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The article reports that retailers shopping for ready-to-assemble furniture will get both value and versatility at the tradeshow in High Point, North Carolina. The customer is looking for novelty solutions to organize their lives. The solutions are endless in cabinets, bookcases, trunks or kitchen storage. Sauder Woodworking Co. is expanding its vibrant storage category with the new EZ Cubes modular furniture system. The system, described as "simple, stylish and versatile," can be reconfigured to create numerous storage options for the home, including an entertainment center.

This article focuses on futon mattresses, futon frames and the mattress covers are loosely throwing around in their efforts to gain floor space on furniture store floors. Many futon manufacturers, mattress, frame and cover makers, believe their key to growth will be to convince traditional furniture stores, department stores and big-box chains that they need to include futons on their floors, marketing them as sofa sleepers. Tim Sommer, bedding department coordinator, HOM Furniture, a major Minnesota-based furniture store chain, said his store made the plunge in the 1980s, a Wisconsin manufacturer of futon mattresses, frames and accent furniture, enhanced its offerings this past year to include more matching furniture for its futon frames and improve the feel of its mattresses.

In a tough environment, retailers are treating their mattress departments with more respect, as they discover that their sea of white sandwiches in the corner continues to be the most stable and profitable category in their stores. Bedding sales posted a slightly healthier year for 2003 than the year before, up 3 percent to $7.2 billion, but no one is resting on any laurels. Most retailers and manufacturers admit 2003 was a challenging year and that they had to work extra hard for those sales.

Highlights the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina in 2004. Contribution of the boom in the entertainment electronics market to manufacturers of ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture; Innovative designs of RTA furniture.

Features futon mattresses, covers and frames presented at the 20th annual Futon & Specialty Sleep Expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania March 2004. Legacy futon from Wolf Industries Inc.; PostureTemp viscoelastic bed from Classic Sleep Products; Futon covers from Cotton Works.

The article informs that Ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture manufacturers enhanced their products' styling, broadened price points and increased the range of items available at High Point's furniture market in North Carolina. Z-Line Designs Inc. launched a patented flat-panel screen stand that can be adjusted in a number of angles. The company has also stepped up its patent-infringement efforts to prevent copying of design and utility features. O'Sullivan Industries Inc. will vacate High Point following this market, choosing to concentrate its efforts and resources on personalized presentations with individual dealers.

The article informs that the home furnishings industry and trade shows in the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia are trying to carve specialty niches to stand out from the dominant neighbor China. Several Southeast Asia furniture market organizers are competing with China for business in the U.S. This was evident from markets held in February and March, which planted the seeds for future crops. Prominent in their presentations were furniture design displays and programs encouraging their manufacturing base to step up the creativity.

The article presents information on bedding manufacturers who are part of the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. Despite an exodus of bedding manufacturers, High Point will have enough bedding exhibitors to keep buyers plenty busy, and those that have committed will have a captive audience. Simmons Bedding Co. does not make an appearance in High Point unless it has something to show. So this market will focus on the 2,200 small, independent retailers whose sales orders are handled by Simmons' Centralized Dealer Services team.

The article reports that manufacturers of ready-to-assemble furniture (RTA) are working on boosting the image of their products through in-store merchandising and the Web. The growing popularity of the Web is a blessing for RTA manufacturers wanting to cultivate their image. Sauder Woodworking Co., the largest RTA manufacturer, has also been encountering more merchandising restrictions with its big-box clients. Quebeko Inc., a Canadian RTA manufacturer, gets a mix of big-box retailers not receptive to vendor point-of-purchase materials and others that enthusiastically embrace take-one cards and posters.

