Home Textiles Today December 19th Issue

Monday, December 19, 2011

Inside This Issue

Heimtextil to Kick Off Winter Fair Season .......................... page 2

Wonderland ........................................................................... page 4

Presents of Mine .................................................................... page 4

Words of Wisdom from HTT’s Carole Sloan ........................ page 5

Unfolding the Ten Greatest Sheets of All Time ................................................ page 10

THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY | hometextilestoday.com | Vol. 32, No. 29 | $8.00

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SEE FACE PAGE 1

Louis Hornick

Home Textiles Today’s series Living — & Working – Legends, interviews executives who have spent their careers in the home textiles industry and continue to manage the companies they own or help run, returns this week. Each interviewee is asked the same eight questions, refl ecting both their experiences and their thoughts on the future … their own and the industry’s.

BY WARREN SHOULBERG

Very few people in the home textiles trade have been as low profi le as Louis Hornick, yet even fewer turn out to be as sociable, outgoing and, dare one say, charming as the third-generation head of the curtain and drapery company that bears his family name.

Louis Hornick the company remains one of the handful of suppliers in the business that focuses on window fashions exclusively and one of the last where the fourth generation is al-ready being groomed to take over the reigns.

Not that Louis Hornick the person is going anywhere. At age 61, he is very clearly the leader of both the company and the family. HTT sat down with him this fall at the company’s offi ces tucked into an East Side brownstone for our latest Living & Working Legends interview, continuing the series of asking senior executives who run their companies the same series of questions about their lives … past, present and future.

SEE LEGEND PAGE 6

BY JENNIFER MARKS

NEW YORK — The recently an-nounced marriage between Mar-tha Stewart and JCPenney is a pact through which both parties seek to revivify their clout in the home sphere.

Home, once JCPenney’s ace department, has been one of its worst performing businesses this year, executive chairman Mike Ullman disclosed during the company’s quarterly analyst call last month.

For Martha Stewart Liv-ing Omnimedia, the glory days lay farther back — 2002, when Kmart’s exclusive Martha Stew-art Everyday collection generat-ed $1.5 billion in retail sales and was a huge contributor to MS-LO’s nearly $49 million in mer-chandising revenue that year.

The Kmart relationship ended in 2007 and began winding down before that. MSLO has launched 20 merchandising partnerships across multiple product catego-ries for Martha Stewart and Emer-il brands to replace that business, and its executives this past spring

BY JENNIFER MARKS

NEW YORK — It might not have been the most robust year for sales, but many retailers pushed ahead with brand-building and store expansion efforts.

A number of retailers pushed forward inter-nationally. More than two decades after rival Wal-Mart Stores moved out of the Unit-ed States, Target this year ventured over the border to Canada, acquiring the major-ity of Zeller’s units. Big Lots also headed north, acquiring Liquidation World, which

will be converted to the Big Lots format.Macy.com expanded into international ecom-

merce at mid-year – as did several Williams-So-noma nameplates and Crate & Barrel.

Manhattan became home to two more home furnishings fl agships as Marrimeko opened its fi rst U.S. store and CB2 opened its fi rst unit outside of

Chicagoland.As we close out a year that

offered more than a few surpris-es (see the story to your left), HTT’s editors settled on the fi ve most interesting and/or

potentially impactful stories of the year.

Top Five Retail Stories of 2011JCPenney and Martha Join Forces

TOP

5RETAILSTORIES2011

SEE TOP STORIES PAGE 8

2001

2005

2004

2003

2002

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

$48.9

$35.6

$42.8

$53.4

$53.4

$58.8

$69.5

$84.7

$57.9

$52.6

$59.1

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

$30.1

$23.4

$48.5

$23.8

$25.8

Merchandising EBITDA

Source: MSLO annual reports

The Retreat of MSLO Merchandising

Revenue

SEE JCP/MARTHA PAGE 39

(in $ millions)

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2 Home Textiles Today News > hometextilestoday.com

Walmart Sees Cotton Settling

While discussing price infl ation during a presenta-tion earlier this month at the 2nd Annual Credit

Suisse Consumer Conference here, Walmart’s chief merchant indicated the company is not expecting any further drop in cotton prices.

“Obviously, cotton was signifi cantly up in the sum-mer as merchandise began arriving. There’s been some moderation, but we don’t see any signifi cant change going forward,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, evp and chief merchandising offi cer for the U.S.

Big Lots: Home Key in 4Q

Home is showing promise at Big Lots, with the cat-egory’s comp up in the low single digits during

the recent third quarter.During the 1,445-unit chain’s earnings call Dec. 5,

chairman, ceo and president Steve Fishman singled home out as “an important part of Q4.”

Home and furniture are also becoming a focal point in the company’s recently acquired 85-unit Cana-dian operation, Big Lots Canada, where both catego-ries along with seasonal and toys are getting “positive customer feedback.”

Calico Corners Expands Designer Fabric Program

Calico Corners-Calico Home stores has expanded its line with Thomas Paul Fernez, adding 20 new

decorative prints inspired by the designer’s love of antique engravings of fl ora, fauna and oceanic life.

Retail prices range from $33 to $39 per yard for the cotton and cotton/linen prints.

Added Lori Cropp, merchandise manager for Calico stores said many of the graphic fabrics lend themselves for decorative pillows “to punch up a sofa. Some of the patterns are even great for kids’ or teen rooms —they’re bright, hip and sophisticated enough to grow with a child.”

HD Buttercup Adds Millworks shops

HD Buttercup has just opened two new Millworks Los Angeles textiles shops in its Los Angeles Helms

Bakery fl agship and San Francisco Townsend Street locations.

Millworks is a home textiles company established in 2008 by Andrea Bernstein, formerly the director of design at now closed Chris Stone Textiles company.

The Millwork shops collectively occupy about 1,000 square feet at the entrance to the HD Buttercup stores and feature Bernstein’s bold, hand-painted designs. Products include modern printed decorative pillows, textiles and bedding.

RetailBriefs Heimtextil to Kick Off

Winter Fair Season

NEW YORK — Sheldon Good, vp of merchandising at Revman International, passed away unex-pectedly on Thanksgiving morn-ing, Nov. 24. He was 47.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Good began his career in home fur-nishings in 1998, joining Rev-man International as part of the sales team in the newly launched Tommy Hilfi ger Home division. In 2003, he moved to the Rev-man division as a brand man-ager and in 2007, he was pro-moted to vp of merchandising.

Rich Roman, president and ceo of Revman said, “Sheldon was a talented and dedicated associate and a key part of our team. He will be greatly missed for his professional abilities but also for his wonderful spirit and keen sense of humor.”

“Sheldon’s creativity gave him the unique ability to be a bridge between the business side and the design team”, added Diane Piemonte, vp of creative services at Revman. “He was always able to connect with us

and help guide our design efforts to meet the needs of the busi-ness. We all feel we have lost a dear friend.”

He is survived by his partner, Willis Goodmoore, and their two children, Tyler and Noah, his sister, Allison Plotkin, and his father, Gilbert Good.

In lieu of fl owers, donations may be made to the Family Equality Council (http://www.familyequality.org) or to the Tuscan Elementary School PTA (http://www.tuscanpta.org).HTT

Revman’s Sheldon Good, 47

December 19, 2011

For the RecordA story about utility bedding in the Nov. 21 issue misidenti-

fi ed a Springs Global mattress pad produced by Springs Global for Bed Bath & Beyond as carrying the “Sleep Better” brand. The brand is “Sleep Zone.”

The “Sleep Better” brand is produced by Carpenter.

NEW YORK — Slipcover and home accessories supplier Sure Fit Inc. has acquired the assets of the Patio Armor brand from Trilink Global LLC.

Financial terms were not dis-closed nor was the size of the acquired company.

Pa t i o A r m o r p r o d u c t s include heavyweight fabric cov-ers for patio furniture, grills and other outdoor items. Its major

accounts include The Home Depot, Costco, Amazon and Factory Direct. The company is based in Atlanta and will retain its own headquarters.

Tom Atchison, who has served as director of sales of the Trilink business since 2008, has joined Sure Fit as vp of sales - outdoor division.

“The Patio Armor brand will immediately strengthen

our portfolio of solution-ori-ented covering products for the home,” said Hugh Rovit, Sure Fit ceo.

Sure Fit, he said, is pursuing a strategy of both organic growth and “bolt-on acquisitions” that complement its existing busi-ness, extend market penetra-tion and provide sourcing, oper-ational and distribution overlap. HTT

Sure Fit Expands Through Acquisition

FRANKFURT, GERMANY — The trend show at next month’s Heimtextil international trade show here will feature “intensive colors,” according to show organizer Messe Frankfurt.

As in recent years, the trend presentation will be set up in Forum 0 from Jan. 11-14. A team of design-

ers from seven agencies in Europe, Great Britain and the United States assembled the trends by examining “social-cultural changes and important trends in the fi elds of architecture, fashion and design.” The fair will include a program of lectures about design and

SEE PREVIEW PAGE 16

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OPINIONTodaY

WE L L , T E X T I L E S FA NS , it’s naughty-and-nice time again. Seems like only yesterday we were shopping for our yuletide

favorites to pick out just the perfect little bau-ble for the perfect — and not-so-perfect — of the home textiles industry.

And yet, in the blink of a cotton future, we are back here once more trying to sort out the year and make our shopping selections.

If you are new to this feature, the rules are simple: What do certain individuals on both the supply and retail sides of the industry truly need and/or deserve to make their holiday special?

And if you’ve been here before, you know

there is no paucity of thought or lack of po-lite restraint in these festive holiday gift-giv-ing suggestions.

Which is not to say business isn’t tough. There are a lot of good people out of work and things are just not as much fun as they used to be. But that doesn’t mean you have to take the whole thing too seriously, does it?

So, with tongue once more placed fi rmly in cheek, I humbly offer up some special gifts for some oh-so-special people.

Mike Duke: What he didn’t get last year, an actual working strategy for home at Walmart. Maybe this time.

Mike Ullman: A graceful exitJose Gomes de Silva: More real business

in North America to make reals in South America.

Bed Bath & Beyond merchandising staff: Transporters from Star Trek to go from Long Island to New Jersey in fi ve seconds.

Ron Johnson: A stick of dynamite to blow up the org chart down in Plano.

Norm Savaria: Continued distractions in Commercial Metals, Clorox, Reckson, Dyn-egy and Lear for Carl Icahn.

Fast Eddie Lampert: More. Just more.Ron Johnson: Two sticks of dynamite to

blow up that silly statue in the lobby down in Plano.

Lord & Taylor: 812 more L&T Home stores.

Vendors fed up with BBB: 812 more L&T Home stores.

Kevin Mansell: Marriage counseling for J Lo and Marc.

Terry Lundgren: A not-so-fond farewell card for you-know-who.

Ron Johnson: Ten sticks of dynamite to blow up the corporate culture down in Plano.

Chris Capuano: Someone to give her the great job she so deserves.

Greg Steinhafel: Band width.Alan Gladstone: Hitting 300.Ron Johnson: 1,107 sticks of dynamite to

blow up the current merchandise in every Penney store in the country.

Rich Roman: More Tommy guns.Cotton growers: The return of the specu-

lators.Cotton users: The demise of the specu-

lators.Gary Friedman: Belgian fl ax…from Bel-

gium.Ron Johnson: An Apple for what he’s truly

thinking.And to all: Peace on Earth. HTT

Presents of Mine

I’ V E H E A R D PEOPL E I N T H E I N DUS T R Y talk about Dior Rose sheets for years, but I’d never laid eyes on the pattern until we went looking for artwork for this issue’s story about the top sheet patterns – or what I’ve been calling internally “The Best Sheets Evah.”

The mighty Google led me to Etsy.com, an online marketplace for hand-made and vintage goods. As with eBay, one has only to register and post up to become a seller. And, oh my friends, you have no idea how many peo-ple out there have vintage sheets to sell – a fair number still in the origi-

nal packaging.How many? Try nearly 2,000. I felt like Alice going

down the rabbit hole. As I clicked through the pages I saw much of the industry’s modern history laid out in all its glory.

