http://www.hometextilestoday.com Sun, 27 May 2012 05:19:11 MDT Home Textiles Today - All Blogs eng Copyright 2012 Sandow Media LLC. Subject to its Terms of Use (http://www.hometextilestoday.com/info/terms-and-conditions.php) http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42886-Kips_Bay_A_Change_of_Place_And_Pace.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42886-Kips_Bay_A_Change_of_Place_And_Pace.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 23 May 2012 12:55:08 GMT As a gift from Kravet, participants of the company-sponsored "Blogfest 2012" in New York were treated to an exclusive visit to the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club's Decorator Showhouse on its 40th... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42882-Photo_Blog_High_Point_Highlights.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42882-Photo_Blog_High_Point_Highlights.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 22 May 2012 15:03:31 GMT ... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42881-ICFF_Always_full_of_Surprises.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42881-ICFF_Always_full_of_Surprises.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:51:41 GMT Thanks to the second Kravet sponsored "Blogfest 2012," I had a chance to navigate the aisles of International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York (ICFF), which seems to get better every... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42872-Back_to_the_Future_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42872-Back_to_the_Future_.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 16 May 2012 14:40:57 GMT It's been a while since we've seen a company in the retail space like the one that Bed Bath and Beyond is evolving into - a multi-nameplate retailer that operates in a diverse array of product... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42871-S_hrooming.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42871-S_hrooming.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 16 May 2012 14:37:20 GMT You've got to love the English language. A few months ago if you said the word "showrooming" to somebody in the industry they would look at you like you had a speech impediment. Now the word is... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42846-Walgate.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42846-Walgate.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 01 May 2012 18:08:31 GMT I'm shocked," as Inspector Renault in Casablanca would say. "Shocked to learn there is bribery going on in international business."The big New York Times story last week about Walmart routinely... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42845-Trendspotting.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42845-Trendspotting.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 01 May 2012 18:06:48 GMT Last week's High Point Market officially wrapped up the winter/spring trade show season that began with the big Heimtextil show in January. Combing through home introductions from key shows, here... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42830-High_Point_Hot_Buttons_A_Review.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42830-High_Point_Hot_Buttons_A_Review.php?rssid=20975 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:19:13 GMT After a few days of High Point Market coverage, I like to look back at what I saw and edit down to the Trend Essentials. Here is my take: MODERN predominated as the most important style category,... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42828-The_Magic_Formula_Craft.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42828-The_Magic_Formula_Craft.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:36:24 GMT When I talked about increased sophistication in High Point offerings, I meant not just a different attitude in presentation - the suite monopoly seems finally broken in favor of a more natural... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42824-The_Hot_News_In_Color.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42824-The_Hot_News_In_Color.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:32:10 GMT I am going to switch horses today before getting back to specific company reviews to make room for the No.1 priority for all Home Textiles Today readers: The STATUS OF COLOR here at High Point... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42823-Who_Knew_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42823-Who_Knew_.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:40:22 GMT There is a fresh breeze of sophistication blowing through High Point's furniture showrooms this season - and in some unexpected places. When was the last time you spent an entire day in... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42822-Three_to_Move_the_Markets.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42822-Three_to_Move_the_Markets.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:37:48 GMT If you want to know who and what is driving home furnishings industry sales today, there are three answers to that question coming out of the High Point Market this week. 1. Interior designers... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42806-In_The_Clearing_Stands_a_Big_Boxer_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42806-In_The_Clearing_Stands_a_Big_Boxer_.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:46:24 GMT While its customers generally give it high marks as a good place to shop, the vendors who sell Bed Bath & Beyond for the most part have a love/hate relationship with the retailer.On the one hand,... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42805-Retail_Inspiration.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42805-Retail_Inspiration.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:43:33 GMT Sometimes you need to recharge your batteries and look outside your own universe. To that end, I recommend the National Retail Federation's "This Is Retail" competition at nrf.com.The contest is... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42799-Vision_of_the_Future_for_Housing.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42799-Vision_of_the_Future_for_Housing.php?rssid=20975 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:33:45 GMT What better platform to explore what housing will look like by 2015 and beyond than the Architectural Digest show which took place in New York just over a week ago?Such visions were presented by... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42785-Notes_from_the_Architectural_Digest_show_with_photos_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42785-Notes_from_the_Architectural_Digest_show_with_photos_.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:23:00 GMT The annual New York Architectural Digest show typically draws the creme de la creme of the interior design profession,n which participates with imaginative settings culminating in the "Dining By... