Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
October 12,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Furniture on October 13, 2011
Luxury outdoor furnishings vendor Brown Jordan has named Joi Flanigan director of customer and sales support, a new position at the company.
Flanigan has spent almost nine years with Brown Jordan, most recently as customer service manager, in which she excelled in maintaining and advancing the high standards for pre- and post-sales, customer loyalty and quality assurance.
In her new role, Flanigan oversees and develops customer service, showroom, and sales operations internationally, focusing on seamless client experience across the organization's distribution and service channels. This includes creating, implementing, and ensuring consistency of policy and procedure digitally and offline, interfacing directly with Brown Jordan VIP and executive clientele, and mentoring and motivating staff in company culture, practices, and performance expectations.
"Joi has been essential to upholding and enhancing the Brown Jordan standard for retail development and customer loyalty--through relationship building, clear communication and leadership," said Stephen Elton, El Monte, Calif.-based Brown Jordan's vice president of marketing and sales. "We couldn't be more pleased to have her in this expanded capacity, as we continue to develop presence in all sales channels while continuing to offer our customers, and retailers, the most premium brand experience."
The position of director, and Flanigans appointment, reflect a heightened retail focus for Brown Jordan, which in the last year encompasses two new showrooms, strategic retail and supplier partnerships, and enhanced digital footprint.
October 12,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Social Media on October 13, 2011
The International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. and Web4Retail are partnering again for social media seminars during October High Point Furniture Market.
The seminars, with the topic "Social Media: Driving Retail Traffic in the New World," take pace Sunday, Oct. 23, at 12:30 p.m.; and Monday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. They will be held in the IHFRA offices located in the lower level of the International Home Furnishing Center's Main wing.
Web4Retail CEO Denise Keniston and Web4Retail Executive Vice President Sev Ritchie will conduct the seminars.
Web4Retail has more than a decade of experience working with retailers in home-related industries to formulate and manage successful Internet marketing strategies. During the seminars, Web4Retail will share results of studies with retail clients relative to effective social media techniques. The gatherings also include discussion of new tools available for effective Internet marketing.
Attendees are urged to RSVP in advance to rsvp@web4retail.com and indicate which session they want to attend.
October 12,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedroom on October 13, 2011
Solid wood bedroom furniture maker Cambridge Mills will launch a new custom finish program and drawer system at High Point Furniture Market.
he Personal Choices finish option program goes into effect immediately following market and will open up the company's current 12 finishes for application on any collection in the line.
"Up until now, we have offered two standard finishes for each collection," said Michael Scarsella, sales and marketing director for Cambridge Mills. "The Personal Choices program will give the consumer more opportunity to make our products their own through a wider variety of finish options. Included in the Cambridge Mills family of finishes will be four additional colors that will be part of the new collections introduced at the show."
In addition to Personal Choices, Cambridge Mills also will introduce the HushGlide drawer system. Cambridge Mills has partnered with Hettich America in developing this unique drawer guide mechanism which will be standard on the company's 2400 Beaufort collection as well as the 2500 Cherry Creek and 2600 Scottsdale groups to be introduced at the market.
The HushGlide system is a hidden metal, ball bearing mechanism with a "slam-proof" soft-close feature. The company will continue to produce the initial three collections in its line with their standard wood on wood drawer system.
"We have watched this technology improve in recent years and make the progression from the kitchen and bath world to residential furniture," Scarsella said. "The HushGlide system is in line with our commitment to quality, innovative design and providing the consumer with added benefits in their home furnishings purchases."
Cambridge Mills was launched last October in partnership with Harden Furniture. The company specializes in solid wood bedroom products that target the middle to upper middle price point segments of the market. All Cambridge Mills product is 100 percent American Made and manufactured in Hardens 500,000-square-foot facility in McConnellsville, N.Y. In addition to manufacturing residential and contract furnishings Harden owns 10,000 acres of timber property in Central New York and is a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
October 12,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on October 13, 2011
Leather upholstery vendor Natuzzi Group is working with Natuzzi Italia dealer Urban Furnishings, based in Tulsa, Okla., in support of the Tulsa Ballet.
Urban Furnishings Owner Rebecca Joskey said the ballet company has been a world-class fixture in Tulsa for more than 50 years. The Tulsa Ballet is currently led by director Marcello Angelini and his wife, Daniela Buson, who serves as ballet mistress. Both Italian born, it was Buson who Joskey approached one year ago when she sought to learn Italian in preparation for a trip to the Natuzzi Group factory in Santeramo, Italy.