This year we’ve been clucking about all the polyes-ter that’s made its way into sheeting as a counterweight against higher cotton prices. Ha! Try fi nding one of those classic patterns in an all-cotton.

The original Pac Mac sheet? It’s on etsy. Ditto 1988 Mario Brothers and early Dr. Suess. Want to know what the early iterations of Marimekko and Vera sheets looked like? There they are.

Before there was Target’s red-hot Liberty of London program in 2010, there was Wamsutta’s Liberty of London mid-1980s program: a 180-count blend of 50% Fortrel Polyester (yes, the synthetic was listed fi rst) and 50% combed cotton. Dior Rose also turned out to be a Wamsutta Fortel/cotton blend. The thread count was so dinky I swear you could slip the daily paper under the sheet and not have any problem reading it.

The U.S. mills were proud of their polyester content back in the day. My absolute favorite: a 1970’s-era Pequot no-iron, “luxury muslin,” 50/50 poly-cotton print sheet with a “new and improved” style sticker on the package proclaiming “Now 65% polyester.”

We’ve been told we’ve gotten spoiled by the fruits of globalization. A trip through the etsy vault reveals just how much has changed in little more than a decade. Aside from the poly factor, most of the vintage sheets on the site are muslin or 180-count. Most fi t a twin or a double-sized bed. Almost all of them – and I looked at every blasted one – was sold open stock.

The collection also offers a kaleidoscope of design: interpretations of country, fl oral, mod and, for lack of a better word, groovy.

Designers, if you’ve got the time, make the trip. It’ll feed your head. HTT

JenniferMarks

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wonderland

December 19, 2011

Warren Shoulberg

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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5 Home Textiles TodayNews> hometextilestoday.com

Words of Wisdom from HTT’s Carole SloanWhile 2011 was marked by many signifi cant events,

for HTT none held more resonance than the death of founding editor Carole Sloan last January. In our fi nal issue of the year, we pay tribute to her spirit, legacy and enormous contribution to the industry by reprinting some of her insights, warnings and predictions.

September 1979Her inaugural column for

HTT’s debut issue laid out the parameters for the publication.

“In covering the marketplace, Home Textiles Today will focus on every ele-ment of the business that has direct impact on the way you do business.

“In addition, we at Home Textiles today intend to show the lighter side of life. Business, after all, is not all seri-ousness and profi t wheels.”

October 1982Sears was doubling its home textiles

offerings from Diane Von Furstenberg, European fash-ion designer Daniel Hechter was bringing a home textiles collection to the U.S. market and Macy’s had just opened a Laura Ashley shop.

“Before the hue and cry of the market and the fre-netic activities that accompany this semi-annual tribal rite occur, let’s take time out to analyze the latest ‘discov-ery of the wheel’ in the home textiles business.

“I’m talking specifi cally about designer collections, theme collections or whatever that encompass a broad brush trip across retail fl oors.

“Are they new? Almost everyone involved will admit that this is a second, third or fourth generation discov-ery of the wheel.”

September 1986Technology was changing the way retailers were doing

business – and what they were demanding of suppliers.“What has accelerated the UPC acceptance has been

something originally never part of the consideration – imports. In its efforts to stem their tide, the American

textile community has developed dialog with major American retail-ers. And while this crisis is being viewed as primarily an apparel situation, home textiles, by nature, are part of the activity.

“The new background of the combined mill-retail effort is an off-shoot of the Japanese Just in Time approach to manufacturing.”

October 1990As technology further permeated the buy/sell proposition, the strain

of which party was responsible for which part of the trans-action grew, and Sloan – not for the fi rst time – would chastise the buying community.

“[R]etailers must understand that Quick Response and Just in Time are not ways that have a 1990 spin to get vendors to do the retailers’ work by providing an inventory position for retailers’ responsibilities.”

July 1994Another wave of apparel designers entering the home tex-

tiles field – including Calvin Klein and Liz Claiborne – prompted some advice on the dif-ferences between the industries.

“Also, there’s a great chasm between the way the two businesses come to decis ions . There’s a great deal of contemplative energy expended in the home world, and more of this energy – which trans-lates into time – when dealing with the fab-ric segment, compared with the manufactured product segment. What is considered a nor-mal term in apparel – weeks, for example –

translates into months in home furnishings, between the time that a design is conceived to the time it is born, or appears on the retail fl oor.

“Patience is not just a virtue when dealing with home furnishings business; it is a necessity.”

September 1996Linens ’n Things, Bed Bath & Beyond and other cat-egory killers were moving more deeply into non-linens assortments.

“Today, there’s not a single player in [the home super-store] category doing a billion dollars in home textiles. And as these key players continue to expand, home tex-tiles will play a lesser role to the total company volume, so the critical mass needed to dominate this industry probably won’t be achieves anytime soon.

“What we are beginning to see is the development of a whole ‘new’ retailing concept – full-line home fur-nishings stores with everything but major appliances and electronics sold under one roof.”

September 2001The events of 9/11 convulsed what had already been a

slowing home business just ahead of the fall market week for home textiles. Sloan urged calm.

“The new dark cloud in this country and around the world is creating another layer of controversy – those who believe that everyone should withdraw from prod-uct introductions vs. those who believe that we should move ahead, albiet with caution and concern.

“It’s not a matter of saying that things are the same as they’ve always been – they’re not. But pulling back is not the answer.”

December 2004Final quotas on home textiles were set to vanish on Jan. 1, 2005. While all eyes were focused on the explosion of

importing just ahead, Sloan pointed to some unfi nished business bobbing offshore.

“The lifting of quotas is causing many to think ‘Chicken Little the sky is falling,’ but the world will continue — and those who didn’t put the subject on the back burner lo this amount of time already have plans in place.

“More interesting is the situation that has emerged about embargoes where the offshore goods are ready to ship or on ships ready to move towards the United States and are not going to be allowed on these shores because the quotas already have been fi lled. The backlog nightmare for 2005 could well impact every retailer in this country.”

September 2008Major retailers lev-eraged direct access to off-shore manu-facturers in the post-quota era, they built out their own prod-uct development capabilities, raising an important ques-tion about where the fi nal responsi-bility lay for failed programs.

“And we now are facing an increasing amount of retail posturing about their prowess in design and sourc-ing. As we are beginning to see, this attitude is moving these retailers toward the challenge of ‘Who eats it?’ in terms of stuff that is too late, too similar to the next guy’s, or just not desirable.”

February 8, 2011The founding editor’s fi nal thoughts on the industry were conveyed in a column by Jennifer Marks, who had visited her just before the end.

On word that owners of Las Vegas Market might buy High Point’s primary furniture buildings: “Not surpris-ing.”

On Chris Capuano being tapped to head home at Sears and Kmart: “She’s very, very talented. And now she’s got the big order pad.”

On JCPenney reducing the number of its in-store custom decorating studios from 525 to 300: “Schmucks.” HTT

HTT founding editor-in-chief Carole Sloan’s support of education was commemorated earlier this year by the establishment of a scholarship program in her hon-or for the Home Products Development Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

The fi rst recipient was named by the college in Au-gust. Nancy Fischetti, a fi fth-semester student majoring in Home Products Development at FIT, received $2,500 for achieving the highest GPA in the home program.

The Carole Sloan Fund was endowed with a $50,000 contribution by Steve Pond, the entrepreneur who founded HTT and sister publication Furniture Today.

Additional contributions to the fund, which are tax deductible, can be made out to The Carole Sloan Fund and sent to Educational Foundation at Fashion Indus-tries at FIT, 227 W. 27th St., Room C 204, New York, NY, 10001.

For additional information, contact Terry Culver, di-rector of development, at (212) 217-4109.

December 19, 2011

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6 Home Textiles Today > hometextilestoday.comNewsDecember 19, 2011

HTT: How did you get started in the home textiles business?

Louis Hornick: I was born into it. My grand-father started the company and my earliest memo-ries are of going to the factory in Haverstraw, N.Y. It’s not like my father and I played catch together. That’s where we went.

HTT: If you hadn’t gone into this fi eld, what would you have done?

LH: That’s impossible to answer. I never intend-ed to do anything else. I would spend summer va-cations at the factory earning $2.35 an hour until I graduated college as an accounting and English major. I joined the company in 1972.

My funny answer to the question is that I would have been a buyer.

HTT: When did you know you were going to be successful in this business?

LH: I never doubted I would be successful. The fi rst time was when I solved a production-plan-ning problem when I was 23.

There’s also when I got my fi rst big order from W. T. Grant for tier curtains. I had a big program with Kmart, too, in tiered curtains. Back then they had three buyers just for curtains and two more for draperies.

HTT: What single accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?

LH: It has to be the intersection of manufactur-ing, marketing and selling. I did that three or four times like with Snowfl ake, which was the leader in the tab top business.

Heimtextil had a profound effect on us in terms of the product I wanted to develop. It was everything. I wanted home textiles products that would last a lifetime, not like today.

HTT: If you had to do something over what would it be and how would you do it differently?

LH: I didn’t fi re people fast enough. I don’t think anybody would accuse me of being a nice guy. There were people I hired who lasted fi ve or ten years and they should have lasted six months. I thought they needed more time. It’s a mistake; you really need to fi re people, if you can, in the fi rst three months. I guess one of my mistakes was having an HR department.

I never got better at it. I was never able to fi nd as good people as my father hired and I grew up with. I think the talent pool dried up and this industry is not as attractive as apparel.

HTT: What’s the single biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?

LH: Globalization – in a bad way. Did I see it coming? Yeah, I thought I could beat it with hu-bris. It’s a classic Greek tragedy. It happened very quickly. I saw it coming, but not as fast as it happened — but neither did most other compa-nies.

The people who were successful in imports were the people who never manufactured here in the fi rst place.

It’s hard for small and medium-sized compa-

nies to deal with globalization.The textiles industry was sacrifi ced for other

industries. It was a bad trade for this country, but what’s done is done.

HTT: If you could do one thing to improve the industry’s overall business what would it be?

LH: We don’t want the government getting rid of industries or creating them because of too much regulation. There should be a consump-tion tax rather than a payroll tax.

Nobody wants to be the last buggy whip man-ufacturer, but we must balance manufacturing and service. This is going to be very important for the United States.

My other answer would be: I think the con-sumer has to purchase curtains and draperies.

HTT: What’s your exit strategy?

LH: Death is my exit strategy. Our 100th anni-versary will be in 2018, and that’s not far away. HTT

“The textiles industry was sacrifi ced for other industries. It was a bad trade for this country,

but what’s done is done.”— LOUIS HORNICK

LEGEND FROM PAGE 1

Living & Working Legend: Louis Hornick

htt111202_001_006 6 12/15/2011 11:49:15 AM

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8 Home Textiles Today News

1. Price Increases: Pay More, Get LessAs the year began, the topic of conversation was cotton,

cotton and cotton. Soaring prices — and how to work around them — became an obsession.After idling in the range of 49 to 52 cents per pound, prices began explod-ing in the second half of 2009. By the time the industry rang in 2011, prices had pushed past a dollar — and would keep climbing ever higher until they

hit peak in early March around the $2.40 mark.

Some blamed speculators. Others pointed to lower global production, and still others cited the panic that ensued when China realized it didn’t have enough cot-ton on hand to keep its looms churning.

Synthetic prices were soaring as well, leaving man-ufacturers and retailers no way out of their cotton co-nundrum.

Quotes on programs began changing from day to day, then from hour to hour. At certain points, business vir-tually stopped altogether.

By spring, all-poly and poly-rich products began ap-pearing in the market — despeced from the all-cotton glory days and carrying higher price tags. The most ex-pensively produced goods came ashore during the third quarter. By then, cotton prices were cooling off and at year-end seemed to be settling in the $1 range.

And that sets the stage for the next great question: Will retailers and suppliers hold pricing and salve the gouges of 2011 with better margins in 2012? Don’t bet on it.

