Home Textiles Today August 20th, 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Inside This IssueMytex Inks Deal to Access Springs Archives ...................................................................................page 2

Three Weeks to Go ...............................................................................page 4

Sunny and Share ..................................................................................page 4

Restoration Hardware Shifts Execs to Create New Businesses .........................................................page 6

New Ikea Catalog Packed with Interactivity .....................................page 6

THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY | hometextilestoday.com | Vol. 33, No. 18 | $8.00

NEW YORK7 WEST

SUITE 439SEPT 10-14, 2012

To become a Surya dealer, please call

1.877.275.7847 oremail us at [email protected]

400 RUGS IN15 COLLECTIONS!

Dec Pillow Suppliers Seize the Day

BY JENNIFER MARKS

NEW YORK — WestPoint Home reported its fi rst positive EBIDA in years earlier this month by narrowing its scope to key accounts and working to layer on fashion programs to the basic busi-ness it does with them.

Granted, the business is a far cry from the predecessor company’s hey-day – when as the publicly traded U.S. mill WestPoint Stevens generated an-nual sales of nearly $1.7 billion in 2003. But its second quarter EBIDA of $2 million for the period ended June 30 marked a sharp turn from the EBIDA loss of $3 million in the year-ago quarter.

Sales fell nearly 22% to $64 million. Execu-tives said the company walked away from unprof-itable business to concentrate on building busi-ness with core customers.

WestPoint’s plants in Pakistan and Bahrain are running at close to capacity and should be run-ning at full capacity later in the year, said Dan

Ninivaggi, president of parent compa-ny Icahn Enterprises, which acquired the WestPoint assets out of bankruptcy in 2005.

Norm Savaria — who became ceo in June 2011, a leadership change that also brought aboard retail veteran Taran Chernin as executive vp and chief mer-chandising offi cer — told HTT: “It took us three quarters, but we got there.”Icahn Enterprises president Dan Nini-vaggi praised the sense of focus Savaria

brought to the operation. “When he came in, we were going in 16 different directions.”

WestPoint streamlined operations with an em-ployee purge in January and licensed with the Por-tico Brand Group the following month. Although

WestPoint Comes off the Reef

BY CECILE B. CORRAL

NEW YORK — It’s a good time to be in the decorative pillow busi-ness.

While some larger-ticket home textiles categories are still climb-ing back, the decorative pillow business continues to enjoy growth in sales thanks to what suppliers call its “recession-proof” status.

“Decorative pillows have been our strongest category, and we feel it’s because of the whole recession — it’s easier and more af-fordable to redecorate a room with a less expensive item like a dec pillow than it is to buy a new sofa,” said Joy Stewart, president, N. Spencer Enterprises.

But price and convenience aren’t the only things keeping dec pillows afl oat.

SEE DEC PILLOWS PAGE 6

NORM SAVARIA

WestPoint

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — The home category led Stein Mart’s second quarter, with linens per-forming the best and home décor also buoying business.

“Soft home has been tre-mendous,” said Jay Stein, in-terim ceo, during the 263-unit chain’s earnings call last week. “The numbers that we’ve seen in soft home are just clearly way beyond our expectations.”

Also strong within home dur-ing the second quarter was table-

Home Gives Stein Mart a Second-Quarter Boost

SEE WESTPOINT PAGE 23

SEE RESULTS PAGE 23

Newport Layton

htt120802_001_006_022_023 1htt120802_001_006_022_023 1 8/16/2012 3:21:15 PM8/16/2012 3:21:15 PM

2 Home Textiles Today News

ELITE SPONSORS

Intertextile

For more information on these Home Textiles Today advertisers, scan their QR tags below using a free QR scanner available at synqware.com.

Lenzing

Manhattan Properties

Protect-A-Bed

Softline Home Fashions

Surya Rugs

QR tags provided by Synqware, a leading technology company supplying connectivity tools to the businesses. Synqware.com.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Mytex Inks Deal to Access Springs Archives

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Springs Cre-ative Products Group — which retained Springs Industries’ ar-chives after the U.S. mill oper-ation was acquired by Brazilian manufacturer Coteminas in 2005 — has entered a partnership with Mytex, which now has access to more than 400,000 designs rang-ing from the 1800’s to the pres-ent day.

The archives include fabric swatches, artwork and designs.

In addition, Springs Creative Products Group will also provide third party distribution and logis-tics for Mytex’s East Coast ac-counts.

“We are very excited to uti-lize the extensive collection of prints from the Springs Creative Archives to expand our bedding offerings and continue to rapidly grow our business with both ex-isting customers and new ones,” said Bob Goldman, Mytex vp of global sales.

Mytex produces sheets, bed-ding and other home textiles for volume retailers, with operation

headquarters in Shanghai, a fac-tory in southern China and a per-manent New York showroom at 230 Fifth Ave.

Springs Creative Products is a supplier of licensed retail fab-rics, packaged craft kits and fi n-ished products through its Retail

Division and unfi nished fabrics and fabric components through its Specialty Fabrics Division. HTT

One of the Springs archival books.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp.’s second-quarter earnings were fl at at $704 million thanks to start-up expenses for its Canadian ex-pansion as well as modest sales and comp increases.The retailer will enter the Canadian market in 2013 with 25 store openings in 18 communities in Ontario in March and April, followed by dozens of others throughout Canada into 2014.

Target’s second quarter sales in the U.S. increased 3.5% to $16.5 billion from $15.9 billion last year, with comps up 3.1%.Al-though shoppers stuck largely to less consumables, apparel had a strong quarter and domestics and seasonal led in the home depart-ment, according to evp of mer-chandising Kathryn Tesija.Tar-get.com reported fl at sales for the quarter, and the retailer is mak-ing improvements to speed, ca-pability and product assortment.

Tesija said the plan is to “make sure that what we carry

in store is also carried online.” A large part of that effort focuses on home and apparel.Other in-store and online initiatives include:

• The September rollout of Target’s next installment of The Shops at Target, which is focused on home and apparel, “and we’ve partnered with four distinctive boutiques to co-create exclusive collections prices to range from $3 to $120,” Tesija said.

• The October launch of the Nate Berkus collection across home. The exclusive assort-ment will span 150 home prod-ucts with prices ranging from $6 to $150.

• The third quarter intro-duction of Target’s new private label home brand, Threshold. The initial offering will in-clude a small assortment of en-tertaining essentials, accents and decorative accessories. The rollout is expected to be completed across all of Target’s

Target Meets Modest Q2 Expectations, Readies

Home for Updates

SEE RESULTS PAGE 16

August 20, 2012

NEW YORK — Bardwil Linens is bringing haute couture to table linens through its newly signed exclusive licens-ing partnership with Xcel Brands Inc. to manu-facture table linens under the Isaac Mizrahi New York brand.

The collection will be available at retail in spring 2013.

Mizrahi has been a leader in the fashion in-dustry for almost 30 years. More recently, in De-cember 2009 he launched his exclusive lifestyle collection, “IsaacMizrahiLive” on multi-channel retailer QVC. He has also been involved with

“Project Runway All Stars” for Lifetime, “The Fashion Show” for Bravo and his own series for both Oxygen and the Style Network.

The new license alliance “is a great addition to our home busi-ness,” said Robert D’Loren, chairman and ceo of Xcel Brands, which in 2011 acquired the designer apparel brand Isaac Mizrahi New York. “I am very excited to partner with Bardwil Industries.”

Added Alan Kennedy, Bardwil’s president: “Isaac Mizrahi has been a powerful, iconic brand in the home textile arena for many years. We at Bardwil are excited to be able to extend Isaac’s infl u-ence into the table linens classifi cation.”

The Mizrahi brand is the latest to join Bardwil’s roster of blue chip licenses, which include: Lenox, Tommy Bahama, Food Net-work and Bobby Flay. HTT

Bardwil Forges Licensing

Partnership With Isaac Mizrahi

ISAAC MIZRAHI

htt120802_002.indd 2htt120802_002.indd 2 8/16/2012 3:12:07 PM8/16/2012 3:12:07 PM

Untitled-19 1Untitled-19 1 7/13/12 2:33:23 PM7/13/12 2:33:23 PM

4 Home Textiles Today > hometextilestoday.com

Untitled-56 1 8/15/12 3:53:13 PM

OPINIONTodaY

August 20, 2012

RE POR T S OF T H E DE AT H of the American economy have been exag-gerated.

By a lot.Don’t look now, but it’s quite possible that

the next year will be a time of business growth and development in the home business that we haven’t seen in a very long time.

