Monday, March 28, 2011
THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY
WestPoint Home Aims for Return to Profitability BY JENNIFER MARKS NEW YORK — Coming off a year with more than 16% in top-line growth, WestPoint Home is focusing on its brands and technological introductions in 2011 as it
Company Teams with Space Bag for Packaging Line Page 11 looks to restore profitability. “On an EBIDA [earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization] basis, we lost less last year than the year before,”
said president and ceo John Piazza, adding the kicker was higher raw material prices. He added, “The top line is growing not just because of price. The top line is growing because the product is good.” Hanes, the company’s most recent branded introduction, debuted in January in 2,000 Walmart hot spots and is rolling in to two other retailers, he said. The home textiles line, like the apparel accessories line, is designed to go into multiple retail channels. “Some retailers jump into the SEE PROFITS PAGE 11
Sure Fit Slipping Into A Younger Market BY JENNIFER WHITE KARP N EW YORK — Sure Fit thinks young people make a good fit with the company. At the recent New York Home Fashions Market, the manufacturer that dominates the slipcover industry unveiled looks targeting a new segment of consumers – college students and young adults. The company showed a fashion forward line of covInside This Issue ers and floor cushions in denim and red tick- Tapping into Quick Response Marketing ..................page 4 ing stripe, as well as new Learned at patterns that take their Lessons New York Textiles Market ...................page 4 inspiration from mensIzod Signs with Comfort Revolution ...page 6 wear. The company is mak- WestPoint Home Gets into Space Saving ..................................page 11 ing a foray into the hosSEE YOUNG PAGE 11 FIT Toasts Barry Leonard .......................page 12
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hometextilestoday.com
| Vol. 32, No. 9 | $8.00
Welspun Tackles Prices With New Items BY JENNIFER MARKS N EW YORK — Welspun addressed cotton pricing issues with several new constructions that debuted earlier this month during New York Home Fashions Market. “We understand there’s a lot of pressure on retails,” said Jerry McCarthy, U.S. sales director, who added the manufacturer has come up with “creative ways to hit a price point.” In towels, the company has devised a series of constructions in good/better/best tiers. At the good level — set In addition to shifting constructions to address pricing, Welspun SEE INTROS PAGE 10
showed a line of fancies that can hit opening price points.
Carole Sloan Scholarship Established at FIT NEW YORK — HTT founding editorin-chief Carole Sloan’s support of education is being commemorated by the establishment of a scholarship program in her honor for the Home Products Development Program at the Fashion Insitute of Technology. The Carole Sloan Fund was endowed with a $50,000 contribution by Steve Pond, the entrepreneur who founded HTT and sister publication Furniture Today. SEE FIT PAGE 10 Steve Pond, left, founder of Home Textiles Today, with Peter Brown, husband of the late HTT founding editor Carole Sloan, at the FIT scholarship event. See page 12 for additional photos from the event.
3/25/2011 2:20:25 PM
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Home Textiles Today
Retail Briefs Dollar General to Open 10th DC
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ollar General will open its 10th distribution center next winter. The $60 million facility will be located in Bessemer, Ala. Dollar General’s other distribution centers are located in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, Ohio, South Carolina and Indiana. The retailer operates 498 stores in Alabama and 9,300 in total.
Cost Plus Reclaims FY Profit
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igher initial markups and few markdowns helped boost Cost Plus’ profitability during the recent fiscal year. Net income from continuing operations for fiscal 2010 was $4.7 million or 21 cents per share compared to a loss of $46.2 million or $2.09 per diluted share last year. Sales rose 5.7% to $916.6 million, with comps up 7.2%. For the fourth quarter, net income from continuing operations rose 37.1% to $28.8 mill, or $1.24 per share. Sales climbed 7.1% to #341.6 million, with comps rising 7.7%.
Jo-Ann Shareholders Approve Equity Firm Deal
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o-Ann Stores’ shareholders voted in favor of a $1.6 billion buyout from Leonard Green & Partners, 99% giving their approval to the transaction. Shareholders will receive $61 in cash for each share of common stock they hold. Jo-Ann will become a private company. The fabrics and crafts retailer has 751 stores in 48 states. Leonard Green and its affiliates also own Whole Foods Market, Petco, The Container Store and Neiman Marcus Group, among other properties.
JCPenney, Target Recognized for Diversity
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CPenney was ranked the No. 1 retailer for diversity by DiversityInc during the diversity management firm’s annual awards dinner in Washington. Target was ranked the second most diverse retailer. Among all U.S. companies, JCP and Target ranked 35th and 44th, respectively. No other retailers made DiversityInc’s Top 50 list.
Former Dollar General Exec Named The Bargain Shop ceo
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he Bargain Shop — 238-store Canadian general merchandise chain — has promoted Beryl “Jack” Buley to president and ceo. He joined the company late last year at evp and chief merchandising officer. Prior to that, he was division president of merchandising, marketing and global supply chain at Dollar General. Previously, he spent 16 years with Kohl’s. His predecessor at The Bargain Shop, Michael Roellinghoff, will become vice chairman of the board. The company will begin testing a re-designed retail format that offers a greater assortment of convenience products, including grocery.
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March 28, 2011
News
> hometextilestoday.com
1888 Mills Touts USA-Made Towels BY CECILE B. CORRAL N EW YORK — As the last domestic manufacturer of towels left in the United States, 1888 Mills said it has the advantage over many of its competitors amid the current cotton price crisis. “Our ‘Made in the USA’ message has height and awareness with retailers,” Fulton Allen, pres-
ident, told HTT. With that in mind, the company came to market emphasizing its USA-made products, which currently make up about 10% of the company’s total category offering. The strategy is working, Allen noted. “We’re getting a lot of interest from retailers for our Made in
USA goods because we’re the only ones left, really,” he said. Also a point of distinction for market, he continued, is 1888’s licensed collections with Clorox for anti-bacterial and anti-microbial kitchen textiles and its newest line with Coca-Cola for recycled fiber made goods. “Our brands are also our focus,” he said. HTT
Ex-Cell/Croscill/Glenoit Expand Collections BY CECILE B. CORRAL
Corinthia is among Croscill’s new styles.