2. JCP Leadership Change: Taking a bite of AppleJCPenney’s decision in July to appoint as its ceo the creator of Apple Corp.’s sleek and uniquely designed retail operation was hailed as a master stroke.

The assignment was not as wildly out of the box as it appeared at fi rst blush. Before his 11-year stint at Apple, Johnson helped create Target’s cheap chic mystique as he moved through several merchandising posts. But for

a century-old, middle-market department store, it was pretty sexy.

Shortly thereafter, Penney bellied up to the bar for a couple more slices of Apple as Johnson hired former Apple colleagues for key management posts.

New JCP chief operating offi cer Michael Kramer was most recently ceo of apparel supplier Kellwood Co. and was cfo of Apple’s retail operation for fi ve years, report-ing directly to Johnson. The retailer’s new HR head, chief talent offi cer Daniel Walker, held the same posi-tion under Johnson at Apple.

The company decided to grab a little more Target DNA as well, naming Target chief marketing offi cer Mi-

chael Francis president of the JCP operation.All of them officially took up their new

posts in recent weeks and were no sooner on the scene than Penney announced it was put-ting its chips on Martha Stewart’s home and lifestyle prowess for in-store shops and a joint ecommerce site — to the apparent chagrin of current Martha home goods distributor Ma-cy’s.

Johnson promises to outline the new vision for the company next month at JCP’s analyst confab in Manhattan. But he has already staked out bold territory, announcing in November: “I am not here to improve. I am here to transform.”

3. Lord & Taylor Home: The Next LNT?Well over a decade after abandoning the home seg-ment in its traditional department stores, Lord & Taylor stepped back into the category in late summer, open-ing two free-standing home furnishings stores in New Jersey. A mere test, the company said, but could bigger plans lie ahead?

The Paramus and Shrewsbury stores had been in op-eration not more than three months before the chair-man of Lord & Taylor parent Hudson’s Bay Co. mused publicly about a larger operation. “If we get this right,” said Richard Baker, “we could have a $1 billion oppor-tunity.”

L&T Home is merchandised by the Canadian-based Home Outfi tters unit of Hudson’s Bay — which also car-ries Linens ’n Things merchandise under license, cur-rently a house brand for Home Outfi tters and Lord & Taylor Home.

The LNT (as in Linens ’n Things) echo doesn’t end there. In fact, stepping into a Lord & Taylor Home store for the fi rst time, one is struck by the similarity in lay-out. The fi xtures are fi ner, and cozy vignettes of furni-ture groupings announce a departure in merchandising strategy. Nonetheless, the resemblance is striking.

Lord & Taylor Home is the old LNT’s dream of it-self on its fi nest day — topped with a dollop of Home-Place fi nesse. Is it a billion-dollar formula? A lot of sup-pliers are hoping so.

4. News Flash: A New Channel ArisesThe rising crop of fl ash retail sites could be seen as the logical outgrowth of an era that has spawned fl ash mobs, pop-up shops and non-stop social media interaction. Enough of them have arrived on the scene to represent a specifi cally formatted market segment unto itself.

It began with the discreet arrival of Gilt in 2007 fol-lowed by the rather exclusive Rue La La site in 2008. The channel has since morphed into a fi eld of online retailers offering short runs (72 hours or so) on discount-

ed merchandise that tends to be both design-oriented and upscale.

This year saw the arrivals of Froogal and Fab.com (which as of this month is already selling $200,000 of merchandise a day). Gilt launched a dedicated home store. Mertado and MyHabitat (Amazon’s membership-only fashion site) expanded into home textiles. Home-oriented One King’s Lane surpassed $100 million in rev-enue. HauteLook, which passed $100 million in sales in 2010, was acquired by Nordstom in March and said it expected sales to rise 50% to 60% this year.

All of which could lead to the ultimate retail rever-sal — turning clicks into bricks. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that one or more of these retailers will test pop-up stores or shop-in-shops in the physical world. Stay tuned.

5. Bloomies Blossoms on 59th StreetIt’s one department in one store in one city, but Bloom-ingdale’s fall revamp of the bedding fl oor in its Man-hattan fl agship store exemplifi es what a luxury depart-ment store bedding shop should look like in the 21st

Century.All the big names are attentively given their due:

DVF by Diane Von Furnstenberg, Vera Wang, Donna Karan, Ralph, Calvin, Tommy, Frette, Sferra, Pratesi, Barbara Barry.

Each inhabits its own environmental cocoon, sup-plemented in crevasses here and there with a smatter-ing of other upmarket brands. It’s not a throwback to the days of white glove service for la grand dame de la maison, but Bloomingdale’s bedding department stands as a modern interpretation of an emporium for people of taste.

And most importantly for the little cousin of Herald Square, it resolutely proclaims: This. Is. Not. Macy’s.HTT

Top 5 Retail Happenings of the Year

RON JOHNSON MIKE FRANCISMIKE KRAMER

$

December 19, 2011

TOP STORIES FROM PAGE 1

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10 Home Textiles Today News > hometextilestoday.comDecember 19, 2011

Unfolding the Ten Greatest Sheets of All Time

Let’s face it: Nobody really knows who invented the sheet. We don’t know when, we don’t where and we certainly don’t know what the fi rst user thought about the whole thing.

What we do know is that since then there have been literally thousands of different designs, pat-terns, colors, constructions and permeations of sheets turned out by the companies that supply them, both here in the United States and around the world.

Certainly nobody has ever seen them all, much less had a chance to evaluate their relative merits. Such an exercise would be nothing less than sheer sheet madness.

That said and undeterred, Home Textiles Today editors thought it would be a noble effort to name the Ten Greatest Sheets of All Times, an incred-ibly subjective and somewhat irrational ranking to say the least. To arrive at this vaunted list, HTT enlisted the aid of a number of veterans in the home textiles industry, both on the supply and retail sides of the trade. Many had hands in creat-ing these products or sold them in the stores they worked at. All of their names are being withheld to protect their professional standings as well as from abuse from colleagues.

The criteria for establishing this ranking are obtuse at best. A sheet needed to be important in one or more areas: Superior design, fi rst to mar-ket in a signifi cant way, strong sales, longevity and long-term impact on the marketplace. Aesthetics meets commerce, if you will.

We supplemented the core Top 10 ranking

with several additional shorter lists that took into consideration elements beyond a single sheet pat-tern and refl ected an entire collection, brand or program. There is also a separate ranking for con-struction, which seemed to be justifi ed.

All dates are best guesstimates based on a rap-idly fading collective memory.

Readers will notice a preponderance of pat-terns from the 1980s and 1990s. Nostalgia? Per-haps. But more likely, a refl ection of a time when retailers were not so keyed in on exclusives and a strong pattern could be sold at multiple compet-ing nameplates across the industry.

How will these rankings sit with others in the trade? Depends where you in fact sit within the industry. Old-timers may scoff (only old-timers actually scoff anymore) at some selections and newbies will stare blankly at some of these long-since-passed names, wondering where the latest one-month wonder is.

And none of them will be wrong. Our list is presented with all good intentions as an amuse bouche in anticipation of the new year arriving any day now. Consider it a tasty morsel to soothe your palette at a time when dealing with current industry events can be much more distasteful.

Keeping with that theme, we present, in alpha-betical order, the Ten Greatest Sheets of All Time, with all due respect for the folks at Zagat.

At right: In August 1995, HTT published a feature on the evolving Amalfi

collection from Springs.

Above: Elizabeth Anne (Tommy Hilfiger) from Revman International Below: Sophia (Laura Ashley) from J.P. Stevens/WestPoint Stevens/Revman International.

BY WARREN SHOULBERG

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11 Home Textiles TodayNews> hometextilestoday.com December 19, 2011

Allison (Ralph Lauren)J.P. Stevens Late 1980s-Early 1990sThe “first great print” pattern that “put Ralph Lauren on the map,” perhaps the most “quintessentially Polo” print ever in that line, it was a “best seller” at every department that sold it. There have been dozens and dozens of Lauren prints since “but there’ll never be another Allison.”

AmalfiSprings Industries1990sProbably “the best selling single sheet pattern of all time,” Amalfi was “first a shower curtain” designed by Pat Farrell and then the people at Springs decided it might make “a nice bed.” And while the original multi-colored contemporary abstract was the star, there were “multiple colorations” and price point spin-offs, making Amalfi perhaps the most “knocked-off” pattern of all time, too.

Beacon HillWamsutta1980s-1990sNot really a print, it was a “double embroidery scallop on white,” a “classic” design that was a “perennial” strong seller over many, many years. That it came from a major mill and not some small specialty supplier made it “all the more remarkable.”

Dior RoseWamsutta1980sAn “easy-to-digest, diagonal stem pattern on a white ground” Dior Rose was probably mentioned by more people than any other single pattern, a testament to its place in sheet history. Sales were “huge” over the lifetime of this “gangbuster” pattern, which showed that less is very often more.

Elizabeth Anne (Tommy Hilfiger)Revman InternationalLate 1990sIn the first Hilfiger collection of 1997, this pattern ranks as the “best seller ever” in the brand. A “classic” with a long run, it set the tone for the Hilfiger collection and “it ran in every department store in the country.”

In Full Bloom (Liz Claiborne)Springs IndustriesMid-1990s“They said yellow would never sell” in bedding…until this bright floral came along with the debut of the Liz program. Probably the single best-selling Claiborne pattern ever, it unleashed a “torrent” of knock-offs both from within and without the com-pany, but “none ever sold as well as the original.”

Jeweled MarbleSprings IndustriesEarly 1990sAnother colorful abstract, it set off “the whole evergreen and maroon thing” that overtook the industry and much of home design for several years. As was the Springs MO at the time, there were “many takes” on the Jeweled Marble design theme in many products at many price points.

Sophia (Laura Ashley)J.P. Stevens/WestPoint Stevens/Revman International1980s-CurrentThere are many candidates from the Ashley stable, but Sophia “did the most volume of any of them” and “is still running.” “That doesn’t happen anymore.” A “classic floral,” Sophia is one of many in a “long list” of female-named and inspired design motifs.

Thoroughbred (Ralph Lauren)J.P. StevensLate 1980s-Early 1990sFrom the debut Ralph Lauren collection “it was the first paisley,” establishing a classic motif that has been used ever since. It was also “probably the first design printed over-seas in fiber-reactive dyes,” which became another Lauren signature element.

Zuni (Collier Campbell)West Point Pepperell Late 1980sAnother house with “many contenders,” Zuni was cited most often for its use of color, the trademark of sisters Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell. Zuni “turned the market” upside down and “added a fashion presence to bedding that had been missing for some time.”

THE TOP 10 SHEETS

In Full Bloom (Liz Claiborne) from Springs Industries added a cornflower blue colorway in 1996 to the original yellow.

Dior Rose by Wamsutta

See Page 12 for HTT’s breakdown of Greatest

Designer Programs, Greatest Branded

Programs and Greatest Constructions.

htt111202_010_011.indd 11 12/15/2011 12:16:59 PM


Thread count: That’s about the only element of sheet con-struction that truly has ever really mattered to the consumer. And like horsepower and bandwidth, the measurement pro-cess is much less important than the absolute truth that more is better.

But those in the trade – or at least some of those in the trade – recognize that there’s more to sheet construction than picks.

So we’ve pulled together a handful of technological ad-vancements in making sheets that have been among the most important over the history of the industry.

And as with design and the creative arts, construction is in the eye of the beholder.

Fitted SheetPacific Home Fashions1950s -- CurrentJoked about “as the biggest technological advancement ever” in the industry, fitted sheets are no laughing matter to the consumer, who has come to accept nothing less for a bot-tom sheet. Hospital corners? Never heard of them. Pacific’s place in the industry was absorbed by Wamsutta and eventu-ally by Springs, but for the bed-making population of the world, the gratitude is eternal.