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42787-Back_to_the_Future.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42787-Back_to_the_Future.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:34:05 GMT After Best Buy announced last week that it will close 50 large-format stores and open 100 small Best Buy Mobile stores, Bloomberg News proclaimed: "The Era of Big Box Retail Dominance is Coming to... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42786-Gen_Why.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42786-Gen_Why.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:30:48 GMT Home textiles industry, let me introduce you to the Millennials, aka Generation Y. I don't believe you've ever been formally introduced.With the recent news that retailers like Macy's and Kohl's... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42761-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42761-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:32:46 GMT  There was a lot of buzz about ecommerce during the New York Home Fashions Market two weeks ago - a significant, eyebrow-raising amount of talk.Ecommerce buyers I heard mentioned most often... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42762-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42762-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:32:46 GMT  There was a lot of buzz about ecommerce during the New York Home Fashions Market two weeks ago - a significant, eyebrow-raising amount of talk.Ecommerce buyers I heard mentioned most often... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42763-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42763-The_E_Game.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:32:46 GMT  There was a lot of buzz about ecommerce during the New York Home Fashions Market two weeks ago - a significant, eyebrow-raising amount of talk.Ecommerce buyers I heard mentioned most often... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42760-Merchant_in_the_Middle.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42760-Merchant_in_the_Middle.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:24:22 GMT How absolutely fascinating that as American society gets ever more divided to the extremes - financially, politically and morally - it is the retail businesses that appeal most to the middle of... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42739-Facebook_Timeline.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42739-Facebook_Timeline.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:09:57 GMT Put your game face on. Just when you thought you had gotten the hang of managing your company's Facebook page, there are important changes. Effective March 30th, all business pages will be... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42730-Pinch_Me.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42730-Pinch_Me.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:41:31 GMT Watch out. Something that feels strangely like optimism may be insinuating itself into the industry. There is a growing sense - one we first caught wind of in January at Heimtextil - that it just... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42729-A_Tale_of_Two_Retailers_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42729-A_Tale_of_Two_Retailers_.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:39:24 GMT If you ever needed to see the contrast between how certain retailers view their businesses, there was no better example than the recent earnings calls from Sears and Kohl's. The comparison was... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42712-Why_2_Cotton_Could_Be_the_Best_Thing_To_Ever_Happen_to_the_Industry.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42712-Why_2_Cotton_Could_Be_the_Best_Thing_To_Ever_Happen_to_the_Industry.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:25:23 GMT Yeah, I know you're loving that headline, right?You're sitting there and remembering back to the insanity of the cotton crisis this time a year ago and wondering what in the world I'm talking... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42711-The_Little_Things.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42711-The_Little_Things.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:24:34 GMT Sometimes, it's the little things that capture your attention. Such was the case last week when Walmart said its home department had produced positive comps in the fourth quarter - the first... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42688-Gut_Check.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42688-Gut_Check.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:49:55 GMT After JCPenney executives laid out their vision for transforming the store and before they held a special session for the financial community the following day, the company invited analysts to... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42687-The_Tracks_of_My_Tiers.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42687-The_Tracks_of_My_Tiers.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:31:00 GMT There was this tractor trailer you used to be able to see in a parking lot that the train passed every morning. On the side of the trailer was the name of the store - long gone even back then -... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Showoffs/42653-Observations_from_Paris_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Showoffs/42653-Observations_from_Paris_.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:35:46 GMT We're in Paris, walking through the shops and enjoying the creative windows of the town. We are letting ourselves soak in the city's fashion genius and will send our observations. Paris is all... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42652-Look_to_the_cathedral_for_inspiration.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42652-Look_to_the_cathedral_for_inspiration.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:32:31 GMT The verdict is in. When you look beyond the whites for spring and summer blanketing Maison & Objet, look to the future with the help of the textiles leaders who present their new lines here under... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42648-Fingers_Crossed.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42648-Fingers_Crossed.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:47:53 GMT To say the mood at Heimtextil earlier this month was upbeat would be stretching things, but it was definitely hopeful. Where the 2011 business mantra was: "A flat year will qualify as a good... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42647-Of_Twinkies_and_Brownies.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42647-Of_Twinkies_and_Brownies.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:45:20 GMT If any of us ever needed yet another reminder of the fragility of business in general and brand names in particular, there were two more very visible - and very painful - examples over the past... