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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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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 presents information on bedding manufacture industry. Otis Bed Manufacturing Co., a family-owned Buffalo, New York based manufacturer of mattresses and futons, stepped up its foam traditional bed presence with the 10-modeI Zone program it introduced in March. Classic Sleep Products Inc., a Maryland manufacturer of foam mattresses, has added two collections to its line over the past two years that have attracted the attention of a wider range of bedding retailers, according to Michael Zippelli, president.

Branding has lost none of its luster, as bedding manufacturers explore new ways to connect their products to a consumer's memory. Gymnastics Team, has already begun a push of its Champion model sleep set with poster boy Paul Hamm, current World and U.S. Men's Gymnastics champion. Larry Miller, president of the Sit' n Sleep retail chain in Los Angeles, California, has long marched to his own drummer when it comes to self-promotion, and done so successfully.

Consumers are no longer limited to just a few sources for bedding. Kingsdown Inc.'s Sleep to live program of retail stores and stores-within-stores continues to gain steam as the company mounts an effort to differentiate itself as much from the competition as possible. Kingsdown retained the Trone advertising agency this spring to create a new Sleep to Live brand identity. These retail formats enable Kingsdown to put its products and Dormo-Diagnostics computer measurement for consumers in its most useful format.

Mattress ticking often draws criticism for its bland, vanilla appearance that contributes to the dreaded sea of white on retail floors. The lighter colors typically sell at a much higher rate than bolder colors. Ron Weaver, group president of Tietex International Ltd., said that he responds to requests from bedding manufacturers for more colorful tickings. Martha Williams, creative director at Culp Home Fashions, also repeats the white sells mantra. Furniture retailer Jim Gabbert dismisses the notion of stylish mattress ticking.

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture has been getting more respect on the retail floor. Retailers that carry it want to make this category as appealing as possible and easy for the consumer to handle. RTA manufacturers want their products to stand out from their competitors, and those competitors increasingly include low-cost, preassembled case goods from overseas. But it is respect that has been earned by RTA manufacturers determined to put their lines in the best light. To enhance its appeal, Ameriwood Industries has put a full-court press on its "Good-to-Go" program for retailers, launched in April and shipping to retailers now.

Cites the conduction of the 2004 Futon and Specialty Sleep Expo in Philadelphia. Strategy of futon manufacturers to link their products to more traditional bedding; Speculation of the effectiveness of the approach to offer a wide range of bedding on the retail floor using few vendors by independent bedding shops; Focus by Gold Bond Mattress on foam and innerspring mattresses to broaden its offering to retailers; Launch of the Otis Sleep Zone series by Otis Bed Manufacturing Co.; Revelation of the all-foam two-sided bedding by Big Sleep Inc.

Reports on the official introduction of Office Depot's Christopher Lowell Office line of precoordinated office furniture and accessories system during a press conference in New York on January 30, 2004. Market availability of the new line; Reputation of Office Depot in the field of retailing; Remarks from Office Depot executive Jocelyn Carter-Miller on the Lowell collection.

Presents an update on the top-of-bed segment of the home furnishing industry as of November 17, 2003. Reason of mattress retailers for taking the category seriously; Increase in the segment's price points; Efforts of some bedding manufacturers to license their name out to a top-of-bed specialist.

Focuses on the popularity of viscoelastic foam among bedding retailers and vendors in the U.S. as of August 11, 2003. Effort of Gary Gevurtz, president of home furnishings retailer Somnia Inc. to increase visco sales; Factor to which the popularity of the material is attributed; Description of the säng viscoelastic bedding line from Simmons Co.

The article highlights the proposed 2006 Las Vegas Market home furnishing exhibition in Nevada. Mattress vendors said they are already planning major introductions and presentations for January 2007 to attract new retailers. Officials said the earlier start will enable retailers to receive new products in time for important selling holidays, such as Labor Day and Presidents Day.

The article discusses issues related to the home furnishings industry. Mass merchants, warehouse clubs and sleep shops now generate 54 percent of mattress retail sales. The Internet made gains in popularity among computer-savvy shoppers, but primarily as a research tool to learn about bedding brands, features and locations, researchers found. Direct online sales represent a small percentage of the retail pie, but most people still like to take that personal, in-store test ride prior to buying.

This article focuses on Avenue Six, a ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture business that was founded by Paul Reitzin. He is tapping the RTA upholstery category. The furniture will be imported and sold to consumers through retailers in flatpack form. The upholstery is designed to be assembled without tools or bolts. The average price of the furniture is disclosed.

The article focuses on the popularity of licensed home brands in the home furnishings and furniture industry in the U.S. Thomas O'Brien at Target, Chris Madden for J.C. Penney, Martha Stewart at Kmart are some of the exclusive, licensed home brands that dominate shelf space at retail today. According to Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO of Therapedic Sleep Products, the bigger retailers want exclusivity of product.