Jersey SheetsDivatex1980s -- CurrentSheets like shirts – T-shirts, that is – had been tried many times over the years, knitted rather than woven to give the hand and feel of a favorite top. But Divatex was in the right spot at the right time when “Oprah picked up a Shabby Chic set” and raved about them as only Oprah can do. Suddenly “T-shirt sheets” were hot and while they continue to ebb and flow with the times and are now offered throughout the in-dustry, they remain the only non-woven construction that has ever secured real market share.

Percale1960s—CurrentMany companiesNo supplier is identified with bringing percale to the market and indeed there is no consensus on when that happened. But the widespread acceptance of the percale construction – generally defined as any woven of 180-thread count or more – in the 1980s redefined the industry and changed the dynamics of most producers forever. “They just looked and felt so great compared to muslin.”

60/40 250-Thread Count CannonEarly 1980sAgain, you will get many arguments on who really upped the thread count wars, but some claim this Cannon product was “one of the biggest game changers.” In a marketplace where the vast majority of sheets were under 200-count, Cannon’s 250 “really started the march to higher thread counts.”

1000 Thread CountSferra2000sOne more case of multiple players in the space, but luxury supplier Sferra gets the nod for being the most successful at breaking the four-figure mark in counts. The Italian sateen was a multi-ply product, getting to the 1000 level not quite through the classic definition, but no matter. “While the number is just hype, it was a huge milestone in the industry.” It set off a “runaway” thread-count war, but in doing so, eventually set the stage for a modest retreat into a market-place where other elements of sheet constructions – fiber, finish and origin – started to come into their own.

The home textiles business does not have the greatest track record for developing brands from within, but aside from the imports from fashion and elsewhere, there are several standout labels that deserve the “great” moniker.

The arbitrary parameters exclude corporate brands such as Martex or Cannon, as well as brands better identified with other home textiles products, such as Royal Velvet for towels.But in the world of sheets, a few names make the cut.

CharismaFieldcrest/Fieldcrest Cannon/Li & Fung/Iconix1980s - CurrentAt its origin, Charisma was the first super high thread count – 300 – offered by a major mill when 200 was considered the norm for luxury. “It was all about the fabric and the specs of the sheeting.” And “it showed that a luxury product could be manufactured in the U.S.” For years the classic pin-dot tone-on-tone Charisma was “the standard all other luxury sheets were mea-sured against.”

HotelMacy’s2000s- CurrentSome may quibble which was the first player in the hotel space – and how much influence Westin Hotels had overall – but this private label store program (the only one to crack any of these lists) clearly “created a look that wasn’t there before.” And “every retailer and company now has a version of this and made it a staple of their collection.”

Royal SateenCrown Crafts/DWILate 1980s – CurrentOne could argue putting this in the construction list, but Royal Sateen is not just about wefts and warps. ‘The first fiber reactive print on sateen” was originally developed by Israeli textiles company Kitan, but when marketed in the U.S. it made sateen “THE luxury offering all the way down through the mass market.”

Maybe it was Gucci, maybe it was Mary Martin: No consensus exists on which was the first true designer program in bedding, but there has been no shortage of them since.

And for every Ralph or Tommy, there have been many Joe Namaths, which one observer called the “worst program of all time.”

Many of the true greats are recognized in the Top Ten list itself, but not all, so it seemed only fair to recognize a handful of the most important designer programs of all time.

Bill BlassSprings1980s-2000sOne of the “longest running” programs ever – 25 years – Blass products went far beyond its namesake’s “men’s wear” origins to encompass all manner of designs and products. Blass’ repu-tation of not exactly being the most hands-on home designer notwithstanding, the line was a perennial seller for as long as any name in the business.

Calvin KleinHome Innovations/Crown Craft/DWI1990s-CurrentThe home industry waited – and waited – for Calvin Klein to make the jump from jeans and underwear and when he did, it was with a “truly different” look previously unavailable in the marketplace.

The “minimalist,” often monochromatic designs provided a “contemporary alternative” to the rich florals that dominated the marketplace.

Laura AshleyBurlington/J.P. Stevens/WestPoint Stevens/Revman International1980s – CurrentFor many consumers “their first entry” into fashion bedding, the Ashley line – now arguably the longest running designer program in the industry – “struck a cord” with women “who went to work in buttoned-up suit styles but wanted their homes to be feminine.”

Ralph LaurenJ.P. Stevens/WestPoint Stevens/WestPoint Home/Ralph Lauren1980s—CurrentHe invented the word – and the concept – “lifestyle” and has run with it ever since. Now a “multi-tiered, multi-branded” giant, Ralph Lauren is quite arguably the single best-selling de-signer program ever. From “sweet prints” to modern contemporary to formal florals and pais-leys, the line – and don’t forget the substantial solid color programs – just keeps selling.

GREATEST DESIGNER PROGRAMS

GREATEST BRANDED PROGRAMS

GREATEST CONSTRUCTIONS

December 19, 2011

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NEW YORK — Xcel Brands has licensed with Regal Home and Jay Franco & Sons to manufac-ture products for the Isaac Miz-rahi New York home brand.

Regal will produce window treatments while Jay Franco & Sons will handle the brand’s bedding and bath line. Xcel has also signed Mizrahi licensing agreements with home décor producers as well. Window and home accents are slated to debut at retail in fall 2012, with

bed and bath to follow in spring 2013.

Ear l i e r th i s yea r , Xce l acquired the Isaac Mizrahi New York brand with the intention of expanding it beyond its core apparel offerings.

“Good design is never more important than in the objects you surround yourself with. A beautiful happy home equals a beautiful happy life,” said Miz-rahi, who also serves as creative director for Xcel Brands.HTT

CARLSTADT, N.J. — Pantone LLC recently announced PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine

Tango, a “vivacious, enticing hue,” as the color of the year for 2012.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seduc-

tive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Reminis-cent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tanger-ine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrena-line rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

To arrive at the selection, Pantone said it con-sidered global color infl uences from areas includ-ing the entertainment industry and fi lms that are

in production, traveling art collections, new art-ists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Infl uences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention, according to a company release.

Past “colors of the year” include:• PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)• PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)• PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)• PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)• PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper (2007)• PANTONE 13-1106 Sand Dollar (2006)• PANTONE 15-5217 Blue Turquoise (2005)• PANTONE 17-1456 Tigerlily (2004)• PANTONE 14-4811 Aqua Sky (2003)• PANTONE 19-1664 True Red (2002)• PANTONE 17-2031 Fuchsia Rose (2001)• PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean (2000) HTT

BY GARY EVANS

HIGH POINT, N.C. — De Leo Textiles launched its fi rst out-door high performance fabric at Showtime earlier this month, with the initial collection con-taining seven patterns featuring a solid fabric, stripes, plaids and botanicals.

The Soleo collections meets specifi cations required by out-door, casual and all-weather fur-niture and pillow manufactur-ers, the company said. Its 100% outdoor-rated acrylic fi bers pro-vide light-fastness, resistance to

liquids, resistance to oil-based products, high abrasion ratings and easy cleaning features. The fabrics also have a 99.7% anti-microbial rating, De Leo said.

The company said Soleo’s features make it ideal for both outdoor and indoor high-traf-fic upholstery. The cleanabil-ity and durability inherent in the Soleo-branded fabrics are designed to appeal to the consumer looking for family-friendly indoor fabrics as well as those seeking to use it in out-door living spaces.

The Soleo patterns had a soft

opening at the Chicago Casual Furniture Market in October.

“The premiere manufactur-ers of outdoor and casual fur-nishings were extremely recep-tive to the Soleo line,” said Cathy Smith, director of design and merchandising for De Leo. “They commented repeatedly that Soleo designs provided a new and different look in the outdoor fabric world, while pro-viding the solid test results that consumers demand. Several of the patterns were deemed ‘spot on,’ with the botanical looks repeatedly noted.” HTT

NEW YORK — Glen Raven Cus-tom Fabrics, maker of Sunbrella fabrics, was honored by the inclusion of its fabrics in three award winners at the Interior Design magazine Best of Year Awards earlier this month.

Interior Design is owned by Home Textiles Today parent company Sandow Media.

At the event, which was held on Dec. 1 at the IAC Build-ing here, the awards distributed were for categories of work, including: Healthcare Textiles for its Day Dream Collection with cf stinson inc.; Outdoor Textiles for the Indi Pop Col-lection from Alaxi Fabric; and Large Exhibit/Installation with Situ Studio at the Brooklyn Museum.

“This has been a year of milestones for us, including new products and projects across all areas of our business,” said Gina Wicker, design and creative director for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. “We are honored that our fabrics were part of three winning entries that stood out among so many deserving nom-inees.”

The Day Dream Collection of Sunbrella Contract with Defi -ance, winner of the Best of Year Award for Healthcare Textiles, was introduced in June at Neo-con in Chicago. The collection, available exclusively through cf

stinson inc., consists of fi ve pat-terns in a variety of colorways, including neutrals, black and white, green and blue hues, and saturated shades like fuch-sia, tangerine and lime.

Alaxi Fabric’s Best of Year Award for Outdoor Textiles winner, Indi Pop Collection, features dozens of Sunbrella fabrics in rich colorways with designs meant to evoke the mys-tic infl uence of Southwest Asia, including patterns from nature, sun and water. The collection was designed by Kate Korten for the Alaxi brand and is avail-able exclusively through Silver State Inc.

The “reOrder installation” at the Brooklyn Museum, featur-ing 2,440 yards of Sunbrella fab-ric, won the Best of Year Award for Large Exhibit/Installation. Designed and built by Situ Stu-dio of Brooklyn, N.Y., reOrder transformed the Great Hall of the Museum with 2,440 yards of Sunbrella Canvas Natural. The fabric was pleated and stretched over metal frames to create the illusion of growth and change among 16 columns in the Hall.

The installation opened in March and will close in Janu-ary 2012. Situ Studio and Glen Raven Custom Fabrics will announce plans to recycle the fabric used in the installation in January. HTT

WEST WARWICK, R.I. — Fur-ther building on its domestic manufacturing for area rugs, Natco Home Products — par-ent company of Central Orien-tal - is in the process of installing an eighth loom at its state-of-the-art facility in Sanford, Maine.

The new loom is a high speed CRP92 Carpet and Rug Pio-neer, face-to-face loom, which Natco said represents “the latest in weaving technology” from Belgium-based manufacturer Van DeWiele.

L o o m 8 i s p o i s e d t o strengthen Natco’s offerings in

better machine-made rugs and is able to produce rugs rang-ing from 500,000 points up to 1.3 million points per square meter.

“The factory was running three shifts seven days a week in weaving and having trouble keep-ing up with demand. The new loom will help us better serve our customers,” explained Michael Litner, Natco’s president.

Along with investments in weaving equipment, Natco said it also continues to add capacity in fi nishing and packaging. The factory recently added a third

fi nishing line and continues to invest in upgraded software.

“Most importantly, we are investing in people,” Litner added. “It is exciting to see a thriving U.S. manufacturing facility. Despite global competi-tion and a challenging economy, we continue to grow and add more U.S.-based manufactur-ing jobs. Demand for our U.S.-made rugs is at an all-time high, and we will continue to invest in great new colors and designs at incredible values, which will ultimately lead to further expan-sion of our US factory.” HTT

De Leo Textiles Launching First Outdoor Fabric Line

Natco Ramps Up USA-made With New Loom

Tangerine Tango’ is Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year

Glen Raven Earns Best of Year Award

from Interior Design Magazine

December 19, 2011

Regal Home, Jay Franco to Produce Isaac Mizrahi

Home TextilesPantone’s Tangerine Tango

htt111202_002 14 12/15/2011 3:28:39 PM

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16 Home Textiles Today > hometextilestoday.comNews

market development. Agencies involved include: FranklinTill from Great Britain, Global Color Research from the United States, Promostyl from France and ready-made Graeff+Schmelzer from Germany.

In addition, design specialists and representatives of the Heim-textil Trend Table will provide

insights into their work and per-spectives. Claudia Herke of de-sign agency bora.herke.palmisa-no will explain the Heimtextil Trends 2012/13 ‘Montage” three times a day.

