News and resources covering independent retailers, big box stores, home accent specialty stores and furnishings stores including openings, closings, expansions, personnel changes, retailer profiles and best practices. en-us http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/community/Retail/47411.html?nid=3849 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/info/411185.html Terms of Use. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:13:35 MST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6695422.html?nid=3849 Bravado Home & Design opened its 2,850-sq.-ft. showroom of high-end home furnishings in November 2007 in Portland's Pearl District. During their first year of operation, owners Bradley Clifford and Stefan Krupelak did $1.6 million in business. They are approaching the end of their second year with the knowledge their store has been named an ART Award finalist in the category of Rising Star ... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6695423.html?nid=3849 The owners of Dwell Home Furnishings and Interior Design in Coralville, Iowa, adhere to a philosophy that consists of three words: renew, refresh and excite. Founded in 1997 by Cheri Hochstetler, the 5,500-sq.-ft. two-level operation is a balance of design and retail with a merchandise mix she describes as casual, organic and modern. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6695424.html?nid=3849 When "extreme green" retailer Structured Green was profiled in this spot exactly one year ago, the Savannah warehouse-turned-store had been open for just four months. Owner Mike Ayres' strict commitment to stocking and selling products made from sustainable, reclaimed and eco-friendly materials — in a no-frills building with limited electricity and no air conditioning — was impressi... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6695431.html?nid=3849 I've been doing a lot of thinking about food lately thanks to my new favorite television show, TLC's Cake Boss starring New Jersey baker Buddy Valastro, and the movie Julie and Julia starring food, butter and wine. The fondant masterpieces created by Valastro take food preparation to a level I never dreamed possible, with cakes that shock, awe and defy gravity. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6685714.html?nid=3849 Home Accent Today’s exclusive survey of the Top 50 Home Accent Retailers ranks the top U.S. retailers by their 2008 sales of home accents. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:22:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6676888.html?nid=3849 Plano, Texas — While home dragged the online business during the second quarter, its improving sales trends at stores is encouraging J.C. Penney Company Inc. to expect better results in the near term for the business segment. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:15:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6675902.html?nid=3849 World Market Center Las Vegas has recruited experts from the U.S. Small Business Administration to lead a workshop at Fall Las Vegas Market, Sept. 14-17, giving market attendees information about tools to access millions of dollars in low-interest and no-interest loans. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:06:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6676449.html?nid=3849 To me, good retail stirs an emotion. ABC Carpet & Home (abchome.com) does just that, and more. The sheer volume of product and the layering they do wows me the minute I walk through the door. It evokes a feeling of being in an Old World market from another time. The mix of product is always world class, and it never fails that I end up having something shipped home. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6676457.html?nid=3849 After years of working with some of North America's biggest chains as well as thousands of independent shopowners, Barbara Crowhurst knows a thing or two about retailing. She's even offered to give one of our readers a free retail makeover. "Retailers need help," Crowhurst told me during a recent phone chat. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6674202.html?nid=3849 Pier 1 Imports said Thursday it has retired $69.5 million in principal of its convertible senior notes, issuing new convertible debt and paying $5 million in cash. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:22:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6669498.html?nid=3849 In the summer of 2007, Michael Ricks became president of Furniture Classics Ltd., parent company of the Furniture Classics and Two Palms Casual brands of accent, reproduction and occasional furniture. The seat he filled was one vacated by his father, Douglas Ricks, who resigned the role of president after spending more than two decades managing the growth of the Norfolk, Va. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6669499.html?nid=3849 The recently released 2008 National Retail Security Survey shows an increase in the rate of retail theft for the first time in six years. Preliminary results from the survey, an annual collaborative effort between the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, were released in June at the NRF's Loss Prevention Conference & Expo in Los Angeles. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6669500.html?nid=3849 Sign of the Dolphin is in Madeira Beach, Fla., an area where the Gulf Coast's white sand beaches and old Florida charm meet the growing Tampa Bay region. Customers include tourists, part-time residents and year-round locals, and home accents account for the majority of sales. Before "retiring" to the seven-days-a-week world of retail, Sign of the Dolphin owners Linda and John Wolbert owned a ma... Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6669501.html?nid=3849 Lazy Fish is located in Pawleys Island, S.C, about 70 miles north of Charleston and 25 miles south of Myrtle Beach. Owners Rick and Debbie Seid describe their store as a shopping destination unlike any other, and "the best place in town for a mood boost." "You never know what you're going to find as inventory is everywhere and it changes at a rapid pace," Rick Seid said. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6669505.html?nid=3849 In today's economy, those of us who are still in the retail game know that now more than ever we have to find creative ways to keep customers coming through our doors. It's not enough just to flip over your open sign and expect our clients to just flock in to see our fabulous new merchandise, or how we've artfully rearranged our stores. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6665539.html?nid=3849 Miami Mumbai, a boutique Indian art gallery, is open at 4471 SW 71st Ave., offering museum quality home décor and items by master artisans, including Mithila art and the work of Baua Devi. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:58:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6664266.html?nid=3849 Marketing and public relations firm Professional Marketing is debuting a new digital division, specializing in social media and online services. Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:41:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6663246.html?nid=3849 The Gift and Home Trade Association, a non-profit professional trade association dedicated to ensuring the gift and home industry's long term health and viability, has launched the Independent Retailer Resource Center which provides tools, resources, information and ideas to help small business owners effectively promote themselves as independent retailers. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6663890.html?nid=3849 They say that adversity creates big challenges, and big challenges create big ideas. Certainly in my experience in business, that is true. In fact, some of the best ideas I've ever seen were hatched during the most stressful of times. There is something afoot in our industry. A big idea has been hatched that is growing as only a great idea can, fueled by the Internet, and now even by the nation... Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/CA6663895.html?nid=3849 This past year one of our furniture makers was purchased by another group. We had four outstanding orders that instantly fell to the bottom of the new company's to-do list. We communicated the issue to the customers immediately and gave them several options: They could cancel for a full refund, select other items from another company, or wait for the items with monthly updates from us. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST