Archive for September 20th, 2007
1996 Noblesville grad opens shop after working in Fishers location
It might be a job cut that consumers will love once they discover the new Amish Furniture Gallery on the Courthouse Square at 839 Conner St. in Noblesville.
Shawn Clos of Cicero and his fiancée Tara Fork opened the store two months ago and are already seeing a positive response to the shop filled with fine Amish-made furniture.
“We’ve had customers already from as far west as Washington state and as far east as Troy, Ohio,” Clos said.
“They’re in visiting family, and they see the quality and the prices on the pieces, and they can’t pass them up.”
Clos brings his expertise to the new endeavor, having come from the Amish Furniture Mart in Fishers.
“I worked for them for about seven years and then decided to start working on getting this store in place,” he said. “It’s taken about two years to get the network of Amish builders.”
Clos, a 1996 graduate of Noblesville High School, said he has built direct relationships with more than 40 Amish furniture makers throughout the Midwest, bypassing the middleman. The result? Lower prices on quality hardwood furnishings.
Clos said the relationships he’s made with the Amish – one builder exclusively sells his pieces only to the Amish Furniture Gallery – is built on trust and a good reputation.
“We’re face-to-face with our builder,” Clos explained. “It allows us to do more customization, and also allows us to offer a much lower price – upwards to 30 percent less.”
For example, a 42-inch round oak table with two 12-inch leaves would normally cost around $1,782, Clos said, but at Amish Furniture Gallery the price is $862.
Most customers order their own custom-made furniture based on the pieces on display in the shop. However, Clos said, display pieces may also be purchased if the customer doesn’t want to wait the six to eight weeks it takes to build new furniture.
“There’s nothing warehoused anywhere,” Clos said. “It’s built for us or for them.”
Fork said custom pieces can also be ordered.
“Mostly people that people would order is because they wanted something for them, like they wanted a different stain or they want it in a different wood or maybe if they’re ordering a chair, in a different fabric,” she said. “A lot of people actually have a preference towards cherry, so a lot of people will see this table and ask if they can get it in cherry.”
While the store does not yet have a presence on the Internet, Clos said he expects to be online in the next couple of months, expanding his customer base worldwide. Currently the store can ship furniture anywhere in the country.
“We’d eventually like to open another store or two,” Ford added. “They (their Amish suppliers) want to grow them with us.”
Clos said the store strives for personalized service, even to giving out surveys to customers after the sale so they can give feedback on their experience.
“Our main goal is to serve the customers to the best of our abilities,” he said. “We make sure that everyone is well taken care of.”
By Rebecca L. Sandlin
rsandlin@noblesvilledailytimes.com
Top photo by Steven Furlow / sfurlow@noblesvilledailytimes.com
Amish Furniture Gallery co-owner Shawn Clos shows off several pieces of furniture available at the store, located on the square in Noblesville.
September 20th, 2007
Jennifer Pascua, Morning Reporter
Grand Rapids- In the lobby, as well as in the guest rooms, one of the many standout sit-down features you’ll notice is the furniture. If you’ve got a good eye you know exactly where the chairs and tables came from.
The JW Marriott is being marketed as an international hotel. But, since it towers over Grand Rapids, developers wanted to utilize as many West Michigan vendors and manufacturers as possible. According to General Manager, George Aquino that’s why guests will be able to sample creations from Steelcase.
“When we were in New York with our designers. They showed us the chair for the room. That’s when it started spinning. Ok, that needs to be from steelcase. I mean, we are the furniture capital of the world. And we want the best task chair in the hotel.”
Guest rooms are outfitted with the well-known Steelcase Leap chair, as is the office-area.
Most of the public areas feature coffee tables and seating from the Grand Rapids company. From the plush couches, chairs and coffee tables at the Maya Lounge on the 19th floor up to the edgy Concierge Lounge on the 23rd floor. A good selection of what you see was already in Steelcase’s stock. But, some custom-made items were needed and are now featured in the trendy and hip Mixology lounge.
“JW is very modern and very contemporary feel to it, so a lot of the fabric we have really had to match that. So, we’ve worked with all their design partnerships, and Custer, here locally to make sure that marriage is perfect,” said Aquino.
A marriage that could eventually bring birth to a family, “We’re hoping with Marriott international, that they take advantage of all these resources that we have here in West Michigan on furniture.” said Aquino. “And, hopefully, introduce steelcase to the rest of the Marriott portfolio all over the world.”
The JW says Steelcase designers will be able to come to the hotel to watch people use the furniture and see their immediate reaction. And it’s quite possible that in the future, Steelcase could use the JW as a place to showcase its new furniture inside before the rest of the world can take a peak.
September 20th, 2007
Romanian furniture retailer Mobexpert opened its superstore in Bulgarian capital Sofia on Wednesday, following a EUR 10 M investment.
Sprawling over 11 000 square meters in the Lyulin district of the city, it was opened by Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Sofia mayor Boyko Borissov and Mobexpert CEO Dan Sucu.
This is the chain’s sixth superstore and the first outside Romania, but Mobexpert plans to open another two over the next four years, Sucu said.