And any company that isn’t poised to take advan-tage of these conditions is not only going to miss the boat, they are probably going to sink into oblivion.

First, let’s talk about the overal l economy. Yes, we all know unem-ployment is way too high and that’s a fundamental problem that is devastat-ing. Job recovery is going

to take a long time no matter who wins the election in November.

But take a look at the housing market. In the most toxic states in the country – Florida, Nevada, California – where foreclosures and empty houses have been epidemic, the tide is starting to turn. The bottom-feeders, the folks with all the cash, have decided that bottom has been hit and they are starting to buy up excess inventory in numbers unseen since the 2008 meltdown. These guys can smell a bargain and they sense one in the housing market.

In the meantime, refi nancing rates are up – way up in places like Las Vegas – which means prices are starting to stabilize and the credit market is beginning to thaw out a bit.

Look too at the big home improvement re-tailers, Home Depot and Lowe’s. They are put-ting up pretty good numbers on a fairly consis-tent basis, which means consumers are feeling better about their homes and their prospects for staying employed. These are all positive signs.

But it’s not just growth in the overall home marketplace that makes you want to get aggres-sive. There are some huge imbalances in retail-ing right now that are causing several very sub-stantial vacuums. And everyone knows retailers abhor a vacuum.

In the middle of the market JC Penney is hemorrhaging customers and that is not likely to subside anytime soon. Kohl’s has been un-able to right itself and can’t seem to take advan-tage of Penney’s problems. Sears and Kmart are gradually becoming irrelevant to many shop-pers who have stopped thinking of either store as a place to go buy things.

This vast sweet spot in the middle is in play and retailers from above – Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dillard’s – and below – Target, Walmart, the dollar stores – are all lusting after this piece of the pie.

The same thing is happening on the ven-dor side. Suppliers who have traditionally been strong resources for stores like Penney and Sears are now going after other accounts as they’ve seen their business dwindle.

Put all of this together and you have a mar-ketplace where the opportunities are enormous – if you’re positioned to take advantage of these factors.

The home business is about to be sunny. Share is up for grabs.

And the beat goes on. HTT

Sunny and ShareNE W YO R K HOM E FA S H I O N S M A R K E T is now

just three weeks away, which means companies are starting to talk about what they’ve been up to since the spring market. Based on preliminary conversations

with several execs in recent days, a few trend lines are beginning to emerge.

Expansion: During the recession, many companies retrenched to focus on core competencies. Increasing numbers of suppliers

are starting to push into new product catego-ries — primarily to bulk up business with ex-isting accounts. And they’re adding staff — modestly — to support those efforts in sales and, usually, design. Often when they’re add-ing to staff here in the United States there’s also some mirror hiring in the country where they have their manufacturing base.

Branding: Manufacturers whose bread and butter has long been private label are looking for ways to distinguish themselves. A num-ber of new licensing agreements will be un-veiled in the next 20 days or so. Several sup-

pliers are also crafting in-house brands. And brands that already have a footprint one category of home textiles are expanding into other product areas.

Distribution: Some offshore manufacturers are establishing distribution in the United States, frequently with a third party partner. I’m hearing more companies talking about holding in-ventory state-side to improve replenishment response.

Cut & sew: There’s also a small movement toward bringing back (a measure) of cut & sew to the United States. I’ve yet to talk to a company that plans to do any signifi cant cut & sew here, but with China costs up and the need to be as responsive as possible to major accounts, we’ll see how far this goes.

For those of you who haven’t yet shared your market-orient-ed news with us, get a move on! The window is closing rapid-ly for inclusion in our pre-market, market and market daily is-sues. HTT

JenniferMarks

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Three Weeks To Go

Warren Shoulberg

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

htt120802_004_005.indd 4htt120802_004_005.indd 4 8/16/2012 2:56:56 PM8/16/2012 2:56:56 PM

5 Home Textiles Today> hometextilestoday.com

Macy’s Stores Filling More Online Orders

Macy’s is aligning its online business more close-ly with physical stores. By the end of August, 290

Macy’s stores will be fulfi lling online orders versus dis-tribution centers, cfo Karen Hoguet said during in the company’s quarterly conference call earlier this month.

While the process is still being fi ne-tuned, “what we’ve learned in many situations is that our inventory was often too tight in dot-com [at the distribution cen-ters] to satisfy more demand.” She added that Macy’s on-line order fulfi llments “coming out of the stores is get-ting very close in accuracy to the distribution centers.”

Online sales — for macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined — climbed 36.1% in the second quarter and 34.8% in the fi rst half of 2012.

Dillard’s Profi t Nearly Doubles

Dillard’s net income ballooned during the second quarter on improved margins and lower operat-

ing costs.Net income for the quarter ended July 28 jumped

97% to $31.0 million, or 63 cents per share. Sales rose 3.0% to $1.488 billion. Home was cited as one of the weakest performing categories during the quar-ter. Overall comp also increased 3%.

Burlington Coat Factory Boosts 2Q Sales

Burlington Coat Factory grew second quarter sales 8.9% to $864.2 million. Comps rose 2.9%.

Top-performing categories included ladies apparel, ac-cessories and ladies shoes, according to the company.

For the six months ended July 28, sales climbed 7.2% to $1.8 billion, with comps up 1.7%.

Etailing Continues Double-Digit Growth

Online spending rose 15% year-over-year during the second quarter to $43.2 billion, according to com-

Score. First-quarter growth was 17%.“While the second quarter’s 15% growth rate

couldn’t quite match the especially high growth rate from the fi rst quarter, it was nevertheless almost four times higher than the growth in overall consumer spending, a sign of continued strength in the e-com-merce channel,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “

During the quarter, 42% of e-commerce transactions included free shipping. The most recent peak took place during fourth quarter of 2011, when 52% of transac-tions included free shipping.

NRF Launches Mobile Retailing Info Source

The National Retail Federation’s describes its new In-tegrated Mobile Initiative (IMI) as a source for in-

formation about the challenges and opportunities that exist within mobile retailing.

Drawing from NRF’s cross-sector membership base of more than 9,000 companies and industry experts, the IMI is set to explore the scope of issues that mobile im-pacts and offer best practices, case studies, educational content, thought leadership, and more.

RetailBriefs

August 20, 2012News

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. — Ikea’s 2013 catalog is rich with con-tent — and not just what’s on its printed pages.

By downloading the Ikea app to a smart phone or tablet, one can roll over pages to view prod-ucts in 3D, watch video demon-strations and change the look of some items. An X-ray feature al-lows users to peer insider cabi-nets, drawers and armoires.

“It works like a QR code, but it’s an IR code that scans the whole page,” said advertising spe-cialist Cara Cordry during a dem-onstration in New York recently.

The catalog, which drops at the end of this month, has also been reorganized by activity — organizing, sleeping, me-time, cooking, business, etc. — rath-er than by room.

Ikea is also celebrating tex-tiles in the 2013 book under four themes: New Life (inexpensive décor makeovers), New Com-fort (“making hard things feel soft and personal”), New Cre-ativity (using textiles to express one’s personality) and Sustain-able Living.

“As the ‘life improvement store,’ we recognize how tex-tiles can make a big difference in every home and for everyone living there,” said Mary Marston, product public relations manag-

er for Ikea U.S. “From the fi rst soft blanket that kept your new-born warm to the favorite pillow

that you can’t sleep without, tex-tiles transform a living space into a home.” HTT

New Ikea Catalog Packed with Interactivity

Ikea advertising specialists Katy Lee, left, and Cara Cordry demonstrate the new technology.

CORTE MADERA, CALIF. — Resto-ration Hardware is reorganizing its business, creating a new corporation that will develop businesses in apparel, accessories, footwear and jewelry.

RH chairman and co-ceo Gary Friedman will become found-er, chairman and ceo of the new company, which is titled Hierar-chy. RH will own a minority stake in the company and has the ex-clusive right to acquire each of the new businesses developed by Hierarchy.

Friedman, who is RH’s largest

individual shareholder, will serve as an advisor to the nameplate with an

emphasis on strategy, cre-ative and design direction. Offi cially, he will become RH’s creator and curator and will act as a non-direc-tor advisor to the board as chairman emeritus.

Carlos Alberini, co-ceo of Restoration Hardware, will become sole ceo and will lead all major func-

tions of the business. He joined the company in 2010 after hold-ing senior roles in Guess Inc. as well as Footstar, Melville Corpo-ration, The Bon-Ton Stores and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

J. Michael Chu, a managing partner of Catterton Partners —which jointly controls RH along with Tower Three Partners — will become chairman of the board.

