The Landfair Retail Focus
For retailers, FROM a retailer -- items of interest and practical advice for retailers of home furnishings and accessories from a retailer in Portland, Oregon.
My Last Post
This will be my last post here at "Home Accents Today." I started writing this blog in July of 2007 focused on fellow retailers. I chronicled the terrible destruction of many retailers and manufacturers while maintaining a positive attitude. I tried to bring business ideas to your attention that might serve as additional sources of revenue. "The Landfair Retail Focus" steadily picked up visit... Read More
Comments (5)47 Interior Design Blogs
At Linked in, Ryan Calkins, member of the IIDA group, asked interior designers the question, "What are your favorite Interior Design blogs?" I thought the results were very interesting. Sure, there were the usual popular blogs like Apartment Therapy and Decor8; Design Sponge and Trendir, but there were so many more that were new to me. Here in alphabetical order is the list with a link to th... Read More
Comments (5)What Are Berber Area Rugs?
(Click on image to enlarge) Google alerted me to a new “area rugs” entry. This time posted by Dr. Rob posting to Build-a-Home Blog.com. The entry was Get Cosy [sic] With Berber Area Rugs. Dr. Rob starts off by writing, What is the best relaxation environment for you? Well, guess again, scientists have observed that it is a cozy room, with a fireplace and some Berber area rugs between where... Read More
Comments (3)Meijer And Katie Brown Team Up
Meijer, Internet Retailer Hot 100 2009, has announced a partnership with Katie Brown who is an author, syndicated columnist and host of "Katie Brown Workshop" on PBS. Hendrik Meijer (pronounced Mayer) was a Dutch immigrant and Greenville, Michigan barber who decided to enter the grocery business in 1934 during the Great Depression. The company is widely credited with pioneering the big box sto... Read More
Comments (1)Another Look At Toxic Sofas
In May of 2009 I posted that Dimethly Fumarate (DMF) May Be A Problem. According to the BBC, China includes in the packaging of leather products it ships "some sachets containing dimethly fumarate (DMF), an antifungal agent intended to prevent the leather from getting moldy during storage and shipment. The chemical evaporates, penetrating the leather and can transfer to clothing and skin. Even sm... Read More
Comments (1)Nambé Wins Two ADEX Awards
Coquille wine chiller I can’t say I was familiar with Nambé until our wedding when we received several Nambe platters as wedding presents. Nambé (pronounced nom-BAY) was named for a tiny village near Santa Fe in Northern New Mexico in 1951. The most distinguishing characteristic of Nambé is that the company is devoted to both form and function: timeless art you can use every day. In fact, crea... Read More
Comments (0)Factoring Business Moves To Solid Footing
Good news for us all! Retail appears to be getting its sources for financing settled. First, according to management consultant Peter Cohan, CIT exited from a pre-packaged bankruptcy that "is likely (to cause it) to scale back to its core business of lending to small and medium sized businesses." CIT will still have to find a way to manage its debt structure so its funding costs are more in... Read More
Comments (1)Back In The USA!
Bev and I are back from two weeks in Mazatlan. I had all sorts of plans to visit furniture stores and speak with interior designers in the city. You know what? After a damp, cold and sunless winter on top of the economic climate, it was just great to sit by the pool and soak up the sun. I blew off all thoughts of business and focused on my tan and Mexican food. There are all sorts of scary... Read More
Comments (0)The New Linens And Things
Back in February of 2006 Linens & Things was taken over by NRDC Real Estate Advisors and shareholders received $1.3 billion. Linens ‘n Things operated 542 stores in 47 states and six provinces in Canada. At the time of the takeover, the folks at NRDC said…"underlying fundamentals of Linens ‘n Things remain strong, including strong brand name recognition, attractive real estate locations and t... Read More
Comments (0)A Social Media Networking Aha Moment!
Lately, I’ve been concerned that while Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is very much involved in social media networking, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn etc., we’ve barely scratched the surface of what could be done. I say that because in the March 3rd Oregonian Business section there’s an article about startup ShopIgniter receiving $3 million in VC funding.ShopIgniter seeks to pair... Read More
Comments (0)Ethniciti: For The African-American Consumer
My blog post about DesignerAtHome.com prompted a lot of comments at LinkedIn. I don’t know if you have to be a member of a particular group to read the discussions, however, Bill Sands commented on the post at the Interior Design Group. He gave me permission to reprint his comments. Bill Sands is owner, CEO, and creative director at ethniciti. What is ethniciti?ethniciti will offer a sensua... Read More
Comments (2)Nichols & Stone Is Back With Upholstery!
Back in 2008, I mourned the loss of Nichols & Stone, an old line furniture that traces its roots to 1762. In July, 2008 after a lot of work trying to keep the plant functioning and keep solid employees, the company was sold to Stickley. At the time FURNITURE Today reported "…the U.S. furniture manufacturer, will be run as a separate division of Stickley. New product in the line will make its... Read More
Comments (1)
