Archive for July 20th, 2007
Brian Carroll — Furniture Today,
Company hopes to hook up with bricks-and-mortar retailer
SOUTH BEND, Mich. — Online furniture retailer FurnitureFind.com is up for sale, and also is looking for retail partners to form a national bricks-and-clicks sales network.
Declining sales and the challenges of order fulfillment have forced the 11-year-old e-commerce company to look at other business models and to reduce its workforce, said Mary Hunt, chief operating officer.
She would not quantify the cuts, but said that jobs eliminated were in the areas of content development, software engineering, online advertising and other Web site-related positions.
“We are fulfilling orders,” she said, crediting STI Home Express for “doing a wonderful job with white glove delivery. … We just aren’t enhancing the Web site.”
Two years ago, the company employed as many as 84 people, according to the U.S. Business Directory database. The company, owned by HQ Venture Capital, made the staffing cuts two weeks ago.
“Due to declining sales we have significantly cut back on our operations,” Hunt said. “We believe that selling furniture on the Internet only is not a viable business model. We are currently seeking a multi-location retail store organization with which we can form a multi-channel sales organization.”
Possible buyers for FurnitureFind include furniture chains with a national presence and regional chains that do not yet have an Internet presence, according to Hunt.
“We are looking for other partnerships or to sell the company,” she said. “We are in the beginning stages, so we are locating brokers.”
Hunt took over day-to-day responsibilities at the company when President Ken Kwit left in March. Kwit had been president since 2004, when he replaced Pamela Durkin. Kwit had worked in the wine business for six years and earlier was CEO of Expressions, a manufacturer-retailer of custom upholstery sold to CV Inds. in 1998.
FurnitureFind.com is offered for sale as a package with its URL, Endeca search technology, integrated telephone marketing system with e-mail and chat, shopping cart technology, and Icovia room planning software. The company is not selling real estate or other hard assets.
“The industry has moved to multi-channel delivery systems,” Hunt said, explaining the erosion in sales and referring to marriages of online sales sites with physical stores at retail. “We’re online only, and in the last five to 10 years we’ve seen so many more competitors with multi-channel move in (and compete) with us.”
Original company co-founder Steve Antisdel, who now co-owns with his brother an e-commerce consulting company, said FurnitureFind was always envisioned as a complement to or partner with brick-and-mortar stores. FurnitureFind.com ideally is “a tool to empower retailers,” he said. “How to roll that out as a national network was always the challenge.”
HQ Venture Capital acquired a majority stake in FurnitureFind.com in 2003, buying it from brothers Steve and Jeff Antisdel. A year later, HQ moved FurnitureFind operations to rented offices in South Bend, Ind., from Buchanan, Mich., and invested $1 million in a Web site overhaul. Several million more were plowed into search technology, an integrated telephone marketing system and room planning software.
Steve and Jeff Antisdel, who recently founded AVID Commerce, an e-commerce consulting company, launched FurnitureFind.com in 1996 as the online catalog division of the Niles, Mich.-based Bookout Furniture store. They grew the company into a $15 million-plus e-commerce enterprise before selling to HQ.
AVID Commerce helps retailers optimize Web site usability, functionality, visibility, technical performance and sales conversion.
Hunt declined to disclose FurnitureFind.com’s sales or Internet traffic metrics. She also would not state an asking price for the company.
FurnitureFind.com’s Internet address alone could be worth quite a bit. Creditcheck.com, for example, recently sold its URL — and only its URL — for $3 million. When searching with the term “furniture,” FurnitureFind.com is the eighth hit on Google and fourth on Yahoo’s search findings.
July 20th, 2007
David Perry — Furniture Today,
ARCHDALE, N.C. — Sealy is launching a new integrated selling program called ActivLink that it says will enhance the level of services offered to its independent dealers.
A reorganization of the sales force will eliminate some of the sales representatives who had called on those dealers, said Larry Rogers, president of Sealy North America. He estimated that less than 10% of the sales force would be affected by the new program. Some of those sales representatives will remain with Sealy in other positions, but others are losing their jobs, Rogers said. He did not provide a specific number for the cutbacks.