For more information, visit www.texpertise-network.com.

Heimtextil will also present a program of speakers focused on the contract business and sustain-ability during the fi rst three days of the fair in the foyer of Halls

5.1/6.1.Opening day, Jan. 11, will be

devoted to sustainability in pro-duction and product develop-ment. Beginning at 1 p.m. and continuing through the after-noon, experts on eco-textiles will discuss market developments and trends.

Sustainability for hotels will be the theme on Jan. 12, beginning with a 10 a.m. session on hospi-tality. At 1 p.m., a series of lec-

tures and a panel discussion will look at innovative and sustainable hotel concepts.

Luxury in architecture and in-terior design will be the subject of the Jan. 13 program, which be-gins at 1 p.m.

In addition, the editors of the architectural magazine AIT will offer guided tours of new prod-ucts at the show on Jan. 12 and 13.

All lectures will be translated

simultaneously into English.For additional information,

visit www.heimtextil.messefrank-furt.com.

The January show is also hail-ing the return of a several Euro-pean companies that had been absent in recent years. They in-clude:• Byron & Byron (Great Britain)• Chivasso (The Netherlands)• Elitis (France)• Engelbert E. Stieger (Switzerland)• Fabrics Castello del Barro (Italy)• Hijos de Antonio Ferre (Spain)• Nelen & Delbeke (Belgium)• Nya Nordiska (Germany)• Penelope (Turkey)• SAHCO (Germany)• Sarar (Turkey)• Sonnhaus (Germany)• Ter Molst (Belgium)• Va m v a x / G u y L a r o c h e (Greece) • Yebane (Spain)• Vorwerk (Germany)

The premium section of the show will debut a segment called ‘new@more’ featuring ideas for the bathroom, bedroom and table contributed by younger compa-nies, including Peppa Grace and Robespierre Europe (both from Germany) as well as La Maison Blanc (Morocco ).

Also new, students from the Frankfurt School for Apparel and Fashion will create models dem-onstrating a wide range of appli-cations for various types of home textiles.The display will be shown in Hall 11.0.

The Heimtextil goes City ini-tiative, a collaboration of Messe Frankfurt and the Interior Deco-rators’ Guild (Raumausstatterin-nung), Frankfurt am Main, will present the latest products from the fair in the city centre on Sat-urday, Jan. 14. Approximately 30 specialty retailers, galleries and public institutes will show tex-tiles in several cultural and every-day settings.

In addition, Heimtextil has created a new service for inde-pendent specialty retailers and interior decorators. The Coupon Business Finder is a theme-spe-cific directory listing exhibitors at the upcoming 2012 show that offer home textiles in small and very small quantities.

Heimtextil will once again publish a Contract Guide listing exhibitors that cater to that seg-ment of the market as well as a Green Directory of companies that meet ecological and sustain-ability requirements. HTT

HeimtextilPREVIEW FROM PAGE 2

December 19, 2011

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Untitled-3 1 11/30/2011 2:12:08 PM


PEOPLETodaY

DALTON, GA. — Area rug house Kaleen has named Grey Christie its new regional vp for the north region, a promotion from his prior post as national accounts manager.

Still based here out of the company’s U.S. headquarters, Christie reports to Joe Barkley, evp.

Since 2009, Christie has served as the national accounts manager at Kaleen, which is owned and operated by the Rathi family and is celebrating its 15th year in business in the U.S.

Prior to that stint, Christie was territory manager in the mid-

south region. And earlier in his career, he worked in sales posi-tions within the industry on the West Coast and in the New Eng-land region.

Christie is closing in on 20 years of career experience in the rug industry.

“Grey’s attitude and work ethic are contagious,” said Bar-kley. “He has gained respect in the industry for being extremely knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of sales, this experi-ence will provide great opportu-nities for Kaleen to continue the positive growth experienced over the past decade.”HTT

Kaleen Promotes Grey ChristieMINNEAPOLIS — Target Corpo-

ration named Casey Carl presi-dent of multichannel and senior vp of merchandising, a new posi-tion. He had previously served as senior vp, hardlines and was a leader on the retailer’s multi-channel team.

In addition to overseeing Tar-get’s digital platforms including mobile, social and Target.com, he will continue to steer the enter-tainment, toys, sporting goods and electronics businesses.

Carl joined Target in 1997 and has held a variety of mer-

chandising positions.“We are fi rmly committed to

implementing a multichannel strategy that enables our guests to engage with Target anywhere, anytime,” said Kathee Tesija, executive vp, merchandising. HTT

Target Creates New Exec Role

December 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Industry veteran Luana Davis has joined Morgan Fabrics as vice president of sales and merchandising.

Previously, Davis was vice president of merchandising and product development at furni-ture manufacturers Natuzzi, Bauhaus, LeatherTrend and most recently Lacquer Craft. She joined Lacquer Craft after closing her own company of

fi ve years, Luana Living, based in China.

“I’m thrilled to join such a highly successful company known for its trend-setting fab-ric constructions and designs,” Davis said. “I believe my exten-sive background in furniture design and manufacturing, along with my organizational abilities, will help strengthen the overall company operation.” HTT

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Fred Meijer, a pioneer of supercenter retailing, died here late last month. He was 91.

Meijer was born Dec. 7, 1919, into a retailing family. His father, Hendrik, was a Dutch immigrant barber who opened a grocery store in 1934 in Greenville, Mich.

Meijer worked in the store from the start, helping his father build the small neighborhood store into a chain of supermarkets. In 1946, he married Lena Rader, a cashier in the original store.

In 1962, under his leadership, he opened the Meijer chain’s fi rst “Thrifty Acres” store, a huge one-stop shopping discount empo-rium, in Grand Rapids.

“As the company grew he was always an advocate of promoting people from within, an outspo-ken champion of civil rights, and a zealot for low prices,” the com-pany said. “Fred - and he was, to his employees, simply ‘Fred’ - was known for his competitive spirit and a keen sense of his own humble origins.”

In industry affairs, he was said to be one of the longest serving directors of the Food Market-ing Institute (formerly the Super Market Institute), and winner of its Sidney Raab award for out-standing service.

In Grand Rapids, Meijer played a key role in the early years of the local Urban League and Goodwill Industries, and is credited with helping lead down-town urban renewal efforts. In 1984 he worked with a group of civic leaders and friends of Presi-

dent Ford to build the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on the west bank of the Grand River. In those years he also served on the Cleveland District Board of the Federal Reserve.

More recently, he was an active member of the Improve-ment Association.

Meijer’s most signifi cant civic contribution lay with the cre-ation in 1994 of the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, “a blend of his passion for sculpture and Lena’s for garden-

ing,” the company added.Meijer remained committed

to the retail business and con-tinued to attend meetings at the company’s offi ces and served as chairman emeritus of the com-pany until his death.

Meijer is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lena, their three sons, Hank Meijer, Doug Mei-jer and Mark Meijer, and seven grandchildren. Memorial contri-butions may be made to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in memory of Meijer. HTT

NEW YORK — The HFPA Young Professionals group will host an event during the March New York Home Fashions Market fea-turing a panel of industry veter-ans and specialists who will share their insight on crafting a suc-cessful career in the home tex-

tiles business.The date and roster will be

announced in a few weeks, but the YoPros are also encouraging younger members of the industry to learn more about the group and its activities by contacting [email protected].

“The YoPro goal is to educate those interested in the industry, bring new people into the indus-try, educate those already in the industry and retain people in the industry,” said Louis “Tripp” Hor-nick III, coo of Louis Hornick & Company. HTT

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — Nouri-son has added Denise Waters to its sales team, assigning her to the post of account executive for the East Texas and Louisi-ana territory.

Waters comes to Nourison after most recently working as an independent sales representa-tive in the industry. Earlier, she held sales positions at Masland Carpet.

In her new post, she is respon-sible for managing and develop-ing business within here terri-tory. She will promote Nourison’s extensive rug line that includes more than 60 active collections as well as the company’s broad-loom and runner lines. Addition-ally, she is charged with handling the newer but growing Nour-tex brand, which includes more moderately priced decorative

broadloom and runners as well as the Mina Victory line of dec-orative accessories.

“We are very pleased to land such a well-respected, proven sales professional as the newest member of our team,” said Gerard O’Keefe, vp of sales. “Denise is a talented individual with a great track record in the industry. We are confi dent she will excel in her new position.” HTT

Retail Pioneer Fred Meijer Passes

Luana Davis joins Morgan Fabrics as

vice president

Nourison taps Waters to Cover sales in East Texas, Lousiana

HFPA Young Professionals Plan Market Event

htt111202_018 18 12/15/2011 12:25:04 PM

Pa k i s t a n Ad v a n t a g e

A Special Advertising Section

TheThe

PAKISTANPAKISTANAdvantageAdvantage

TheThe

PAKISTANPAKISTANAdvantageAdvantage

A Special Advertising Section

Untitled-1 1Untitled-1 1 12/15/11 6:47 PM12/15/11 6:47 PM


20

Gul Ahmed

Nauman Ahmed, General Manager Marketing

Mazhar Moosani, Manager Marketing

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities today?Established in 1953, Gul Ahmed is a completely vertical textile mill with state-of-the-art spinning, weaving, yarn dyeing, piece dyeing, printing, stitching, embroi-dery and quilting facilities. The product range includes sheets, comforters, multi-needle quilts and duvets, decorative pillows, window hangings, table and kitchen linens, and more. We also have the capability to make foam-back/black-out cur-tains and linings, as well as acrylic coating and fl ocking.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?We have been exporting to the U.S. for more than a decade now. With our ex-pertise in shipping at reduced lead times, we are basically working on a direct-from-Pakistan export model. Apart from shipping to the distribution centers, we also ship direct to stores, which saves retailers valuable lead time and invento-ry handling costs.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retailers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?Pakistan remains the most competitive source for good-quality home textiles for lower to medium range counts. Pakistan’s cost advantage continues to grow stron-ger as labor costs in competing countries, mainly China and India, continue to rise.

Pakistan also offers the highest delivery security rate when compared to neigh-boring countries, as well as in-depth expertise in the textile business, which is re-fl ected in the superior printing technique, fi nishing and workmanship in stitching.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?There are a number of exciting developments underway for Heimtex 2012 and New York Home Fashions Market Week in March 2012. Leading the pack is a wide range of fl at-bed/panel printed designs, a capability which Gul Ahmed re-cently acquired via one of the most technologically advanced panel-printing ma-chines on the market. Other developments include yarn-dyed bedding; an array of prints refl ecting trends in home fashion, decorative bedding and embellished cushions; and new fabrications for bedding and window treatments.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?We see the year ahead as a very challenging one which will put our abilities to test at the highest level. We believe that innovation and creativity will be the key factors driving future business, and Gul Ahmed is fully prepared to meet these challenges. Greater cost-effi ciency, product diversity, leadership through cutting-edge technology and a high degree of sustainability and social responsibility is how Gul Ahmed plans to stay ahead of competition. And this is just the beginning.


GulAhmed.indd 1 12/14/2011 10:17:14 AM


22

Lucky Textile MillsAli MerchantDirector Marketing

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities todayLucky Textile Mills was established in 1983. Weaving production at the mill is supported by yarn production units at Lucky’s sister companies Fazal Textile and Gadoon Textile. Today the mill produces greige and fi nished fabrics, kitchen and bedding textiles, window treatments, shower curtains, apparel and garments, and a hospitality product range with a goal of manufacturing products that are both trendy and classic.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?We began exporting to the U.S. in the early 1990s and conduct business with our strategic partners, selling products directly to retailers and distributors, as well as importers in the U.S. Over the years, we have established strong relations and been exporting goods to a growing list of U.S. customers in all business segments.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retailers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?The Pakistan textile sector enjoys a pivotal position in the exports of Pakistan. In Asia, Pakistan is the eighth largest exporter of textile products. The industry pro-vides employment to about 15 million people, which is about 30 percent of the country’s work force. The manufacturing sector here has been given the highest priority with a stress on agro-based industries. For Pakistan, which is one of the leading producers of cotton in the world, the development of a textile industry that makes full use of its abundant resources is a priority area.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?We will be introducing new panel prints featuring engineered printing, LED engrav-ing technology that provides high defi nition printing, seer sucker fabrics and em-bellished products.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?Sales are slow worldwide due to the global economic scenario but we feel an ad-vantage over competition due to our ample supply of cotton and cost effective-ness. We have fi nancial strength with 100 percent equity and no bank debts and we see this as our biggest strength when compared to our competition. This is especially important as the cost of production is rising with energy costs and la-bor. We have improved productivity levels, shifted to differentiated products and minimized waste at all stages of the supply chain.


