Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
January 2,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on January 3, 2011
Furniture sales promotion specialist Profit Management Promotions has opened a southeastern regional office in Wilmington, N.C.
PMP made the move because of a rapid increase in the number of projects it is undertaking in the Southeast. PMP has recently launched a series of projects in Atlanta and south Florida and said it expects to sign on several more clients in the Southeast. The firm is hiring project managers to staff current and upcoming assignments for high-impact sales. It is also bringing on additional sales representatives needed to capitalize on new market opportunities the firm sees emerging in the area.
The establishment of its new North Carolina office follows PMP's move to a larger headquarters facility in the Philadelphia area earlier this year.
"Over the last several months, we've experienced a significant uptick in the number of projects throughout the Southeast U.S.," said Michael J. Egan, president and founder of PMP. "Consequently, it was strategically important to increase the number of project managers we have in the region in order to best serve our existing customers, as well as to help grow our business in the months ahead."
PMP also is launching business-planning services designed to help furniture retailers address changes in the marketplace and new opportunities, in concert with conducting high-impact sales to support growth and other strategic options.
The new service offering ties to the seminar PMP will at this month's Las Vegas Furniture Market. Themed "Is Your Business Ready for the Next 5 Years?," the workshop--1:30-2:30 p.m., Jan. 24, in World Market Center's Building C Retail Resource Center--will focus on the major strategic challenges confronting furniture retailers, and will outline how to develop "survival plans" to help home furnishings sellers address marketplace threats and opportunities.
PMP specializes in conducting high-impact sales for furniture retailers. The firm's projects include traditional going-out-of-business (GOB) sales, but an increasing number of assignments are focused on retail restructurings.
"Today many retailers are rethinking how, when, and why they consider high-impact sales events which, historically, were only used in GOB scenarios," said Ron Cooper, PMP's director of sales and marketing. "The steady increase we're seeing in our business is attributable, in part, to the growing interest furniture retailers are showing in restructurings, which are designed to improve a retailer's strategic growth options or to add marketing muscle to a given outlet's operations."
January 2,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on January 3, 2011
Furniture retailer Gill Brothers Furniture has donated more than $30,000 in mattresses to A Better Way of Muncie, Ind.
A Better Way provides shelter and services for victims of domestic violence.
In years past, Gill Brothers Furniture, also of Muncie has donated 10 percent to 15 percent of profits to local social service agencies. But this year the retailer did something different: When the store noticed mattresses left over from last year, instead of throwing them out the retailer donated them to A Better Way.
"This has been so exciting," said Christina Kelley of A Better Way. "It's definitely been a unique way to experience Christmas this year. To know that there are companies who care so much about our agency and the women we serve that they would do this ... says something about Gill Brothers and everyone else who helps us."
Kelley explained that some of the woman who received a mattress had been sleeping on beds with stains on them, mattresses with holes or slashes covered with tape. Now, they spent Christmas sleeping safely on a new, comfortable mattress.
"It feels good (to do this)," said Steve Gill of Gill Brothers Furniture. "We knew A Better Way would get these items to people who really need them. And they have."
January 2,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Closings on January 3, 2011
Charleston, S.C.-area furniture retailer Sofa Super Store will close its West Ashley furniture store March 31, the Post & Courier reported last week.
The location had served as a clearance center until it replaced the retailer's Savannah Highway location that was destroyed by a 2007 fire that took the lives of nine Charleston Firefighters. The retailer cited slow sales as the reason for the closure.
Sofa Super Store's North Charleston and Mount Pleasant locations will remain open.
January 2,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on January 3, 2011
Lifestyle home furnishings vendor Four Hands has promoted Jerome Kearns to executive vice president and chief operating officer.
In his expanded role, Kearns' primary responsibility is spearheading efforts to streamline the product development cycle, warehouse and logistics operations and daily operations of the company.
Kearns continues to report to Matthew Briggs, president and CEO of Four Hands. As part of his change in responsibilities, Kearns will hand over leadership of the sales force to Chris Miller, who joined the company in 2010.
"Since Jerome joined Four Hands two years ago, he has not only added value to every aspect of the company but has truly established himself as a natural leader who exemplifies our companies core values," Briggs said. "He has immersed himself in the business and has become an invaluable asset in helping guide the direction and strategy of level within the company our organization."
Kearns joined Austin, Texas-based Four Hands as chief operating officer in 2008 from Motion Computing, where he was senior vice president of global operations.
January 2,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Retail Closings on January 3, 2011
Ann Arbor, Mich., furniture retailer House of Sofas Furniture will go out of business, the company announced Tuesday.
Juanita Murphy and her late husband, Bob, founded House of Sofas in 1983. After Bob Murphy died in 1999, son Matthew Murphy and his mother continued the family business. The Murphys decided to close the store due to family health issues and the struggling economy.
A liquidation sale of the store's $2 million-plus inventory began Saturday with reductions up to 75 percent on all items from manufacturers that include Lane Furniture, Ashley Furniture, Englander, American Furniture Mfg., Homelegance and others.
"Every item in the House of Sofas multi-million dollar inventory will be sold, regardless of cost," Juanita Murphy said. "This is a wall-to-wall total liquidation."
Matt Murphy said decision to close the store has been a difficult one.
"We are a part of the neighborhood in Ann Arbor and we have loved being a part of so many families' lives," he said. "There comes a time to move on, while we can still offer our customers the quality merchandise and service we're known for."
He went on to assure current customers that House of Sofas will take care of all existing customers needs.
Northbrook, Ill.-based Deere Park Associates is advising House of Sofas on the event.