July 11,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on July 12, 2011
Retail buying group BrandSource has launched BrandSource Financial, a wholesale finance company designed to provide members with additional opportunities for profitability and growth.
We're delighted to announce the launch of BrandSource Financial," said Bob Lawrence, CEO of BrandSource, Anaheim, Calif. "BrandSource Financial offers all the capabilities of any competitive wholesale finance company. However, BrandSource Financial is the only wholesale finance company operated for the benefit of its members; nobody else in the industry has this."
Lawrence credited several people for their hard work in supporting the creation of BrandSource Financial: Bill Baptiste and Mike Cox in BrandSource's headquarters, and Kevin Leier and Jacques LeCavalier of BrandSource Canada/MEGA. Lawrence also recognized Electrolux for its participation in the program and its support of Brandsource members and the independent channel.
In this time of tight margins, our members will have additional opportunity for profitability, Lawrence said. Since we own it, we all share in the proceeds.
Lawrence said that BrandSource Financial will launch with Electrolux immediately and additional members will be added every week until the company reaches full rollout.
BrandSource is a 100 percent member-owned merchandising group with nearly 4,500 independent dealer members in North America and close to 3,000 "branded" stores in the United States.
July 11,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on July 12, 2011
Toronto furniture retailer Decorium is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a month-long sale.
Appropriately enough, the 100,000-square-foot store will run a storewide 25 percent-off sale throughout July, its best offer ever.
Customers also receive a Decorium tape measure to help them find the right furniture for their home.
Decorium's original 2,500-square-foot showroom opened in 1986 as a design trade showroom, soon doubling to 5,000 square feet. In 1992, the furniture retailer opened its doors to the general public and continued to grow to its current size.
July 10,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on July 11, 2011
Mattress makers had higher sales and gross profits last year, according to the International Sleep Products Association's newly released 52nd annual Cost Survey.
Compiled by the research consulting firm Industry Insights, the 2010 Survey is based on information provided by 38 U.S. and Canadian mattress manufacturers. Participating companies reported a modest increase in sales over 2009. Their gross profit, as a percent of sales, in 2010 was better than 2009, and higher than the average gross profit for the past 10 years.
The Cost Survey also shows improvements for some efficiency metrics. Inventory management (measured as gross margin divided by average inventory investment) was at a 10-year high, and inventory turnover in 2010 was near the 10-year high. In terms of personnel management, total company salary, wages and commissions in 2010 were essentially unchanged from 2009, but net sales per employee and gross profit per employee in 2010 was higher than in 2009. The average collection days also fell to 30, tying 2007 for the shortest collection period for the last 10 years.
The Survey benchmarks individual companies according to the size of their business, the country and region in which they are located, and their overall profitability. It also examines the impact of gross profit per employee, net sales per square foot of space, gross margin return on equity and interest expenses on the performance of "high profit" producers in the industry.
"Helping ISPA members improve their profitability is a key part of our mission," said ISPA President Ryan Trainer. "As the economy recovers, it is more important than ever for companies to strategically analyze their financial performance and overall competitiveness. No matter where a company is located, how large or small it is, or how profitable it is today, the Cost Survey is a simple 'yardstick' companies can use to gauge how it is performing relative to both its peers and the more profitable parts of the industry."
Specific questions about both the Cost and Wage Surveys can be e-mailed to Patti Clever.
For more information about industry statistics, cost saving tools, or ISPA membership, contact Jane Oseth by e-mail, or call 703.683.8371.
July 10,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on July 11, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z4941670567&z=1250249027
Pats Furniture Company is a familiar name to many residents of South Cobb and beyond. Located on a stretch of Mableton Parkway formerly known by locals as furniture row, Pats is the oldest independently owned furniture store in Mableton. In 1961, Ruby and Pat Patterson opened a general goods and furniture shop on the corner of Cooper Lake Road and Bankhead Highway. Originally named Pats Discount Store, the shop offered its customers quality merchandise at affordable prices. In the mid-1960s, the Pattersons decided to change direction and focus on furniture sales alone. Pats Discount Store was renamed
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July 10,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on July 11, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z4944371753&z=1250249030
Blacklion, a multi-merchant gift and home furnishings retailer, signed a five-year lease for 14,200 square feet in the Dilworth Gardens shopping center at 1408-1412 East Blvd. in Charlotte, NC. The 150,000-square-foot retail building was constructed in 1991. Blacklion will open its doors in September, according to CoStar information. Rush Dunaway of Percival McGuire Commercial Real Estate represented the tenant. Michael Martin of Newport Properties Commercial Division represented the landlord, GHT Investments LLC.
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