Retail Profiles and Metro Reports, retail and business news, awards in the casual furniture in the retail industry. en-us http://www.casualliving.com/community/Casual+Furniture+Retailers/47511.html?nid=3868 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:12:44 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6698922.html?nid=3868 The casual furnishings industry honored its leading retailers at the 50th annual Apollo Awards, held at Chicago’s Union Station on Wednesday night during the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:16:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6698438.html?nid=3868 The Chicago Casual Market mood is overwhelmingly positive and optimistic, although some say more cautious than in previous peak times. Retailers appeared willing to try new vendors and arrived needing inventory for their stores. Some manufacturers said they had showroom visits from retailers who had never stopped in before. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:02:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6687203.html?nid=3868 Since their inception 50 years ago, the Apollo Awards have honored the industry's top specialty retailers for their expertise, dedication to customers and passion for the outdoor furniture business. This year, specialty dealers faced some of the toughest economic conditions ever. Yet, as this group of nominees proves, the industry's future is bright. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6687223.html?nid=3868 While thumbing through the tattered pages of a Family Circle from June 1974, an unexpected headline caught my eye. In bold print, it read, "Dozens of ideas for turning your patio, porch, balcony or backyard into The Outdoor Room." This 35-year-old blast from the past appeared to have a message that was as current as if it had come from the pages of any of today's plethora of magazines catering ... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6674264.html?nid=3868 We all know that in negative times we have to think positively. But according to one of my favored personal development coaches, Jim Rohn, not many people understand that in positive times it’s important to think negatively. Our industry has experienced many robust years with high volumes of merchandise being sold at retail enabling consumers to make their houses a home. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6668156.html?nid=3868 Eric and Lisa Apen have a knack for defying economic downturns. Not long after they first opened Apenberry's, a high-end outdoor living store in central Florida, they survived the bursting of the Internet bubble. Now, they're enduring the real estate bust in a city where the median house price fell 65% from February 2008 to February 2009. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6652775.html?nid=3868 Each year, Casual Living announces its Annual Merchandising Award winners. Selected from both single store and multistore participants, the staff of Casual Living, along with key furniture industry veterans, selects the winners in the following categories: Most Fashionable Retailer, Best Overall Merchandising, Best Use of Accessories, Best Store Front, Best First-Time Entry. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:04:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6650012.html?nid=3868 Just in time for spring, multistore retailer California Patio teamed with manufacturer O.W. Lee to host the ASID Orange County chapter's March meeting at its store in San Juan Capistrano. This unusual, out-of-the-box marketing and promotional idea turned out to be a wonderful venue where approximately 100 designers joined together to network, eat, see, touch and lounge on the latest in outdoor ... Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6650018.html?nid=3868 Industry observers say the last half of 2009 will show the home furnishings industry starting to make its climb out of the weakened economy, with some acceleration in growth possible next year. But that’s the future. Retailers, especially those in the casual furniture industry, are in the here and now. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6650021.html?nid=3868 Most small town business owners need to be creative to keep their operations profitable, but some are just better at it than others. Consider Karla and Greg Biddle. In the mid-1970s Greg dug all of the graves in Sedona to round out their landscaping and flower shop business. These days, fresh flowers and grave digging are no longer part of the mix, but the Biddles remain as creative as ever i... Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6650023.html?nid=3868 As the in house sale representative I thought I should take a moment and react to the “Demand Accountability” article by retailer Clay Dennis in the March issue. At the outset I must say I agree with his premise that we all need to demand accountability from those we work with but more importantly from ourselves. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6650024.html?nid=3868 It’s no secret challenging times are upon us all. One secret to rising above the challenges lies in the ability to reemphasize the marketing basic known as visual merchandising or more simply, presentation. Inclusive of product mix to personnel training, quality presentation today can deliver a powerful punch for the specialty retailer. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6644232.html?nid=3868 Bad news blaring at us in all directions today makes it an especially discouraging time to be in sales. Retailers are faced with less customer traffic, more price resistance, difficulty making once-assured add-on sales or stepping customers up a level. Finally, they face the challenge of even interested customers deciding they just can’t buy right now after all. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6644233.html?nid=3868 With uncertainty in the marketplace and financing drying up, every one of us is looking for a way to cut unnecessary expenses. At first we think of buying a little less on pre-season, or maybe we cut back on advertising, hiring or displays. Maybe we think about who would be the first employee to go if things got really tight. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6644243.html?nid=3868 HOM Furniture has purchased the assets of outdoor home furnishings retailer Seasonal Concepts in Minneapolis, the Top 100 chain announced. HOM said it will open Seasonal Concepts Galleries in its six Twin Cities area HOM Furniture showrooms, as well as in the seven HOM stores outside of the metro area. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6644248.html?nid=3868 While it’s true most new businesses fail within the first five years, some start so strong that beating the odds is pretty much a sure bet. New England Patio & Hearth owners Kurt Wabrek and Jeff Heitmann weren’t exactly novices when they opened their first location in September 2006 in Wethersfield, Conn. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6637764.html?nid=3868 Colonial Mills, Inc., a manufacturer of braided-texture area rugs and accessories, has introduced a more affordable Mini Rug Sample Center designed to maximize retail sales opportunities in a minimal amount of space. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:06:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6635931.html?nid=3868 Terra Furniture partnered with Sunweave International to become the distributor of Sunweave’s woven furniture lines in the United States and Caribbean. Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6627607.html?nid=3868 Registration for Kids Today's 9th annual conference, Momentum, Gaining Strength in Today's Economy, is now available online. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6630684.html?nid=3868 Palecek won the ARTS Award in the outdoor living category during the recent Dallas Total Home & Gift Market. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:56:00 PST