Rogers described the new Sealy program, to be phased in during August, as an industry-leading, proactive sales program designed to help Sealy dealers grow their business. It will result in more frequent calls to those dealers, and the dealers will have access to a broad range of sophisticated business tools, according to Rogers.
He acknowledged that those independent dealers may not see a Sealy sales representative in their store as frequently as they have in the past, but said that Sealy has tested the program in the field and found that it did meet its dealers’ needs. The test, conducted in Kansas City, was launched 18 to 24 months ago, he said.
Rogers estimated that about 1,000 Sealy dealers will be served by the new program.
“This new sales model will allow us to better meet the needs of all our independent dealers so that they receive consistent contact with Sealy and more access to materials and information,” he said. “Our goal is to meet the needs of dealers before they feel the need to call for assistance. ActivLink is based on the philosophy of proactive outreach to offer superior access to the marketing tools, product information and analysis services required to foster business growth for these dealers.”
ActivLink will be staffed with a team of sales representatives, who are assigned to specific accounts and whose primary job is to reach out to dealers with advice, tools and information on a frequent basis, Sealy said. They will “adhere to the best practices and standards of Sealy’s proven sales methods and receive advanced training in mattress retail growth strategies,” the company said.
The representatives will be based in North Carolina, according to Rogers. He estimated that there will be 12 to 14 of those representatives. They will not be Sealy employees, but the program will be under the supervision of a senior Sealy sales executive, and the reps will only work on the Sealy account.
It is possible that the representatives could become Sealy employees at some point, Rogers said.
Through the ActivLink program, dealers will have access to their sales representatives at any time during the business day through a toll-free line, and will get service to help them manage sales and promotion programs, merchandising recommendations, ad bank balances, accrual claims and training materials. The dealers will have access to a representative on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bilingual services are available for dealers who prefer Spanish-speaking representatives.
July 20th, 2007
— Furniture Today,
Will focus on Atlanta, New York markets
ATLANTA — Shaw Living, the rug division of Shaw Inds., has closed its High Point showroom in Market Square, Kim Barta, brand manager, has confirmed.
“High Point was no longer a viable market venue for us. Our lease was up and we decided not to renew,” she told Furniture/Today. “We will be concentrating on our other market showrooms in Atlanta and New York.”
Shaw occupied nearly 10,000 square feet on the second floor of Market Square, one of the largest rug showrooms in High Point.
July 20th, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
The Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) announced that MicroD, a 13-year-old company focused on product presentation, software and services will showcase ePreVue-5, their online furniture visualization service for the internet at the Launch Pad located within the Retailer Resource Center (RRC) at the Las Vegas Market in Building B, 16th floor.
The Launch Pad, 40 square feet of prime real-estate located within the RRC, is designed to support suppliers and manufacturers in the introduction of new products and innovative promotions.
MicroD, founded in 1994 by Manoj Nigam, President & CEO, provides premiere online room planners and advertising tools to bridge the technology gap between manufacturers and retailers.
“At MicroD, we provide the resources for retailers to interact with customers before they even come to the store. According to the Wall Street Journal, over 80% of big-ticket purchases, including furniture, are first researched on the internet. It only makes good business sense to take advantage of this inevitable trend and provide a product, such as ePreVue-5, that’s easy to use and customize to unique preferences,” said Nigam.
“People want to see the furniture on the web and want to know all about it. How will it fit in their house? How will it fit their need? It’s then that they go to the store to validate what they viewed on the web. Many retailers don’t have a website or don’t know how to put content on one. They might also struggle with how to maintain it. We’re going back to the retailers now and are making it easier than ever by creating the content for the retailers to use on their own websites,” said Nigam.
According to Gabberts Furniture CEO Jim Gabbert, “We can see definitive results when consumers can view our products on our website. By being able to conduct their research and explore their ideas through ePreVue-5, they come to the store better prepared to purchase,” said Gabbert.
Nigam will display the retailer-centric based program, ePreVue-5, during the Las Vegas Market, July 30-August 3, 2007. For more information or to schedule an appointment at Market, please contact Robin Smith at (828) 326-9111 x222.
For more information on the RRC, please contact Cindi Williams, Director of Events and RRC Manager, at (800) 422-3778 or visit www.WHFA.org.