N EW YORK — After a brief and
experimental journey into the uncharted territory of simplified contemporary looks, the Croscill division of Ex-Cell/Croscill/Glenoit made a quick comeback to its roots as a design house of rich and opulent bedding, soft window and bath styles. “We’re again focused on the detailing and embellishment that has always been the backbone of Croscill’s look,” Daivd North, vp of marketing, told HTT. “We moved away from it for a little while to try some more contemporary, simpler, less ornate looks. But it’s what we do best, and retailers have asked us to give them back the Croscill look we’ve been known for.” As part of the renewed statement, the company shifted its showroom, which is on the sixth floor of 295 Fifth Ave., to accommodate 19 beds dressed in new Croscill styles, including the silver-and-white Corinthia and the bold black Pomegranate collection, among the many others. The theme translated across to the soft window treatment and
bath coordinate categories with equally opulent matching groupings. “We’re using the same philosophy in window and bath in Croscill,” North added. On that vein, the company expanded its offering of freestanding soft window with 42 lavish looks, all of them displayed in a new section alongside the bedding space. Also new to Croscill this market: the addition of kitchen textiles to its line. As is the case in its core categories, these goods are devoid of basic looks. Instead, all of the pieces — kitchen towels, dishcloths, oven mitts and potholders — are embellished and/or
embroidered terry cloth. Designs span everyday to seasonal. On the Ex-Cell side, the company has created a new utility bath accessory collection that takes the business into new categories, including shower shelving and caddies, fabric storage caddies and laundry baskets. Glenoit, the company’s rug division, is spotlighting its new Kitchen Kashmere collection of supersoft kitchen accent rugs. “An offshoot of the comfort kitchen mat,” explained Debbie Powell, vp of merchandising, these synthetic Kitchen Kashmere rugs take their touch-and-feel cues from the trendy and soft microfiber kitchen towels popular in the marketplace. HTT
Surya Focuses on Lower Priced Offerings N EW YORK — Trying to balance
the increasing cost of doing business with demands from retailers for sharply priced products, Surya Inc. came to market with several new collections that are broad in construction and design but narrow in price focus — $199 and below. “Our costs are up about 15%, and while our margins are great, they are not so great that we can absorb the 15% cost increases,” said Satya Tiwari, president. “So we are preparing for the future.” Tiwari said “what is already in our warehouse,” or existing prod-
uct, “is not being increased in price. We can’t raise those prices, and we don’t want to because we want to work with our retail partners, not get them out of business. That doesn’t help anyone.” Instead, the company is “trading up with our new products, pricing them right to offer the right value while helping us with our increasing costs.” Developing such products has been a challenge lately for Surya, and others in the industry, as “now there is more demand for raw materials but fewer and fewer producers than ever before,” Tiwari cited, “so
this is just going to get harder.” One way of achieving acceptable prices to appease the current retail appetite is despecing “where necessary and possible”, Tiwari noted, “so that if the retailer doesn’t want a rug for $199, we change the product somewhat while not making the product feel different but still offering value while keeping the same look.” That said, Surya’s new $199and-under rugs include machine wovens made in Egypt and several multi-colored shag styles as well as new weave constructions and new outdoor varieties. HTT
3/24/2011 11:26:32 AM
cornerstone of the home textile market Best Building. Best Rent. Best Tenants. That’s why industry leaders such as Mohawk, Glenoit, Shaw, Oriental Weavers, Welspun, Home Dynamix, Gertmanian, YMF Carpets, Achim Importing, KAS Rugs, Carpet Enterprises, Natco Products, Town & Country Living and Ruia Home make 295 Fifth their home. Make it yours, and you can enjoy these advantages: • More actual square footage for your rental $. 295 Fifth has the lowest loss factor in the home textile showroom market.* Compare our space measurements and you’ll see how you’re paying much less for actual square footage at 295. • The most Market Week traffic. 295 Fifth is the only building to rent exclusively to the home textiles, tabletop and gift industries for showrooms. And we have more than double the number of showrooms than any other building. • Free freight service and more freight cars running full-time, including weekends prior to each Market Week. • State-of-the-art security and 15 daytime employees—twice the staff of any comparable building to keep the building spotless and well-serviced.
Be part of the best for less! Call Lou Lombardi at 212-685-0530. LOU LOMBARDI, President MANHATTAN PROPERTIES COMPANY Owner/Management *according to official REBNY guidelines
295 FIFTH AVENUE • NEW YORK, NY 10016 • 212-685-0530 • ceo295@aol.com
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3/8/2011 2:28:49 PM
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Home Textiles Today
March 28, 2011
> hometextilestoday.com
OPINIONTodaY Tapping into Quick Response Marketing “At the New York Home Fashions, we saw stirrings of smart phone marketing coming from home textiles manufacturers — QR initiatives.”
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A PPI NG I N TO SM A R T PHON E SHOPPI NG is the holy grail for many retail marketers, and at the New York Home Fashions Market two weeks ago we saw stirrings of smart phone marketing coming from home textiles manufacturers — QR initiatives. QR (quick response) is a printed code that looks like a jazzed up bar code. Consumers can scan the code with their smart phones and connect to enhanced product information. At Royale Linens, packaging for the new Vicki Payne brand will carry QR coding that will provide information about how to decorate around the bedding (paint selection, for examEDITOR-IN-CHIEF ple). When Vicki Payne towels launch later this year (with American Dawn) QR on the tags will provide consumers with bath décor ideas, such as how to select tiles. Hollander showed QR coding on some of its upcoming Back-to-School packaging that will tie into a broader Hollander social networking campaign that teaches consumers about how to “Live Comfortably,” a Hollander tagline. Primaloft is using QR in advertisements and offering it to retailers to use on packaging and point of sales materials. Its QR connects shoppers to information about Primaloft fiber and how it is used in the product being scanned. Broadly, the idea is to serve a new consumer who, as one Hollander exec put it, has a “bring it to me” philosophy about shopping. For Mohawk Home, it’s part of an aggressive new initiative that involves a new website and social media. Mohawk’s QR coding can link to a variety of information like what size rug mat should go with a particular rug, what size rug is suitable for a specific room or how to care for rugs. American Textile Company is also calling out its QR initiatives this week, with QR codes on stands next to each new product introduction group. Some of the ideas being offered to retailers are QR on packaging or at POS to provide expanded product information, customer reviews or videos about use and/or care. ProtectA-Bed unveiled new product launch packs with QR codes on the packaging that link to product information and educational videos. The company has also started incorporating QR codes on marketing materials. HTT
Jennifer Marks
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I Went to New York Textiles Market ... And All I Got Was a Lousy Price Increase.
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ID YOU BU Y T HE T-SHIRT this month in New York? It was very popular. Looking back on market week, it’s pretty clear that this will forever be known as the one when the pricing fever finally broke. It took a pretty long time and it wasn’t pretty, but there were finally some rational and even semi-realistic conversations about what to do about the 800-pound cotton elephant in the room. Looking back, here are some of the things I saw at market: 1. OK, We Get It. Six months ago when vendors said they had to raise prices because of all the cost increases in blah, blah, blah, the buyers just looked at them as if they were talking in tongues and told them where to put their price increases. This time around, when vendors said the same spiel, buyers said, “Look, we hate this, but we understand. What are we going to do about it?” It was a huge difference and one that marked a turning point in the legendary supplier-buyer partnership that we all know is the very foundation of the industry … that and the Easter Warren Bunny. 2. Polly Want Some Poly? Not sure about you, but I haven’t seen Shoulberg so much polyester — excuse me, microfiber — in the marketplace PUBLISHER/ since the stuff was invented a couple of million years ago. And while EDITORIAL DIRECTOR synthetic fibers have their place — not to mention their fans — it sure seemed as if the market spent way too much time looking for poly in all the wrong places. I’m not at all sure the world is ready for 100% polyester towels or heavy cotton-poor sheet blends when the industry has spent the past 30 years telling the customer that cotton was king. If there were ever a time for alternative fibers like Modal and silk and bamboo and whatever else grows anyplace but at an Exxon station, this is it. 3. A Penney For Your Buyers. While it was a market that featured just about every major retailing concern in the country in attendance — not always something you can say — there was one big store obvious by its omission: J.C. Penney. Penney shopped the New York market the week before and while any store can pick whenever the hell it wants to do its buying (and vendors will woefully capitulate), the urban legend was that the Plano posse came in early so the merchandising staff would be home in time to spend the week with their kids, who were off from school during what was market week. Have no idea if that is true or not, but if so, that’s just wrong. I’m all for family values, but this industry is tough enough to get right, and to make everyone bend to this sort of thing is not only unfair, it’s also detrimental to the buying process. Any retailer that does not come into market at market is doing a disservice to itself, no matter what the circumstances. 4. Market Looked Better. Not sure if you were paying much attention to it, but the showrooms and market buildings in town just looked better than they had in some time. I hate to name names, but the sprucing up at the 295 Fifth Avenue showroom building was quite noticeable and a good number of showrooms, both old and new, looked like they had spent a few bucks making themselves pretty. We haven’t seen a whole lot of that recently. 5. Like Many, I Missed My Friend Carole Sloan. It just wasn’t the same without her. HTT
3/24/2011 3:56:00 PM
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Home Textiles Today
March 28, 2011
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Izod Signs With Comfort Revolution for Memory Foam Bedding NEW YORK — Comfort Revolu-
tion, the new bedding start-up from Michael Fux, already has its first licensed brand: Izod. The two parties announced earlier this month that Comfort Revolution, founded by former Sleep Innovations head Fux, will market and distribute memory foam bedding and stadium seat cushions under the Izod brand. The new line debuted at the New York Home Fashions Market, which also marked the official launch of Comfort Revolution.
