Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
June 27,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on June 28, 2011
Dallas Market Center has announced the winners of the June 2011
Total Home & Gift Market Best of Show Awards.
Recipients were recognized during the recent market and were judged by leading industry and visual/design experts. Best of Show judging takes place twice a year during the January and June Dallas Total Home & Gift Markets. Winners feature booth or showroom displays that are creative, fresh and innovative.
The June 2011 Best of Show winners at the World Trade Center are Accent Decor, second floor; Kraft Klub, third floor; Winward International, fourth floor; Cyan Design, fifth floor; Studio A, sixth floor; Tricia Donner Deconstructed, seventh floor; VPN Sales, eighth floor; J. Mackie Ltd., ninth floor; Art Dreams By StyleCraft, 10th floor; and The Patricia Group, 11th floor.
Trade Mart Best of Show winners are burton + BURTON, first floor; One Hundred 80 Degrees, second floor; Vaxcel, third floor; and DVI Lighting Inc., fourth floor
International Trade Plaza winners are Craig Bachman Imports Inc., first floor; and Allstate Floral & Craft Inc., second floor.
Shared Showrooms Best of Show Winners are Outdoor Living-Seasonal Living Trading Co.; The Gourmet Market-New Canaan Farms; KidsWorld Studio-Manny and Simon; and Hemisphere Design Gallery-Elaine Gleason.
A number of companies were recognized as "Finds": for Furniture, Antlerworx Inc.; Home, Lulu & Co.; Hill Country, Moon Rein by Christi Proctor; Fashion, Felicia Ltd.; Red Haute, Gypsy Junkies; Bath & Body, Visions; Handmade & Vintage, Sarah Smith; Kids, Caden Lane; Gift, Blackwater Folk Art; Christmas & Floral, Christopher Radko; Souvenir, Bentley Plastics; Garden & Outdoor, Maharani; Collegiate, All Star Dogs; Paper & Party, City Paper Company; Design, d. stevens; and for Cash & Carry, Le Muse.
June 27,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on June 28, 2011
Las Vegas Furniture Market officials report better-than-expected hotel bookings and pre-registrations for the August 1-5 show compared with recent markets.
Las Vegas Market has already sold nearly 80 percent of its hotel inventory to Las Vegas Market attendees for the same block of room nights. The pick-up rate is outpacing the same period last year by 36 percent.
Market pre-registration is also tracking ahead of recent shows, with 14 percent more buyers pre-registered than Winter 2010 Market. Significantly more retailers and designers are planning to attend as compared to last Summer.
"This is certainly encouraging news for our industry and our customers. It has been a very challenging summer at retail and we are excited that buyers are apparently searching for new products and ideas at Las Vegas Market," said Robert Maricich, chief executive officer of
International Market Centers, parent company of World Market Center Las Vegas. "It is extraordinary that so far registrations are well ahead of last year, especially at the magnitude above last summer's Market. We have worked hard with our programming and buyer outreach to create a compelling reason to attend Las Vegas Market and these positive numbers are proving successful."
June 26,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Markets on June 27, 2011
Attendance rose for the recent Unfinished Furniture Association's Real Wood Furniture Trade Show in Orlando, Fla.
According to Unfinished Furniture Association President Tim Case, 35 percent of this year's retail attendees had not attended the show since 2008. The show, previously held in Cincinnati, Ohio, had not been in the Southeast for some 15 years and was moved this year to Orlando's Rosen Plaza Hotel.
"My associates and I came away from the show more enthused than we have been in years. The networking that we experienced with other dealers and manufacturers was the best ever," said Al Johnston owner of Wood You Furniture stores in Alabama and Georgia. "It was as though we all realized that the challenges with the economy are going to be with us all longer than any of us dreamed and because of that, we all need each other (even our competitors) more than ever."
Due to increased attendance and the overwhelming positive response from both exhibitors and attendees at the May 2011 show, the association has committed to the Orlando venue again for 2012.