1888 Mills.indd 1 12/15/2011 2:37:50 PM


24

Crestex (Crescent Textiles)Rehana MalikConsultant, Concept & Design

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities today?Crescent Textiles was established in 1950 and sees annual revenue in excess of $127 million (U.S.). The company, which is listed on the Pakistan stock ex-change, is vertically integrated with everything from spinning to the packaging of goods happening under one roof. The product range covers yarn, greige, piece goods, fi nished bedding, curtains, hotel linens, table and kitchen linens, hospi-tal gowns and decorative cushions. Crestex also has in-house product develop-ment and concept and design departments that continuously work with custom-ers for new developments.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?

Crestex began selling to the North American market more than 30 years ago. Since that time we have enjoyed de-cades of business relationships with many of our custom-ers. Major business is routed via agents and the locally established offi ces of big customers.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retailers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?Pakistan offers a combination of favorable factors at the moment. It has reasonably high cotton production com-pared to domestic usage, competitive prices, skilled work-manship, vertical production set-ups and the latest tex-tile machinery installations. The key focus is on exports and it has a comparatively low labor cost, so it can offer competitive, long-term business associations.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?For Heimtex, we have new base fabrics and techniques to offer. We have added a niche market product as part of a social uplift program that aims to establish less privileged communities by presenting their centuries-old craftsmanship in modern products. Each piece in this new line of handmade, embroidered cush-ions conveys the individuality of the person who crafted it.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?Despite the fl oods and energy issues, Pakistan has good prospects. Our raw material prices, especially for cotton, are quite competitive and the crop size is good. As such, our vertical set up is geared up for doing high volume business. Our product development team and skilled work force will enable us to handle the upcoming market requirements.


Crestex_AD.indd 1 12/12/2011 11:52:53 AM

Pa k i s t a n Ad v a n t a g eNishat Chunian LimitedShahzad SaleemChief Executive

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capa-bilities today?Currently the fourth largest textile company in sales in Pakistan, Nishat Chunian Lim-ited was set up in 1991 as a single spinning unit. Over the last 20 years, the com-pany has expanded into weaving, as well as dyeing and printing. We have a spinning capacity of 150,000 spindles, weaving capacity of 293 air jet looms, and a state-of-the-art dyeing, printing and sewing unit with a capacity to dye/print and sew ap-proximately four million yards of fabric per month.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?We have been exporting to the U.S. for more than a decade. We have had a good experience with shipping directly from Pakistan and have been consistently supply-ing yarns, greige fabric and home textile products with no supply disruptions from Pakistan during this tenure.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retail-ers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?Pakistan has always seen textiles as a key business and has made massive invest-ments in this sector to achieve state-of-the-art production capabilities and econo-

mies of scale. In addition, the labor rates in Pakistan remain more advanta-geous when compared to any other country in the region. Pakistani suppliers also have perfected expertise in this fi eld and the quality of the products meets the expectations of clients throughout the world.

4. What are some of the new products you will be show-ing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?Being a vertically integrated company helps us to engineer products that offer something special at every stage of their manufacturing. We have been exper-imenting with and giving customers a lot over the years in the way of special fi bers, weaving techniques, fi nishes and sewing ideas. Many of these devel-opments have been for the U.S. market including X-Static, Thermolite, Cool-max, Tencel and Pearl.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?The textile business has become a very unpredictable one over the last couple years. Rapidly fl uctuating cotton prices have been a dilemma for us all but we have witnessed some stability in the last quarter in the prices of raw materials, which is a good sign.

We foresee more stability in the coming months when compared to the last cou-ple of years. This will help us to price our products more competitively and further increase our business. Our company is very well capitalized and in a very good po-sition to face the volatility of the textile business.

Nishat Chunian Limited

26


Nishat Chunian Ltd.31-Q, Gulberg-II, Lahore 54660, PakistanTel: +92-42-3576 1730 • Fax: +92-42-3587 8696Email: [email protected] • Website: www.nishat.net

Bedding

Curtains

Linen

Decoratives

Heimtextil 2012January 11-14Hall 10.2, Walkway C,Stand 21,Messe Frankfurt

NY Home Fashion’s Market March 5-8Suite # 639, 7 West,34th Street, 5th Avenue,New York


28

TexlynxImran LateefFounder and Chief Executive Officer

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities today?Texlynx came into existence in 1997. We are a sourcing company dealing in yarn, fabric, fi nished home textiles products, hospitality linens and terry products. The company is currently one of the largest buying houses in Pakistan with more than $50 million in sales.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?As we cater to large U.S.-based brands, Texlynx began exporting to the U.S. the same year of our inauguration. We were introduced to the U.S. market while I was working with reputed mills like Kohinoor and Nishat Mills in Pakistan. Later on, af-ter the incorporation of Texlynx, we established a U.S. offi ce.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retailers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?Over the decades, Pakistan has expanded production capacities beyond their own local needs making it highly viable for us to export. This provides further advan-tage as other Asian countries are massively populated and have production ca-pacities that are almost at par with their local needs.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?Our company is a sourcing company, rather than a manufacturing facility, so for Heimtex 2012 it will be our vendors who will display their product lines and the innovations they have made for the international market.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?Texlynx has always placed emphasis on strong merchandising and quality sys-tems and, presently, our company has invested in the development of our QC team and systems. This enhancement will ensure both product development and production and achieve perfect results on the fi rst go. With less repetition of the same development, production becomes cost effective giving the vendor the ad-vantage to quote competitively.


Head Offi ce – Pakistan: 1485/C-A Sarwar Road, Lahore Cantt Tel: +92 42 36688770 Email: [email protected]

U.S. Offi ce: 2190 Sun Valley Dr, S.E. Marietta, GA 30067Tel: 404-645-4098 Email: [email protected]

Visit us at Refl exion 3 10.3 during Heimtex

The Leader in Global SourcingTexlynx is a reliable and commitment-driven Global Textile Sourcing company with offi ces in Pakistan, India, China, Bangladesh and the Middle East.

Texlynx provides product development, quality control, design and trend services and delivery commitments.

Texlynx manages your order from product concept through delivery for:~ Yarns~ Greige Goods~ Finished Fabrics~ Home Furnishings

Visit us at www.Texlynx.com

www.texlynx.com

Imran Lateef started Texlynx in January of 1998. Imran brings over 20 years of experience in the Textile Industry.


30

Towellers LimitedMehreen ObaidManaging Director

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities today?My father Shaikh Mohammad Obaid started the company in 1973 manufacturing towels. With time the company grew and diversifi ed its manufacturing base to pro-duce industrial garments, knitted apparel, blankets, socks, table and bed linens. Towellers Village is a self suffi cient vertical mill which houses the weaving, dyeing, printing, quilting and cut-and-sew facilities along with its in- house design studio.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?The company was set up to cater specially to the North American market since its inception. Our sales force is constantly travelling from Pakistan to the U.S. and at any given time a member of the team is present there. In order to facilitate our cus-tomers due to the travel advisory in place for Pakistan, we opened our showroom in midtown Manhattan in New York City.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retail-ers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?

Pakistan is the world’s fourth largest cotton growing country and having a constant supply of raw materials is an asset. Pakistan’s abili-ty to produce yarn and fabric within the country gives it a great advantage over other countries as we have more secure input sourcing. Cotton growing, ginning and spinning within the country allow manufacturers more immediate access to raw materials and in turn reduces lead times for manufacturing.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?We invite retailers, importers and brands of the world to our stand at Heimtex 2012 where we will unveil our new towel and blanket collection. Our developments have been focused around the following key words; Sustainability, absorbent fi bers, high performance and fashion coupled with affordability.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?Pakistan offers an inexpensive workforce, ample supply of cotton and a relative-

ly lower standard of living when compared to neighboring countries. Towellers Lim-ited has the infrastructure and the educated workforce to manufacture towels that are at par with any European mill at much lower costs. Today with a global leader-ship position in home textiles, Towellers is the preferred manufacturer for the insti-tutional and retail markets.


TowellersLimitedTowellersLimitedFor Four Decades,

The Best from Pakistan Only Towellers brings 38 years

of experience to the marketplace

Only Towellers has a legacy of 3 generations of dependability and reliability

Only Towellers has the design, manufacturing and delivery expertise your business demands

Only Towellers brings you the products you want at the price you need

hree generations of Towellers have been creating, producing and selling

the fi nest world-class towels for the global institutional and retail markets. Let us show you what we can do for your company.

T

Towellers USA: 28 West 27th Street, Suite 401 / New York, NY 10001Tel: 201-247-1328 • 646-559-5933 • 646-559-8229

www.towellers.com

Manufacturing Quality Textiles Since 1973

Visit us at Heimtextil 2012: Hall 10.1, Stand A-63

you what we can do for your company.

Towellers USA:Tel:

Visit us atVi it t

HTT_Towellers spec.indd 1HTT_Towellers spec.indd 1 12/13/11 9:32:18 AM12/13/11 9:32:18 AM


32

Yunus Textile Mills, Ltd.Nisar Palla Chief Executive Officer

1. When did your company get its start and what are its capabilities today?The foundation of Yunus Textile Mills Limited was laid in 1998 under the fl agship of Yunus Brothers Group. The company is now a leading player in each of the product segments in which we operate with a 10 percent share of total exports of home tex-tiles from Pakistan.

YTML provides end-to-end services in market intelligence, product concept, design, production and supply chain management categories supported by global subsidiar-ies in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, and Spain.

2. When did you begin exporting to the U.S. and how do you carry out that part of your business?From the inception, YTML was making shipments to the U.S. In 2006, however, YTML acquired Royal Linens Inc. as its U.S. subsidiary providing warehousing, product de-velopment and replenishment. The company supports sales to U.S.-based custom-ers both on a direct basis and through the Royal warehouse. Production is facilitated through sales and market planners interfacing with our Karachi manufacturing facilities.

3. What are the advantages for American importers and retail-ers to deal directly with home textiles suppliers in Pakistan?Pakistan is the world’s fourth largest producer of cotton at just over 10 percent of world production versus a 3 percent share of the global textile trade. The gap between the production and the trade share represents ample opportunity to support addition-al customer needs and to capture further market share.

As the cost of production in China increases there is continued migration of low- to mid-value added products to Pakistan and, because textiles represent 60 percent of Pakistan’s annual exports, the country and the industry have developed effi cient sys-tems to handle the growing volume.

Another advantage has been the elimination of quota restrictions coupled with the currency devaluation of the Pakistan Rupee. This allows Pakistani manufacturers to extend strong value benefi ts to their customers.

4. What are some of the new products you will be showing at Heimtextil 2012 and introducing to the American market?The theme for this year’s product line, which will be more fashion forward, is “Aspi-rational Living.” This collection, which will be displayed at Heimtextil 2012, consists largely of fl oral designs and will feature natural fi bers and recycled materials devel-oped into fabrics, which are more environmentally friendly.

5. How do you feel about business conditions for the year ahead and how is your company positioned to best deal with those conditions and help your customers?The substantial fall in cotton prices and the increased cotton production has encour-aged buyers to move away from polyester-based products and embrace the develop-ment of cotton and cotton rich products for the upcoming seasons. YTML is very strong in both cotton and cotton-blend product classifi cations. We see the decrease in raw material cost providing opportunities for retailers to increase their margins and up-grade their assortments. Also, there are opportunities available to us for product di-versifi cation with existing customers.


