Furniture Business News

Summer 2007 Las Vegas Market Exceeds Exhibitors’ Expectations

By: Furniture World Magazine 

World Market Center reported that the Summer Las Vegas Market held July 30 through August 3, opened to excellent attendance and featured thousands of new product introductions and emerging trends from more than 1,300 manufacturers across all categories of home furnishings.

The Summer Las Vegas Market was the largest Las Vegas Market to date, occupying more than 3.8 million square feet of both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibit space including furniture, bedding, accessories, lighting, rugs, wall décor, gift products and more.


Surpassing the historical average of 50,000 registered attendees, management at the Las Vegas Market reported an increase in Top 100 retailers, an influx of first time buyers and more international buyers in attendance.

Dave Palmer, General Manager of World Market Center, said, “This Summer Market outpaced the expectations among exhibitors, not to mention delivered so many new facets for buyers and designers looking for the latest in products, trends and education. We had very strong Market with terrific traffic and very positive feedback for the overall experience our Market delivers for attendees.”

Gaining momentum with leading retailers, 75 percent of the Top 100 U.S. Retailers were registrants of the Summer Las Vegas Market , including such notable top retailers as Rooms To Go, Pier 1 Imports, Nebraska Furniture Mart, R.C. Willey, Haverty’s, Pottery Barn, Levitz Furniture, City Furniture, Robb & Stucky, Room & Board, Z Gallerie and many more.

According to Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based City Furniture, President Keith Koenig said “Las Vegas continues to rise,” pointing to the construction work on Building C. “With this new building, it’s going to attract more and more.”

Howard Freed, owner of Freed’s Home Furnishings in metro Dallas, said he found “tons of new (product)” in Las Vegas noting that one of the keys to this market is the manageable size of the showrooms and how vendors tend to show only their introductions and best sellers. Freed also applauded the market for its work to make the shopping experience better, particularly an improved shuttle service from his hotel to the main buildings.

Las Vegas Market continues to see an influx of new buyers as well, with more than 10,000 retailers and designers attending Las Vegas Market for the first time. Market officials say this growth translates into expanded, incremental business opportunities and new customers for World Market Center tenants and exhibitors.

International attendance was also impressive. The Summer Market also featured a strong global flair, with an influx of international buyers attending their first event. In comparison to July’s 2006 Market, international attendance increased by 27 percent, representing 90 countries that participated at the Market.

The worldwide roster of exhibitors included 205 companies from 25 different countries, which translated to 15 percent of the total exhibitor base. The broad cross section of geographic regions represented 33 percent from Canada; 32 percent from Latin America; 25 percent from Asia; and 10 percent were European brands. The Sands Expo featured the greatest number of global exhibits where buyers benefited from a number of trend-setting international companies from Italy, Japan, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom and Australia and much more.

Las Vegas Market also expanded participation of new companies by enlisting a compelling 250 companies from the U.S. and around the world who joined the Market for the first time last week.

“This is our first show and it has been incredible,” said Jeff Schmidt of Millenio, El Mundo de Carlos de Anda. “We came in not really knowing what to expect, but this has been better than anything we imagined possible.”

Tenants and exhibitors confirm brisk traffic and strong order writing, exceeding expectations for Summer show.

“We wrote big orders and lots of them,” said Bill Benton, President of Powell Co. “We stayed busy all week.”

Ed Grund, C.E.O. of case goods importer A.R.T. Furniture was extremely satisfied stating, “The best news is the major players are here and that is great. I am seeing more new customers at this show than in previous ones.”

Ashley Furniture’s Chairman Ron Wanek said his team saw “lots of interest in new product and lots of orders placed.” He added the July Market was much stronger than last July for the company, since it only opened its second and larger showroom in Building B at World Market Center in January. “We know that it’s going to be a powerful market,” said Wanek. “It’s a high-quality place to come.”

Jeff Cook, President of Broyhill Furniture, said, “Any previous numbers we had were blown away with this market. People are coming here not just to visit, they’re here to do business.”

In addition to Buildings A and B at World Market Center, buyers visited the Sands Expo where the Market officials further enhanced the categories, product offerings and presentation of the off site trade show event. Buyers said they appreciated the ease with which they could shop the eight distinct product areas.