The article reports that specialty sleep and futon categories have come front-and-center in the eyes of progressive retailer, thanks in part to mainstream bedding manufacturers. Traditionally, specialty sleep vendors and futon manufacturers had been conveniently tucked to the side at furniture markets, catering to specialty buyers. Tim Sommer, bedding buyer for the HOM Furniture chain in Minnesota, is a longtime advocate of the specialty sleep and futon categories. Florida-based Innovative Brands Group introduced itself to retailers as a source of innovative specialty sleep products. During the market, Natura and Boyd Specialty Sleep shared the Specialty Sleep Association's 2004 Manufacturer of the Year award.

The article presents information on the retail presentation of bedding at a trade show that was organized at the World Market Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. Martin Roberts, president of Grid2 International presented his concept ideas for a King Koil gallery in a walk-through format and in a computerized virtual tour of a conceptual showroom on DVD. A display for Restonic Mattress Corp. by retail brand strategist Connie Post demonstrated how retailers can easily guide consumers to the proper product, saving time and confusion.

The article reports that several bedding manufacturers have seen the value of branding and the lure of celebrities and designers. In the past few months, Boyd Specialty Sleep licensed the Simmons Bedding Co. name to introduce Boyd's line of Simmons Beautyrest Luxaire airbeds and Simmons Beautyrest Natural Spring waterbeds. Kingsdown Inc. unveiled the Oscar de la Renta line of bedding, Personal Sleep, early this year as part of de la Renta's Home collection. Interior designers are the target.

This article reports that mainline bedding manufacturers, such as Sealy Inc., Therapedic Sleep Products, Restonic and Simmons, have either launched their first all-foam beds, expanded those lines or, in the case of Simmons, licensed their name out as part of a specialty bed line. Last fall, for example, Boyd Specialty Sleep, a major specialty bed manufacturer, introduced its own licensing program to produce Simmons airbeds and waterbeds. Two specialty sleep leaders, Select Comfort Corp. and Tempur-Pedic International Inc., continue to get credit for much of the growth of specialty bedding-and for causing major innerspring mattress manufacturers, some of them begrudgingly, to rethink their opinions and expand their lines to include those "other kinds of beds."

This article focuses on the Canadian Home Furnishings Market, the show that runs from January 15 to 18. Isaac Stubbe will be one of those Canadian retailers making the trek to Toronto for this annual market. He owns Stubbe's Countrywide, a Tillsonburg, Ontario, home furnishings store, and he uses this market to explore new offerings in upholstery, both in leather and fabric. Stubbe also attends the High Point, North Carolina, market, but he finds that Toronto allows him to shop at more of the Canadian upholstery manufacturers, such as Sklar Peppler, his primary source for upholstery. David Hanna, executive vice president of the Ontario Furniture Manufacturers' Association, said he expects Canadian manufacturers to be preparing for a busy, but demanding, market.

The article presents information on the introduction of home entertainment furniture by Z-Line Designs. Some would argue that ready to assemble furniture has gone a tad more uptown with Z-Line Designs' introduction of a Lexington licensed collection of home office and home entertainment furniture. Creative Interiors, a major supplier of RTA furniture to the Target chain, is expecting a flood of major retail traffic this market as shopping and ordering patterns evolve, according to Phil Miller, senior vice president with the company, a division of Thomasville Furniture Industries. O' Sullivan Furniture Inc. is unveiling a collection of French country-styled furniture in a whitewashed finish, called Farmhouse, for the bedroom, kitchen, home office and home entertainment categories.

Usually just a repository for stuff, and possibly even a car, garages in the past were mostly an afterthought. But as consumers spend more time in the home, they are turning their garages into extensions of their houses — with more sophisticated storage, furniture and appliances designed to make garages both more efficient and more attractive. The Container Store Inc. designs garage shelving for consumers and also sells a variety of organization accessories. The store recently brought in its own brand of racks in a platinum color to coordinate with its elfa brand shelving system. Several factors are leading the rise of the garage as a home decor vehicle. Garages are ubiquitous and larger with many new homes being built with two-car and larger garages. And there's an ego factor — all the neighbors can see the garage and it can be a source of bragging rights.