The bedding line includes non-coil memory foam mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows, and will be available in twin, queen and king sizes. The memory foam bedding collection will retail for approximately $500 and up. Izod currently licenses WestPoint Home for fashion and utility bedding, as well as towels and other bath products. “With Comfort Revolution’s extensive experience in this category, we believe they
are the best partner to introduce the Izod bedding line,” said Allen Sirkin, president and chief operating officer of Phillips-Van Heusen, which owns the Izod brand. “These products will appeal to the Izod consumer who is looking for innovation, quality and performance,” Fux said. “We look forward to working closely with PVH in developing exciting new products and packaging that will help grow our business and theirs.” HTT
> hometextilestoday.com
Creative, ParedDown Styles Make Way Across Revman
by em Builds its Brand NEW YORK — Two-year-old bath accessory company by em has branched out and built its brand in time for market earlier this month. Company founder Emile Vidmar said a licensing agreement is in the works to create bedding designs under the by em name. A new bedding design that coordinates with the Ozone collection was shown at the New York Home Fashions Market this month. The Ozone collection has done well with retailers in presales, Vidmar said. He was unable to name the bedding manufacturer because the agreement is not yet finalized and the design is a trial run, he said. The company also recently added full bath collections — coordinating shower curtain and accessory lines. More than 20 collections will be introduced at market, Vidmar said, including Amazon and Bliss. The company also has several new Aurora by em’s founding team, Emile Vidmar and Dimitra Illuminates, patent-pending illuminated bath Angelis, came to market with a bevy of hip new accessories, an innovation that uses LED and collections, including “Dejay” seen here below. sonic technologies to light up lotion dispensers, toothbrush holders and tumblers with a simple tap. Collections such as Mirage, Arctic and Kabana boast these effects. Current retail prices are in the moderate range, Vidmar said, and existing products can be found at Sears and Bed Bath & Beyond. Products from by em have a modern feel. The designers favor optical illusions and this season experimented with frosted and frosted gradients. Prototypes of these can be seen in the New York showroom. “We have a bold graphic style,” Vidmar said. With the shower curtains, “We try to create sense of movement with our imagery. Other manufacturers show a repeat panel but we show full-panel art,” Vidmar said. HTT
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NEW YORK — Revman Interna-
Ava from the new Steven by Steve Maden collection.
tional extended its Steve Madden collection, introducing Steven by Steve Madden during market earlier this month. “It has a more sophisticated appeal for someone who doesn’t want all that pattern on the bed,” said design director Diane Piemonte. Steven by Steve Madden still targets the young adult market, she said, but the styling is more pared down, and top of bed consists of duvet covers rather than comforters. The Laura Ashley brand is giving a lot of attention to creative decorative pillows. “We’re getting away from the matchy-matchy pillow,” she said. “It updates the whole story.” In Manor Hill, Revman’s open line, that company has introduced a solid color-stitched coverlet to layer into each fashion bed. Tommy Hilfiger has also added a freestanding quilt as a layering piece. It’s available in olive, khaki or navy. Also new are Tommy Hilfiger patches stitched onto pillows and in some cases, top of bed. “The whole movement toward coverlets and duvets is strengthening,” said Piemonte. “Comforters are still number one, but I feel the needle moving.” Tommy Bahama is adding step-up beds to the line, although Revman is still showing several beds featuring the brand’s signature print looks. The new shower curtains include embroidered and appliquéd constructions, as well as solid-color jacquards. HTT
Pacific Coast Feather Introduces StayLoft Pillow SEATTLE — Pacific Coast Feather Company (PCFC) introduced its new Pacific Coast StayLoft Pillow to provide a firmer all-down pillow without adding extra ounces of down fill. “Consumers often seek out down pillows for their fluffy softness and adjustability,” explained Danielle Ebert, vp, marketing for PCFC. “But, these same characteristics may also disappoint if support is lacking and the sleeper’s head falls through to the mattress.” The patent pending design
holds the down in place for firmer support without the need to add extra ounces of down fill. The StayLoft All Down Pillow features the company’s exclusive Hyperclean 550 Fill Power Pacific Coast Down and its proprietary 300 thread count, 100% Cotton Barrier Weave Fabric. Offered in Standard, Queen and King sizes, the machine-washable StayLoft Pillow is supported by the Pacific Coast Allergy Free Warranty and 30 Night Comfort Guarantee. HTT
3/24/2011 11:34:00 AM
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March 28, 2011
News
> hometextilestoday.com
Oriental Weavers Enhances “Accent-uate” Rug Collection N EW YORK — Oriental Weav-
ers is making it easier for its retail partners to keep their inventories updated with a new four-collection stocked program that has been added to the company’s accent rug line dubbed “Accent-uate.” Each of the four collections spans 12 designs. By price, construction and theme, these include: a print loop base set to retail for $12.99; a loop on ber-
ber base set at $14.99; a handcarved grouping for $19.99; and a juvenile collection of brightly colored pieces depicting youthful motifs including sports, stripes, birds and novelty themes. These price points reflect 2-by-3 sizes. “This stock program gives ret ailers more flexibility,” explained Jonathan Witt, vp. OW also debuted the Cot-
tonesse collection of earth-toned and transitional patterns scatter rugs made of polypropylene but with a cotton-like touch. “These rugs have polypropylene’s inherent stain resistance quality, and they are soft, but they are less price sensitive than cotton,” Witt noted. “They offer value in their [cotton-like] look and feel mixed with the qualities of polypropylene.” HTT
Trident Expands Air Rich Program N EW YORK — Building on the
recent success of its Air Rich collection of extra-absorbent, lintfree and loftier bath towels introduced last year, Trident Group expanded the line to include new styles as well as bathrobes at the New York Home Fashions Market earlier this month. In towels, new Air Rich products are available within the collection’s five categories — Air Soft, Air Luxury, Air Prime, Air Lite and Air Spa. Trident said its Air Rich products “have seen a tremendous
success during last year” and now the company has come out with new products, innovations and designs based on the Air Rich technology. Air Soft is a bamboo-rich grouping of extra-absorbent towels. Air Luxury towels are constructed of three-ply airfilled loops. Air Lite’s towels are buoyant low weight pieces that increase loft with each washing. And the textured Air Spa grouping wicks water. The new bathrobe line includes an Air Rich style –
“Soothe” – which represents the most upscale category offering within the company’s five bathrobe collections. The other four bathrobe collections are: Giggle, a juvenile product; the Breathe spa collection; Rapture for the hospitality market; and the beach-oriented Refresh set. Bathrobe styles from Trident include kimono, shawl, hooded, and notch collar, and product extensions include terry beach bags, pouches, serapes, head wraps and other pieces. HTT
Maples Keen on Kitchen Mats BY CECILE B. CORRAL NEW YORK — Maples Rugs came to market with a broad supply of new accent rug styles in assorted constructions as well as an expanded offering for its newest category – kitchen rugs. This being the third market for category, Maples created more than 20 new novelty designs in bright colors for its showroom presentation. These rugs are printed nylon and are featured as slices, “but we can make them in any size,” said Arnie Stevens, vp. A new construction direction for Maples this market is high-low loop olefin, and for it the company is showing several geometric and urban-inspired looks in neutral and saturated color combinations. In its nylon category, Maples created four major design themes for its new introductions: Cottage Garden, which includes organic and floral patterns in blue and neutral shades; Kaleidoscope, a psychedelic grouping anchored by a stark black that is bright accented with vibrantly colored patterns; Heartland, a collection of rich-toned transitional themes; and Vintage Treasures, also including florals and other looks in softer palettes. Sizes span 2-by-3 through 5-by-8. And some of these rugs include olefin-made design elements. In a cut-loop 100% olefin construction is Maples grouped its new nylon offerings into four the new City Lights collection of more urban- design stories, including the Vintage Treasures grouping that includes retro themes seen here. themed, deeper hued rugs. HTT
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Revere Mills’ new licensed bath collection for the Waverly brand includes solid colors and jacquard prints.