Aspirat ional Living

H23/1 Landh i I ndus t r i a l Area , Karach i , Pak i s t an 71500

www.yunus tex t i l e . com

He imtex i l Show: J aunuar y 11 -14th 2012 , F rank fur t , Germany, Ha l l e 10 .2 • S t and A-61

Royale Linens.indd 1 12/14/2011 4:59:42 PM


BUSINESSTodaY

NEW YORK — Same-store sales rose 2.9% in the second week of December following a 3.2% gain the prior week, according to The John-son Redbook Retail Sales Index.

Month-to-date, December was up 3.1% com-pared to December of last year, relative to a tar-get of a 3.6% gain. Month-over-month showed a 2.8% drop compared to November, relative to a target of a 2.3% drop.

Retailers said they had entered the expect-ed “soft middle” of the holi-day season, said Catlin Levis, as the slower sales and dimin-ished customer traffi c seen in the first week of December carried through most of the second week.

“Onl ine shopping re -mained at a strong pace and the increasing popularity of gift cards have made it easier

for people to delay holiday shopping, shifting sales to the period after the holiday season,” she added.

The majority of gift cards are purchased dur-ing the week before Christmas — a trend that continues. But gift card sales aren’t recorded as sales revenue until the cards are redemmed.

“Holiday shopping should be helped by one more day before Christmas compared to last year,” Levis said. HTT

Same-store sales

Comps Sluggish in December’s 2nd Week

Johnson Redbook IndexSecond week of December, year-over-year % change

WEEK ENDED 12/03 12/10 12/17 12/31 MONTH TARGET

Department stores* 2.7 2.2 2.5 3.1Discounters 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.9Redbook Index 3.2 2.9 3.0 3.6*Including chain stores and traditional department storesSource: Johnson Redbook Index

December 19, 2011

GOODLETTSVILLE, TENN. — Al-though discretionary catego-ries have lagged lately at Dol-lar General, the discount chain found a sweet spot in fashion towels and bedding during its third quarter.

Rick Dreiling, chairman and ceo, said during Dollar General’s earnings call earlier this month that in the home department, bedding and bath towels per-formed well — especially fash-ion-color towels — thanks to a recently implemented strategy.

“Part of our strategy is that we need to turn our non-consum-ables more frequently,” he said. “Our customer comes in once a week or once every two weeks, and she needs to see something different [in our stores]. And so [new fashion home products] are starting to turn a little faster.”

New collections of bath tow-els represent an example of a faster-turning category recent-ly, he explained, as “we’re fash-ion relevant there in terms of color.”

The new beer and wine selec-tion that recently began rolling out to stores represents another discretionary category starting to make strides. To date, about 40% of Dollar General 9,813 stores offer beer and wine, “and when beer and wine are in the basket, those stores have about a 1% higher comp.”

For the most part, Dollar General’s core customers re-main focused on necessities, as third quarter results showed.

“Non-consumables that are less discretionary are doing much better,” Dreiling said, cit-ing that socks, underwear, and plain pocket Tees are better off in sales than jeans.

“I would not attribute this to the warmer weather,” he added. “It is an example of a discretion-ary purchase our customer can hold back on. More fashion-able things in apparel won’t get better until we see a change in macro-economics out there.”

Dollar General said its con-sumables sales continued to in-

crease at a higher rate than non-consumables in the quarter.

For the third quarter ended October 28, net income jumped 34% to $171 million, or 50 cents per share.

Sales climbed 11.5% to $3.6 billion, and same-store sales in-creased 6.3%, representing Dol-lar General’s third consecutive quarter of accelerating same-store sales growth “demonstrat-ing our ability to balance the challenges of pricing and rising input costs,” Dreiling said.

Contributing to the comp increase were gains in customer traffi c and average transaction.

Year to date, the company reported a 17% net income in-crease to $474 million, or EPS of $1.37. Sales rose 11.2% to $10.62 billion, including an increase in same-store sales of 5.9%.

Based on its third-quarter re-sults, Dollar General is raising its full year adjusted earnings per share guidance to the range of $2.29 to $2.32. HTT

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Big Lots net income fell 76.3% during the third quarter, coming in at $4.2 million, or 6 cents per share — but results were consistent with the company’s guidance.

For the quarter ended Oct. 29, Big Lots reported a loss from continuing operations of $7.1 million, or 11 cents per share related to the Canadian opera-tion it acquired from Liquida-tion World Inc. this past July 18. Excluding the impact of the new Canadian operations, income from continuing operations was $11.4 million, or 17 cents per

share.U.S. sales rose 5.8% to $1.11

billion, and comps for U.S. stores open at least two years in-creased 1.7%.

The Canadian operation, now called Big Lots Canada, reported sales of $21.5 million and an op-erating loss of $6.9 million.

Year to date, consolidated net income fell 18% to $92.3 mil-lion, or $1.30 per share. U.S. sales for the 39 weeks were up 2% to $3.5 billion. Sales at Big Lots Canada came in at $25.5 million, with an operating loss of $7.3 million. HTT

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation reported that November retail industry sales - excluding automobiles, gas sta-tions, and restaurants - rose 4.5% over last year.

Compared to October, retail sales rose 0.09%.

NRF estimates this year brought a new Black Friday sales record, with 226 million shoppers spending $52 billion in stores and online from Thanksgiving Day through the following Sunday.

“Though consumers remain concerned about the econo-my, they are demonstrating an increased willingness to spend this holiday season, not only on gifts but also on small luxuries for themselves,” noted Matthew Shay, NRF president and ceo.

But he warned that while companies “are encouraged by a

strong start to the holiday season, the real test will come in Decem-ber when the majority of holiday spending occurs. Retailers have been working all year to make sure that the last two weeks be-fore Christmas deliver the pro-motions and value that today’s shoppers expect.”

November retail sales released last week by the U.S. Commerce Department show total retail sales - which include non-gener-al merchandise categories such as autos, gasoline stations and restaurants - increased by 0.2% from October and 6.8% unad-justed year-over-year.

NRF said it continues to fore-cast holiday sales growth of 2.8%, as announced in early October. But in light of a stronger-than-ex-pected November and previous months’ sales, NRF plans to re-evaluate its forecast.

“Moderate retail sales in-creases every month have sig-nifi cantly contributed to Amer-ica’s economic recovery and, while growth is slow, retailers re-alize that moderate, sustainable gains will put their business and consumers in the best long-term position,” said Jack Kleinhenz, NRF chief economist. HTT

Basics Buoy Third Quarter at Dollar General

November Retail Sales Rise 4.5%

Big Lots Earnings Take a Dive in 3Q

“Moderate retail sales increases every month

have signifi cantly contributed to

America’s economic recovery.”

—JACK KLEINHENZ, NRF

htt111202_034 34 12/15/2011 12:29:33 PM

For exhibition space, please contact:Joe Carena, Show Manager, [email protected] (203) 329-9553

Warren Shoulberg, Publisher, Home Textiles [email protected] (646) 805-0226

March 4-8,2012Spring NY Home Fashions Market WeekMajor Showroom Buildings Throughout Market

Exhibitor Space Now Open! Reserve Your Space Today!

HTT_GHS12 tab.indd 2HTT_GHS12 tab.indd 2 12/7/11 10:22:53 AM12/7/11 10:22:53 AM

36 Home Textiles Today December 19, 2011

January 20129 – 10Dallas Fabric ShowDallas Market Hall, Dallas(214) 655-6100www.dallasmarketcenter.com

11 – 14HeimtextilFrankfurt Fair & Exhibition CenterFrankfurt am Main, Germany (770) 984-8016heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

11 – 18Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings MarketAmericasMart, Atlanta(404) 220-3000www.americasmart.com

12 – 15The Atlanta International Area Rug MarketAmericasMart, Atlanta(404) 220-3000www.americasmart.com

14 – 17The Canadian Home Furnishings Market (TCHFM)The International CentreMississauga, Ontario(514) 866-3631 www.tchfm.com

14 – 17Domotex HannoverHannover Fairgrounds, Hannover, Germany (609) 987-1202www.domotex.de

15 – 18National Retail Federation Convention & EXPOJacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York(202) 626-8162www.nrf.com

16 – 18Texworld USA Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York(770) 984-8016www.texworldusa.com

16 – 22imm cologneThe Exhibition CenterCologne, Germany (773) 326-9920 or +49-221-821-0www.imm-cologne.com

17 – 23CMC Gift & Home Market California Market CenterLos Angeleswww.californiamarketcenter.com

18 – 24Dallas Holiday & Home ExpoDallas Market Center, Dallas(214) 655-6100www.dallasmarketcenter.com

18 – 24 Dallas Total Home & Gift Mar-ketDallas Market Center, Dallas(214) 655-6100www.dallasmarketcenter.com

20 – 23F!NDS Dallas Temp ShowWorld Trade Center, Market Hall, Dallas(214) 655-6100www.dallasmarketcenter.com

20 – 24Maison & ObjetParc des Expositions, Paris-Nord Villepinte, Paris(888) 522-5001www.maison-objet.com

22 – 25Interiors BirminghamThe National Exhibition Centre

(NEC), Birmingham, UK+44 (0) 20 7921 8408www.interiorsbirmingham.com

24 – 26SurfacesMandalay Bay Convention CenterLas Vegas(866) 860-1975www.surfaces.com

27 – February 2 New York Home Textiles Market Week At 7 W New York (Jan. 27 to Feb. 2)At the New York International Gift Fair at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center & Pier 94, (Jan. 28 to Feb. 2) At 230 Fifth Avenue (Jan. 28 to Feb. 2)(914) 421-3200www.nyhometextilesmarketweek.com

28 – February 2New York International Gift FairJacob K. Javits Convention Center, Passenger Ship Terminal Piers, New York(800) 272-7469www.nyigf.com

29 – February 1IntirioFlanders Expo, Gent, Belgium

+32 9-243-84-50www.intirio.be

29 – February 2CGTA Gift ShowToronto International Centre; Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto(416) 679-0170www.cgta.org/Assoc/Home.aspx

30 – February 3Las Vegas MarketWorld Market Center, Las Vegas(702) 599-9621lasvegasmarket.com

February 20125 – 9Spring FairThe National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, UK(609) 921-0222www.springfair.com

10 – 14AmbienteFrankfurt Fair & Exhibition Center, Frankfurt am Main, Germany(770) 984-8016www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt

13 – 16 TexworldParis Le Bourget Exhibition Centre, Paris+33-155-268-989www.texworld.messefrankfurt.com

14 – 16 ExpofilParc des Expositions, Paris-Nord Villepinte, France+33 (0)4 72 60 65 55www.expofil.com

29 – March 3Intertextil Shanghai Home – Spring EditionShanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China+852 2238 9983www.messefrankfurt.com/hk

March 20124Home Textiles Today’s New York Winter Market Kickoff Party(646) 805-0226www.hometextilestoday.com

5 – 8New York Home Fashions MarketHome Fashion Products Association(212) 297-2122 (Kellen Co.)www.homefashionproducts.com

14 – 16Interstoff Asia Essential—SpringHong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong KongMesse Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. (852) 2238-9917www.interstoff.messefrankfurt.com

17 – 19Atlanta Spring Gift , Home Furnishings and Holiday Mar-ketAmericasMart, Atlanta(404) 220-3000www.americasmart.com

22 – 25Dallas Total Home & Gift MarketDallas Market Center, Dallas(800) 325-6587www.dallasmarketcenter.com

25 –28ASD Las VegasLas Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas (310) 481-7300www.asdamd.com

27 – 29Domotex asia/CHINAFLOORShanghai New International Conven-tion Center, Shanghai, China+86-21-6247-7668www.domotexasiachinafloor.com

April 20123 – 5 LineapelleFair District, Bologna, Italy+39-02-880-7711www.lineapelle-fair.it

Calendar

htt111202__036_038_039 36 12/15/2011 3:16:27 PM

More companies choose Home Textiles Today

for their marketing & advertising than all other

industry publications put together.