Reports on the participation of bedding firms at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. Success of the bedding line from Tempur-Pedic International Inc.; Campaign of Englander Sleep Products; Introduction of the Sova mattress by United Sleep Products.

Focuses on the success of specialty bedding manufacturers in the U.S. in year 2003. Sales of the Tempur-Pedic mattress of gates Home Furnishings; Information on the viscoelastic foam mattresses from Ther-a-Pedic International; Innovations from manufacturers to meet the demand of consumers for natural products.

Provides information on several furniture and home furnishing products to be featured at the International Home Furnishings Market in October 2003 in High Point, North Carolina. Manhattan entertainment system from Z-Line Designs; Lockport desk from Sauder Woodworking; Home office furniture line from Gautier.

The article reports on the Top 10 list of mattress retailers from "HFN: Home Furnishings News." Represented in this list are furniture stores, department stores and sleep shops. Practically all of the Top 10 mattress retailers carry traditional metal innerspring beds, which is the design that has been the linchpin for virtually every bedding manufacturer and the most stable in sales for retailers. Select Comfort claimed the top spot in the list.

The article reports that the home furnishings industry is now manufacturing the green products. Maureen Granger, vice president of sales for Lenox Bath, believes green products are here to stay and will continue to become more dominant. Lenox has found success with Platinum, its bamboo and cotton solid color towel that's been a strong seller in department stores for about a year. Bambu LLC, a tabletop company that manufactures bamboo bowls, kitchen utensils, platters and other items, described the raw material as a vital non-timber, non-petroleum resource that offers versatility and durability.

The article reports on the increasing demand of the ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture in households. RTA furniture has progressed enough in style and quality to where it can now sit with the grown-ups. RTA is now part of the dining ritual of consumers, because of better materials, hot design, convenience and attractive pricing. Specifically, RTA furniture has entered both dining rooms and kitchen nooks of households without making a ripple. Amy Smith, co-owner of Concepts Furniture, a Colorado retailer, keeps an ample selection of RTA dining on hand, primarily tables, chairs and shelving from Euro-Style.

The article presents information on the market showing of the Ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. RTA furniture, popular with mass merchants and office superstores, has taken the next step, as home computers, televisions and PlayStations continue to make rapid advances. RTA traffic in High Point later this month will be anybody's guess. It's for that reason that O'Sullivan Industries Inc. has decided to withdraw from the market following this showing.

The article reports on the direct-to-consumer strategy of Home Depot Inc., a home furnishings company. It is implementing the strategy through Home Depot Direct's multiple catalog titles and fast-growing Internet presence. Home Depot Direct is selling $575 velvet, feather-filled armchairs and $1,350 mahogany and leather benches, as well as Yves Delorme French linens, silk curtains and $3,000 Schonbek crystal chandeliers. The strategy is targeted at well-traveled professional women, 30 to 45, with household incomes of $100,000 and up.

The article presents information related to the Las Vegas Market show of the home furnishings industry held in Nevada. Gold Bond Mattress also noticed a positive change in the range of traffic. Gold Bond manufactures traditional beds, futons and juvenile bedding. Adonis Furniture, in the midst of expanding beyond the futon category, introduced its iRocker. This interactive gaming chair, styled to feel at home in a sports car, has built-in controls for an iPod, Play Station and MP3 player. SIS has also launched its own SIS line of sheets designed for oversized mattresses-and furniture stores that carry sheets.

This article focuses on the Las Vegas Market that was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2006. Two days into the market, some exhibitors were already talking about heading home because they had already written enough orders to make the market worthwhile. Steve Roan, vice president of Hellenic Rug Imports Inc., said that the first two days of the market have been phenomenal. Michael Davidson, president of Davidson Furniture, a furniture retailer, said that he now visits both the markets in Las Vegas and High Point, North Carolina for the best products to help him maintain market share.

