September 11,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on September 12, 2011
The
Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point is undergoing a renovation.
The renovation will provide visitors with easier access to the library's more than 5,000-volume collection that covers all aspects of interior design, furniture design, history and style, architecture, textiles and furniture construction.
The library will reopen Oct. 22, and visitors will see a fresh look and a more comfortable space to explore the collections.
September 11,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in economic news on September 12, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5185519850&f=10761
Ikea, the worlds biggest home- furnishings retailer, has slashed the price of its Billy bookshelves in the U.S. by 17 percent as unemployment and a sluggish housing market weigh on consumer confidence.U.S. outlets now sell the signature bookshelf f
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September 11,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on September 12, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5185444374&f=10761
Less than a year ago, things seemed to be going well for W. Home Furnishings.Owners Rene and Nina Ward were running the upscale furniture store in River Ranch. Last fall, they opened a second location in Baton Rouge. An October 2010 press release lau
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September 9,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Business Strategy on September 10, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z5180164588&z=1250249032
Retailer Restoration Hardware Inc. filed plans to return to the public market, saying it intends to offer up to $150 million in common stock to repay debt and for general corporate purposes. The home furnishings retailer had been a publicly traded company for about 10 years beginning in 1998, when it launched an IPO amid the dot-com boom. In June 2008, Restoration Hardware was acquired by private-equity firm Catterton Partners in a $179 million buyout, securing a deal over a rival offer by Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD). In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
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September 8,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Financial Reports on September 9, 2011
Home furnishings, appliance and electronics retailer Conn's (NASDAQ-GS: CONN) reported second-quarter sales of $184.4 million, a 13.5 percent decrease.
Same-store sales fell of 12.8 compared with the same period last year.
The company reported a net loss of $3.4 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, ended July 31, compared with net income of $1.6 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011.
An increase in higher-margin furniture and mattress sales as a percent of total product sales, improved gross margins in the consumer electronics, home appliances and home office categories and increased sales penetration of repair service agreements helped Conn's retail segment's retail gross margin increased to 28.9 percent in the current-year quarter, up from 25.7 percent in the same quarter of the prior year.
"We are pleased with our progress on improving margins and reducing our cost of capital," said Conn's Chairman Theodore Wright. "While softer industry conditions resulted in sales slightly below our expectations, the changes made to date position us to drive improved profitability."
During the quarter, Conn's completed the closure of three stores and the lease expired on one additional store, bringing the total number of stores ceasing operations during the current fiscal year to five. The company has begun its planning and preparation to open five to seven new locations during fiscal year 2013, all of which are expected to be in new markets.
Conn's Inc., Beaumont, Texas, is a specialty retailer currently operating 71 retail locations in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.