The article informs that the High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority, North Carolina has hired a new president to shift to a higher gear. Brian D. Casey takes the reins as Market Authority president on April 18, succeeding founding president Judy Mendenhall. Casey will be charged with streamlining the market and making it more accessible to visiting home furnishings retailers and exhibitors. One of Casey's key priorities will be for him to get a strong marketing director in place, probably during the summer.

This article reports that many Canadian manufacturers have become alarmed over the proliferation of low-priced home furnishings merchandise flooding the Canadian market from China. And they want tariffs enacted to quell the tide. Perhaps the $173 Chinese-made leather sofa sale item for Canadian retailers was the last straw. Whatever it was, the focus during the Canadian Home Furnishings Market, held on January 14-17, 2006 dramatically shifted from product introductions to questions about their point of origin. The Canadian Council of Furniture Manufacturers, a coalition of home furnishings producers throughout Canada, filed a complaint last October asking the Canadian International Trade Tribunal to examine the issue and impose these safeguards for all furniture except mattresses; plastic outdoor furniture; and furniture made with cane, osier, bamboo and similar materials.

The article presents information on the current state of furniture and lighting markets. Sales of flat-screen televisions (TVs) have enjoyed a meteoric rise this past year. And with those sales come purchases of TV stands and entertainment centers on which to display them. According to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), 56 percent of consumers buying a TV said they would buy a new entertainment center or cabinet to go along with it. And with sales of big-screen TVs estimated to have, hit 5.2 million units in 2005, according to the CEA, manufacturers of ready-to-assemble furniture for TVs have rolled out their best designs to turn consumers' heads. The CEA expects sales of big-screen TVs to grow even more in 2006, anticipating 6.4 million units to be sold.

The article focuses on the performance of various companies in the U.S. mattress industry in 2004. The top five mattress retailers are all sleep shop chains and they all enjoyed significant sales increases in 2004. The upscale retail channels, while still carrying mattresses, have experienced more competition from numerous retail avenues, especially as specialty bedding gains in popularity. Sleep Innovations Inc., a foam bed producer, compressed its foam beds and shrink-wrapped them to sell in carry-away boxes at home linen stores and mass merchants that previously had not considered carrying mattresses. Aero Products International is another bedding source that introduced high-quality airbeds in boxes small enough to put on retail shelves of stores, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, which have traditionally not been known for stocking mattresses.

The article reports on the launching of its first collection of ready-to-assemble furniture by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. The 20-piece collection, called Everyday Rooms, will be part of the Martha Stewart Everyday brand of products and will be available exclusively at Kmart stores. Martha Stewart currently offers a collection of upper-end furniture, under a licensing agreement with Bernhardt Furniture Co. A private manufacturer will import the products. Since Kmart's merger with Sears, the retailers have not announced plans for brand migration.

This article reports that Serta International has withdrawn from the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA). Bob Sherman, president of Serta, said that ISPA was not meeting Serta's needs at helping it grow its retailers' business. ISPA has achieved strong financial performance in these most recent years and looks forward to continue to enhance the value of our association. ISPA has gotten heavily involved in addressing key issues in the bedding industry, Le Duc added, including the flammability issue, which is expected to be standardized and regulated by the federal government next year. Sherman said Serta would review yearly the possibility of rejoining ISPA.

A timely delivery of ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture to a retailer doesn't count for much if the merchandise arrives damaged. Nor does a plain brown box help if the retailer is counting on decorative packaging as a silent salesman. Beyond protection from damage, packaging isn't much of a help in most furniture categories. But for takeaway items sold in mass channels, including RTA and office chairs, informative and appealing packaging is a critical sales tool. RTA packaging is becoming even more important as more manufacturers ship directly to consumers placing orders through retail catalogs or Web sites.

The key Memorial Dayweekend in High Point, North Carolina, proved a mixed bag for furniture retailers, with some analysts reporting sluggish sales while some chains enjoyed strong buying. Memorial Day is the last big sales event before the furniture industry enters its typical summer slowdown. Atlanta, Georgia-based Haverty Furniture Cos. Inc., said orders for the holiday weekend were flat compared with last year, which saw a 25 percent jump over 2002's holiday. Haverty's May sales decreased 4.3 percent to $57.8 million, with comparable-store sales down 8.1 percent. Retailers lured shoppers with aggressive promotions, and when browsers became buyers, they zeroed in on bargains and financing deals.

Announces that the state of California has been given approval to enforce Technical Bulletin 603, the nation's first statewide open-flame protective regulation for bedding starting January 1, 2005. Scope of the regulation; Implication of the regulation for retailers; Comments form Miles Bristow, spokesman for the Communications and Education Division of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Reports on the launch of Kingsdown Incorporated's mall-based Sleep to Live retail stores in North Carolina and Maryland in 2003. Reasons for opening up retail stores in malls; Sales approaches developed for the stores.

Presents an update on the bedding industry in the U.S. as of July 14, 2003. Decline in retail sales; Component materials beyond the traditional polyurethane foam, fiber and innerspring systems; Statement issued by Jerry Epperson, an analyst with Mann, Armistead & Epperson.