The article informs that lackluster was the way many bedding retailers and manufacturers described 2005. They are determined not to have a repeat of that in 2006, so the wheels are already in motion to make it a good year. What could have been a solid 2005 was marred by skyrocketing foam prices and curtailed foam shipments. Prices are still high, but bedding manufacturers have adjusted to the problem with design changes, and foam delivery problems have largely been ironed out. Bedding retailers are looking harder at bedding brands they might not have considered before and finding ways to fill out their price points.

The article focuses on the making of mattresses tick. Because a cover's color and texture make a big impact on the presentation of a mattress, retailers, ticking manufacturers and bedding producers work closely to make that consumer experience a positive one. Michael Zippelli, president of Classic Sleep Products Inc., wanted that edge, too, so he targeted tickings with certain characteristics and a certain message when he began a major push of his new Dormia line of latex bedding.

This article informs that the retail firm Alperts Furniture, which carries only the company Serta International's mattresses, held a "pajama party" in which customers were invited to wear their PJs and try out Serta's special Susan Komen bed. Earlier this year, Serta launched its Sleep for the Cure program, a special group of mattresses tied to Susan Komen efforts, and introduced a pink version of its famous Counting Sheep. Serta has also guaranteed a corporate donation of $290,000 to the foundation.

The article reports that two former Serta Inc.'s executives Ed Lilly and Susan Ebaugh have founded the National Mattress Council (NMC), an association they say will promote the benefits of innerspring mattresses and ultimately help drive sales of that category upward. The council will function solely on member fees and will draw its strength from a board of directors comprised of NMC staff, industry executives and non-industry experts in relevant fields. Membership will include bedding manufacturers, suppliers and bedding retailers.

The article focuses on the impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on home furnishings manufacturers that use cushioning foam. Several home furnishings manufacturers have reported that cushioning foam is in short supply for the near future due to shortages of key petroleum-based chemicals such as toluene diisocyanate used in foam making. Disruption of rail service transporting the chemicals to the plants and shutdowns of oil rigs and refineries along the Gulf Coast were cited as factors. Cushioning foam shortages could adversely affect shipments of finished goods to retailers. Tempur-Pedic International Inc. produces the foam for its viscoelastic foam mattresses and has not suffered the same shortages.

The article presents information on the latest trends in the U.S. furniture industry as of September 2005. Leda Home Furnishings Corp., an importer of Chinese-made ready-to-assemble (RTA) entertainment centers and home office furniture, raised some eyebrows with the introduction of its patented Leda Lock at July 2005's inaugural home furnishings market in Las Vegas, Nevada. Depending on the brand and complexity of the furniture, consumers have had frustrations with assembly ease and the fact that much of the RTA furniture was not really made to be taken apart and reassembled.

This article presents information related to the U.S. bedding industry. Consumers in search of wellness and better health are leaning more on retailers. Retailers, in turn, are leaning on bedding manufacturers. And manufacturers are knocking on suppliers' doors for products with a healthful story. Many bedding introductions this year have some sort of "wellness" hook, whether it is an unusual ticking, cushioning or infrastructure. Classic Sleep Products Inc., known for its latex-and-memory foam beds, has used natural lyocell, a cellulose-based component, in its tickings for the past two years. Lyocell, a fiber derived from wood pulp, is used to produce a type of fabric popular in Europe because of its natural properties. Earlier this summer, Classic went a step further with the addition of a bamboo-based ticking on three of its Dormia collection models. Deslee Textiles, a mattress-ticking manufacturer, started creating wellness-oriented tickings at the behest of bedding manufacturers that wanted to ride the growing interest by consumers for healthful rest and sleep aids

The article reports that National Bedding Co., the controlling licensee of Serta International, the third-largest mattress manufacturer, has been purchased by the Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund LP in Los Angeles, the private-equity fund of Ares Management and Teachers' Private Capital, the private-equity arm of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund bought Simmons Bedding Co. in December 2003 and affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. acquired Sealy in April 2004.