“It is a great joy for us to step on the Bulgarian market. When I started this business 14 years ago, my goal was to prove that good products do not have to be expensive. I am glad that today we are growing outside Bulgaria, but still pursuing the same goal,” he added.
The group’s other chain, Mobexpert Office, which retails exclusively office furniture, has been present in Bulgaria for two years.
Mobexpert group, which has an integrated structure with production, retail, wholesale, logistics and real estate divisions, reported a turnover of EUR 150 M.
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September 20th, 2007
Line includes company’s first twin bed
Kids Today,
New York-based Oeuf showcased its moderately priced juvenile collection, dubbed Sparrow, during the ABC Expo earlier this month.
The group is the modern design company’s largest furniture collection and includes its first twin bed, $760. Other items include a crib, $650, mid-sized wardrobe with a clothes bar and shelves, $1,050; a dresser with optional changing pad, $680; and nightstand, $300.
The collection is finished in solid birch with non-toxic lacquer in gray, rose and white.
Sparrow is available for immediate shipping and targeted to higher-end shops and boutiques.
September 20th, 2007
NEW YORK, September 19 (newratings.com) - Analysts at Morgan Joseph downgrade Furniture Brands International Inc (FBN.NYS) to “underperform,” while reducing their estimates for the company.
In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company has reduced its operating EPS guidance for 3Q from $0.02-$0.06 to ($0.01)-$0.03. Furniture Brands International has cited weak order flows and persistent softness in the industry environment as reasons for the downward revision. The EPS estimates for FY07 and FY08 have been reduced from $0.30 to $0.19 and from $0.25 to $0.17, respectively.
September 20th, 2007
PARIS (Thomson Financial) - JCDecaux said it won a 10-year contract to supply street furniture for the city of Antibes in the south of France.
No financial details were disclosed.
The concession, won by competitive tender, was previously held by rival Clear Channel Communications unit Adshel, according to Adshel’s website.
The contract is for a total of around 265 square metres of billboards and follows a 14-year city bus shelter concession awarded to JCDecaux earlier this year.
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The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
September 20th, 2007
The former Texas Southern University Regent who first raised questions about the furniture purchases of former President Priscilla Slade testified Wednesday, KPRC Local 2 reported. Former regent Belinda Griffin testified that she went to Slade’s Memorial park home in January 2006 to pick up some items that Slade had purchased for her on a trip to China. Griffin told the jury that she thought Slade had a beautiful home. During a tour, Slade described some of the elaborate and expensive furniture. “I commented on how lovely it was and she made mention that the university had paid for items,” Griffin testified.
Prosecutor Donna Goode asked Griffin what she thought after Slade made that comment. Griffin told the jury that Slade assured her the university had a history of purchasing furniture for its presidents. Later, outside of the courtroom, Slade’s attorney Mike DeGeurin told reporters that admission by Slade shows she never intentionally broke the law.
“Obviously, she told Griffin this is furniture that belongs to TSU and that had been done with other presidents so I think that does show a very innocent state of mind,” DeGeurin said. But Griffin and former board chairman J. Paul Johnson told the jury that other TSU presidents either lived in homes owned by the university or had the furniture provision in their contracts. Slade did not. After touring Slade’s home, Griffin testified that she took her concerns to Johnson, who asked the university’s internal auditor to investigate. In June 2006, the regents voted to fire Slade for violating university policy and state law. She is charged with two felony counts of misapplication of fiduciary property. She is accused of spending more than $500,000 of TSU money to buy furniture, landscaping and install a security system for her home. If convicted, Slade faces punishment ranging from probation to life in prison.
September 20th, 2007
Brian Carroll — Furniture Today
Ritchie steps down as president
ATLANTA — Internet marketing company FurnitureFan has consolidated its offices and operations with those of Impact Consulting Services, its parent company, here.
FurnitureFan, whose directory Web site includes 1,200 furniture retailers and 125 manufacturers, has been offered as an Impact product and service since June 2005.
Because of the consolidation, former president Sev Ritchie has left the company, choosing not to relocate to Atlanta from his home in Boston. He had been with FurnitureFan since 2001.
“I have some opportunities I am investigating, but I have not landed on anything yet,” Ritchie said.
He said he is proud of awareness within the industry that he and FurnitureFan have been able to generate. “When people hear ‘FurnitureFan,’ they immediately think Internet marketing,” he said.
Taking day-to-day management responsibilities for FurnitureFan is Will Curlee, operations manager at Impact. Raj Purohit oversees updates to the site, while Tony Price leads design and graphics.
“The team at Impact will not change, so clients will still be working with the great folks they already are,” Ritchie said. “Clients will not notice any significant changes.”
When Ritchie was named president in late 2003, he replaced founder Gary Chase. At that same time, CEO Mitch Russo and Karen Kirsten, vice president of marketing, also stepped down.
Chase founded the Subury, Mass.-based company as The Furniture Channel, an online industry directory, in 1999. Furniture Channel became FurnitureFan in 2000 when it switched from business-to-consumer to business-to-business.