Revere Mills Launches Waverly Collection of Solid and Jac Bath Towels, Rugs BY CECILE B. CORRAL NEW YORK — Nature-inspired jacquard looks and serene colors inter-
preted on 100% cotton constructions define Revere Mills International Group’s new licensed bath collection for the Waverly brand. “We feel that the Waverly brand is a great addition to our portfolio and we’re very excited about incorporating this strong brand into our line,” said John Vanden Berge, ceo. The collection comes in two style sets – both of them donning the Waverly name — that include bath ensembles and matching bath rugs. The first grouping comprises six solid-colored and three jacquard patterns, the latter of which stem directly from Waverly’s design archive, noted Elaine Aschenbrand, director of marketing and product development. “We worked with them very closely on what we thought would be successful,” she added. The three jacquard looks include a scroll, a leaf and a butterflies-andbees design called “Wings,” and each of these comes in three colorways – storm gray, grape mist and green shadow. The coordinating solid-colored styles come in the three aforementioned colors as well as in white, ecru and orchid mist. The bath towels in this group measure 30-by-52. And the rugs are solid colored in the six-shade palette. The second Waverly-branded grouping includes: one jacquard style featuring a paisley border that is available in two colors —honey gold and blue velvet; a multi-colored border stripe design that comes in two colors — white and ecru; and six solid colors that include the honey gold and blue velvet as well as white, ecru, moss green and berry jam. The size of these bath towels is 27-by-52. And the rugs come in a white and an ecru border stripe look as well as solids in the sixcolor palette. All of Revere’s Waverly bath towels and rug are 100% cotton. The towels are made in Pakistan and the rugs are from India. HTT
3/24/2011 12:31:59 PM
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Home Textiles Today
Welspun INTROS FROM PAGE 1
to retail in the $4.99 to $5.99 range — introductions include a one-sided terry that reverses to an exfoliating linen look and a high/low terry that also reverses to a linen look. Welspun is also debuting a range of fancies around the $5.99 retail price point, such as poly/cotton tow-
March 28, 2011
els, towels with an all-poly warp over-dyed in various colors and a towel with a poly/cotton pile warp on the face reversing to an all-cotton. The better offering — targeting retails of $7.99 to $9.99 — that Welspun showed is a nano-spun yarn that reverses to a two-ply cotton. At the best level — with retails of $12.99 to $14.99 — the
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company made three key introductions: a Suvim cotton and modal blend, a low-twist Pima cotton, and a blend of cotton and rayon from Eucalyptus. Welspun has also added fashion bath to its offerings, with coordinate groupings that match back to its open bedding line, as well as its luxury Christy collection. The company is making in-
> hometextilestoday.com
novations in bath rugs as well, debuting a nano-fiber construction that is 30% smaller than microfiber, said Dennis Fine, director of floor coverings. The rugs are stain- and bleach-resistant and dry more quickly than cotton or other synthetic rugs, he said. “We had to be something different in the marketplace,” Fine said.
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Welspun is taking the same technology into accent rugs, using carpet-producing equipment that can generate up to 255 pile heights, he added. In solid-color sheets, the good offering is a poly/cotton construction in solid colors or dobby stripe; better is a micro Modal in solid or dobby stripe; and best is a 600-count Egyptian cotton with embroidery detail. Fashion bedding for Welspun and Christy branded offerings touches on three trends, said Elizabeth McNulty, vp of design and product development. Natural Beauty offers natural hues that coordinate well with neutrals, with patterns that echo natural motifs. City Rhythms is more vibrant, with saturated tones mixing with black and gray. Vintage Refined infuses sun-baked colors and washedout tones. Welspun also brought branding to its basic bedding collection, introducing Humming Bird, a legacy brand from the United Kingdom, in pillows, comforters and mattress pads. For the better/best tier, Welspun showed Comfort heaven, which allows consumers to insert additional pillows into an inner pocket for greater support. The new Hygro fill pillow is a washable offering using Welspun’s exclusive Hygro spinning technology. At the luxury level, there is a 500-count cotton and silk pillow that retails for $40, as well as a 500-count quilted cotton pillow. HTT
Scholarship FIT FROM PAGE 1
“Carole Sloan was, in the truest sense of the word, an icon of the industry,” said FIT. “Her admirers in the home textiles and furniture industries will miss her vitality, wisdom and spirit.” Additional contributions to the fund, which are tax deductible, can be made out to The Carole Sloan Fund and sent to Educational Foundation at Fashion Industries at FIT, 227 W. 27th St., Room C 204, New York, NY, 10001. For additional information, contact Terry Culver, director of development, at (212)2174109. HTT
3/24/2011 3:43:44 PM
News
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WestPoint Home Gets Into Space Saving NEW YORK — WestPoint Home is looking to clear out some shelf space with a new patent-pending packaging process it has created in concert with Space Bag. Bulky items such as bedding ensembles and basic bedding are vacuum-packed into smaller, reusable containers. Six of the EcoVac bedding ensembles can fit into the same space as four regular bed-in-bag packages. The extra shelf space gives retailers flexibility, said Nancy Golden, vp of marketing. “Do you want to carry more of the same product [in the same space]? Do you want to carry more sizes of the same product? Do you want to carry more varieties of product?” she said. The company has construct-
ed products contained in EcoVac so that they recover their original loft. Consumers can re-use the bags using a vacuum hose. “The No. 1 usage for Space Bags is for bedding,” Golden said. At market, WestPoint also spotlighted its three multichannel brands: Hanes, which touched down at retail in January; Izod; and Caribbean Joe. It is also showing retail put-ups for Izod and Caribbean Joe in EcoVac packaging. The company also made a major st atement in beach towels, building around the Izod, Caribbean Joe and Martex brands. Many of the towels employ WestPoint’s StayBright
bleach-resistant technology. A partnership between the c o m p a n y ’s C o l o r R e m e d y sheets and towels — introduced during market in September 2010 — and Clean & Clear acne and skin care products has been forged. Color Remedy stands up to benzyol peroxide, which discolors fabrics with which it comes in contact. “We have the relationship for anybody who wants to take advantage of it for marketing purposes,” Golden said. HTT Merchandisers demonstrate how Eco-Vac packaging (top row) economizes on shelf space compared to traditional packaging (bottom)
WestPoint
Sure Fit YOUNG FROM PAGE 1
PROFITS FROM PAGE 1
pitality market with a sleeper sofa cover that will also be available at retail, and come September, will introduce covers for sectional couches, a product long in the making. The floor cushions in particular seem right for plopping down on a dorm room floor, but are college students really thinking about the appearance of their furniture? Matthew Vigano, vp of sales, thinks so. “College students and young adults are likely to have secondhand furniture that is in need of a refresh or replacement,” he said. But they don’t typically have a lot of disposable income, so “furniture covers offer a cost-effective solution.” The casual style and comfortable fabric, a reactive dyed denim, and the appeal of utility items like floor cushions “are a way to reach this segment in a manner they can both relate to and afford.” Both the denim and ticking stripe collections are 100 percent cotton. Floor pillows are $29.99 and come in both looks. Denim cover sizes are chair, loveseat, sofa, futon, dining room/parsons chair, floor cushion and range from $69.99 to $99.99. Dining/parson’s chairs are also available in the red ticking stripe. Sure Fit also showed checkered and houndstooth patterns,
