Licensing: The product has to support the name
Whether licensed products drive sales is a question that splits the home furnishings industry. Some swear by the sales they enjoy through efforts with licensed lines, others say they want to build their own brand rather than one connected with a celebrity, a designer or museum. Among those celebrity names are model Kathy Ireland, actress Jaclyn Smith and now financial personality Donald Trump.
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Tabletop vendors adapt to casual lifestyles
Tabletop Manufacturers have adapted to the casual dining trend and are expecting 2007 to be good, based on an extremely strong start. Abigail Voelker, co-owner of Abigails, said its 2006 sales were up. "We had a wonderful year," she said. "Our merchandise was on point so we felt lucky. Going into this year, our sales have been strong as well, however I hear from retailers that their sales aren'...
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Turning up the lights
The lighting category is expected to stay on its growth track this year, but manufacturers say rising material costs are making it harder for them to hold prices. Changing lifestyles with consumers seeking more fashionable lighting as well as aging and growing population trends continue to drive sales growth despite the long-anticipated housing slowdown.
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Monkey lamp lawsuit dismissed
U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson dismissed a federal lawsuit that accused a former Vintage Verandah product development/sales manager of copyright infringement related to stealing a squatting monkey lamp design, producing it and selling identical versions through Wal-Mart. Wilson ruled that designer Cricket Briggs created the Bubba Monkey lamp design while working as an independent contractor an...
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Accent furniture niche stays strong despite challenges
Accent furniture remains a shining star in the home furnishings industry and manufacturers expect the category's sales to grow slightly this year or at least stay level with 2006 sales despite dwindling numbers of retailers and a slower housing market. "The home furnishings industry in general is not as strong as it was four or five years ago," said Bill Cain, president, Chelsea House.
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Wall decor vendors upbeat about 2007
With so many players in the business, the state of the wall decor industry can be challenging to summarize, but overall, most vendors reported a solid 2006 and are very optimistic about 2007, based on early results from the winter markets. Dave Meyer, CEO of Willow Green, said because wall decor is the most recent category the company has added, it is still on a rapid growth track.
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Rug business flat for some, rising for others
Economic challenges ranging from a soft housing market and fluctuating interest rates to declining consumer confidence are taking their toll on the area rug business, which some importers and manufacturers say leveled off in 2006. Other rug-makers report increased sales and expect more growth this year.
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Organic, soy, scent key category's growth
Despite market saturation from overseas manufacturers and mass market retailers, candles and home fragrance product vendors say sales within the category remain healthy for specialty retailers who distinguish themselves through better offerings. "Good candles and home fragrance are still selling well," said Patti Upton, president and CEO of Aromatique.
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Broyhill adds accessory program
Broyhill Furniture is presenting Broyhill Home Solutions, an accessory collection designed to complement its furniture.
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Toland changes owner, name and sets direction for growth
After acquiring the assets and brand of Toland Enterprises, industry veteran Bruce Solly said he foresees the garden accessory vendor's future as being "more and better of the same." Toland's name change to Toland Home & Garden was his first noticeable alteration, but retailers can expect a bigger selection of product introductions, starting in January.
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Unique wall decor keeps category strong
Unusual wall decor offerings are keeping sales steady in the category, which continues to benefit from high-end, large-scale pieces designed to fit today's larger homes. "For us, sales are up (when compared) against last year," said Malanta Glassco-Knowles, vice president of marketing for Paragon Picture Gallery.
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Unusual textures, fabrics driving sales of soft goods
Unusual textures, embellishments and patterns are driving sales in the soft goods category for manufacturers of top of bed, pillows, throws and other such comfy home accents. "We're really seeing people who are looking for soft goods that are unique home accessories," said Judith Rose, vice president, Textillery Weavers.
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Taking home treasures
Wander through the homelike setting of LVNV the Home Store at the Wynn Las Vegas resort, see icons of the five-star resort hotel available for purchase and expect to find a treasure affordable enough to take home. Those shopper impressions are key to the strategy of Frank Schipano, senior retail buyer, who brought along his experience as a home shopping channel's director of product development...
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Inspiring upscale nests
Nest Featherings is a fitting name for the mid- to high-end retail store providing fine furniture and interior design options to feather the nests of Las Vegas area homeowners. Last month, Nest Featherings owner LaRayn Sorenson was overseeing renovations of her 40,000-sq.-ft., two-story freestanding store in preparation for her showroom's reopening event this month.
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Shopping as entertainment
Luana Murphy talks about talented friends, set changes and uses the word "evolve" to describe what's happening at her store, LG Gallery — Liberty Glenn, a Las Vegas home accents haven. "I think my best business idea ever was to just continually evolve the store," Murphy said. "We are certainly not what we started out to be and we are not the store that we were five years ago.
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Stores grow with Las Vegas
Growth in double-digit figures has marked the two years since Craig and Donna Staack opened their first Lane Home Furnishings store in the Henderson area of Las Vegas. That was the couple's plan as they looked at the fast-growing metro area's demographics and selected sites. They also saw double-digit growth in their second dedicated Lane store, which opened in December 2004 in Las Vegas.
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Suburban Silk to open store
After fielding multiple questions from retailers in their exhibition booth, the partners operating Suburban Silk decided to open a small retail store in Boulder, Colo., and to share their first-hand knowledge with retail customers.
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Candice Olson updates classics to create contemporary comfort
Taking traditional and classic cues, Candice Olson pares down home furnishings, gives them a contemporary twist, adds stylized dressmaker details and brings them up-to-date to meet the needs of today's consumers.
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Jaclyn Smith launching accents
Retailers got a glimpse of rugs and wall art extensions to the Jaclyn Smith Collection this market with a soft launch at the Hickory Hill Furniture showroom.
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