“The new structure provides a creative and effi cient way to de-velop new businesses,” said Chu. “Gary Friedman, who trans-formed Restoration Hardware into an admired lifestyle brand in the luxury home market, has demonstrated the ability to re-conceptualize and build some of the most successful brands in the industry, and his continued ef-forts to drive innovation at Res-toration Hardware will be invalu-able.” HTT

Restoration Hardware Shifts Execs to Create New Businesses

GARY FRIEDMAN Hierarchy

htt120802_004_005 5htt120802_004_005 5 8/15/2012 4:30:03 PM8/15/2012 4:30:03 PM

6 Home Textiles Today > hometextilestoday.comNews

As Loren Sweet, president of Brentwood Originals, noted: “There are a lot of exciting things going on in dec pillows right now that are making the business fun again.”

And by that, he means color and pattern.

“Four or five years ago, this business was dominated by sol-ids,” Sweet explained. “But now colors, interesting colors, and different patterns and textures are all working so well, and the customer is really responding. There is more going on in dec pillows than I’ve ever seen in my 20 years in business. This has been the best year we’ve had in memory.”

A spectrum of colors, a pleth-ora of pattern, and printed de-signs in particular, are grabbing the spotlight, observed Newport/Layton Home Fashions presi-dent Corey Faul.

“Our print business is real-ly exploding,” he said. “For the spring 2013 season, we see prints playing a major role. People are really reacting to pattern and to prints.”

Home Fashions International evp Neil Zuber echoed those sen-timents, predicting “a big differ-ence in dec pillows for spring.”

Whereas the printed pillow business has been “non-existent” for the past decade, “it’s coming back with a vengeance,” Zuber said. “We have 23 new styles, amounting to about 190 skus in cotton, for introduction at [New York Home Fashions] market [in September].”

Indoor/outdoor pillows and cushions are another area fu-eling growth in the category as consumers extend their livings spaces to patios, lanais and pool sides.

“We are getting great play on our embroidered and woven jacquard styles for the outdoors, and now we’re going into make a new printed collection for the line,” Zuber added.

As the breadth of design, fab-rication and fashion expands, so do price points, most suppliers agreed.

“Retailers are happy to sell better-value and better-con-struction products at better price points and consumers are happy to pay better prices if they think it’s worth it,” Sean Frankel, executive vp of Arlee

Home Fashions, said. “If you look at our mix of dec pillows, we are certainly selling more products at higher price points than have in past.”

Arlee serves all levels of re-tail, from discount to depart-ment stores, with its various cat-egories, including dec pillows.

For example, he went on, Arlee has always offered dec pillows that retail for $19.99 to $29.99. But more recently, the upper price point “is making up a bigger part of our mix.”

Newport has also seen that “the willingness to push to high-er retails is defi nitely out there,” Faul said. “People are willing to step up by a price point or even two these days more than ever, and this [attitude] goes all the way through the retail train.”

N. Spencer Enterprises, too, has seen “everybody stepped up in prices, and we’re going for better price strategy. Even the lower-end guys are asking us for better assortments [that can carry higher retails],” Stewart said.

And the added-value quo-tient comes at no added expense to dec pillow suppliers, making higher-price trends all the more welcome.

“You put the same amount of labor into a $20 pillow as you do in a $10,” Stewart said. “In fact, it’s probably harder now to

fi nd the really cheap fabrics [for cheaper pillows].”

By better prices, Sweet of-fered this breakdown: “The opening price point a retail customer might have been sell-ing at $7.99 has now gone up to $9.99, a $9.99 is now $12.99, a $14.99 is now $19.99, a $19.99 is now a $24.99, and so on, up the ladder.”

By distribution channel, the segments proving to be the most successful with higher-priced goods include off-pricers and closeout chains, suggested

some suppliers.“It’s about fashion versus ba-

sics,” Stewart explained. “The strongest stores are the more fashion based, and the stores that can have broader assort-ments and can change their as-sortments more quickly.”

She continued, “The key is to buy smaller quantities but more breadth of looks.”

Zuber said off-price chains’ decorative pillow businesses are “up substantially not just over-all but also by category.”

The reason for that, he said,

is by sheer nature of these re-tailers.

“They’ve got a good con-cept,” he said. “They are al-ways buying fresh merchandise and their customers know that what they see today in the store won’t be there in three or four weeks because they are con-stantly bringing in newness. They have educated their cus-tomers to understand that they offer department store product at lower prices. And they con-tinue to trade up in dec pillows and in everything else.” HTT

Dec Pillow Suppliers Seize the DayDEC PILLOWS FROM PAGE 1

August 20, 2012

Arlee

HFI

htt120802_001_006 6htt120802_001_006 6 8/15/2012 3:38:50 PM8/15/2012 3:38:50 PM

The Textile Building at 295 Fifth

New York is the market.

And the market in New York is the

home textiles

TEXTILEBUILDING

For 90 years, 295 Fifth Avenue has been the leading showcase for the home textiles industry, with the best location,

the best value per square foot, services that cater to your distinctive needs, high-profile traffic, high-tech security, a wi-fi buyers lounge

and the personal service of a staff of 15.

Give your business the best market, in the market. Call Lou Lombardi, President & CEO, Manhattan Properties, Inc.

212-685-0530 [email protected] on-site management

We are the market

8 Home Textiles Today News > hometextilestoday.com

High Point Market’s New Campaign Connects Fashion & Home Design

August 20, 2012

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point Market is debuting a new fashion-focused marketing cam-paign this fall. The “Fashion Focus” campaign is designed to promote the market to the retail and design communities, to highlight the close relation-ship between fashion design and home design, and to showcase the High Point Market’s role as “the most exciting fashion event in home furnishings.”

“The High Point Market is our industry’s Fashion Week, defining style, trends, and innovation for the home,” said Cheminne Taylor-Smith, vice president of marketing for the

High Point Market. “The Fash-ion Focus campaign showcases that by delivering an experience that is fresh, vibrant, and fash-ion-oriented through every mar-keting and advertising piece for the Market.”

At the April High Point Mar-ket, fashion shoots with models were held in showrooms and locations throughout the mar-ket buildings to develop the creative for the new campaign. The images feature a full cloth-ing collection by Stephanie Teague, a Greensboro, N.C.-based designer who has shown her line at New York’s Mer-cedes-Benz Fashion Week.

“Stephanie’s clothing is fun and fresh, but with an edge to it,” said Taylor-Smith. “Her line has a lot of depth, which allowed us to pair pieces with different styles of furnishings. An added bonus is that the col-lection was created with eco-friendly and recycled materi-als.”

The integrated Fashion Focus campaign — including print, direct mail, and other channels — was conceived in partnership with Emisare, the High Point Market’s agency.

The Fall High Point Mar-ket will take place Oct. 13-18, 2012. HTT

DALLAS — HGTV’s John Gid-ding is the fi rst headliner to be announced for the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, Jan. 16-22, 2013. On Jan. 19, 2013, Gidding will speak in the World Trade Center Hall of Nations and, later that day, present at the 24th Annual ARTS Awards gala at the Hilton Ana-tole Hotel.

“We’re elated to welcome John Gid-ding to market in January,” said Cindy Morris, coo, Dallas Market Cen-ter. “His breadth of experience in interior design is impressive, and we can’t wait for John to share his insights with our buyers.”

“The ART community is engaging and dynamic, and it’s an honor and a thrill to be pre-senting to my fellow designers at market,” Gidding said. “I’m looking forward to meeting the

buyers and designers, talk-ing with them about proj-ects and trends as well as celebrating the achieve-ments in the industry at the ARTS Awards gala.”

Born in Istanbul, Gid-ding at tended Ameri -can schools in Turkey and Switzerland before attending Yale University,

where he received a bachelor of arts degree in architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. His

design projects range from res-idential and institutional archi-tecture to landscape and urban design.

On HGTV’s “Curb Appeal: The Block,” Gidding and other experts overhaul one home’s exterior with a makeover mak-ing it the envy of the block. Then, they make their way up and down the street to repaint front doors, add window boxes, and provide smaller-scale make-overs that increase the value of the entire block. “Curb Appeal: The Block” airs on HGTV on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. EDT and 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Market attendees can book their travel by contacting Market Travel at (214)744-7444 or [email protected]. HTT

LAS VEGAS — International Mar-ket Centers (IMC) has announced the keynote speakers for its inau-gural Gift + Home CEO Summit: Former Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman Jr., and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich. Huntsman and Reich will draw upon their extensive experience to address issues such as geopolitics, labor and currency — all of which are impacting and influencing gift and home industry businesses today. Following each keynote ses-sion, Bob Maricich, ceo of IMC, will moderate a Q&A session.