basic bedding products; some jump into the sheets, some the towels,” Piazza said. As to the most high-profile brand in the stable — Lauren Ralph Lauren — the shift in WestPoint’s relationship with Ralph Lauren Home will have less impact on sales than many in the industry think, he said. Although WestPoint is now licensee only for the basic bedding portion of the brand, its mills in Pakistan and Bahrain still produce much of the bedding and towels as a contract manufacturer, he said. And through WestPoint’s relationship with respected Italian printer Mascioni, bedding is sewn and packaged at WestPoint’s plant in Chipley, Fla. “Our relationship has just changed; it hasn’t ended,” Piazza said. The company also continues to pursue international business. Results from its exhibition at Intertextil Shanghai a few months ago opened up a nice line of business in Asia, said Alan Kennedy, senior vp. The company has also made inroads into the United Kingdom and is beginning to see opportunity in South America. International business “nicely balances the U.S. business,” Kennedy said. “They pay ore for the goods and you make more for the goods. They’re strict about quality — but they’ll pay for it.” HTT
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Bryce is one of Surefit’s new patterns that takes inspiration from menswear
which are inspired by mens’ clothing. The result is a softened masculine look without being overtly modern. The Bryce Plaid line is 100% microsuede polyester and comes in black, chocolate, cocoa and oregano. Cover sizes are chair, loveseat, sofa, wingchair and dining room/Parsons chair. Retail ranges from $59.99 to $79.99. The Stretch Houndstooth collection is made of polyester and spandex. It comes in black, brown, camel, cream, flannel grey and storm blue. Cover sizes available are chair, loveseat, wingchair, recliner and ottoman. Retail prices range from $79.99 to $109.99 Sure Fit takes into consideration the age of the couch that needs to be covered and the room which it coordinates when creating a look. As Vigano acknowledged, Sure Fit is
three or four years behind fashion, a startling statement until you consider that the consumer is not covering a brand new couch surrounded by the latest fashion pieces, but looking to update an older couch surrounded by other pieces likely bought around the same period. Following the company’s desire “to cover everything,” Sure Fit is heading into the hospitality industry. Vigano explained that a hotel asked the company to do a cover for a sleeper sofa, which is typically one of the oldest pieces in a home, so they created a cover called Stretch Pearson that will also be available to the retail market. The product features covers for each cushion plus a zippered base piece. Retail prices will range from $99.99 to $129.99. Slipcovers for sectional are in the works, which will cheer con-
sumers who have few options other than going custom for covering this type of furniture. The company had surveyed consumers in years past to test the reception and finally has prototypes that will be shown at market in September. Interestingly, one of the top sales-driving products for Sure Fit is not even used by humans, not really. The polyester pet furniture cover introduced at prior markets generates a lot of business, Vigano said. It was updated for this market in a larger size, comes in chocolate or taupe and retails for $49.99 to $89.99. “Recession or not, people are always going to spend on their pets,” he said. The company plans on offering it with the hospitality line to pet-friendly hotels, because recession or not, pets like to stay in hotels too. HTT
3/24/2011 3:44:40 PM
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FIT Toasts Barry Leonard
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Fashion Institute of Technology celebrated the 15th anniversary of its Home Products Development program and presented Welspun USA president and ceo Barry Leonard with the Distinguished Leadership Award.
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1. This year’s honoree, Barry Leonard of Welspun USA, left, with legendary US Airways miracle flight captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Leonard was a passenger on the famous flight. 2. Former Linens ‘n Things chief Norman Axelrod, Comfort Revolution’s Michael Fux, and Bloomingdale’s Michael Gould. 3. From left, Alan Gladstone, Anna’s Linens; Bill Kilbride, Mohawk Home; Carie-Gladstone Doll and Peggie Galvin, both Anna’s; Jim Quist and Tom Merriman, both of Mohawk.
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4. Keith Sorgeloos, left, and John Fraley, both Home Source International. 5. From left, Arthur Tauber, Avanti; Joan Karon, CHF Industries; and retired retailer (and continuing rainmaker) Charlie Chinni. 6. From left, FIT home furnishings professor David Brogna; FIT home department chief Ingrid Johnson; and industry trend guru Hermine Mariaux. 7. Rich Roman, Revman International, left, with interior designer Mario Buatta.
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HTT Hosts Market Kick-off Party 1
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1. From left, Onur Yuanik, Claire Smithson and Eric Vergucht, all of Chrotex U.S.
4. Jose “Pepe” Jaun, Colap, left, with Louis Ragy, High Q Trading.
2. From left, Pradeep Jain, Strands; Carmen Vasquez, TNT Sales; and Sandeep Jain, Strands.
5. Anita Zampino, AQ Textiles, left, and Teresa Chapin, WestPoint Home.
3. From left, Seth King, Surya; Rae Kolb, indeeli; Satya Tiwari, Surya; Janee Ries and Sofia Anscher, both ideeli.
6. From left, Christine Hagen, Venus Home; Mike Walsh, Croscill; and Rick Koehler, Venus Home.
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1. Donna Rann, Reliance Textiles, left, and Libby Langdon, HGTV. 2. From left, Barbara Ashley, Ellison First Asia; Donna Aslanian, Prism Design; Sally Bodge, sales rep; and Joan Catello, Surya.
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3. From left, Dara Richardson-Heron, M.D., ceo; Michelle Marquez, director of development; and Regina Lizik, development associate, all of Susan G. Komen Greater New York City affiliate.
5. From left, Lynn Draper, Lynn Draper Inc.; Joyce Post, Post Impressions; Alex Loew, Alexander Terry Assoc.; and Tab Morin, Homedics. 6. Kevin Parrish, left, and Donna Sizemore, both Microban.
4. From left, Jim Whitehead, Burlington Coat Factory; Christie Kropak, Home Textiles Solutions; Loren Sweet and Samantha Choi, both Brentwood Originals.
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Events
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1. From left, Jay Gadhvi, RR Design Concepts; Bob Toelmey, Insight Properties; Liz Benning, The Great Indoors; Gaurang Parikh and Leena Parikh, both Ramada Inn; Rocco Tallarita, Richloom; Pamela Tallarita, Pamela Tallmarita Assoc.; Rekha Gadhvi, RR Design Concepts; and Kevin Koester, The Great Indoors.
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3. From left, Kevin Sapin, Raymond Waites Bedding; Gretchen Sapin, India Ink; and Jonathan Alkin, iJon.
5. From left, Dan Arora, Sam Taylor and Sunil Malak, all Chesepeake Merchandising.
4. Bryan Keith, Bryan Keith Bedding; and Maureen Granger, Victoria Classics.
6. From left, Robert Fink, Nick Kosul and Howard Fink, all Finks Department Stores; Mike Ellis, Alan Paverman, Dustin Ellis and John Levanchy, all Ellis Curtains.
