Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 25,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on April 26, 2011
Winners have been named in the annual Virginia Jackson Design Competition, sponsored by the Educational Foundation of the International Textile Market Association, producer of the semi-annual Showtime fabric show.
The Virginia Jackson Design Awards recognize outstanding textile design students in three categoriesjacquard, dobby and print.
This year, the 63 entries from 11 schools, were judged on aesthetic form, ability to be manufactured and applicability to furniture products, with nine designs selected as winners. The top designs will be displayed in Suites at Market Square throughout Summer Showtime June 5-8.
A big part of the mission of ITMAs Educational Foundation is to encourage creative individuals to enter the home furnishings textile field, and we are always thrilled by the excellence of the entries we receive, said Catherine Morsell, executive director.
The winners in each category are:
JACQUARD
1st Place Leigh Hawkins, North Carolina State University
2nd Place Natasha Rosenber, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention Katherine Labate, Philadelphia University
DOBBY
1st Place Mary Armacost, Philadelphia University
2nd Place Marissa Haback, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention Julia Frisch, Rhode Island School of Design
PRINT
1st Place Aubrey Owada, Michigan State University
2nd Place Jessica Cates Miller, University of Georgia
Honorable Mention Elizabeth Weissert, Philadelphia University
Each winner receives a monetary prize, and each first-place winners school also receives $1,000 donated to its textile design department. In addition, the first-place winners in each category are flown expenses-paid to Showtime to be honored and meet with members of the industry during an evening social event. The students are encouraged to bring their portfolios with them.
Judges for this year's competition were Wesley Mancini, Wesley Mancini Ltd.; Kim Grimsley, K. Grimsley Designs, LLC; Todd Bowles and Roxy Ulmsten, both of Convergence; Sara Gray, Design Consultant Sourcing; Todd Nifong, Altizer & Co. Decorative Textiles; Cathy Smith, De Leo Textiles; and Erica Youngleson, American Decorative Fabrics.
April 25,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 26, 2011
The RoomPlace has relaunched its Web site to improve online sales and drive consumers into its stores.
The Lombard, Ill.-based retailer worked with
Blueport Commerce to create the new Web site.
"Blueport helps us deliver a truly seamless cross-channel experience for our shoppers," said Kathryn Kerrigan, eCommerce manager for The RoomPlace. "The platform ensures that our site automatically adjusts to a user's location, which means all aspects of the shopping experiencefrom the merchandise, pricing, promotions to delivery details and local store informationare dynamically localized for the customer. With this strategy, we are able to target customers on a national level, while capitalizing on the strength and expertise of our local store network to drive and deliver sales."
Other site features include:
Dynamic Product Catalog: An enhanced product catalog and navigation help shoppers quickly find products they are looking for and explore the items in a visual, informative format. The site offers shoppable room images while rotating carousels provide a quick path for piece shoppers. Shoppers can browse available room packages, items, recommended products and recently viewed items from any product page. Blueports Content Management System gives The RoomPlace team control over how promotional materials are displayed, and when, where and for what geographic regions they appear.
Interactive and Real-Time Information: To help customers navigate their big-ticket purchases online, RoomPlace.com provides customer service representatives to answer questions, via online chat or phone. A collaboration tool on the site allows shoppers to find information on local stores carrying a particular item, print a store ready page or seek feedback on an item from their social networks. Emphasizing The RoomPlaces local delivery, the site highlights real-time availability dates on product pages and in the shopping cart. The site is integrated with The RoomPlaces inventory systems, providing online shoppers with the same information available in stores, and automatically inserting orders into the retailers delivery system for fast, easy, reliable fulfillment.
Enhanced Checkout: An enhanced checkout process presents customers with coupons and offers, and recommends value added items, such as specific product warranties or protection. Customers can save items for later, as well as buy SKUs seen in stores, but not yet merchandised online.
"Retailers in big-ticket categories such as furniture are often daunted at translating the complexities of their business online, while still catering to the unique shopping needs of their customer," said Morgan Woodruff, chief operating officer at Blueport Commerce. "Blueports platform makes this process simple, helping these retailers develop e-commerce strategies tailored to their unique businesses."
The RoomPlace currently operates 23 stores.
April 25,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 26, 2011
GA Keen Realty Advisors will assist in the marketing and disposition of properties formerly operated by bankrupt high-end furniture retailer Robb & Stucky.
GA Keen Realty Advisors, a Woodland Hills, Calif.-based division of Great American Group (OTC: GAMR) provides real estate analysis, valuation and strategic planning services, brokerage, auction services, lease restructuring services and real estate capital market services.
GA Keen is marketing a total of 24 sites. The majority of the lease-held former retail properties, which range in size from 5,000 square feet to 324,000 square feet, are located in Florida, with others in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Texas.
GA Keen Realty Advisors also is marketing a fee-owned property, located on South Tamiami Trail in Bonita Springs, Fla., which includes a 34,524-square-foot building on a two-acre site that offers an excellent opportunity for users, developers or investors.
"We expect some strong interest among other retail companies that are expanding and looking for space similar in size to these vacated properties," said Matthew Bordwin, co-president of GA Keen Realty Advisors. "Also, given the variation of showrooms and retail outlets Robb & Stucky operated, there is a wide variety of retail space to choose from."
Battered by a weak housing market since 2007, Fort Myers, Fla.-based Robb & Stucky filed for bankruptcy reorganization in U.S. District Court in Tampa on Feb. 18 to stabilize its operations and sell its assets.
For more information about the former Robb & Stucky properties, contact GA Keen Realty Advisors at 646.381.9222 or via e-mail.
April 24,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on April 25, 2011
Leggett & Platt's Bedding group (NYSE: LEG) is branding its fabric-encased coils as Comfort Core.
The new brand will focus on Leggett & Platt's attention to the consumers' request for comfort, and it will also leverage the company's technology. The company said Comfort Core products are built for comfort and support and eliminate the need for layers of fabric and foam.
"When you are able to reduce the excessive height of a mattress and eliminate the foam and fiber that typically cause body impressions, you end up with a better product for the consumer," said Mark Quinn, segment vice president of marketing at Leggett & Platt. "When it comes to
mattresses, we teach consumers that thicker is better. Its time we addressed this myth. Comfort
Core will exceed consumer expectations for comfort, and prove that you can build value in a
smaller profile mattress."
Quinn said the biggest issue retailers face in selling mattresses is the high number of returns.
"If we start telling a better story and eliminate the misguided beliefs that cause this problem, we can exceed customer expectations with the end product," he said. "We think Comfort Core products will help bedding manufacturers do that."
The Comfort Core product line will include the company's following coil types: Body Print, Body Print Advanced, Bolsa, Hi-Low, Joey and Softech.
April 24,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Bedding on April 25, 2011
from http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z4548735797&z=1250249027
We've all seen them. Graphic and heartbreaking images from the devastation in Japan. Ashley Furniture Store Owner Ed Burglund said he couldn't just stand by and watch.
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