The two-day conference, geared to ceos, presidents and owners of gift and home busi-nesses, will also present a series of breakout sessions, panel dis-cussions and other topical pre-sentations meaningful to indus-try leaders. Co-produced by International Market Centers (IMC) and Eller Enterprises, the event will take place Jan. 31-Feb.1, 2013, during the Winter 2013 market.

“No other industry confer-ence or marketplace offers indus-try leaders exposure to U.S. eco-nomic strategists and thought leaders of this caliber,” said confer-ence organizer Randy Eller, presi-dent of Eller Enterprises. “These men, who have served presidents and infl uenced international pol-icy, will offer exclusive insights into the issues and opportunities our industry faces today and into the future.”

On Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich will address inter-national currency and geopolitical

issues — including the Euro crisis and China’s economy — impact-ing the gift and home indus-try. Reich, an economic analyst, CNBC contributor and author of 14 books, has served under three national administrations, most recently as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. He also served on President Barack Obama’s eco-nomic transition board.

On Friday, Feb. 1, former U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman Jr., will speak about China, one the world’s larg-est product manufacturers. His remarks will focus on how issues affecting that country, such as labor and currency, presently impact the gift and home indus-try. Huntsman, who served as U.S. Ambassador to China from 2009-2011 and U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1992-1993, was also the Governor of Utah from 2005-2009. Huntsman’s public service career has also included appointments as Dep-uty Assistant Secretary of Com-merce for Asia and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative.

“The launch of this top-level conference is an important part of our transformation and dif-ferentiation of Gift + Home at Las Vegas Market,” said Doro-thy Belshaw, president, Gift + Home Decor. “As the fi rst-of-its-kind executive-level conference for the gift and home industry, the Gift and Home CEO Sum-mit is an important element of our three-phase plan to transform Las Vegas into the preeminent gift and home marketplace for the Western United States.” HTT

LOS ANGELES — Luxeyard, a fashion and home fl ash sales site, announced the soft-launch of De La Fashion, a site designed to offer Latino and Hispanic shoppers access to curated luxury apparel and home décor online at dis-counted prices.

The new division and web-site, which includes Spanish and Portuguese translations, is led by

De La Fashion President and site director Christian Vega, the for-mer chief of business develop-ment for LuxeYard.

“De La Fashion is the ideal luxury style destination for savvy Latin American and Hispanic shoppers who enjoy living a lav-ish lifestyle, who fi ll their homes with distinct furniture and decor and fi ll their closets with on-trend

fashions that epitomize luxury and a life well-lived,” Vega said.

According to a company release, the members-only site is a reconceptualization of its predecessor, Eopulence.com, and offers consumers access to curated merchandise at 20% to 70% off retail prices. A mem-bers’ incentive program will be implemented the first few

weeks following initial launch, rewarding members who invite their friends to join the site with cash payments once their friend makes an initial purchase.

De La Fashion will also feature a Media section, curated through media partner Latin Connoisseur Magazine, with interviews and articles on Latin celebrities and news, and home/living do-it-your-

self tips and videos.“We’ve experienced consid-

erable success with the social e-commerce model that has pushed LuxeYard to the forefront of the flash sales market and we look forward to replicating that suc-cess with De La Fashion, expand-ing our reach and making luxury truly accessible for all,” said Luxe-Yard ceo Braden Richter. HTT

LuxeYard Unveils De La Fashion Flash Sale Site for Latinos

JOHN GIDDING

HGTV

HGTV’s John Gidding to Speak in Dallas in January

IMC Announces Keynote Speakers for

First Gift + Home CEO Summit

htt120802_008 8htt120802_008 8 8/15/2012 5:01:55 PM8/15/2012 5:01:55 PM

Untitled-51 1Untitled-51 1 8/14/12 11:29:20 AM8/14/12 11:29:20 AM

10 Home Textiles Today News > hometextilestoday.com

The Bombay Company to Launch Ecommerce

August 20, 2012

NEW YORK — The Bombay Company – a brand now owned by Hermes-Otto International USA and licensed out in numer-ous product categories – will launch an ecom-merce site in Septem-ber.

Initially, the site will carry about 300 items, according to Wil Hol-lands, president.

“Bombay truly is a lifestyle brand,” he told HTT. “People really relate to the sense of style.”

T h e c o m p a n y decided to move for-ward with ecommerce based on feedback from its social media interactions with con-sumers. “The No. 1 response was “When

will you have it online?’” said

Hollands.Bombay s igned a home

textiles license last October with JLA International, which includes bedding, curtains and bath accessories. The collec-tion is exclusive to Bed Bath & Beyond. Last month, Bombay announced its latest licensing agreement, which covers youth, occasional, dining and accent furniture to be produced by The Powell Company. HTT

WIL HOLLANDS

The Bombay Co.

NEW YORK — The Home Fash-ion Products Association will host three events during New York Home Fashions Market Week, which takes place Sept. 10-13 in supplier showrooms.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, the asso-ciation’s Young Professionals group — known as the YoPros — will host a panel discussion fea-turing top industry executives. Topics will range from from retail strategy to multinational manufacturing. The event takes place from 4 to 5 p.m. at the 230 Fifth Avenue rooftop lounge, on the 20th fl oor. Admission is free. To RSVP contact [email protected].

Afterward in the same space, the HFPA will hold a member-ship drive from 5:00-5:30 p.m. Keith Sorgeloos, president/ceo of Home Source International

and president of HFPA, and Nancy Golden, svp marketing for Welspun USA and HFPA”s membership chair, will discuss the features and benefits for companies interested in learn-ing more about membership to HFPA.

HTT’s market kick-off party will follow from 5:30-7:30 p.m.On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the HFPA will host its 2nd Annual Mar-ket Jam party from 9:00 p.m. to midnight at Legends, 6 W 33rd Street, at 5th Ave. Live music will be provided by blues leg-end, Jr. Mack.

Admission is $20, and pro-ceeds will benefit the HFPA’s scholarship fund. For infor-mation or to register, contact Denise Matlack at [email protected] or 310-503-9805. HTT

HFPA Plans Market Week Events

LAS VEGAS — As part of a sweep-ing physical and strategic repo-sitioning of its market activities, International Market Centers’ World Market Center unit here will actively go after home tex-tiles exhibitors and tenants for 2014, targeting better top-of-the-bed and decorative pillow resources initially.

The appeal to the textiles industry is one element of a three-phase plan to group gift and home decor companies into Building C at the market com-plex, an effort that will start to happen in January 2013. Furni-ture and decor companies that cater more to the furniture mar-ket will be grouped together in Buildings A and B at the same time. Textiles products are utli-mately planned to be shown on fl oors 4 and 5 of Building C.

Rugs and fl oor coverings will continue to be shown through-out the market complex with those suppliers being positioned depending on their customer bases.

“This plan re-imagines and re-aligns the presentation of gift and home decor here,” said Dor-othy Belshaw, president of Gift +

Home Decor, who joined IMC four months ago from her posi-tion running the New York Gift Show for George Little Manage-ment. “By strengthening existing resources, launching new cate-gories and enriching the presen-tation of better goods, we will create an unparalleled market-place for gift and home products in the western United States,” she added.

When the World Market Center fi rst opened about seven years ago, it made an initial attempt to pull the home tex-tiles market out of New York and host it at the facility. That effort did not succeed, and while the building has a robust base of rug, furniture and home decor exhibitors, the home textiles representation has been sparse. This current effort is focused more on better textiles compa-nies that appeal to gift and home decor stores and not necessarily to core sheet and towel suppliers for larger big-box stores.

The market center also announced its dates for the next two years: Jan. 28-Feb. 1 and July 29-Aug. 2 for 2013 and Jan. 27-31 and July 28-Aug. 1 for 2014. HTT

Las Vegas Market Targets Textiles

for 2014

Protect a Bed Crosses the Pond with Underground Ad Campaign

London calling! Protect-A-Bed, which distributes its products in 35 countries, took out ads in more than 2,000 train carriages for the duration of the Olympics in London. The London underground ad featured Protect-A-Bed’s sleep solutions as well as a QR code, directing people to a television ad.

htt120802_010 10htt120802_010 10 8/14/2012 3:08:04 PM8/14/2012 3:08:04 PM



PEOPLETodaY

Surtex Names John Erich Sales Manager

NEW YORK — Martha Stew-art Living Omnimedia Inc. has named Patricia DiPette svp, licensing.