About the WHFA: The Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) is the largest affiliate of the NHFA, representing more than 1,100 independent home furnishings retailers in more than 2,800 stores in 12 western states.
July 20th, 2007
(CBS 11 News) MESQUITE Two people were arrested after the Dallas District Attorney’s Office helped make a ’special’ furniture delivery Thursday.
Last month investigators received information from a Rooms To Go in Mesquite that an unknown woman used a false name and stolen credit card to purchase furniture.
Two days after the fraudulent purchase, the same woman went back to the store to purchase a $2,000 gift card using a stolen credit card.
The gift card was later used to purchase furniture online. The card user set up a delivery date for the furniture and police saw their chance.
Thursday morning, a district attorney investigator was among the furniture store delivery people who went to the house and delivered the merchandise inside. Following regular protocol, after the furniture was delivered the recipient signed for the merchandise and the sale was complete.
Armed with the signature the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office investigators executed a search warrant. Inside the home investigators found thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, including – flat screen televisions, major appliances and furniture.
The district attorney’s office has yet to release the name of the couple arrested, but officials believe the two are part of a larger ID theft ring.
“There are some other major retail chains that they have uncovered some furniture and other merchandise from inside the house,” said Jamille Bradfield, with the Dallas District Attorney’s Office.
An investigator told CBS 11 News that some of the other merchandise found inside the house may have come from Wal-Mart, Sears, and Home Depot.
July 20th, 2007
Top Video
EL PASO, TX - Taxpayer money is paying for new furniture in the offices of Representative Rachel Quintana and Representative Eddie Holguin.
David Almonte, the director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget, said the money used for Quintana’s new furniture came from a capital acquisition fund. However, items bought with this money become the city’s property. Quintana spent about $3,800 on new furniture for her office.
“We usually allow the representatives to make some sort of adjustment, although minor, on their furniture purchases when first elected to office,” Almonte said.
Holguin’s furniture purchases came out of his annual allotment of $10,000 in discretionary funds. He has made about $2,500 in purchases.
Several representatives said they use discretionary funds on their constituents. “We try to use as much of our discretionary funds budget to spend on constituent issues like street lights and other neighborhood improvements,” Representative Beto O’Rourke said. “Since we got into office in 2005, we haven’t spent a dollars on office furniture.”
Quintana and Holguin both defended their furniture purchases. “Being that the furniture is as old as I am, I figured it would be nice to have something to last me at least through the time I was here,” Quintana said.
Holguin said he bought the desks for his secretaries. “Their furniture is very old,” he said. “It’s falling apart.” He has not purchased furniture for his own office, although many items are 15 years old. He added he did have his office painted recently with leftover paint from the renovation of City Manager Joyce Wilson’s office.
July 20th, 2007
— Home Accents Today,
Gift, accessory showrooms a first
For the first time since Canada’s Furniture Mart opened in 1972, the mart will be accepting permanent tenants in the gift and accessory categories who are members of the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association (CGTA).
The International Centre, in cooperation and with the CGTA, will be offering CGTA members the exclusive opportunity to lease permanent showroom space in Canada’s Furniture Mart in Toronto. The permanent showroom space would give CGTA members maximum exposure at CGTA’s Spring and Summer Gift Shows, the largest in Canada, and the Canadian Home Furnishings Market, Canada’s national furniture show. More than 50,000 buyers attend these three shows, according to International Centre officials.
“We have seen a significant blurring of the product lines in the furniture and gift industries due to the interest and demands of buyers,” said CGTA President Bob Love. “We believe that the blending of these two product categories will enhance the buyer experience and offer an important value proposition for those CGTA members that could benefit from the synergy with many of Canada’s top furniture manufacturers.”
July 20th, 2007
– Home Accents Today,
Product debut at Fall High Point Market
“Trading Spaces” designer Christi Proctor is collaborating with home accents manufacturer Decorize to create a lighting collection that will debut at the Fall High Point Market in October.
Decorize manufactures home accents for interior designers, furniture, specialty and department stores. The company has three brands, decorize.com, Faith Walk Designs and GuildMaster, and focuses on lighting, accent furniture, accessories and wall décor. The new lighting products will be sold under the GuildMaster brand.