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42646-Let_it_snow_let_it_snow_let_it_snow_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42646-Let_it_snow_let_it_snow_let_it_snow_.php?rssid=20975 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:01:57 GMT Well - talk about surprises! When I suggested two days ago - before I set foot into Maison & Objet "to watch the whites" - I was just following a hunch. Little did I know that I would face a white... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42642-The_top_dogs_of_home_textiles.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42642-The_top_dogs_of_home_textiles.php?rssid=20975 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:22:47 GMT If you want to get spoiled for the rest of your Paris show trip, start at the top. I did and am glad for it.Too early to call trends, but so much is clear so far from visiting showrooms as part of... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42639-Paris_Deco.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42639-Paris_Deco.php?rssid=20975 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:48:18 GMT As far as home textiles are concerned, there is no hotter ticket here than the showrooms of high-end specialists who open their doors to professionals and the public alike only in January of each... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42631-The_Priorities.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42631-The_Priorities.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:03:59 GMT As I rev up my expectations for what Maison & Objet will bring when it opens on Friday, I lay out my priorities for coverage ahead of time. While yours may differ from mine, I hope this to be an... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42628-Anticipating_Maison.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Trend_Tracker/42628-Anticipating_Maison.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:55:09 GMT Advance information has it that despite Europe's economic woes, Maison & Objet is ready for its close-up. Most striking are the show's continuing and evolving efforts to make this the most... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42618-Here_We_Go.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42618-Here_We_Go.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:16:46 GMT Evites went out last week for JCPenney's annual presentation to analysts - the event at which new ceo Ron Johnson has promised to lay out his vision for the company.The minimalistic invitation... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42617-Dear_Asian_Suppliers_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42617-Dear_Asian_Suppliers_.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:12:42 GMT Jingoism is defined as extreme patriotism bordering on the chauvinistic. It's not something many people would accuse me of and it's not the card I'm trying to play here: Just wanted to get that... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42608-Crazy_Train.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42608-Crazy_Train.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:13:29 GMT No, that's not a reference to Kim Kardashians' marital merry-go-round. I'm talking about the axiom that defines "crazy" as pursuing the same action over and over again expecting to derive... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42607-A_Baker_s_Dozen_for_12.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42607-A_Baker_s_Dozen_for_12.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:11:41 GMT So, it's a new year and while the ceremonial turning of the calendar page is a momentous occasion, the realities of 2012 are very much like the ones we dealt with last year.That said, there are... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42603-A_Web_for_Everyone_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42603-A_Web_for_Everyone_.php?rssid=20975 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:16:27 GMT Welcome to the New Year and more exciting advances in online technology! I can't wait to see if the 2012 predictions -- including increased mobile marketing, greater use of the cloud, and... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42580-Wonderland.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42580-Wonderland.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:57:13 GMT I've heard people in the industry 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... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42579-Presents_of_Mine.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42579-Presents_of_Mine.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:52:18 GMT Well, textiles fans, 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 bauble for the perfect - and... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42559-Free_Resources_to_Help_Your_Business_Go_Mobile.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/What_Works_Online/42559-Free_Resources_to_Help_Your_Business_Go_Mobile.php?rssid=20975 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:52:22 GMT Mobile is the big trend leading into the holidays and for 2012. According research from Gartner, Google Internal Data and Cisco, mobile has grown fourfold since 2010, and there will be more... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42549-Did_Midnight_Matter_.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42549-Did_Midnight_Matter_.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:31:34 GMT The first set of numbers are in and the verdict on this year's extra early Black Friday store openings is ... mixed.JCPenney, which saw its November comps dip 2%, placed the blame squarely on its... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42548-Drop_Til_They_Shop.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42548-Drop_Til_They_Shop.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:21:47 GMT As you read this, Black Friday will be but a distant gray memory, replaced by all manner of promotional flimflam and merchandising larceny that would make P.T. Barnum blush. What with Cyber Monday... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42526-Milling_Around.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/The_Thread/42526-Milling_Around.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:53:13 GMT Sometimes in the sweep of events it's difficult to remember exactly when things hit an inflection point. That is not the case for me. I joined HTT in the spring of 2000, when the industry titans... http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42525-Feeding_Frenzy.php?rssid=20975 http://www.hometextilestoday.com/blog/Home_Alone_3/42525-Feeding_Frenzy.php?rssid=20975 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:49:32 GMT You can't blame the retailers. Business remains tough, though when you look at monthly retail sales they are not nearly as bad as other parts of the overall economy. One could even make the...