Described by MSLO as a “talented licensing and market-ing executive...with significant experience and a successful track record in strategic business devel-opment in the licensing arena,” DiPette’s career experience includes working with many

major brands.Most recently, she was with

Elie Tahari Ltd. as vp, licensing. Prior to that, she was vp of licens-ing and new business develop-ment at Perry Ellis, and earlier served as director of corporate licensing at Liz Claiborne Inc.

In her new position, DiPette is responsible for developing and negotiating new domestic mer-chandising opportunities for the

company.She reports to Ann Bukawyn,

evp, global licensing. “Trish has a proven record as

a brand builder, as well a keen understanding and respect for the imaging and positioning of the brands she represents,” Bukawyn said. “She will be an incredible asset to MSLO and I’m delighted to have her on the team.” HTT

MSLO Taps Patricia DiPette as Senior Veep, Licensing

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Trade show organizer GLM has appointed John Erich to sales manager for Surtex, the annual trade fair for the surface design industry.

Previously, he served as trade-show marketing manager for the Craft & Hobby Association. From 1998-2005, he held sev-eral sales and management posi-tions for GLM-managed gift shows. Prior to that, he served

as sales manager for Spinergy, a sporting goods manufacturer.Erich reports to vp Penny Sikalis.

“I look forward to working with Penny and the Surtex team, building on the positive energy of the 2012 edition as we pre-pare for next year,” said Erich. “My priorities include working with new and existing exhibi-tors to identify goals and max-imize their tradeshow experi-ence.” HTT

August 20, 2012

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. — C & F Enterprises has joined forces with the Jenny Hammons Com-pany for sales representation in the Northwest.

The Jenny Hammons Co. will represent C & F Enter-prise’s home linens and Gallerie

II’s home accessories to retailers in the Pacifi c Northwest states as well as in Northern California.

C & F/Gallerie II national sales manager Jennifer Sheridan said the Jenny Hammons Com-pany “has a strong sales team, incredible relationships, and great

experience in the industry.”Added Hammons, whose

company has been in business for more than 30 years old: “We welcome this great fi t and a look forward to an outstanding part-nership with these two power-house companies.” HTT

WEST WARWICK, R.I. — Natco Home Fashions has hired Wil-liam “Larry” Hill as its new vp of sales.

Hill brings more than 28 years of career experience in the rug and home textiles industry. Most recently, he served as the U.S. director of sales for Abhitex International of Panipat, India. Earlier, he held executive and

management sales positions with Bon Motif and Mohawk Home.

He was also a founding part-ner of American Weavers and partner of American Rug Crafts-men, both of which were bought by Mohawk Industries.

In his new post, he reports to Natco president Michael Litner and evp Bryan Bogas. HTT

C & F Enterprises/Gallerie II Partner with Jenny Hammons Co.

Natco Adds Hill as vp, SalesNARAYANGONJ, BANGLADESH —ACS Textiles has hired Rahul Singh to head its towel opera-tion and will be show-ing towels as well as its bedding line at the New York Home Fashions Market in September.

ACS, a company owned by British inves-tors, launched its towel production eight months ago.

“The production set up is vertical, with lat-

est technology machinery,” said Singh, who is senior vp for tow-els. “We are a ISO 1400 com-

pany certified to han-dle organic cot ton products, and we have a license for Egyptian cotton. Weaving has all Air Jet looms with Dornier dobby and jac-quard as well as Tsuda-koma dobby looms.”

The company was established in 2005 as a vertical bedding

producer and now manufac-tures three million meters of fabric per month. Its finished towel capacity is 300 tons per month, and the mill uses dyes and chemicals certifi ed by Oeko Tex, said Singh.

ACS Textiles generated $90 million US in sales last year and expects to add another $10 mil-lion US this year, he added.

At the New York market, the company will show at 295 Fifth Ave. in Suite 104, Stand No. 2. HTT

CARLSTADT, N.J. — Area rug design house Momeni Inc. has created a new position — design and market-ing associate — and has appointed Ashley Alford to fi ll it.

Alford hails from John Robshaw Textiles in New York, where she worked on design. She is also a recent graduate of the Fash-ion Institute of Tech-nology, earning various honors and showcase awards during her studies.

In her new position, Alford

will be part of Momeni’s design team, and active in creating, refi ning and promoting the com-

pany’s design vision. In addition, she will help in the branding and marketing of the com-pany.

She reports to Reza Momeni, president.

“ M o m e ni p r i d e s itself on design innova-tion and that starts with the right people. Ash-

ley brings a rare combination of vision, talent and work ethic,” he said. HTT

Momeni Hires Alford

ASHLEY ALFORD

Momeni

RAHUL SINGH

ACS Textiles

ACS Heads For New York With New Executive

htt120802_012 12htt120802_012 12 8/15/2012 12:52:14 PM8/15/2012 12:52:14 PM



1.From left to right: Doug Wurl, Big Lots; John Gurley, MVP Group International; John Martin, Big Lots; and Matt Parker, MVP Group International

2. From left to right: Paul Romer, Tempo; Eric Bell, JoAnne Fabrics; Roger Smit, independent rep; and Spencer Smith

3. From left to right: Michael Lichtenberg, S. Lichtenberg & Sons; Steve Fishman, Big Lots;

Carl Goldstein, S. Lichtenberg & Sons; and Tim Johnson, Big Lots.

4. From left to right: Bill Davidge, Columbus Blue Jackets; Todd Bork, Arlee; Frank Bork, Natco; and Todd Richards,Columbus Blue Jackets.

5. From left to right: Natalie Gellman, Beatrice Home Fashions; Chuck Weiss, Beatrice Home Fashions; Cindy Hughes, Big Lots; and Dale Hughes, Sam Salem & Sons.

DUBLIN, OHIO — The Annual Midwest Textiles and Home Prod-uct Association Charity Gold Outing was held in late June at The Country Club of Muirfi eld Village here.

Over 150 guests attended this year’s event to honor Holly Archer, Charles Schlang, Marco Giovengo, Jim Schaiper, Ron Schor, Michal Motskin and Seymour Garfi nkel. Contributions have been made to the specifi ed charities for those honored. Proceeds from this year’s outing will benefi t HFPA Foundation- FIT Scholarship Fund, Honor Flight Network, Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation-Pediatric Cancer, Big Hearts Event, Mid Ohio Food Bank and the Marco Giovengo Memorial Scholarship Fund at Robert Morris Col-lege. HTT

Midwest Textiles and Home Product Association Hosts Charity Golf Outing

1

2

3

54

August 20, 2012 Events

htt120802_014_015 14htt120802_014_015 14 8/15/2012 12:45:18 PM8/15/2012 12:45:18 PM

15 Home Textiles Today> hometextilestoday.com August 20, 2012Events

6. From left to right: Jeff Chilton, Soft-Tex; Keith Bolton, Soft-Tex; C J Gibson, Big Lots; and Aaron Croysdale, Big Lots.

7. From left to right: Kyle Ruddy, independent rep; Larry Wernick, Elrene; and Paul Ruddy, independent rep.

8. Larry Wernick, Elrene

9. From left to right: Jerry Tuchband, Ellery Home Fashions; Dan Torchia, independent rep; Mike Doherty, Ellery Home Fashions teeing off of Bruce Garfinkel, Ellery Home Fashions.

6

7 8

9



BUSINESSTodaY

TJX Cos. Ends Second Quarter on a High Note

August 20, 2012

NEW YORK — Same-store sales rose 1.8% during the second week of August following a 2.0% increase the previous week, according to the John-son Redbook Retail Sales In-dex.

Comp in the discount store channel was up 2.5% while the increase in the department store segment was 0.5%.

“Clearance activity is expected to decline rap-idly over the next few weeks depending on in-dividual transition programs,” said Catlin Levis, Redbook analyst.

She noted differing school calendars across the country affects the timing of back-to-school

activity. Shoppers are still buying closer to need, she added.