Get Into Bed With

www.HomeTextilesToday.com

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38 Home Textiles Today News

360 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010Tel: (646) 805-0227; Fax: (646) 365-2307

www.hometextilestoday.com www.facebook.com/httmag

THE WEEKLY BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY®360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010

Telephone: (646) 805-0227 Fax: (646) 365-2307 USPS 497-490

HOME TEXTILES TODAY (USPS 497-490) (ISSN 0195-3184) is published 29 times a year except for the weeks of 1/3, 2/14, 2/28, 3/20, 4/11, 4/25, 5/2, 5/16/,5/30, 6/13, 6/27, 7/4, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/5, 9/26, 10/17, 10/31, 11/14, 11/28, 12/12, 12/26 by Furniture/Today Media Group, 360 Park Avenue South, 17th fl., New York, NY, 10010 a subsidiary of Sandow Media LLC, 3731 NW 8th Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. HOME TEXTILES TODAY copyright ©2011 by Sandow Media LLC. Annual subscription rates: U.S. and Canada $169.97; 1 year, other countries $325.99 for surface mail and $525.00 for airmail. All payments must be made in U.S. currency. Subscription inquiries: HOME TEXTILES TODAY, PO Box 5879, Harlan, IA 51593-1379. Phone: (866) 456-0405. HOME TEXTILES TODAY and THE BUSINESS AND FASHION NEWSPAPER OF THE HOME TEXTILES INDUSTRY are registered trademarks of Sandow Media LLC, used under license. Sandow Media LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever. (Posted under Canadian International Publication Agreement No.40624074. Sandow Media/CDS (Mint Hill)

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HOME TEXTILES TODAY, P.O. Box 5879, Harlan, IA, 51593-1379 Email: [email protected]. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: RCS International; APC; PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Rich Hill, ON L4B 4R6

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.A. (866) 456-0405All other countries: (515) 247-2984

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FAX SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-866-310-7181

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Marks10 Ocean Blvd #8B

Atlantic Highlands, N.J. 07716(732) 204-2012 | [email protected]

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTORWarren Shoulberg

(646) 805-0226 | [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Cecile B. Corral428 Bianca Ave. Coral Gables, FL 33146


MANAGING EDITOR Julie Murphy(646) 805-0224 | [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC ARTIST Desiree Nunez(646) 805-0233 | [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH Dana French(336) 605-1091 | [email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, ACCOUNT MANAGER CHINA Jeff Reeves (336) 605-1009 | [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGER NORTHEAST/MIDWEST/WEST COAST/CANADA

Mary McLoughlin(646) 805-0227 | [email protected]

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MANAGER, EUROPE Mirek KraczkowskiTel: 48 22 401 70 01; Fax: 48 22 401 70 16 | [email protected]

MANAGER, INDIA Kaushal ShahCell: 91-9821715431; Tel: 91-22-6663 4597 / 24988658

Fax: 91-22-66634596 | [email protected]

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PRODUCTION MANAGER Rich LambTel: (336) 605-1074; Fax: (336) 605-1143 | rlamb@ sandowmedia.com

DIRECTOR, WEB OPERATIONS Chris Schultz | (336) 605-1076 | [email protected]

MANAGER, CLIENT SERVICES, WEB ADVERTISING Dan Sage | (336) 605-1080 | [email protected]

E-MEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Missy Axe | (336) 605-1005 | [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE MARKETING Allison Ternes(704) 573-9007 | [email protected]

PRESIDENT, FURNITURE TODAY GROUP Kevin Castellani


FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carole Sloan1979-2011

SANDOW MEDIA

PRESIDENT AND CEO Adam I. Sandow

CFO/COO Christopher Fabian

VP CREATIVE AND EDITORIAL Yolanda E. Yoh

EVP, GROUP PUBLISHER James N. Dimonekas

December 19, 2011

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Crediting im-provements in traffi c and average tick-et as well as strength in all merchandise categories, Pier 1 Imports logged posi-tive growth during the third quarter.

Net income for the third quarter ended Nov. 26 rose 9.5% to $23.0 mil-lion, or 21 cents per share. Sales were up 8.2% to $382.7 million, and compa-rable store sales increased 7.0%.

Year-to-date results were led by a 25% increase in net income to $53.7 million, or 47 cents per share. Sales for the fi rst

nine months climbed 9.0% to $1.057 billion, and comps were up 9.2%.

“December sales so far are strong and we expect this trend to continue for the fi nal ten days leading up to Christmas,” said Alex Smith, president and ceo.

He added that operating margins and sales per retail square foot “continue to grow.”

Pier 1’s recently launched “Pier 1 To-Go” program, which allows customers to order online and pick-up and pay in-store, “is positively impacting top line

sales,” Smith said.On Cyber Monday alone, Pier1-To-

Go contributed 2% of sales for the day — “a good result,” he said. To date, the program has drawn nearly 20% more unique visitors to the company’s site than at this time last, with 1.2 million unique visitors each week since Thanks-giving weekend - a record.

Next summer, Pier 1 will launch its Pier 1 To-You ecommerce site, which is expected “to add signifi cantly to sales and our bottom line,” said Smith. HTT

Pier 1 Reports Solid Quarter

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation today raised its forecast for holiday spending and now expects year-over-year sales to rise 3.8% to $469.1 billion.

NRF’s initial forecast, announced Oct. 6, anticipated sales growth of 2.8%. While a 3.8% sales increase is above the 10-year average sales increase of 2.6%, it is still lower than the 5.2% increase the retail industry saw last year.

“After strong sales reports in Octo-

ber and November, along with a suc-cessful Black Friday weekend, retailers are cautiously optimistic that this sea-son will turn out better than initially ex-pected, bringing added stability to our recovering economy at a time when America needs it most,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and ceo. “Howev-er, a number of factors, including the debt crisis in Europe and continued po-litical wrangling in Washington, could impact consumer spending this holiday

season and into 2012.”Last week , the organization an-

nounced that retail industry sales for November rose 4.5% year-over-year. In addition, NRF’s most recent holiday survey found the average American has completed far less of their holiday shopping than in previous years - an indication that many shoppers bought for themselves in November and have plenty of holiday shopping left to do. HTT

NRF Boosts Holiday Forecast

BY GARY EVANS

DALLAS — Nebraska Furniture Mart has closed on 433 acres here, clearing the way for the Omaha, Neb.-based re-tailer to build its fourth and largest store in The Colony, a north Dallas suburb.

Citybizlist.com, a Dallas real estate website, which reported the closing, said

other buyers also had invested in prop-erty near the NFM parcel. The mixed use development is expected to require an investment of $1.5 billion.

In an earlier interview with sister pub-lication Furniture/Today, executives at Nebraska Furniture Mart said tentative plans were for construction of a 1.8-mil-lion-square-foot complex with a 546,000-

square-foot showroom. NFM estimated that the store could do $600 million to $800 million in annual sales.

The store would be part of large de-velopment that would include other re-tailers, hotels, a convention center, and other businesses. NFM said it would like-ly begin construction in the spring, with completion some time in 2015. HTT

BY ALEX LEMONDE-GRAY

ATLANTA — Orian Rugs, a family-owned rug manufacturer based in An-derson, S.C., has relocated its Ameri-casmart showroom space to 6-F-1.

The move more than doubles Ori-an’s showroom space from 3,000 square feet to 6,500 square feet.

“We are increasing our showroom space to meet the demands of our busi-ness growth, accommodate our retail partners and to be able to fully display the breadth of our impressive product portfolio,” said Mikala Moller, direc-tor of marketing, Orian Rugs. “Amer-icasmart has been a great forum for us

to attract the retail buyers that we are partnered with and our collaboration with Americasmart continues to drive new business to our showroom.”

Orian Rugs will make its new show-room debut during the Atlanta Inter-national Gift & Home Furnishings Market, Jan. 11-18 (Temporaries, Jan. 13-15), featuring The International Area Rug Market, featuring the Na-tional Oriental Rug Show, Jan. 12-15 (Temporaries: Jan. 13-15).

Orian Rugs will celebrate the open-ing of its new expanded showroom with a ribbon-cutting party on Jan. 12 from 5-6 p.m.

The company’s new showroom is

part of Americasmart’s rug showcase, located on fl oors 3-6, Building 1.

Orian Rugs, which offers both in-door and outdoor rug lines, will em-phasize that its products are made in the U.S. at market

“One of the highlights in our new showroom will be to showcase that our products are proudly Made in the USA, which is a benefi t that is responsible for our growth as well,” Moller said.

Also, Orian Rugs will debut a new product line, the Gallery Collection, at the January market. To celebrate the debut, the company will offer show specials to new and existing custom-ers. HTT

Orian Rugs Relocates Atlanta Showroom, Doubles Space

Nebraska Furniture Mart Closes on Dallas-area Property

htt111202_001_006_016C.indd 38 12/16/2011 4:16:54 PM

39 Home Textiles TodayNews

predicted 2011 would be the year when Martha/Emeril products collectively broke the $1 billion barrier in retail sales.

The new deal with JCPenney suggests Macy’s was not seen by MSLO as contributing enough to the effort. A provision in the

agreement that prohibits sever-al categories of Martha Stewart home products from being li-censed and sold elsewhere raises the question of how heavily the retailer plans to rely on the brand to enliven its home business.

In addition to paying Omni-media a commission on products sold in Penney’s Martha Stewart shops and online store, the retailer

has committed to an annual mar-keting spend for Martha products as well as sales commissions and an annual design fee. Altogether, Penney has agreed to a minimum of $172.4 million in payments to Omnimedia and marketing pro-motions over the course of the agreement, which runs through Jan. 28, 2023, according to an MSLO fi ling with the SEC.

By February 2013, JCPenney has agreed to build Martha Stew-art stores in about 600 JCPenney stores according to Omnimedia’s specifi cations, the fi ling report-ed. The stores will be staffed by trained salespeople. Together, JCP and MSLO will develop an ecommerce site for the brand.

The alliance is expected to generate $200 million in rev-

enue for MSLO, according to a joint release announcing the partnership.

JCPenney is taking a 16.6% stake in Omnimedia for $38.5 million and appointing two re-cently hired JCP execs to Om-nimedia’s board of directors: Michael Kramer, chief operat-ing offi cer; and Daniel Walker, chief talent offi cer. HTT

JCP/MarthaJCP/MARTHA FROM PAGE 1

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December 19, 2011

SINGAPORE — Huntsman Tex-tile Effects has forged a strategic partnership with Ramatex Group, based here, to eliminate the dis-charge of hazardous chemicals.

The aim is to together become the world’s fi rst textile company dedicated to and capable of en-abling the brands to deliver the

commitments contained in the Joint Roadmap: Toward Zero Dis-charge of Hazardous Chemicals.

“Ramatex has always been committed to meeting the needs of the brands and responsible to the consumers we supply,” said Ma Wong Ching, Ramtex’s chair-man. “It is clear that the Joint

Roadmap is challenging and am-bitious but represents an impor-tant fi rst step in reducing the en-vironmental impacts of the textile industry. With our solid founda-tion and the strong support of our partner, Huntsman we are well placed to meet the challenge.”

Ramatex said it takes social-

ly responsible measures to en-sure its manufacturing processes “embrace environmental protec-tion, and create a more sustain-able approach to our high-quality production by minimizing energy usage, adopting waste and water recycling and using organic ma-terials and compliant chemicals

and dyes only.”Paul Hulme, president of

Huntsman, noted: “As a mem-ber of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Huntsman Textile Ef-fects is proud to be a part of this major initiative in driving sustain-ability throughout the textile value chain.” HTT

Huntsman, Ramatex Align Toward Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals

htt111202_001_006_016C.indd 39 12/16/2011 3:56:33 PM

Visitusatthe

AtlantaRugMarket

3F2SPACE

AtlantaMerchandise Mart

HTT_Dec19th_Nourison.indd 1 11/30/2011 10:44:12 AM

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Home Textiles Today December 19th Issue