The Summer Market featured the successful debut of the Design and Living Pavilion, a juried showcase of new companies whose product presentations were set against a dramatic white backdrop. The fashion-forward presentation stimulated buyers and designers in search of the hottest trends and cutting edge designs from around the world. Of the 72 companies that made up Design and Living, 68 percent were first-time exhibitors and 51 percent were from outside North America.

Betty Johanessen, who looks for unique and stylish fixtures for Park Lighting, one of Western Canada’s largest showrooms located in Alberta, has been to every Market in Las Vegas and continues to come to see what’s new. While at the Sands Expo, she said she found the exhibitors and new product launches she was hoping to see.

Travis Frye of Home Deco-Direct in Newport Beach, California was equally impressed with the showcase featured at the Sands Expo. “We’re looking for contemporary, small furniture and accessories. We’ve found new vendors here…fresh, new merchandise. The Sands was great.”

Sands Expo was also home to the first-ever “Living Green Pavilion” and “Greenhouse Gallery,” featuring the most talked-about movement in the home furnishings industry today: sustainable furniture. The inaugural Living Green Pavilion – complete with complementary educational events and even a Green Party, became the most comprehensive presentation of new sustainable products available to independent home furnishing retailers looking to progress in that category.

“I think World Market Center has become one of the biggest stages for showing products and sustainability is very important to me,” said John Stein, owner of Cardiff, Calif.-based Organo Natural Furnishings. “To see World Market Center taking that so seriously, it shows there’s potential for change in the furniture manufacturing world.”

Einar Elsner, executive vice president of South Cone, said that increasing demand among retailers and consumers and the draw for the new Living Green Pavilion were among the reasons South Cone decided to exhibit at Las Vegas Market. “Our target customers are retailers and interior designers who understand the difference between ‘furniture as commodity’ and furniture as the antiques of the future. We expect Las Vegas Market to increase our exposure to these prospective clients.”

World Market Center reported that successful leasing is underway for Building C; Construction on schedule for July 2008 opening.

Those in attendance at the July Summer Market had the chance to check out World Market Center’s ever-evolving campus first-hand — with a third showroom building reaching skyward. The $550 million architecturally iconic Building C will stand at 16 floors with 130,000 square feet on each floor which is nearly 30 percent larger than those in Buildings A and B. In all, more than 400 showrooms are anticipated for Building C. In conjunction with the opening of Building C, a $60-million, seven-story parking garage with 175,000 square feet on each level will also open. The parking garage will accommodate 3,600 vehicles and allow for up to 15 levels.

With virtually every space in Building C spoken for through signed leases and commitments, the contemporary designed building, featuring red sandstone and metal and glass panels that reflect the changing colors of the desert, sun and sky, will be ready for the July 2008 market. Some of the major furniture exhibitors prepared to move in will include Lexington, Sligh, Huntington, Canadel and Avenue Six, all of whom will have permanent showrooms in Las Vegas for the first time.

In addition, three major exhibitors in Building A — Coaster, Standard and AICO — will move to larger spaces in the new Building C. Coaster will go from its current 13,429 square feet to 50,000 square feet, while AICO will grow from 22,000 square feet to 55,000 and Standard from 19,000 square feet to 33,000.

The top five floors of the new building will be devoted to furniture, while the 10th floor will house lighting showrooms and the ninth floor will have showrooms for holiday, floral and seasonal merchandise. Floors six, seven and eight will be devoted to home accents, decorative accessories and rugs, and the first five floors will be an expansion of the Las Vegas Design Center, where spaces are open throughout the year and cater to interior designers.

Key floor covering tenants who have signed leases include Mohawk, Hellenic Rug Imports, Kas Oriental Rugs and Jaipur Rugs.

“The addition of Building C signifies a major milestone for World Market Center’s growing campus and will feature a significant roster of leading brands,” said Babs Blair, Vice President of Leasing. “With World Market Center quickly becoming the preferred market for U.S. and international buyers, the demand among manufacturers continues to escalate. We are pleased to have commitments and interest for the entire building,” she added.

The Winter 2008 Las Vegas Market is scheduled for January 28 to February 1, 2008 at World Market Center’s Buildings A, B and Pavilions and tradeshow at the MGM Grand Hotel. Attendees can start booking discounted Las Vegas hotel rooms now at www.LasVegasMarket.com.

