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Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business

Boyles Brand Reborn

By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on April 8, 2013

A new incarnation of the Boyles Furniture retail brand is set to open its first location with a new retail concept in Mocksville, N.C.

A grand re-opening is scheduled May 23 for Boyles Furniture & Rugs at the longtime Boyles location in Mocksville, which is centrally located in North Carolina directly off of Interstate 40. After winding down the 13-store chain in early 2011, the 60-year old brand has been revived through the formation of Boyles Brand Holdings, joint venture between the Boyles Furniture & Rugs brand owners and a group of furniture industry veterans including Gene Rosenberg, co-founder of Bob€™s Discount Furniture, Paul Cohen, Chad Hendricks, Mark Bannon, Alex Hendricks, Burt Homonoff, Rob Rosenberg, Roy Hester and Tom Liddell.

The new Boyles retail concept rolling out in Mocksville is centered around three main ingredients: a 5,000=square-foot, high-end boutique shopping experience; an additional 35,000 square feet of mid- to high-end special-order product and in-stock goods available for immediate delivery; and 10,000 square feet of opportunity buys and closeouts of quality furniture at up to 80 percent off of suggested retail price, which changes on a daily basis.

€œWe€™re hiring back the very people who lost their jobs when this industry faltered, we are helping to put North Carolina back to work,€ said Boyles Brand Holdings Mark Bannon. "We believe the economy in this area is poised for rapid growth and there is a need to satisfy the unmet demand for quality mid- to high-end furniture offered at a value. Our team has worked hard to develop a new retail business model that we feel will be very well received by our loyal Boyles customers.€

Executive Vice-President of Sales Chad Hendricks said the new Mocksville store layout is a win for the customer because in the past Boyles only offered one shopping experience in its stores.

"Now we are able to offer sales on a daily basis, with truckloads of amazingly discounted furniture, while still serving our design clients through a broad selection of special order and showroom furniture along with the largest rug and mattress galleries we€™ve ever had," he said. 

Following the Mocksville store launch, plans are in place for opening of another newly-purchased store in Connecticut, with additional retail locations being actively explored.

€œAlong with the lease and renovation of 50,000 square feet of retail space in Mocksville, N.C., and the purchase of a retail facility in central Connecticut, we€™ve opened two new corporate offices, hired over 25 former and new employees, and we€™re in the process of hiring many additional employees ahead of the Grand Openings of the Mocksville and Connecticut stores,€ said Bannon. €œWe€™ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from our customers, employees, and the industry as a whole. We encourage our customers to check our Web site, www.Boyles.com, on a regular basis or 'like' us on Facebook to keep up to date on all that we have going on.€

Magnussen Launches New Casual Dining

By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Dining on April 8, 2013

Case goods vendor Magnussen Home Furnishings will unveil a new casual dining program at April High Point Furniture Market.

The eclectically designed program includes eight moderately priced collections designed to work as a matching set or with pieces be mixed between the groups for a unique look. The line offers additional upholstered, metal and acrylic chairs that consumers can mix and match with each group to create a distinctive look.

Each collection will offer a rectangular table with extension leaves, coordinating chairs and various storage pieces unique to each collection including china cabinets, servers with hutch options, and shelving storage units with casters for mobility. Round tables with extension leaves will be offered in some collections, and bench seating configurations will be offered as an additional seating option. Separate upholstered and metal chairs will also be offered to mix-in with each group. Pieces are sized to accommodate smaller dining spaces with rectangular tables ranging from 60- to 78-inches in length. Smaller curios and server configurations will be offered as well.

Styles cover a broad range including casual, modern, traditional, rustic and transitional, and are constructed of traditional cherry veneers as well non-traditional acacia veneer and pine veneers along with hardwood solids. Individual groups will be offered in finishes that include rustic rubbed pine, dry grey acacia, rustic cherry, merlot, and natural acacia. Special features have been incorporated into certain pieces for convenience and storage including lighting in some hutch storage units, multiple drawer and shelves configurations for servers and china cabinets, mirrors in servers and hutches and storage shelving units with casters.

Magnussen President Nathan Cressman believes this program is an opportunity for the company to tap into a category he views is on the rise in terms of consumer interest and sales. Produced in Vietnam, it also ties into the company's strengths in sourcing and logistics. For example, the casual dining groups can be shipped as part of Magnussen's QuickFlex 250 program, which allows multiple groups to mix on a single container with Magnussen€™s master bedrooms and Next Generation bedroom groups.