"I wanted to be able to converse with Pasquale Natuzzi," Joskey said.
Buson agreed to come to the store and help Joskey prepare for her trip.
"Spending time learning Italian with Daniela--who had a very distinguished career as principal dancer prior to becoming ballet mistress--we naturally talked about the ballet," Joskey said. "It wasnt long before I made the connection between the Tulsa Ballets long tradition of excellence and quality, and Natuzzi Italia's. I saw a tremendous co-branding opportunity and Natuzzi Group executives agreed."
As part of the sponsorship, Natuzzi Group donated cooperative advertising dollars directly to the ballet company in the name of Urban Furnishings. Joskey matched the funds with the cost of professionally photographing the dancers interacting with Natuzzi Italia furniture and targeted advertising in Intermissions Magazine (the official publication of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center), and Oklahoma Magazine among others.
The series of striking photographs has been utilized both in print advertising and online in Urban Furnishings' social media efforts on Facebook and Twitter. Out-size versions of the photographs are also used as part of the presentation on the store's floor (including a stunning life-size shot of dancer Alfonso Martin) and in the front windows. A video featuring the photos runs continuously inside the store as well. The photographs of dancers and furniture have also
figured in special in-store events.
Other ballet-related promotions include drawings for tickets to every one of the company's performances this season. Urban Furnishings and Natuzzi Italia also underwrote a table at the gala Sinatra Ball held this past weekend to benefit the Tulsa Ballet at the Southern Hills Country Club.
"We invited good customers to join us at the table, which was signed Urban Furnishings/Natuzzi Italia, and donated a Natuzzi Italia chair to the raffle at the Ball," Joskey said. "To further raise awareness of the brand, bottles of olive oil from Pasquale Natuzzis olive groves were presented as gifts to the Balls committee members. Later in the season, we will host parties at the store for the Barre Society, which is a group of young professionals who support the Tulsa Ballet."
Joskey says the Ballet sponsorship is helping her hone in on her target customer and deliver the Natuzzi Italia/Urban Furnishings message one-on-one.
"From a marketing standpoint, we've garnered a very high presence with affluent consumers in our marketplace," she said. "They may have been aware of our store prior to the sponsorship, but these events brought them in and really exposed them to the brand."
Joskey added: "Natuzzi Italia is very important to the economy of the area where Pasquale Natuzzi is from and he has long demonstrated a strong sense of community. By supporting the arts in this way, his generosity is building community here in Tulsa as well. That's an awesome thing, particularly in this economy."
Brad Cates, senior vice president, Natuzzi Americas, agreed with Joskey's assessment.
"Being successful in today's environment requires a great deal of creativity from a marketing standpoint," he said. "Long a leading fashion house in terms of product, the Natuzzi Group's goal is to lead the way on the marketing front as well. We were therefore extremely pleased to support Urban Furnishings' innovative, co-branding efforts which are clearly paying off with greater awareness of the Natuzzi Italia brand among luxury consumers in the Tulsa marketplace."
October 12,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on October 13, 2011
Showroom owner International Market Centers has announced its support of the newly launched "Six Causes that Matter" campaign led by High Point Furniture Market.
IMC's donation will be shared equally among the six organizations selected as beneficiaries of the program for the upcoming Market.
The Six Causes That Matter this October will include: Oct. 22, City of Hope (in memory of Center Points Lynn Davis); Oct. 23, Susan G. Komen; Oct. 24, Habitat for Humanity; Oct. 25, American Red Cross; Oct. 26, National Furniture Bank; and Oct. 27, Open Door Ministries.
Each day of Market, one of these charities will be spotlighted, offering an opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to make a donation to that days charity. IMC will have signage in all of its lobbies to encourage exhibitors and market visitors to contribute to that days charity. Promotion will include signage, lapel pins, social media (#hpmkt6causes), press alerts, and more. More information can be found here.
"We are committed to making a positive impact in the home furnishings industry and the High Point community, and this is a great opportunity for us to give back," said Robert Maricich, CEO of IMC. "We applaud the High Point Market for spearheading this compassionate outreach for six worthwhile organizations, and we are pleased to contribute to each one, along with the many exhibitors and attendees who are expected to participate."