“We are ecstatic to have Christi join the design team. Her ‘look’ fits perfectly with the lifestyle design that our customers have come to know as the GuildMaster experience,” said Steve Crowder, CEO of Decorize.
Proctor, who has a degree in interior design from Baylor University, began her design career working for an architectural design studio and from there went on to owning and operating a furniture store and design business. Her experience has ranged from jewelry design to cast member of The Learning Channel’s home show, “Trading Spaces.”
July 20th, 2007
By JANESE HEAVIN of the Tribune’s staff
Preschoolers attending Hallsville’s new primary school this fall will have new handmade wooden furniture, thanks to about a dozen Missouri prison inmates.
Inmates at the Tipton Correctional Center have spent the past couple of months building bookshelves, tables and dressers for two early education classrooms at the school. The facility’s woodworking group is part of a restorative justice program that aims to give prisoners ways to give back to communities.
Hallsville teacher Shaunna Turner knew about the prison’s woodworking program because of donations prisoners made to Boonville schools a couple of years ago.
Last spring, she contacted them to see whether they’d like to help furnish the new Hallsville Primary School, which will open to preschool, kindergarten and first grades on Aug. 16.
“The inmates were so nice,” Turner said. “And they were happy to have the project.”
School volunteers picked up 36 pieces of furniture last week and have spent a few days priming it. Turner said she and a few other teachers originally planned to paint the pieces by hand but realized it would take too long. Instead, her husband and father-in-law have agreed to spray paint the furniture.
Turner said the district spent about $2,000 on the wood and paint. She estimated that having the prisoners build the furniture instead of buying it saved the school district at least $6,000.
“There would be absolutely no way we could have afforded all of this had we ordered it from a catalogue,” she said.
Hallsville Superintendent Tom Baugh said he was pleased to see Turner and other volunteers take on the project to save the district money.
“It’s been a really good win-win for us, and I hope for them, too,” he said.
Tipton’s woodworking inmates contribute to schools as well as several community events and benefit auctions for families in need, said Jill McGuire, superintendent of the Tipton prison. They regularly supply carved pieces for Relay For Life events and the Salvation Army in Jefferson City.
The prisoners are known for their rocking horses, child-size rocking chairs and carved turkey and duck calls. They’ve also made some more creative pieces, including a child-size motorcycle rocker, McGuire said.
They also cut wooden pieces for the Missouri Department of Conservation, which provides them to urban schoolchildren who assemble birdhouses.
The inmates enjoy the work and they like helping others, McGuire said.
“It makes them feel good to know they’re doing something to help other families and children,” McGuire said. “They’re proud, and they should be. They’re talented.”
July 20th, 2007
By Dave Burge / El Paso Times
El Paso’s small-business owners can learn how to do business with the military and sell furniture to the federal government for coming Fort Bliss expansion projects at a workshop next week, organizers say.
Representatives from the General Services Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntsville, Ala., office will attend the conference Wednesday at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown office, 10 Civic Center Plaza.
Anyone who sells furniture and wants to learn more about how to do business with the federal government can attend, said Minda Villarreal, vice president of the Greater Chamber’s Business Development Division.
“As we know, they’re building dining facilities at Fort Bliss, offices, barracks,” she said. “All of these facilities need furniture. Barracks need beds. Offices need desks and computers. When we looked at the growth at Fort Bliss, we asked, ‘What’s next?’ Well, what’s next is they need furniture.”
Adrian Madrigal, spokesman for the El Paso District office of the U.S. Small Business Admini
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stration, said the General Services Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers’ Huntsville office are two of the agencies that buy furniture for military projects.
“If you are a furniture dealer or an office supply company that has furniture and want to sell to the military, it’s essential that you attend,” Madrigal said.
The SBA will also be present to provide information on its loan and surety bond programs.
David Branch, president of El Paso company Facilities Con nec tion, said that his company deals regularly with the military but that he wants to learn more details about when and how to bid on coming Fort Bliss projects.
“All of the Fort Bliss expansion is huge,” Branch said. Furniture “is just one part of it.”
Branch said the effort and coordination that the Greater Chamber and SBA put into events such as this are “very important to small businesses” in El Paso.
Dave Burge may be reached at dburge@elpasotimes.com; 546-6126.
July 20th, 2007
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