“Meanwhile, with some markets that have gone back-to-school, stores reported a positive response to the new merchandise and tradi-tional back-to-school apparel categories,” said Levis. HTT

Same-store sales

Comps in pre-BTS LullJohnson Redbook Index

Second week of August, year-over-year % change

WEEK ENDED 8/4 8/11 8/18 8/25 MONTH TARGET

Department stores* 0.7 0.5 0.6 (0.1)Discounters 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.6Redbook Index 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.7*Including chain stores and traditional department storesSource: Johnson Redbook Index

FRAMINGHAM, MASS. — TJX Companies has a lot to celebrate upon wrapping up its fi rst half of fi s-cal 2013 as the retailer is marking its seventh con-secutive year of robust second quarter operating performance – companywide and by segment.

“We believe [this] demonstrates the sustain-ability of our sales and profi t growth in both strong and weak economies,” said Carol Meyrowitz, ceo, during the company’s earnings call last week.

TJX Cos.’ results “significantly exceeded our original expectations, with every business posting excellent results,” she added.

Net income for the quarter, ended July 28, was $421 million and diluted earnings per share were 56 cents, a 24% increase over the same period last year.

Sales rose 9% to $5.9 billion, and consolidated comps were up by 7%.

The U.S. and Canadian segments of the com-pany also had much to boast about. Domestically, Marmxx reported an 8.8% sales increase to $3.9 billion, with comps up 7.0%. HomeGoods’s sales rose 16.1% to $598 million, with comps up 9.0%. TJX Canada, which includes Winners and Home-Sense, saw a 3.6% sales increase to $661 million, and a 5.0% comps jump.

For the first half of fiscal 2013, net income soared by 37% to $840 million, or EPS of $1.11

compared. Sales moved up 10% to $11.7 billion over last year, and comp sales increased 8%.

A highlight in the quarter was customer traffi c, which grew both in count and variety. Meyrowitz said the company is “convinced that we will con-tinue to attract more new and loyal customers in the U.S. and internationally with the power of our values, brand and fashion content, and wide cus-tomer demographic appeal.”

A younger customer in particular has become a bigger focus for the company, as teens are fre-quenting the Marmaxx chains more often “with-out a doubt.”

While HomeGoods, by nature, “doesn’t have a young teen customer” yet, she continued, “don’t put it past us to have something up our sleeve.”

Meyrowitz said that while the company’s aver-age shoppers’ ages have “always run in high 40s … our goal is to have customers of all ages and keep them over time. And we are working on that.”

Encouraged by its recent performance, TJX Companies raised fi scal year guidance earnings per share by 1 cent to a range of $2.39 to $2.45. That represents a 20% to 23% increase over the prior year’s adjusted earnings per share from con-tinuing operations of $1.99 and is based upon esti-mated consolidated comparable store sales growth of 4% to 5%. HTT

GONZALES, LA. — Exiting an unprofitable bedding program helped propel Crown Crafts’s fi rst quarter profi ts ahead 70% to $897,000, or 8 cents per share.

Sales were essentially fl at —down 0.2% to $17.45 million for the quarter ended July 1.

Company chairman, pres-ident and ceo Randall Chest-nut said the company also benefited from its “quick re-

sponse to increases in raw ma-terial prices in early fi scal 2012 when cotton prices were at all-time highs. Since that time, we have strategically reduced our dependence on cotton by successfully redesigning some of our product lines. We also selectively increased prices where appropriate, which pos-itively impacted our bottom line.” HTT

TORONTO — Slowed weekend business contributed to a second quarter net loss at Sears Canada of C$9.8 million – versus a net loss of C$200,000 in the year-ago period.

Sales for the quarter ended July 28 fell 8.5% to C$1.050 bil-lion, with comps down 7.1%.

President and ceo Calvin Mc-Donald said Sears Canada did ex-perience continued sales increas-es of regularly priced merchandise on weekdays.

He noted: “Sales following the opening of our new Sears Home location in Ottawa, the largest Sears Home store in the coun-try, exceeded our expectations

and the Sears Home format ex-perienced year over year sales in-creases.”

The company tested special promotions to boost business on Saturday and Sunday business, but “our weekend business is still underperforming and we will be executing new approaches as we proceed through the third quar-ter,” said McDonald.

For the fi rst half of the year, net earnings jumped 76% to C$83.2 million, which included was a pre-tax gain of C$164.3 million on the early surrender and return of leases on three properties. Sales dropped 8.2% to C$1.965 billion, with comps down 6.7%. HTT

Crown Crafts Profit Jumps in 1Q

Sears Canada’s Loss Widens

home categories by summer 2013.

Target’s fourth quarter collab-oration with luxury department store Neiman Marcus on Dec. 1. The joint holiday program will span 50 products across sev-eral categories, including home décor.

Year to date, net earnings were up a slight 0.6% to $1.401

billion. Sales increased 4.8% to $32.989 billion, and comps were up 4.2%.

Target also raised its guid-ance for the fi scal year and now expects adjusted EPS of $4.65 to $4.85 and GAAP EPS of $4.20 to $4.40.The company noted “the difference between the GAAP and adjusted EPS range of 14 cents in the third quarter refl ects the expected EPS impact of ex-penses related to the company’s Canadian market entry. HTT

RESULTS FROM PAGE 2

Target

htt120802_016 16htt120802_016 16 8/15/2012 3:58:08 PM8/15/2012 3:58:08 PM

Don Wingate ............ 336.605.1035 • [email protected] Blalock ............. 336.605.1052 • [email protected] Dunlay .............. 336.605.1022 • [email protected] Jones ................ 336.605.1023 • [email protected] Martinez ........ 336.605.1024 • [email protected]

Mary McLoughlin ..... 646.805.0227 • [email protected] Reeves ................. 336.605.1009 • [email protected] Lassiter ........... 336.605.1026 • [email protected] Haberer .... 336.605.1016 • [email protected] Susan Prevatte .......... 336.605.1051 • [email protected]

Don’t forget to ask your Account Manager for great package rates for the Show Issue.

www.kidstodayonline.comwww kidstodayonline com

18 Home Textiles Today August 20, 2012 Business HTT Global Home Show

Market Kick-OffParty Sponsors:

WASHINGTON — It looks like merchants are planning to be bountiful in their holi-day assortments, as import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 6.3% in August com-pared with the same month last year.

In addition, import volume in 2012 should show an increase of 4.8% over last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released last week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“These numbers all show significant increases for the months when retailers will be bringing merchandise into the country for the crucial holiday season, and we’re also expecting an increase for

the full year,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vp for supply chain and customs policy. “Actual sales will depend on how consum-ers react to employment levels and other indicators, but retailers are clearly stocking up and hoping for a stronger fall and win-ter than they saw last year.”

U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker include: Long Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah and Miami on the East Coast, and Hous-ton on the Gulf Coast.

Together, these ports handled 1.41 mil-lion Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in June, the latest month for which after-

the-fact numbers are available. That was up 4.7% from May and 10.7% from June 2011.

One TEU is one 20-foot cargo con-tainer or its equivalent.

July was estimated at 1.39 million TEU, up 2.6% from last year. August is forecast at 1.44 million TEU, up 6.3%; September at 1.46 million TEU, up 7.3%; October at 1.47 million TEU, up 13.2%; November at 1.3 million TEU, up 2.4%; and Decem-ber at 1.23 million TEU, up 2.4%.

The fi rst half of 2012 totaled 7.6 mil-lion TEU, up 3.8% from the same period last year. For the full year, 2012 is expected to total 15.9 million TEU, up 4.8% from 2011. HTT

Retailer Container Traffic Upswing Suggests Stores Increasing 4Q Offerings

WASHINGTON — Retail sales in July edged higher, ending three consecutive months of declining growth and demonstrating that consumers are gaining some sem-blance of confi dence this summer, noted the National Retail Federation.

July retail sales, excluding automobile, gas stations and restaurants, increased 0.8% seasonally adjusted from June and 1.2% unadjusted year-over-year.

Sales at furniture and home furnishing stores increased 1.1% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month and 9.0% unadjusted year-over-year;

“Halfway through the back-to-school season retailers are seeing positive signs that consumers are spending,” said Mat-thew Shay, NRF president and ceo. “However, sustained retail growth hinges on Congress’ and the administration’s ability to make smart decisions about the economy and Americans’ confi dence in

our long-term recovery.”July retail sales released today by

the U.S. Department of Commerce showed total retail and food services sales – which include non-general mer-chandise categories such as automo-biles, gasoline stations, and restaurants – increased 0.8% seasonally adjusted month-to-month and 4.1% adjusted year-over-year. If it were unadjusted, it would be 3.4%.