About World Market Center

World Market Center is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and convention complex in Las Vegas. When fully built, at 12 million square feet in 8 buildings, World Market Center will be the largest trade show complex in the world. The $3 billion, state-of-the-art campus will be completed by 2013 and will showcase furniture, decorative accessories, lighting, area rugs, home textile and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) open year-round to the trade. World Market Center produces the semi-annual Las Vegas Market, held every January and July, and is the fastest growing home furnishings trade show in the world. World Market Center is now leasing the third building to a broad cross-section of the home furnishings industry. For more information World Market Center, and to find out about leasing or exhibiting opportunities, visit the website at www.LasVegasMarket.Com or call 888-WMC-SHOW (962-7469).

Add comment August 13th, 2007

Kane’s Furniture Hires Wayne Liburd As MIS Director

By: Furniture World Magazine 
Kane’s Furniture is announced the recent addition of Wayne Liburd as MIS director. Irwin Novack, C.E.O., recently made the announcement.

Liburd brings more than 16 years of professional furniture industry experience to Kane’s. Prior to accepting the MIS director position, he was the data processing manager with Modernage Furniture and transferred to the corporate offices of Leath Furniture in Atlanta, Ga., where he held director of MIS and chief information officer positions.


During his time with Leath, Liburd was responsible for updating the network infrastructure while reducing cost efficiency; implemented many operational and system changes to improve efficiency and controls; and automated corporate and store functions to reduce costs and improve accuracy.

In his role with Kane’s, Liburd will be responsible for maximizing Kane’s use of existing technology initiatives and evaluating new technologies to ensure that the company continually improves its efficiency and effectiveness.

Liburd studied computer science at Florida International University.

“We are pleased to welcome Wayne to Kane’s Furniture, and we look forward to his contributions,” Novack said.

About Kane’s: Kane’s Furniture provides customers with a complete shopping experience – from financing options to delivery service to furniture protection products. Combining a strong 59 years in the furniture business, $35 million inventory, timely home delivery service, the most advanced modern technology, and tremendous buying power…with Kane’s Furniture, “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!”

Add comment August 13th, 2007

Restoration Hardware To Open Central Ohio Distribution Facility

By: Furniture World Magazine  

Restoration Hardware Inc. has signed a lease for a distribution center in West Jefferson, a move that could create 350 jobs in Central Ohio.

The Corte Madera, Calif.-based specialty retailer announced it signed a lease for an 800,000-square-foot distribution center it expects to have ready by summer 2008. The facility will serve the company’s East Coast retail stores and its non-furniture direct-to-customer business.


Opening the West Jefferson facility will allow Restoration to phase out a third-party facility it operates in Nashville, the company said in a release.

The company also was looking at Kentucky and Georgia for the project before signing the deal in Ohio. When Restoration was still negotiating with other locations, the state awarded the $17 million project a seven-year, 50 percent Job Creation Tax Credit valued at $1.1 million because the facility is projected to create 350 jobs within its first three years of operations. While the credit is contingent upon the facility staying open for 14 years, the lease Restoration signed is for 15 years.

Restoration Hardware sells home furnishings, bathware and hardware. The company, which employs 3,800 workers, operates 102 retail stores and eight outlet shops in the U.S. and Canada. It recorded $3.4 million in profit on $712.8 million in revenue last year.

Add comment August 13th, 2007

Jacuzzi Brands Corp.’s Subsidiary Signs Trademark License in Luxury Bedding

Jacuzzi Brands Corp. announced that its subsidiary, Jacuzzi Inc. has granted an exclusive license to Thurmo Medical Sleep Products, Inc. USA to manufacture and market luxury sleep systems under its famous Jacuzzi(R) trademark.


Thurmo Medical Sleep Products, Inc. is a High Point, NC-based maker and marketer of advanced therapeutic gel visco-elastic bedding products for the consumer, hospitality and medical markets.

“The Jacuzzi brand is known around the world for the highest quality innovative products that help people rest and rejuvenate in a luxurious and stylish manner” said Jacuzzi Brands Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas D. Koos.

“Upscale consumers indicated strong interest in purchasing luxury bedding under the Jacuzzi brand, and with this license we will extend our outstanding health and wellness credentials to that important category.”

