911 to retailers

Becky Boswell Smith -- Home Accents Today, 11/1/2006

You know how it is with an idea — it works pretty well and then you decide to embellish it a bit more so it will be a better idea.

That's the way it is here at Home Accents Today, where we're always trying to improve content for readers. To that end, we have made a few changes in a regular feature we call Business Update.

For 2007, there will be more stories (12, as a matter of fact) taking a snapshot of a specific category of product from the perspective of manufacturers and importers.

What we need from you retailers is some help. We have created a quick survey form to help us provide information from retailers about how well a specific category is selling in their stores. It's simple for you. Just go to the link for the survey, take a few minutes to complete and submit.

Here's the link: www.homeaccentstoday.com/RugSurvey

You also can access the survey by going to the home page of our Web site.

If you're lucky as well as helpful, and choose to give us your name, you may win the newly redesigned iPod Shuffle we are giving away each month. Thanks, in advance, for helping us.

More than $50 million was spent last year by American households on lamps, area rugs and wall decor. That's an impressive number, for sure, and equally impressive are their thoughts about where they spend their money. Whether shopping at a discount department store or a home accent/gift store, a traditional furniture store or a lifestyle store like Crate & Barrel or Z Gallerie, shoppers told us their impressions of each channel.

Take a look at the results (page 14). You might be surprised to see some of the perceptions shoppers have of the various kinds of stores.