, which was released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
"As always, retailers are being very strategic with their supply chains," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. "Although sales are expected to be in line with the 10-year average, retailers are keeping inventory levels extremely lean and filling their stores wall-to-wall with discounts and promotions. Unlike in 2008, when the financial crisis caught everyone off-guard, retailers have a strong understanding of the consumer mindset this Christmas."
U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.33 million 20-foot Equivalent Units in September, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 0.4 percent from August and made September the busiest month of the year as retailers rushed to stock stores for the holidays, but was down 0.6 percent from September 2010.
October was estimated at 1.32 million TEU, down 2.3 percent from a year ago, while November is forecast at 1.21 million TEU, down 1.9 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.11 million TEU, down 3.3 percent. After the holidays, January 2012 is forecast at 1.1 million TEU, down 8.7 percent from January 2011; February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, should have only at 996,816 TEU, down 9.4 percent, and March is expected to see 1.08 million TEU, down 0.6 percent.
The total for 2011 is forecast at 14.76 million TEU, just slightly above the 2010 total of 14.75 million TEU.
Global Port Tracker counts only the number of cargo containers imported, not the value of their contents, so cargo volume does not directly correlate with retail sales. NRF is forecasting 2.8 percent growth in holiday sales during November and December over last year, for a total of $465.6 billion.
Despite the year-over-year declines in this months report, Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett cautioned that year-over-year comparisons can be skewed, especially after higher-than-usual numbers in 2010 when cargo patterns changed because of shortages in shipping capacity.
"Months come in four- and five-week chunks and can give misleading information when looked at in isolation," Hackett said. "Comparing them on a year-on-year basis is also dangerous as 2010 was such a strong year. We continue to believe that the economy will pick up speed--assuming there is no Euro meltdown--by March or April of next year.
Global Port Tracker covers the U.S. ports of Long Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.