"I am excited about this because Magnussen wants to broaden its overall categories of home furnishings," said Cressman. "We think this is a category that will line up well with our logistics program and fills a need in the marketplace for more eclectic Casual Dining options and will give our sales team a broader offering."

Five-piece sets (table and 4 chairs) will retail from $699 10 $999; and servers from $699 to $999.

Bassett Furniture Expands High Point Showroom

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on April 8, 2013

Bassett Furniture Inds. is expanding its High Point Furniture Market showroom from 29,000 to more than 35,500 square feet.

The expansion of the showroom, space 1200 in the International Home Furnishings Center's Commerce wing, marks effort to fully display the complete Bassett Furniture upholstery and wood presentation along with an expanded designer workshop and custom dining area.

€œOver the years not only have our collections grown but also the support that we give our retailers and designers at Market has increased,€ said Bassett Furniture Senior Vice President of Sales and Merchandising Bruce Cohenour. €œThis new area will give us the elbow room that we need to better display both our new products and classic best sellers along with giving us the space to introduce new programs like the Bassett Designer Program that we are introducing this Market.€

The larger Bassett showroom will display current and new introductions in upholstery and wood. There is an expanded upholstery section to show the wide range of upholstery styles available from custom to in-stock seating including the leather motion groups. The upholstery area will show the new upholstery power pads for retailers to place in their stores.

Bassett is expanding its custom dining area where its €œMade in America/Ships in 30 days€ custom dining program will be featured. This section will have new contemporary styled product introductions plus core items showing suggested retail footprints for independent retailers.

Designers at Market will enjoy the expanded Designer Workshop and be able to participate in the new Bassett Designer Program. This is a membership based program for interior designers that gives them the tools that they need to take advantage of Bassett custom capabilities for either residential or commercial projects. Designers can sign-up during market and meet with a designer program specialist.

The showroom expansion includes a new marketing room to address the key customers they serve and the custom marketing capabilities that Bassett offers them. Bassett will share a renovated reception area and lobby with its new neighbors, HGTV Home Furniture.

BrandSource Launches Outdoor Products Division

By Home Furnishings Business in Outdoor Furniture on April 8, 2013

Retail buying group BrandSource has launched OutdoorSource, a new division focusing on outdoor living furniture and appliances

€œThe OutdoorSource division was created to help members compete with big box stores by offering a compelling and affordable assortment of outdoor products,€ said Bob Lawrence, BrandSource CEO. €œMore importantly, this new division increases our overall volume, making us more attractive to manufacturers and translating into more supplier support and better programs for our members.€

The OutdoorSource marketing and fulfillment support program is designed to drive store traffic with television, print and Web-based advertising as well as turnkey digital marketing promotions. It also includes television commercials with Brand ambassador Kathy Ireland, CEO and Chief Designer for kathy ireland Worldwide.
 
OutdoorSource products also will be featured on the BrandSource mobile app, which brings the entire line directly into the hands of shoppers and members. Free and available through the iTunes app store, this robust, feature-packed sales tool currently boasts the number spot on iTunes when searching for appliances, according to BrandSource.
 
To minimize OutdoorSource product inventory and maximize turns, members can also take full advantage of BrandSource€™s Expert Warehouse initiative, a complete fulfillment solution with no minimal order quantities. Consumer electronics and major appliances may be combined with orders to meet freight requirements for up to two deliveries per week.
 
New and existing members interested in offering OutdoorSource products will be rewarded with a variety of services and solutions reflecting the BrandSource commitment to helping members be more successful.

OutdoorSource support services include a field-based district manager who serves as a point of contact to help members profitably grow their businesses; an inside sales and customer service team ready to answer questions regarding products, programs, promotions and services; and a full sales training program tailored to each member€™s needs. Members can also get assistance with retail and in-house inventory financing, human resource issues, health care, service plans, business insurance and more.
 
OutdoorSource also will offer a password-protected, members-only intranet with a complete library of product resources that lets them securely place orders and manage all back office functions.

In Furniture, Shades and Shapes of High Art

By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on April 7, 2013 from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/arts/design/in-furniture-shades-and-shapes-of-high-art.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 One of the busiest places in Milan this week will be Bar Basso on Via Plinio, packed with designers who have flocked to the city for the Salone del Mobile, the annual furniture fair. Many of them will raise a glass to the man who was largely responsible for encouraging the design crowd to gather there - the late London-born, Milan-based industrial designer James Irvine.

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