2. Matthew Nazir, Global Home Living, left, with Naveed Inman, Qasim Weaving.
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3/24/2011 12:38:31 PM
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Sinomax USA to Launch New Line with Lenzing N EW YORK — Sinomax, a de-
signer, manufacturer and distributor of memory foam bedding, came to the New York Home Fashions Market with its new Comfort Equation product line, which employs the sustainably sourced fiber Tencel, produced by Lenzing from eucalyptus trees. “Our research indicates that uncomfortable sleeping is related to moisture and temperature. That’s because moisture amplifies temperature-based discomfort. So, night sweats during winter will leave you feeling colder, and during summer months, perspiration on covers will make hot feel like boiling,” explained Steven Romero, vp of marketing. He added the Comfort Equation line is designed to perform year-round, in both warm and cold climates. “First, there’s the pressurepoint relieving comfort of our
precision support memory foam products, like our PureFoam,” Romero continued. “Next, with Tencel, the silky soft cover performs in multiple ways to enhance your bedding experience. With moisture management, sleep is cozy and dry all night long.” Nina Nadash from Lenzing Merchandising Home Textiles, Americas, said of Sinomax’s Comfort Equation line with Tencel available in the market: “Its inclusion gives retailers the opportunity to offer consumers another complementary level of bedding products, offering consumers the unique ability to furnish their entire bedding suite in products that offer the most comfort in a sustainable manner.” The Comfort Equation product line will be introduced in the Gallery Showroom at 295 Fifth Ave., suite 708, in New York. HTT
Alpha Builds Pillow Line With New Styles NEW YORK — Alpha Home Fashions’ latest batch of decorative pillows and table lines speaks to fashion’s return to embellished looks at market earlier this month. “But nothing over the top,” noted Elaine Pankowicz, ceo. “People are looking for something unusual, something with more detail and more handiwork in the product for that added value, but not anything gaudy like we were seeing five years ago.” Hence, Alpha’s new Crinkled Taffeta Rose collection of round, layered, ruffle floral decorative pillows. These pieces come in 71 colors as well as many two-tone color combinations. “The detail is in the finishing,” Pankowicz said. “All of the layered ruffles are whip-stitched for a clean, finished look.” Also new for market is a dec pillow product extension that emerged from Alpha’s growing cut-work table linens business. The company showed the latter in recent markets and has had much success with it, so Pankowicz decided to extend the designs into pillows. “We took some of our best-selling cutwork styles in runners and turned them into pillows,” she said. Looks include white, ivory and colorful cutworks. HTT
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> hometextilestoday.com
March 28, 2011
Bardwil Offering Boxed sets with New Holiday Offerings NEW YORK — Coming off a 2010 holiday season that saw shoppers reaching often for festively pre-packaged gift sets, Bardwil Linens came to market earlier this month with several new such offerings for this year’s fourth quarter. “The big word this year is ‘giftable’,” said Linda Kulla, vp, bath division. In the Lenox bath category, the company has added two new fingertip towel holiday gift sets, bringing the total to seven. These embellished – printed and/or embroidered – offerings include: Winter Song; Noel; Ribbon and Hollly in red; Ribbon and Holly in ivory; Winter Greetings (Peace and Joy); Holiday Nouveau; and the Believe and Hope set. On the table linens side, the existing Holiday Nouveau collection, which continues to be a favorite in the branded line among consumers, has been expanded with an eightpiece pre-wrapped set that includes four placemats and four napkins. This collection already has a hefty giftable offering that spans wine bottle sacks to chair bows, stockings and tree skirts and cocktail napkin sets. Also new to Lenox is Bardwil’s first autumnal collection for the brand. The engineered “Home is where the heart is” features the inspirational message interpreted near the border throughout by a fall leaf pattern in a soft palette of browns, oranges, reds and yellows on an ivory ground. HTT
British Fashion Trends Are Caldeira’s Cup of Tea for New Dec Pillow, Throws Program NEW YORK — London is calling, and Caldeira US is answering. The decorative pillow/throw/ soft window treatment arm of London-based parent Caldeira is avidly — and appropriately enough – made a strong fashion statement this market with a hearty serving of decorative pillows and throws donning iconic British themes, from The Beatles to the Union Jack and everything in between. “The whole British theme seems to be very hot at the moment, with the Royal wedding, the Olympic games, and so on, and fortunately, we’re at the right place at the right time,” Tony Caldeira, president, told HTT. Back home, across the pond, Caldeira’s Union Jack pillow – which comes in various square and novelty sizes and colorways – “is our number one selling pillow right now, and we’re selling it in more than 12 countries around the world.” The new assortment in anchored by black-and-white photographic looks that depict The Beatles, the flag, city scenes, the queen’s crown and other distinctively British images and icons. Some feature pop colors,
Privvy to a collection of rare photographs of The Beatles in their early years, such as this barbershop-themed portrait of the band, Caldeira interpreted the black-and-white images onto decorative pillows to include in the company’s new Britain-inspired grouping.
such as a red double-decker bus driving through a black-andwhite city scene. The company is also including in this new program some similarly recognizable themes in the U.S. and elsewhere, including New York City and Paris icons in black-andwhite and pop-color looks. A special extra in the line, Tony Calderia pointed out, are some of the Beatles images used. The company was given access
to some rare, never-before seen images taken of The Fab Four in their early years when a Liverpool resident inherited some old photographs that had never been published or publicized. The man contacted Tony Caldeira to offer them for use on his textiles collections. “It’s very exciting,” he said. “We were given the license for these original and rare photographs of The Beatles.” HTT
3/24/2011 12:19:39 PM
A big THANK YOU to all our sponsors and industry guests for making the
HTT SPRING 2011 HOME FASHIONS MARKET KICK-OFF PARTY the best industry party!
Sponsored by:
HTT Spring2011 thank you.indd 1
3/23/11 11:15 AM
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> hometextilestoday.com
PEOPLETodaY Navarre Named Ex-Cell/Glenoit/Croscill CEO N E W YO R K — After a search
that has lasted since late August, Patriarch Partners LLC officially appointed housewares industry veteran Marc Navarre as the new president and ceo of Ex-Cell/Glenoit/Croscill. Navarre replaces Barry Leonard, who left the company last summer to become the new president and ceo of Welspun USA Inc. Since then, Emil Giliotti, managing director of the Consumer Goods Platform for majority stakeholder Patriarch, has served as the
company’s interim ceo. Lynn Tilton, Patriarch’s founder and ceo, said Navarre’s appointment follows “an exhaustive search of the best executive leadership personnel” in the durable consumer products and housewares industry. Navarre most recently was the president and ceo of Groupe SEB, North America, where he oversaw the management of notable housewares brands such as AllClad, T-Fal, WearEver, Rowenta, Moulinex and Krups. Previously, he served as the president and ceo
of All-Clad Metal Crafters, and held various other senior marketing and sales positions within the housewares industry. “Marc’s track record for growth and innovation while the leader of other well-known brands in the housewares industry made him an attractive candidate to drive the future of Croscill, Glenoit and Excell,” Tilton said. “His experience and established relationships as a global business developer will help foster accelerated expansion and increased market-share of these great brands.” HTT
American Textile Promotes Ruttenberg to President P IT TSBURGH — American Tex-
tile Company has named chief operating officer Lance Ruttenberg president. Jack Ouellette will continue as ceo and focus on strategic planning. Ruttenberg joined the company in 1991 and was named coo in 2008. In 1995, he was responsible for implementing ATC’s Central American partnership with a production facility in San Salvador, El Salvador, which has grown to 380 employees. When the company out-