The suite of products, to be known as Jacuzzi Sleep Systems(TM), encompasses mattresses and foundations featuring a proprietary gel visco-elastic memory foam that provides high comfort, superior orthopedic support and a cooler sleeping surface than earlier generations of memory foam mattresses.

Products will be marketed through interior designers, upscale specialty bedding retailers, full-line furniture stores and better department stores. A formal product launch is planned for this fall.

About Jacuzzi Brands Corp.: Jacuzzi Brands Corp. (an Apollo portfolio company), through its subsidiaries, is a global manufacturer and distributor of high quality and innovative branded bath and plumbing products for the residential, commercial and institutional markets. Our product offerings include whirlpool baths, spas, showers, sanitary ware, bath tubs, as well as fixtures and accessories. Our products are marketed under our portfolio of brand names, including the flagship JACUZZI(R) brand as well as, SUNDANCE(R), and ASTRACAST(R). Learn more at http://www.jacuzzibrands.com/.

Add comment August 13th, 2007

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

Public television’s Antiques Roadshow seems to be a furniture maker’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Both prime time television shows have became popular beyond all expectations, both feature average Americans who appear on the shows and walk away with newfound wealth, and both allow the rest of us to participate vicariously.


Now in its third season, Antiques Roadshow is a traveling production which visits cities across the country and in Canada. At each stop, local residents buy tickets which allow them to bring in one of their attic treasures for a free appraisal. The most interesting objects are selected for filming, and appear in a short segment which includes a brief interview with the owner, a discourse by the appraiser on the class of objects and the object itself, and, in culmination, a (sometimes) dramatic statement by the appraiser of the estimated market value of the item.

Antiques Roadshow’s equivalent of “Is that your final answer?” is the question “Do you have any idea what this object is worth?” Usually the answer is “Gosh, I don’t have any idea at all.” The estimated value is often (but not always) more than one might expect, allowing the owner to return home with a new found sense of wealth.

Free appraisals of furniture are not new in the popular press. Many magazines have monthly columns which feature mailed-in photos of furniture and collectibles along with a valuation and an explanation by the appraiser. Magazines offering this type of write-in advice include Metropolitan Home (”Dr. Swatch: What’s your treasure worth?”), Classic American Homes (”Collectibles”, by Dorothy Hammond) and Art and Antiques (”Queries”). In a recent month’s sampling, these columns featured a tall case clock ($3-$5,000), a Chippendale chest ($25,000) and a William and Mary highboy (sorry, it was a machine made reproduction, worth only $1,200 - $1,400).

Antiques Roadshow has taken this format to a much wider audience and made it popular even among non-collectors. In the process, public television has done much to foster a greater awareness of furniture, decorative arts, connoisseurship and furniture conservation.

During each show, the appraisers’ presentations provide brief biographies of key furniture makers, discussions of the various furniture forms, and explanations of the finer points of each piece as they relate to the object’s value. In addition, the producers often visit museums and cultural institutions in the host city and tape interviews with museum curators. A recent segment included a visit to Connecticut’s Hartford Athenaeum and a discussion of the renown furniture collection of Wallace Nutting, which was given to the Athenaeum by J. Pierpont Morgan.

In addition to the strong educational component of Antiques Roadshow, there is also a personal side. Each object tells a story, and it is the job of the expert to explain how to “read” that story. But along with the objects, the collectors each have a story to tell. They may describe a distant relative who traveled to China, or a grandparent who left behind a seemingly worthless object. Others tell of their family’s country of origin and the connection which has been preserved in the objects handed down from generation to generation.

These stories are the heart of Antiques Roadshow. They illustrate the associations and meanings that are embedded in one’s belongings, as well as the emotional connections which can be made to furniture and decorative arts objects.

If one could suggest any improvement for Antiques Roadshow, it might be to add a segment each week in which a previous visitor is contacted a year or so after his or her initial appearance. “Did you sell that table?” they would be asked. “Did you get the $20,000 the expert said it was worth?”

There would surely be more interesting stories to tell. Some might describe what they did with the money, but others would answer no, they didn’t sell the table. After all, it belonged in the family and it was too valuable to be sold. Antiques Roadshow is fun because you get to see what all that old stuff is worth. Antiques Roadshow is also fun because you get to see that it doesn’t really matter what all that old stuff is worth.

Add comment August 13th, 2007