March 16,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on March 17, 2011
Organic mattress specialist Naturepedic will debut a new retail marketing program at High Point Furniture Market, April 2-7.
In space 413 of the International Home Furnishings Center's Main wing, Chagrin Falls, Ohio-based Naturepedic will highlight the program, which features twin, full and queen size children's organic mattresses.
"This kids' mattress program has been designed to offer healthier organic products for children," said Founder Barry Cik, a 25-year veteran Board Certified Environmental Engineer. He said today's mothers are very concerned about the health and safety of their children and they are looking for products that are non-allergenic, non-toxic, environmentally safe and void of harmful chemicals.
The program was designed specifically for furniture and mattress stores looking to offer healthier children's beds. A store can start with a placement of one or two floor models, or they can receive a full three-bed gallery. These mattresses can also be displayed in children's beds or bunk beds that the store may already be selling. In addition, Naturepedic offers crib and infant mattresses as well as accessories for all their mattresses, including organic waterproof mattress pads, quilted toppers, pillows, sheets, changing table pads, and more.
Naturepedic's beds are the first to feature LEVEL 3 of the Specialty Sleep Association's Environmental and Safety Program "truth in green marketing" tags. Naturepedic features such certifications as GREENGUARD and the Global Organic Textile Standard, and is a pioneer with the LEVEL 3 of the SSA program, which allows retailers and their customers to understand the contents of a mattress and to assure concerned consumers about safety and health issues.
According to Naturepedic, its rigorous crib and kids' mattress standards exceed requirements the U.S. government passed in 2009 banning several chemicals from the manufacturing process used to make baby mattresses.
March 15,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on March 16, 2011
The MEGA Group, at its annual convention recently held in San Antonio, offered its members new platforms needed to create advanced websites.
The buying group has worked with Retailer Web Services (RWS), an Arizona-based web strategy firm, for several years to help group members built websites. Beginning at this year's convention, RWS made a special offer for MEGA members to upgrade to its WebFronts Premium and Premium Plus product suites at a reduced price.
"We can't control where a dealer puts his store, but we can give him a website that rivals anyone in the country," the group's president, Rick Bellows, said in an interview.
The features in the new platforms include search engine optimization, advanced ecommerce capabilities, the ability to establish web-based 800 phone numbers and to create special web fronts that include individual products. The Premium Plus platform features more advanced SEO tools and the ability to handle auto rebates and to host a next generation shopping cart.
After the presentation, dozens of attendees rushed the stage to sign up for the product. The first 50 dealers to sign up received 50% off the setup cost of a Premium or Premium Plus package.
Kyle and Kraig Edelman, brothers who run Kupferschmid, an electrical and appliance business in Pointiac lll, signed up because they needed more advanced e-commerce features to handle an increase in business.
The main goal of this years convention, Bellows said, was to "help dealers separate themselves from the competition." The group has about 1,500 members, 300 who sell appliances only, 300 who sell furniture only and 800 who sell a combination of those.
Bellows added that the group has "a lot of positives going on," including GDP growth and low interest rates. While overall appliance sales were down 5% last year, Bellows said his groups appliance sales grew by double digits
March 15,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in economic news on March 16, 2011
The Furniture Buying Index crept up one more point this month to a reading of 75, according to
America's Research Group.
Since December, 2010, the Index has been moving up one point each month.
The Furniture Buying Index continues to move up slightly this month as consumers get their income tax refund checks, said Britt Beemer, chairman of Americas Research Group. Some consumers now have money available for discretionary purchases and many are returning to buy furniture which they have postponed purchasing.
The Furniture Buying Index is compiled each month by ARG from interviews with 5,000 to 8,000 consumers across the country. In a typical month, 80 percent of the consumers interviewed can name a specific furniture item they intend to buy.
March 15,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in economic news on March 16, 2011
Americans will spend more of their income tax refunds on big ticket items such as furniture this year, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
NRF's 2011 Tax Returns Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, indicates 13.2 percent of Americans will spend their refund on a big ticket item, up from 12.5 percent last year.
More people will also put their refunds away for a rainy day (42.1 percent vs. 40.3 percent in 2010).
"Despite the difficult unemployment situation across the country, Americans receiving a tax refund this year seem eager to plough this money back into the economy," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "With sales momentum continuing to build, NRF is becoming more bullish about the economic recovery."
While some will toss frugality out the window, there are still 41.9 percent of consumers who plan to pay down debt. Other ways consumers will use their refunds include vacation (11.9 percent), and everyday expenses (29.7 percent).
"Many Americans have spent the last few years paying down debt with their tax refunds, but for some, it's the perfect time to buy something nice for a change," said Phil Rist, executive vice president, strategic initiatives, BIGresearch. "Others are also looking to the future though, by putting their 'free money' in a savings account, with the recession serving as a perfect reminder of the need to be prepared."
March 15,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on March 16, 2011
Jeremy R. Hoff, the new vice president of sales for A.R.T. Furniture, will help strengthen the company's selling and customer service efforts throughout North America.
The release issued earlier this week incorrectly indicated he would only be responsible for sales on the East Coast.
Based in A.R.T.'s High Point office, Hoff reports to Bill Sibbick, senior vice president of sales and marketing.