From the Editor
Thoughts and musings on the business of home accents.
Redecorate complete
It took me more than a year, but I have finally finished the redecoration of my bedroom.I found it oddly hard to do. Being exposed to so much product at markets and with our issues, it became very difficult for me to choose. And because I am so exposed, I was determined not to settle, but to find EXACTLY the right pieces. And I almost succeeded, but admit there was one component of the room where... Read More
Comments (0)Market in pictures
It's been a busy and interesting High Point Market. I spent some of my time shooting videos to help show off some of what's new and what's happening here in High Point this week.Our series of Product Spotlight videos, from Saturday, Sunday and Monday are available for the next month or so. Take a look -- we offer some great showroom tours from a variety of companies and representing all sorts of g... Read More
Comments (0)Future Focused
Well, we didn't go over the cliff, but we are sequestered, and it looks as though we WON'T just completely shut down (at least for a few more months). Way to go, U.S. government, for adding more than a few unneeded and unnecessary layers of instability to this fragile recovery.But, it seems like the American public is more or less starting to ignore all the doomsday talk and getting on with this r... Read More
Comments (0)What can pickup trucks tell us?
I love a good, positive economic indicator. So, here's a fun one for you. Pickup truck sales were up 18% for the month of February. "Why?" you ask, "Why do I care?" you may also reasonably ask. One word: Housing.Turns out pickup truck sales are directly correlated to construction. And the construction business all of the sudden is all about housing. Thus reports NPR on why the... Read More
Comments (0)New NY Design Event set for May
I received an interesting press release last week, outlining plans for a New York City-wide design event set for May. It sounds like a great event for anyone in the design field, of course, but I also like what it says about various industries coming together to promote the importance of good design. Is there a model for something like this in our own segment of the industry? What can we as an ind... Read More
Comments (0)How was your winter market season?
Fresh off the whirlwind winter market cycle, I had a few thoughts.The mood was definitely good everywhere I went. Traffic was steady everywhere, and the halls, though not necessarily packed, were full of serious buyers. I observed much fewer "lookie-loo's" and much more order writing. It was common to get to a showroom to overhear reps telling buyers that all their scanners were in use.... Read More
Comments (0)When bad news is good
The bad news: There's a rise in American household debt.The good news: That's actually good news.This, according to an Oct. 26 article by The New York Times. The lead: "For the first time since the Great Recession hit, American households are taking on more debt than they are shedding, an epochal shift that might augur a more resilient recovery."In some ways it feels counter-intuitive (i... Read More
Comments (0)Sign language
The American Lighting Association conference last month left with me a lot more knowledge about the lighting industry, as well as a few other random observations that took place while I was in Scottsdale for the event.My colleague and I took a stroll around the shopping center adjoining our hotel on our free afternoon. The center was full of nice boutique apparel and gift stores, as well as a good... Read More
Comments (1)Let's Talk
Have you heard? There's a presidential election coming up in a couple of months. There's a school of thought that American consumer spending tends to dip in presidential election years, as people hold back until they know who their next leader will be. I admit I am a skeptic of this theory - perhaps this year more than ever. It's just hard for me to envision any real change coming to DC in the sh... Read More
Comments (0)Hoping for rain
My daily 30-mile commute from the country to the "big city" takes me past hundreds of acres of farmland.For the past three springs, I have watched as the farmers dutifully sowed their corn crop for the upcoming season. It's a highlight of my long drive to observe the amazingly quick growth of the tall, green stalks for most of the late spring and early summer, when the rainfall is consis... Read More
Comments (2)The Competition
I read an interesting article recently about declining sales at Walmart.Written by The Motley Fool and on the Daily Finance website, the story indicated that quarterly same-store sales had been declining for some time. Though they rebounded a bit in the most recent quarter, earnings for that period were down 13%. This particular story points to changing consumer behavior as the reason for the decl... Read More
Comments (2)A Penney Saved
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU heard some really interesting retail strategies from a department store?The current retail era is one where local and regional department stores have largely been swallowed up by a handful of major conglomerates, and sameness seems to rule at all of them, whether you are shopping in Herald Square or on Michigan Avenue or at a local mall in Anytown, USA.But JCPenney, one... Read More
Comments (0)