grew its headquarters in production facilities in Lawrenceville, Pa. Rutthe U.S. and oversaw tenberg was instrumenthe opening of operatal in identifying a site tions in Salt Lake City; and constructing a new Dallas; and soon, Tifheadquarters office and ton, Ga. production facility in “The move demonLANCE Duquesne, Pa. strates the confidence RUTTENBERG As ATC expanded its we have in ATC’s perAmerican Textile formance under Lance’s product offerings into Company bed pillows, Ruttenleadership,” said Ouelberg oversaw the prolette. “His passion and duction and distribution of the vision for the business will bring first bed pillows sold to retailers. exceptional value to American As demand grew, he identified Textile Company in achieving additional locations for pillow our strategic growth plan.” HTT
Sure Fit Appoints Margaret Nanni to svp Product Development and Sourcing N EW YORK — Margaret Nanni has been appointed the new senior vp of product development and sourcing at Sure Fit. For the past five years, Nanni has served as vp of sourcing, technical design and fabric for catalog and internet retailer Spiegel Brands Inc. Prior to that, she served as the vp of
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global sourcing and technical design of Warnaco/Calvin Klein Jeans’ men’s, women’s, juniors’ and premium division. And earlier, she was a product manager for Mast Industries and May Merchandising Company. “Margaret’s rich apparel experience of focusing on product fit, function and style
innovation will be readily transferable to our business,” said Hugh Rovit, ceo of Sure Fit. “Her track record in creative product development and technical design will accelerate our growth plans as the category captain in slipcovers and other complementary solutionfocused home products.” HTT
DeRosa New President of Cody Direct N E W Y O R K — Industry vet- including comforters, quilts and eran Vincent DeRosa has been bedspreads. Hanung also pronamed president of duces sheet sets, decorative Cody Direct, which pillows, soft window treathas been acquired by ments and table linens. home textiles manA.K. Bansal, Hanung’s ufacturer Hanung chairman and managing Toys & Textiles Ltd. director, said, “Hanung has of Noida, India. long desired to enter the DeRosa will be U.S. market in an aggresresponsible for all VINCENT DEROSA sive, design-driven manner. sales and marketThe acquisition of Cody Cody Direct ing for the comDirect and the putting in pany. He was previplace of a strong manageously president of Whisper Soft ment team, coupled with our Mills, executive vp of TexStyle strengths as a manufacturer, (which acquired Whisper Soft should prove to be the right comin 2008) and senior vp at CHF bination for strong growth in this Industries. marketplace.” Hanung Toys & Textiles Ltd., Cody Direct’s showroom is founded in 1990, manufactures located at 267 Fifth Ave. in New decorative top-of-bed products York. HTT
Hernandez Returns to Louis Hornick and Co. NEW YORK — Jeff Hernandez has rejoined Louis Hornick and Company as senior executive vp. He was with Hornick for 20 years, then left to work at Victoria Classics. Louis “Tripp” Hornick III
said, “Jeff is an exceptionally talented individual whose first job was with Hornick. He has worked with three generations of the business and we are thrilled and lucky to have him back home as part of our family.” HTT
Louisville Bedding Promotes Rudy L OUISVILLE , KY. — Louisville Bedding Company has named Rob Rudy executive vp and chief merchandising officer for its U.S. division. Rudy will be responsible for human resources, marketing,
sales, quality and technical development. Rudy will continue in his role as president of Louisville BeddingCanada (formerly AHF Inc.), where he has spent the past 24 years. HTT
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3/24/2011 1:16:38 PM
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9:30am-10:15am Logistics: The New Critical Link To Growth In The New Normal With the economy still problematic, smart companies are tapping into new logistics solutions to help them navigate in today’s unpredictable waters. What are these new logistics solutions and how can you put them to work for you?
10:15am-11:15am Ocean Freight – Panel With ocean freight typically representing your second largest expense and with see-saw freight pricing, how can you minimize freight costs while maximizing efficiencies and profitability?
11:15am-11:30am Morning Break 11:30am-12:30pm Home (Sweet Home) Delivery – Panel As e-commerce sales continue to rise, will demand for home delivery also rise? Are traditional retailers turning to home delivery rather than maintaining their own delivery fleets? With the majority of furniture imported from Asia, what challenges does this pose to home delivery companies? Why are some importers now taking on the role of home delivery? This panel will address these critical topics.
12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch and Networking 1:30pm-2:30pm The Law and Logistics Are you CTPac proficient? Are you CSA 2010 compliant? Does your new math include an understanding of 10+2 Importer Security Filings? This presentation will address these and other key regulatory issues.
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3:30pm-3:45pm Afternoon Break 3:45pm-4:15pm Q&A Session and Closing Remarks
Register online at www.FurnitureTodayOnline.com/Conferences, by clicking on the Logistics Conference link. For more information contact Heather Grant at (336) 605-1061 or hgrant@sandowmedia.com
HTT_Logistics Conf tab.indd 1
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Home Textiles Today
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March 28, 2011
360 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010 Tel: (646) 805-0227; Fax: (646) 365-2307
BUSINESS TodaY
www.hometextilestoday.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Marks 10 Ocean Blvd #8B Atlantic Highlands, N.J. 07716 (732) 204-2012 | jnegley@hometextilestoday.com FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carole Sloan PRODUCT EDITOR Cecile B. Corral 428 Bianca Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33146 (305) 661-7493 | cbcorral@aol.com
Fred’s Credits Store Upgrades and Merchandise Selection for 4Q, Fiscal 2010 Gains M EMPHIS — Southeast regional discounter Fred’s Inc. credited the “significant progress” it made in its fourth quarter and fiscal 2010 – which included double-digit net income gains -- to successes with its newly upgraded stores, improved merchandise selection, and strengthened customer service levels. “We are pleased to report a strong finish to fiscal 2010, with earnings per share up 47% for the fourth quarter,” said Bruce Efird, ceo. “These results, which helped push earnings per share up 27% for the year, reflect the hard work and dedication of our team and their successful execution of our updated strategies – all within the context of a challenging retail climate.” In the fourth quarter, which ended January 29, Fred’s net income increased 49% to $8.6 million or 22
cents per diluted share compared with $5.8 million or 15 cents per diluted share in the year-earlier period. Total sales increased 3% to $485.6 million in the quarter from $473.1 million, and comparable store sales grew by 2.3% compared with a decline of 0.9% last year. For the full year, net income increased 25% to $29.6 million or 75 cents per diluted share versus $23.6 million or $0.59 the prior year. Fred’s total sales for 2010 increased 3% to $1.842 billion from $1.788 billion, and comps were up 2.2% on top of an increase of 0.4% in 2009. Buoyed by these results, Efird said the 675-unit chain is cautiously optimistic about its 2011 performance. “While we expect that tough retail conditions will continue across our markets in 2011 due to ongoing
concerns about higher petroleum prices and their effects on the economy, the progress we made last year provides a solid foundation to expand market share and continue our push for higher operating margins,” he explained. In the first quarter of 2011, the company expects total sales to increase 2% to 4%, and comparable store sales to go up 1% to 3% versus an increase of 2.2% in the first quarter last year. Earnings per diluted share are forecasted to increase 14% to 24% to a range of $0.24 to $0.26 for the first quarter compared with earnings per share of $0.21 in the same period last year. Based on this outlook, Fred’s expects total earnings per diluted share for 2011 to be in the range of 84 cents to 90 cents, representing an increase of 12% to 20% over last year. HTT