“Despite high unemployment, and political and fi scal uncertainty, consum-ers are spending again, albeit cautiously,” said Jack Kleinhenz, NRF chief econo-mist. “Retail sales continue to remain resilient in the face of bleak interna-tional news, with retailers on track with sustained sales growth year-over-year and year to date. Retail sales will continue to see modest growth in the fall and win-ter.”

Other findings from the July retail sales report include:

• General merchandise stores’ sales increased 0.7% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month yet decreased 1.4% unadjusted year-over-year;

• Clothing and clothing accesso-ries stores’ sales increased 0.8% season-ally-adjusted month-to-month and 2.6% unadjusted year-over-year;

• Electronics and appliance stores’ sales increased 0.9% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month yet decreased 1.1% unadjusted year-over-year;

• Health and personal care stores’ sales increased 1.1% seasonally-adjusted month-to-month and 0.7% unadjusted year-over-year;

• Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores’ sales increased 1.6% season-ally-adjusted month-to-month and 8.0% unadjusted year-over-year. HTT

NRF: Retail Sales Made Turnaround In July

ATLANTA — Home Depot beat analysts’ estimates in the second quarter, reporting a 17% jump in earnings per share to $1.01.

Net income for the quarter ended July 29 increased 7% to $1.5 billion. Sales were up 1.7% to $20.6 billion. Consolidated comp

was up 2.1%, with U.S. comp up 2.6%.“As expected, second-quarter sales

refl ected the pull forward of seasonal activ-ity into the fi rst quarter. But we saw contin-ued demand for core products and deliv-ered second-quarter earnings above our

expectations,” said Frank Blake, chairman and ceo.

Home Depot now expects fiscal year earnings per share to be up approximately 19% to $2.95. It previously forecast FY EPS of $2.90. HTT

Home Depot Raises Outlook After Solid Second Quarter

htt120802_018_019 18htt120802_018_019 18 8/15/2012 12:42:00 PM8/15/2012 12:42:00 PM

THE BIG HTT MARKET KICK-OFF PARTYIS BACK AT THE 230 FIFTH AVENUE ROOFTOP

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Warren Shoulberg at [email protected] or 646-805-0226.

Sponsored by:

Sunday, September 9, 2012 5:30pm – 7:30pm

IT’S BACK!

Untitled-2 1Untitled-2 1 7/31/2012 3:30:54 PM7/31/2012 3:30:54 PM

Featured Exhibitors at

Home Textiles Today’s Global Home Show

See these and other exhibitors at 295 5th Avenue and 7 West 34th Street.

September 9-13, 2012

AL KARAMT O W E L S

INTERNATIONAL CORPBAC

HTT_GHS12 fall sprd.indd 2-3 8/15/12 11:58:02 AMUntitled-59 2Untitled-59 2 8/15/12 4:47:38 PM8/15/12 4:47:38 PM

Contour Products

Al Karam

Chortex Mills

Pradip

United WeaversMakroteks

Ahmad ACS Textiles

OBAC

Exhibitor Space Now Open! Reserve Your Space Today!

September 9-13 ,2012Fall NY Home Fashions Market WeekMajor Showroom Buildings Throughout Market

For exhibition space, please contact:Joe Carena, Show Manager, [email protected] (203) 329-9553Warren Shoulberg, Publisher, Home Textiles Today, [email protected] (646) 805-0226

Make appointments now with these leading suppliers:

INTERNATIONAL CORPBAC

AL KARAMT O W E L S

HTT_GHS12 fall sprd.indd 2-3 8/15/12 11:58:02 AMUntitled-59 3Untitled-59 3 8/15/12 4:47:40 PM8/15/12 4:47:40 PM

22 Home Textiles Today

PEKING LINEN INCHome textiles distributor directly supported by its factory in China,

seeks:Sales with established accounts in

home fashions, and Designers experienced in home fashions. Please send resumes to:

[email protected] call: 201-293-4418

SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYSTO REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET

START ADVERTISING TODAY!

CLASSIFIEDS

SPENCER WHITTLE:[email protected] 336.605.1027fax 336.605.1143

KAREN HANCOCK:[email protected] 336.605.1047fax 336.605.1143

THEY’RELOOKING

FORYOU

SUBSCRIBEHome Textiles Today is

the fashion and business source home textiles

industry executives turn to every week to learn the latest developments bound to affect their businesses.

Go to: hometextilestoday.

comand subscribe today!

small spaceBIG

RESULTS !

w w w. h o m e t e x t i l e s t o d a y. c o m

LINES OFFERED

Home Textile + Fashion Handbag/Accessories CompanyHiring Sales Persons

VHC, Inc. is a multi-line home textile and handbag design, import,and distribution company seeking full time, salary + commission sales persons to engage larger accounts within the US. Offi ces in Missouri

and New Delhi, with branded and private label/custom programs. Majorlines include patchwork bedding, window treatment, table textiles, wovens,

braided rugs, and Bella Taylor handbags. Min. 5 years selling experiencein the wholesale home textile and/or fashion import/distribution industry.

Email inquiries/resumes only to: [email protected]

HELP WANTED

One of the most successful online home textile brands in China, RRacy’s Home, is seeking

cooperative opportunities with home textile studios or designers from Europe and the U.S.

• Do you want to show your face on the biggest B to C website in Asia?

• Do you want to share your designs and ideas with the most popularity and with more than 10 million from the most exciting market of the world?

• The candidate who is interested in this co-operation should have a minimum of 5 years experience in design and/or art or a related field. Candidates will be asked to show their pictures and comments on their own designs to our consumers.

• We will introduce your designs together to millions of our consumers in China.

• We will offer market prices for your artwork if chosen by our product team.

If you are interested, please forward your studio profile or personal resume to:

[email protected]

SALES PROFESSIONALS WANTEDCommission based Sales Rep needed for promotionally priced Home Textile Importer. USA Warehouse, 20 years in business.

Excellent reputation. Only those with real Home textile experience need apply. All territories available.

E-mail resume to [email protected] or fax to 516-621-9125

August 20, 2012 Business

FRANKFURT, GERMANY — Next year’s edition of Heimtextil, the largest trade show in the world for home textiles, will increase its focus on textiles design by revamping the design area in

Hall 4.2.“By giving our design area a makeover, we are looking to highlight Heimtextil’s position as the world’s largest platform for textile design. Our visitors

will be offered a new contem-porary showcase for firstclass design work,” says Ulrike Wech-sung, Heimtextil director.

The exhibit will feature the work of approximately 150 in-

ternational exhibitors, includ-ing a number of studios that will show at the fair for the fi rst time.

The presentation will also include applications of CAD/

CAM and ink jet.Heimtextil exhibitors will be

allowed to preview the design area Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fair will run from Jan. 9-12. HTT

Heimtextil 2013 to Spotlight Textiles Design

BENTONVILLE, ARK. — The home department at Walmart U.S. stores generated a low sin-gle-digit comp gain during the second quarter, with basic lead-ing the way.

Back-to-College shopping is helping growth in the depart-

ment early in the third quarter, Walmart U.S. president and ceo Bill Simon said during last week’s quarterly commentary.

“Our stores were ready to serve shoppers early in the sea-son, and we’re pleased with the results. Season to date, key

back-to-school apparel catego-ries are up 7.0%. Within home, we’re seeing strong performance in college essentials like bed-ding and bath,” said Simon.

O p e r a t i n g i n c o m e a t Walmart U.S. climbed 5.3% to $5.25 billion during the quar-

ter ended July 31. Total sales rose 3.8% to $ 67.3 billion, with comps up 2.2%.