New exhibitors included Simply Bunk Beds(http://www.simplybunkbeds.com/) and Guidecraft. The Association is encouraging, and anticipates, additional exhibitors, as well as retailers not specific to the ready-to-finish furniture industry, to participate in the 2012 show.
Those interested in finding out more about the 2012 Real Wood Furniture Trade Show should contact Tim Case at 800/487-8321 or via e-mail.
The Unfinished Furniture Association represents more than 650 retailers, manufacturers, and sales representatives in the United States, Canada and the Bahamas.
June 26,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Furniture on June 27, 2011
Zuo Modern will open a showroom in the Design Center at The Merchandise Mart for the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market next month.
Located in Suite 1762, the Zuo Modern space has almost 1,800 square feet.
"Zuo Modern Inc. is very excited to open a showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart," said Jon Usvathongkul, vice president of marketing, Zuo Modern Inc. "Having a permanent showroom at The Merchandise Mart will make our line more visible to the industry during the Casual Market and to the day-to-day traffic in the building."
"Zuo Modern brings a fresh look to the Design Center with its sleek, worldly designs for the outdoors," said Whitney Gillespie, vice president of casual sales and leasing, MMPI. "They are opening at the perfect time when the ICFA will be hosting its July Preview Show at The Merchandise Mart and also for the September International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market."
In 2011, Zuo created distinctive product lines with Zuo Modern Furniture, Zuo Outdoor, and Zuo Accents to give more breadth and depth to its product offerings.
Due to increased consumer demand for outdoor rooms and casual furnishings and accessories, MMPI has been expanding its casual industry at the Design Center at The Merchandise Mart over the years. Zuo Modern is one of several additions for 2011.
June 26,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on June 27, 2011
Furniture components supplier Hickory Springs and Craftmaster Furniture have delivered first prize to the winner of the 2011 EarthCare Challenge.
The companies built and delivered a child-friendly sectional sofa and loveseat to Sara's Pre-School in Ridgewood, N.J., featuring Hickory Springs' earth-friendly EarthCare Inside components made with Preserve bio-based foam.
Five schools from around the country competed in the national social media competition that took place this spring, submitting updates, photos and videos showing how they were going green in their schools and communities.
In addition to the furniture prize, the school received $1,000 from Hickory, N.C.-based Hickory Springs to help fund future environmental learning initiatives. The prize money was put towards starting an organic vegetable garden, while the furniture was placed in two of the schools common areas to provide more comfortable seating and to accommodate more children in the room.
"The kids chose to plant cherry tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. We're really grateful to Hickory Springs for the beautiful new furniture and for the cash award," said Sara's Pre-school Kindergarten Enrichment Teacher Sara Bauer. "Our students, parents, teachers and entire school community have learned a lot from this experience, and were encouraged to do even more to teach future generations about the importance of protecting our environment. It was a great feeling when the furniture arrived, too; the kids were excited to test out their new sofa."
Over 31 days, EarthCare Challenge II garnered over 1,200 fan votes on Facebook. More than 1,150 social media users have become fans of the contest on Facebook and Twitter to date.
"We feel fortunate that we could use social media as a platform to show the movement of our company, and the furniture industry in general, toward a greener standard," said Hickory Springs Executive Vice President Dwayne Welch. "We are also grateful to Craftmaster Furniture, who has been our partner since day one in handcrafting the EarthCare Inside furniture we award to the winners."
The first EarthCare Challenge launched in 2010, bringing to life the quest of young adults seeking to live more sustainably. This year's contest broadened Hickory Springs' reach through schools. Finalists brought together families, friends and communities at large to vote for their favorite teams through the contest's Facebook page.
The runner-up, Fair Lawn High School Environmental Club, received a Craftmaster club chair featuring EarthCare Inside and a plaque in recognition of their community project, "Creating a Plastic-Bottle-Free Campus."