MANAGING EDITOR Julie Murphy (646) 805-0224 | jmurphy@hometextilestoday.com DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH Dana French (336) 605-1091 | dfrench@sandowmedia.com PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Warren Shoulberg (646) 805-0226 | wshoulberg@hometextilestoday.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jeff Reeves (336) 605-1009 | jreeves@hometextilestoday.com ACCOUNT MANAGER NORTHEAST/MIDWEST/ WEST COAST/CANADA Mary McLoughlin (646) 805-0227 | mmcloughlin@hometextilestoday.com CLASSIFIED AD SALES Spencer Whittle (336) 605-1027 swhittle@sandowmedia.com Karen Hancock (336) 605-1047 khancock@sandowmedia.com MANAGER, CHINA Nancy Yu Tel: 86 (0) 21 5126 0111; Fax: 86 (0) 21 6539 0321 nancy@oceaniamedia.net MANAGER, EUROPE Mirek Kraczkowski Tel: 48 22 401 70 01; Fax: 48 22 401 70 16 | kraczko@aol.com MANAGER, INDIA Kaushal Shah Cell: 91-9821715431; Tel: 91-22-6663 4597 / 24988658 Fax: 91-22-66634596 | kj_reeds@yahoo.co.in ONLINE SALES MANAGER Penny Schneck (336) 605-1084 | pschneck@sandowmedia.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Rich Lamb Tel: (336) 605-1074; Fax: (336) 605-1143 | rlamb@ sandowmedia.com DIRECTOR, WEB OPERATIONS Chris Schultz | (336) 605-1076 | cschultz@sandowmedia.com MANAGER, CLIENT SERVICES, WEB ADVERTISING Dan Sage | (336) 605-1080 | dsage@sandowmedia.com E-MEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Missy Axe | (336) 605-1005 | maxe@sandowmedia.com DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE MARKETING Allison Ternes (704) 573-9007 | aternes@sandowmedia.com VP, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Kevin Castellani (336) 605-1034 | kcastellani@sandowmedia.com
Dollar General Profit Up Sharply G OODLETTESVILLE , TENN . — Dollar
General wrapped up the fiscal calendar with strong fourth quarter and full-year profits. Net income from the fourth quarter, ended Jan. 28, more than doubled to $233 million, or 64 cents per share, compared to $87 million, or 26 cents per share in the prior year’s
fourth quarter. Sales rose 9.4% to $3.49 billion, with same-stores rising 3.8% on top of a 7.4% comparison from the yearago 4Q. For the full year, Dollar General net income jumped 53% to $649 million, or $1.88 per share. Sales rose 10.5% to $13.04 bil-
lion, with comps up 4.9%. “Dollar General had a great year in 2010,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and ceo. “We are off to a strong start in 2011.” In the new fiscal year, the company expects sales to rise 11% to 13% with comp growth of 3% to 5%. HTT
Same-store sales
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EVP, GROUP PUBLISHER James N. Dimonekas SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.A. (866) 456-0405 All other countries: (515) 247-2984 HTTcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com
THE WEEKLY BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY® 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010 Telephone: (646) 805-0227 Fax: (646) 365-2307 USPS 497-490
in sunny destinations. Sales of lawn and garden goods did well,” said Catlin Levis, Redbook analyst. HTT
spring break helped boost comps during the third week of March, according to the Johnson Redbook. Johnson Redbook Index The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales InThird week of March, year-over-year % change dex rose 2.4% for the week ended March WEEK ENDED 3/5 3/12 3/19 3/26 4/2 MONTH 19, with comps in the department store secDepartment stores* 4.8 4.2 4.6 4.5 tor up 4.5% and same-store sales at discount Discounters 0.7 0.9 1.4 1.0 up 1.4%. Redbook Index 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.2 “Sales of spring apparel, especially swim*Including chain stores and traditional department stores Source: Johnson Redbook Index wear, have been active as a lot of people are getting ready for spring break and vacations
VP CREATIVE AND EDITORIAL Yolanda E. Yoh
FAX SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-866-310-7181
Spring Dreams Lift Comps N EW YORK — Consumers anticipating spring and/or
SANDOW MEDIA PRESIDENT AND CEO Adam I. Sandow
TARGET
5.2 1.3 2.5
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3/24/2011 4:48:47 PM
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After a full day at Market, kick back and relax at the place to be. -RLQ \RXU IULHQGV DW WKH 0DUNHW¶V FRFNWDLO SDUW\ WR VHH DQG EH VHHQ
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22
Home Textiles Today
March 28, 2011
Foreston Trends Branches out Textaline Offerings ganic in theme, in beige, brown, black, gray and mossy green palettes. The rugs come in four sizes, from accent through area. The company got the idea for this rug collection from one of its similarly-made place mats. Also made of Textaline, the place mat collection launched about three years ago “and has been growing, growing, growing ever since,” said Dick Gould, vp. The rugs target outdoor use but can also work inside homes in casual settings. HTT
BY CECILE B. CORRAL N EW YORK — Tall trees, giant
blades of grass, wood grains and leafy looks describe Foreston Trends’ new collection of accent and area rugs introduced at market earlier this month. The longtime supplier of table linens and kitchen textiles is branching out into rugs this market with a very specific offering – Textaline, a vinyl-coated mesh like fabric often used in patio furniture seating. Foreston Trends’ rugs feature graphic designs, mainly or-
News
> hometextilestoday.com
Avanti Makes Bigger Splash in Bath Coordinates
N EW YORK — Long well-versed in embellished
bath ensembles, Avanti Linens has ramped up its auxiliary bath coordinate business. At market earlier this month, the company introduced almost triple the number of new styles than it offered in the prior market. Jeff Kaufman, president and coo, told HTT “we are giving emphasis now to our bath coordinate business.” And so far, the 27 new collections — compared with 10 the company introduced last market — “have gotten really good reactions” from retailers this market. This segment of the bath business, he continued, “is a major growth area for us. And we’ve hired more designers to work on it for us.” The design direction within the newest offerings is keen on coastal, lodge and Southwestern regional themes. HTT Patterns related to lodge, Southwestern and coastal themes as well as some youthful novelty looks made up the thrust of Avanti’s offerings.
CLASSIFIEDS NOTICES
LINES OFFERED
CLOSEOUTS
ATTENTION!!
WANTED - WELL KNOWN, ESTABLISHED MANUFACTURER OF BASIC NATURAL & SYNTHETIC FILLED BEDDING, IS LOOKING FOR A SELECTED FEW SALES REPRESENTATIVES THAT HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE & SUCCESS IN SELLING MAJOR RETAILERS. PLEASE SEND RESUMES TO: NINGBLUERIDGE@AOL.COM
CLOSEOUTS WANTED --BOUGHT AND SOLD-Seeking Unlimited Quantities on Firsts, Irregulars and Overstocks HOME FASHIONS DISTRIBUTOR INC Mike O’Neil 207-646-1949 Email: mike@homefashionsinc.com
NOTICE TO THE MARKETPLACE Shavel Home Products is the company that developed, and is the exclusive source of,
MICRO FLANNEL® home textile products Our industryͲbest products feature innovative technologies, and include patentͲpending fabrics and proprietary manufacturing processes.
BEWARE OF IMITATIONS Shavel Home Products intends to protect its intellectual property rights In and to its MICRO FLANNEL® products to the fullest extent of the law. 13 Roszel Rd. Princeton NJ, 08540 Tel: 609.452.1800 www.shavel.com
Immediate opening -- Very successful fashion bedding company is seeking a well-connected Mid-West sales representative. Must have strion bedding contacts at Kohls and Bon Ton. Will manage existing sales. Email credentials Attn: BB20148 to classifieds@sandowmedia.com
JOBBER SALES REPS An aggressive home textiles company in CA is looking for experienced jobber sales representatives. Vast jobber clientele is important. Extremely confidential:
fabricstrims@yahoo.com
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3/25/2011 12:19:55 PM
CONFERENCE
Online Technologies 2nd Annual
Winning Strategies for Internet Marketing Wednesday, May 18th • AmericasMart, Atlanta • 9am - 4:30pm Join us for this special one-day conference devoted exclusively to how retailers and manufacturers in the home furnishings and decorative accessories industries are using the Web to grow their businesses. Discover the latest online marketing tactics and tools; review case studies; and learn how you can implement the newest online strategies to become more successful.
Early-Bird Registration (through April 17th) Standard Registration (starting April 18th)
$
99
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Fee includes Lunch & Conference Notebook. Seating is Limited.
$169/night Westin Peachtree Plaza 800-241-6405
Topics include: • Choosing a website developer Learn how to create a request for proposal (RFP) • Social media – Hear from a retailer who knows what works to drive sales and customer loyalty • Integrate Online + Offline – Getting your sales team and online marketing working together • Web-based Research – Competitive intelligence, product testing, training and more can be done online • Social Networks to Social Shopping – Selling through Facebook plus the role of “group buying” clubs • Where are Etailers investing their marketing dollars? Here from top online US retailer CSN stores • The Future of Tablets – Android, iPad and Windows
Sponsors:
Register online at FurnitureTodayOnline.com/Conferences. For more information contact Penny Schneck at 336-605-1084 or pschneck@sandowmedia.com