At Sam’s Club, operating income jumped 10.1% to $536 million. Sales – excluding the impact of fuel – increased 3.8% to $14.16 billion. Comps, again

excluding fuel, rose 4.2%.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. report-

ed consolidated income from continuing operations of $4.0 billion, up 5.7%, and earnings per share of $1.18. Total sales were up 4.5% to $113.5 billion. HTT

Wal-Mart Profit up 5.7%

htt120802_001_006_022_023 22htt120802_001_006_022_023 22 8/16/2012 3:54:59 PM8/16/2012 3:54:59 PM

23 Home Textiles TodayNews

360 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010Tel: (646) 805-0227; Fax: (646) 365-2307

www.hometextilestoday.com www.facebook.com/httmag

THE 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 497-490HOME TEXTILES TODAY (USPS 497-490) (ISSN 0195-3184) is published 29 times a year except for the weeks of 1/16, 2/6, 2/20, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9, 4/23, 5/7, 5/21, 6/4, 6/18, 7/2, 7/16, 7/30, 8/13, 8/27, 9/17, 10/1, 10/15, 10/29, 11/12, 11/26, 12/10, 12/24 by Furniture/Today Media Group, 360 Park Avenue South, 17th fl., New York, NY, 10010 a subsidiary of Sandow Media LLC, 3731 NW 8th Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. HOME TEXTILES TODAY copyright ©2012 by Sandow Media LLC. Annual subscription rates: U.S. and Canada $169.97; 1 year, other countries $325.99 for surface mail . All payments must be made in U.S. currency. Subscription inquiries: HOME TEXTILES TODAY, PO Box 5879, Harlan, IA 51593-1379. Phone: (866) 456-0405. HOME TEXTILES TODAY and THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY are registered trade-marks of Sandow Media LLC, used under license. Sandow Media LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever. (Posted under Canadian International Publication Agreement No.40624074. Sandow Media/CDS (Mint Hill)POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HOME TEXTILES TODAY, P.O. Box 5879, Harlan, IA, 51593-1379 Email: [email protected]. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International; APC; PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Rich Hill, ON L4B 4R6

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.A. (866) 456-0405All other countries: (515) 247-2984

[email protected]

FAX SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-866-310-7181

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Marks10 Ocean Blvd #8B

Atlantic Highlands, N.J. 07716(732) 204-2012 | [email protected]

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTORWarren Shoulberg

(646) 805-0226 | [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Cecile B. Corral428 Bianca Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33146


MANAGING EDITOR Julie Murphy(646) 805-0224 | [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC ARTIST Desiree Nunez(646) 805-0233 | [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH Dana French(336) 605-1091 | [email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, ACCOUNT MANAGER CHINA Jeff Reeves (336) 605-1009 | [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGER NORTHEAST/MIDWEST/WEST COAST/CANADA

Mary McLoughlin(646) 805-0227 | [email protected]

CLASSIFIED AD SALESSpencer Whittle (336) 605-1027 [email protected] Karen Hancock (336) 605-1047 [email protected]

MANAGER, EUROPE Mirek KraczkowskiTel: 48 22 401 70 01; Fax: 48 22 401 70 16 | [email protected]

MANAGER, INDIA Kaushal ShahCell: 91-9821715431; Tel: 91-22-6663 4597 / 24988658

Fax: 91-22-66634596 | [email protected]

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rich LambTel: (336) 605-1074; Fax: (336) 605-1143 | rlamb@ sandowmedia.com

DIRECTOR, WEB OPERATIONS Chris Schultz | (336) 605-1076 | [email protected]

MANAGER, CLIENT SERVICES, WEB ADVERTISING Dan Sage | (336) 605-1080 | [email protected]

E-MEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Missy Axe | (336) 605-1005 | [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE MARKETING Allison Ternes(704) 573-9007 | [email protected]

PRESIDENT, FURNITURE TODAY GROUP Kevin Castellani


FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carole Sloan1979-2011

SANDOW MEDIA

PRESIDENT AND CEO Adam I. Sandow

CFO/COO Christopher Fabian

VP CREATIVE AND EDITORIAL Yolanda E. Yoh

EVP, GROUP PUBLISHER James N. Dimonekas

August 20, 2012

the Caribbean Joe license recently relo-cated to Alok, WestPoint still retains the Izod brand for home textiles.

“We’re evaluating [other] licensed brands that we think are signifi cantly valued,” Savaria told HTT.

The death knell many foresaw in the 2011 decision by Ralph Lauren Home to take development and distribution of the Lauren Ralph Lauren Home busi-

ness in-house was not as crippling as advertised. What WestPoint had been outsourcing for the brand predomi-nantly consisted of accessories, which the Lauren team now fi elds. What was being produced in WestPoint’s plants in Bahrain and Pakistan continues to roll through, said Savaria.

“We have gotten focused, and it’s fi -nally starting to grow,” he added.

Icahn announced earlier this month that it will not renew WestPoint’s cred-it revolver when it expires this month.

Ninivaggi noted the company has $63 million in cash on the books and can fund itself.

“We may be the best-capitalized textiles company in the country,’ he told HTT.

For the first six months of the fis-cal year, WestPoint’s EBIDA loss was $2 million — but Savaria said it is pos-sible WestPoint could turn a profi t for the year.

“We feel good about the third and fourth quarters,” he said. HTT

HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. — Sears Hold-ings pared inventories and hacked away at costs to trim its second quarter net loss to $132 million, or $1.25 per share, compared to a net loss of $146 million, or $1.37 per share in the year-ago quar-ter.

Total sales dropped 6.6% to $9.47 billion for the quarter ended July 30.

Comps fell 2.9% at U.S. Sears stores and 4.7% at Kmart stores. Same-store sales at Sears Canada were down 7.1%.

U.S. inventories were cut 6.0% to $7.9 billion year-over-year – driven by a combination of improved productivi-ty and a smaller store base.

“While we drive operational disci-pline, we are also investing in our cus-

tomer experience, particularly through our ShopYourWay membership pro-gram and Integrated Retail. Our focus is on providing clear benefits to our members and customers, and deliver-ing an excellent and seamless experi-ence across the store, online, mobile and in the home,” said company presi-dent and ceo Lou D’Ambrosio. HTT

Sears Cost Cutting Narrows Loss, Sales Slide Continues

top, including summer entertaining.Stein said the department has seen

“a really good resurgence,” generating positive comps in the fi rst and second

quarters, as well as at least one quarter in 2011 — although he said he could not recall in which period exactly.

Even so, Stein Mart is still on a road to recovery.

For the quarter, ended July 28, net income sank 44.5% to $730,000, or 2

cents per share. Sales were up 2.3% to $276.4 million, with comps up 1.6%.

For the fi rst six months period, net income dropped 27% to $12.6 million, or 29 cents per share. Sales inched up 1.1% to $579.8 million, with comps up 0.5%. HTT

WestPoint WESTPOINT FROM PAGE 1

Stein MartRESULTS FROM PAGE 1

WASHINGTON – Back-to-school and back-to-college shoppers may have got-ten an earlier start tackling their lists this year than in the past, but they are far from done, the National Retail Fed-eration discovered.

As of Aug. 7, they still had more than half of their shopping to com-plete, according to NRF’s 2012 Back-to-School and College Surveys con-ducted by BigInsight.

The average person with children in grades K-12 has completed 40.1% of their shopping, while college shop-pers and their families have completed only slightly more, at 45.3%.

Overall, school and college shop-pers this year are expected to spend a total of $83.8 billion.

“Given how much of an impact the economy is having on consum-ers’ buying decisions, retailers will re-main competitive up through the fi nal

sale after Labor Day, rolling out web, in-store and even mobile promotions to entice children and their parents,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and ceo.

The survey found that more college students and their families have already fi nished their shopping (16.4%), than school shoppers (7.8%). Additional-ly, there are fewer school and college shoppers who say they have not start-ed their shopping yet (28.5% versus 31.1% of college shoppers last year, and 26.9% compared to 28.3% of K-12 shoppers last year.)

To wrap up their shopping lists, school and college shoppers will con-tinue to look for bargains as they com-parison shop in stores and online. Col-lege students and their families will head to discount (47.6%), department (41.1%) and clothing stores (30.1%). More than one-third (34.6%) of col-

lege shoppers will do the remainder of their shopping online.

The survey found debit/check cards are the preferred payment method this summer for 39.4% of college students and their families. College shoppers are more likely to use their credit cards (29.4%) over cash (26.7%).

“With eight in 10 Americans saying the economy will impact their school and college spending plans, it’s no sur-prise promotions and coupons are pop-ular with families this summer,” NRF noted.

Two in five college shoppers (38.6%) said at least half of their pur-chases were influenced by sales and promotions, up from 34.2% last year.

When it comes to technology, 68.9% of college students and their parents shop using tablets and 51.6% of those who own smart phones plan to use them for shopping. HTT

BTS/BTC Shoppers Taking Longer to Finish Lists


TheButterfly Meadow Blue

CollectionTable and Bath

Bardwil Linens1071 Sixth Avenue New York, NY 10018 646-368-6852

©Lenox Corporation

Bardwil_Aug20th.indd 1Bardwil_Aug20th.indd 1 8/16/2012 8:45:34 AM8/16/2012 8:45:34 AM

Home Textiles Today August 20th, 2012

Documents

decorative pillow business

decorative pillow business

home category

pillow suppliers

decorative pillows

pillows page

westpoint stevens

new businesses