The article reports that the futon industry, eager for wider exposure in the home furnishings retail universe, has tried earnestly to embed itself with the traditional furniture categories during markets. The inaugural home furnishings market in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 25-29, may be the ticket these vendors need for such a breakthrough. The futon category includes three types of merchandise, all complementing one another, the futon mattress, the futon frame and the decorative futon cover.

The article reports that the premiere Las Vegas market has opened up opportunities for bedding manufacturers to show their products to a range of visiting buyers who may not have had a chance to previously see their lines. Simmons Bedding Co. is making major introductions on several fronts, including the first Simmons Kids bedding division that includes products for babies, teens and tweens. Spring Air Co. is unveiling its entire 2006 bedding line in Vegas, including the Back Supporter. Strobel Technologies' Futura bed offers space-age features, including an electronically controlled temperature setting and a patented system to distribute weight evenly.

The article reports that the inaugural Las Vegas market is the year's most important bedding show. Most of the top 10 bedding manufacturers will have a substantial presence there, as they have snapped up ample permanent and temporary space to vie for attention from the expected flood of retail buyers. The futon industry, with its unique offering of easily convertible sleep-to-sitting functions, has also committed heavily to Las Vegas, Nevada market. Tempur-Pedic International Inc. will have a big presence at the market.

The article reports that continued product innovation and consumer acceptance of new materials and technologies raised average tickets and helped drive retail sales of the bedding industry, up 4.9 percent to $7.5 billion in 2004. Most manufacturers also got their research-and-development departments in high gear so their beds would meet California's new flammability requirements. Sealy Corp. stayed on the sidelines of the memory foam market until April, when it unveiled its TrueForm viscoelastic bed line. Tempur-Pedic International Inc., the viscoelastic foam bed behemoth and role model, shared space at High Point's International Home Furnishings Market with some other equally unknown and untested exhibitors.

The article reports that both Target Stores Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are growing their ready-to-assemble furniture categories. But each has its own way of achieving that growth. Target has taken the high road, with design- and collection-driven merchandise showcased in clean, well-lighted displays. Stores offer a wide price-point range, and RTA home furnishings are not limited to the furniture department. Target's selection of RTA furniture emphasizes its private-label programs, rounded out with fashion-forward groupings by Renovations, a label created for the retailer by Thomasville Furniture Industries Inc.

The article presents information on various mattresses. These products have become hot items with linens stores, mass merchants and warehouse stores. Sleep Innovations Inc. has circled for the official advertising launch for the Marino Recovery System, a boxed bedding and accessories program endorsed by football legend Dan Marino. Keith Wagner, a partner in Wagner and Byrd Associates, a High Point home-furnishings products distributor, added the Garme line in late May 2005, liking its versatility. Wal-Mart also sells an AeroBed product.

This article reports that as home computers and attitudes about working at home evolve, so, too, are the ready-to-assemble home office furnishings being stocked at the office superstores, mass merchants and specialty stores. Monitor size, wireless technology, multiuse workstations and the growth of laptop computers are all having an effect on RTA furniture designs. Sauder Woodworking Co., the largest of the RTA manufacturers and provider of the Christopher Lowell collection, is working at three different style levels and price points.

This article focuses on remodeling of kitchen. Creative Interiors, a division of Thomasville Furniture Industries, may have added even more versatility in the kitchen with its three-piece Mix-N'-Match storage group introduced during the April market in High Point. Home Styles Inc., has found solid consumer interest in kitchen RTA furniture under its Home Styles brand and the Betty Crocker line it licenses, according to Pat Bahil, president, Home Styles. Beyond the traditional mass merchants and furniture retailers, Kitchen RTA has found a home with emerging alternative retail channels that specialize in culinary aficionados.