FurnitureFan and Impact Consulting teamed up in 2005 to offer retailers an array of services relating to Internet strategy. The alliance married FurnitureFan’s experience with search engine strategies and online advertising with Impact’s research in demographics and psychographics, among other areas, to give retailers the ability to do localized Internet advertising. FurnitureFan also develops Web sites for Impact clients.
September 20th, 2007
HOUSTON — Gallery Furniture here is making a bold move into the high end this weekend with the introduction of a Hastens bedding gallery, where a king-size premium mattress will sell for nearly $50,000.
On top of that, Gallery owner Jim McIngvale said he has negotiated a deal to take over the 8,000-square-foot high-end Kreiss store in the affluent Highland Village neighborhood here on Oct. 1. He’ll also open a 10,000-square-foot Kreiss gallery in his main store later that month or in early November.
“It’s a new frontier, but we’re stepping out,” said McIngvale, whose 90,000-square-foot store here is known for promotional to midpriced furniture and same-day delivery. “Between both lines (Kreiss and Hastens), we hope to do at least an extra $10 million to $15 million the first (full) year.”
Gallery is No. 58 on Furniture/Today’s Top 100 with estimated furniture, bedding and accessories sales of $129.1 million last year.
“Our whole thing is we’re going to stock this furniture and try to do with the high-end the same thing we’ve done with midpriced and what you call promotional. They can buy it today and get it delivered in two hours,” said McIngvale.
He said he got the idea for the Hastens gallery from an ad he saw for the line in Furniture/Today, and promised the gallery will “be the most spectacular bedding showroom in the country.”
Gallery has carved out room in its bedding gallery and has added space for 12 to 13 models from the Sweden-based Hastens, which will range in price from about to $10,000 to nearly $50,000. That includes the Vividus super luxury mattress made by hand with all-natural horsehair, cotton, linen and wool. The manufacturing process takes 150 to 160 hours and according to Hastens, only four people are certified to make the bed.
McIngvale said the product should complement Gallery’s line of upscale Tempur-Pedic bedding. The store did some $6 million in sales with Tempur-Pedic last year and is now the brand’s largest single-store seller, he said.
As for the high-end Kreiss upholstery line, McIngvale said he didn’t know anything about it until he read about the company’s launch this year of the Kreiss collection with tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefani Graf. McIngvale owns a Houston tennis club, where he has sponsored professional events, and Agassi is his favorite player.
When McIngvale stopped to see the line this summer at the Las Vegas Market, he was impressed. Agassi put in a good word for him and the deal developed from there.
Kreiss is in the midst of expanding its brand through in-store galleries to supplement 20 of its own stores nationwide. The high-end line ranges in style from contemporary to neo traditional. New galleries require an inventory investment of $75,000 to $150,000, Kreiss and CEO Mike Kreiss has said.
While the new Kreiss and Hastens lines will include custom order options that Gallery will offer, McIngvale said he believes the affluent consumer craves the same kind of speedy delivery his more modest consumer base wants.
“I think all Americans are interested in immediate gratification,” he said. “I don’t know why you can buy a $300,000 automobile and drive away with it, but you have to wait six weeks for furniture.
“We have a lot of wealthy consumers coming into the store now asking if we have better furniture,” he said. “Pretty soon we’ll have the better furniture they’re looking for.”
September 20th, 2007
Furniture Today
MONROE, Mich. — La-Z-Boy’s new ads embrace what the company says is the key attribute of its products through the tag line, “Comfort. It’s what we do.”
Television ads in the new marketing campaign started last week, and online and print ads will be added in the coming weeks.
“The concept of comfort is more relevant today than ever, and for 80 years La-Z-Boy has embodied comfort for consumers,” said Doug Collier, La-Z-Boy’s chief marketing officer. “The new campaign reminds consumers about the company’s brand heritage while making La-Z-Boy comfort relevant for the over-connected, hectic world we live in today.”
The new ads take a humorous approach to furniture buying, with a nod to how busy and confusing life can be these days.
“The people-driven ‘Comfort’ campaign is very unique in the price-focused sea of sameness that defines this industry’s advertising,” said Collier. “Consumers view La-Z-Boy as an approachable, informal brand, and the personal, funny tone of these ads perfectly reflects that attitude.”
Ads are set in the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store environment, positioning the store network as a comfortable retail destination for customers.
The first “Comfort” spot aired during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 10, and more spots will follow during ABC’s season premiere weeks. The campaign also includes custom integration with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” exposure during ESPN and ABC college football games, and a national cable schedule of more than 20 networks, including A&E, Bravo, CNN, HGTV, Lifetime, TBS and USA.
Print ads will begin in November issues of 15 national magazines, and interactive online ads will debut on Sept. 17.
Regional spots for La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries dealers will complement the national campaign while promoting sales events and high-impact periods.
The “Comfort. It’s what we do.” is the company’s first campaign with RPA, the big West Coast ad agency that La-Z-Boy named as its agency of record after conducting a search this spring.
“The campaign demonstrates that RPA truly understands our brand, our product and, most importantly, our consumer.” said Collier.
September 20th, 2007
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