The article focuses on bedding buyers and shopping at the furniture market. Tim Sommer, bedding buyer for HOM Furniture, Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Dennis Boyd, president of Boyd, introducing the Beautyrest LuxAire airbed line licensed through Simmons Bedding Co., said he had withheld the line from distribution until April 2005, when he could unveil a new, handheld display control and pump he developed himself. Thurmo-Sleep USA promoted its dual-chamber memory foam airbed with wired or wireless hand controls. Gerry Borreggine, president, Therapedic Sleep Products, noting that the 299 dollar to 699 dollar price range was being underserved, promoted the company's five-model Medicoil line with a "posturized" center third of the mattress for support.

The article presents information on various furniture and home decor manufacturers. At this month's International Home Furnishings Market, Sauder Woodworking Co. expanded storage opportunities for consumers with its newest generation of EZ Cube modular furniture offerings. Bush Furniture focused on coordinating categories into a great room concept and unveiling its Bush Kidz program. O'Sullivan Furniture took its easy-access Digital Satellite wire-management system a step further by including it under O'Sullivan's new Office 360 program.

The article discusses how the ever-evolving government standards in the U.S. are affecting furniture, mattresses, textiles and rugs. Russ Batson, vice president of governmental affairs for the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is committed to issuing a proposed regulation sometime this year, but confirmation by the U.S. Senate could take a while. Gib Mullan, director of the CPSC's compliance office, said at a recent AHFA seminar that he thinks a national flammability regulation for upholstery and mattresses would block similar state regulations and that compliance with a national standard would give manufacturers and retailers better legal protection against potential lawsuits.

The article informs that "challenging" is the word many ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturers have used to describe this past year. The wildly fluctuating costs of raw materials, including steel, glass, particleboard and petroleum, have made price lists obsolete as soon as they are printed and thrown predictable profit margins to the winds. RTA vendors, for example, were staring at 40 percent increases in some of the laminated board materials last year, and prices are still high. Steel went up more than five times last fall.

This article reports that Lexington Home Brands Inc.'s launch of Timeless Retreat, the Woolrich-licensed home furnishings collection that debuted in 2003, has been such a success the companies will introduce a second offering this summer. Under the Summerstone Falls moniker, the new collection will also sport the casual feel the Woolrich name brings to mind, said Bob Stec, chairman and chief executive officer of Lexington Home Brands. Timeless Retreat is retailing well and has made it onto Lexington Home Brands' stellar list of brands. Lexington Home Brands has been working with ready-to-assemble specialist O'Sullivan Furniture on the brand, and late last month a line of RTA bearing the Woolrich name landed on Target shelves.

The article reports that according to top bedding retailers, accessories can add a smooth 10 percent to a mattress store's bottom line. Victor Sawan, president, Wesley Allen Inc., a producer of metal beds, encourages mattress retailers to romance their stores more by playing up their headboards selection. Sit' n Sleep, the mattress store chain does a healthy business with add-ons. Sit' n Sleep offers pillows from Tempur-Pedic and Nature's Rest, as well as sleep-related products such as treated mattress pads. Frame sources at Sit' n Sleep include Wesley Allen and, for wood headboards, Modus.

The article presents information on profits of retailers due to ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture for big televisions. Robert Segal, in his new position as Big Lots' vice president, is looking carefully at RTA products for his floor that can handle a range of television sizes. The cavity in the entertainment center needs to be able to accommodate a large-screen TV. Ameriwood Industries' TV stands are getting larger, and the company's patent-pending Expand-A-Stand line, introduced in the fall, has been gaining in popularity because of its versatility, according to Jeff Sternklar, director of marketing at Ameriwood.

The article focuses on Simmons Bedding Co., which is arguably the leader right now in personality-based licensing. The company has programs with home furnishings designer Thomas O' Brien, clothing designer Joseph Abboud and pajama guru Karen Neuburger. Simmons also launched a Royal Ascot lifestyle brand earlier this year, set around a theme of the famed Royal Ascot horse race in England. King Koil, inked a Jaclyn Smith licensing deal last year to provide a mattress line for Jaclyn Smith Home.