htt may 2015 issue

HTT 4pg ADDivatex_Pimacott

Cover_S 9.875 in x 12.875 inT 10.25 in x 13.25 inB 10.5 in x 13.5 in

Proof Positive

ADVERTISEMENT

May 2015

THE DAY HAS DAWNED ON THE WORLD’S FIRST VERIFIED PIMA COTTON

PROVEN PIMA PURITYPimacott is the world’s first Pima cotton that is verified to be 100% Pima from crop to consumer through a revolutionary DNA tagging system. We are taking commitments now for Pimacott fiber that will be available from this year’s harvest in the Fall. We invite you to join the movement that ensures your products contain 100% pure Pima cotton.

Visit www.pimacott.com for more information.

100% Extra-Long Staple Pima CottonProudly Grown in the San Joaquin Valley, CA, USA

HTT 4pg ADDivatex_Pimacott

Back Cover_S 9.875 in x 12.875 inT 10.25 in x 13.25 inB 10.5 in x 13.5 in

Commentary P. 6, 8 | Anna’s Convenes in Vegas P. 15 | Meet Libby Langdon P. 38

May 2015 • $15 • Homeandtextilestoday.com

More Poly, Higher Prices

THE 2015 MARKET BASKET REPORT

RUGS PILLOWS THROWS WALL DECOR ACCENT FURNITURE LIGHTING BEDDING

ACCESSORIES MADE EASY

How Does the Top of the Bed Market Stack Up?An Exclusive H&TT Database Research Report

SPONSORED BY PRESENTED BY

Top of Bed Database

P. 19

2 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

THIS ISSUEInside

DEPARTMENTS

Commentary

6 Jennifer Marks Erasure

8 Warren Shoulberg Two Years ... and not Counting

People and Places

15 Anna’s Linens gathers the troops in Vegas

Database

19 Top of Bed Report

Retail

16 Bed Bath & Beyond: Christmas Tree Shops puts the treasure hunt into window

23 Mass: Kmart’s novelty notions in bath

24 Specialty: angelo:HOME gives back

26 Department Store: Macy’s is beach-ready

Trends

28 Bedding: Our 1st annual Quilt Suppliers Guide

33 Suppliers: HomeTex amps up U.S. capacity

34 Rugs: Area and accent rugs take a cue from bath

Ampersand

38 Libby Langdon: A fan of practical elegance and the New York Jets

FEATURES

10The Annual Market Basket ReportH&TT’s check of opening and top-of-the-line bed and bath products at key retailers finds price points edging up and constructions retreating a bit from cotton.

26

34

23

HOME & TEXTILES TODAY (USPS 497-490) (ISSN 0195-3184) is published monthly with two issues in February, March, and September, by Progressive Business Media, 7025 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, N.C. 27409. Periodicals postage paid at Greensboro, N.C. and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HOME & TEXTILES TODAY, PO Box 16659 North Hollywood, CA 91615. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: APC; PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Rich Hill, ON L4B 4R6.HOME & TEXTILES TODAY copyright (c)2015 by Progressive Business Media. Subscription rates (quoted in US dollars) US: 1 year $189.99, 2 years $360.98, 3 years $522.47. Canada and Mexico: 1 year $239.99, 2 years $455.98, 3 years $659.97. All other countries: 1 year $349.99, 2 years $664.98, 3 years $962.47. Single copies US: $15.00. Single copies outside of the US: $25.00 (includes shipping and handling), pre-paid US currency. Subscription inquiries: Home & Textiles Today, PO Box 16659, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9519. Phone (818) 487-2036. Subscription requests may be made via email at [email protected], or to update/manage your subscription visit www.homeandtextilestoday.com/subscriptionservices. HOME & TEXTILES TODAY is a registered trademarks of Progressive Business Media, used under license. Progressive Business Media 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.)

1350 Broadway, Suite 1715 New York, NY 10018917-934-2830 fax 646-365-2307

homeandtextilestoday.comfacebook.com/httmag

SUBSCR IPT ION SERVICESCall (800) 395-2329 or go to www.homeandtextilestoday.com/ad

PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Warren Shoulberg 917-934-2876, [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Marks 732-204-2012, [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Cecile B. Corral 305-661-7493, [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Julie Murphy 917-934-2858, [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Desiree Nunez

DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH Dana French 336-605-1091, [email protected]

DATABASE AND WEB ADMINISTRATOR Cynthia Myers

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, ACCOUNT MANAGER Jeff Reeves 336-554-5009, [email protected]

ACCOUNT MANAGER Mary McLoughlin 917-934-2852, [email protected]

EUROPE MANAGER Mirek Kraczkowski 48 600 344 881 [email protected]

INDIA MANAGER Kaushal Shah cell 91-9821715431, tel 91 22 2305 9305/6/7 [email protected]

CLASSIFIED SALES MANAGER Spencer Whittle 336-605-1027, [email protected]

SENIOR MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Heather Thompson 336-605-1061, [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Greg Schaftlein

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rich Lamb 336-605-1074, [email protected]

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Mynda Bullock

GRAPHICS SPECIALIST James Burns

DIRECTOR OF WEB OPERATIONS Chris Schultz

WEB CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER Dan Sage

EMEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Missy Axe

WEB OPERATIONS SPECIALIST Randy Melton

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Melanie Bingham

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Joseph Ellis

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Angie Moorefield

AUDIENCE MARKETING MANAGER Angela Tanner

PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS MEDIA

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Matthew Slaine PRESIDENT Kevin Castellani EVP OF BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES Connie Lineberry

DIGITAL PUBLISHER Kristin Sprague

VP OF AUDIENCE MARKETING Eric Rutter

FINANCE DIRECTOR Tammy Overcash

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Melinda Webster

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Anne Frost

TRENDS • ANALYSIS • NEWS • DATA • COMMENTARY

H&TT cover layout final.indd 1 11/26/2013 12:17:40 PM

Vol. 36, No. 7

Commentary

Erasurehis is what the denouement looks like.

At the Sears store in the Freehold Raceway Mall in New Jersey, the parking lot level floor was almost entirely denuded of merchandise. Huge chunks of space sat idle behind blue partitions. The barriers

concealed pallets bearing unwrapped fixtures and stacks of unopened boxes of indeterminate provenance.

There was a handsome and sizable run of fresh shelving in place for a shoe department. It was as-yet unstocked and it will not be filled with Sears products.

Signs near the entry points read: “Pardon our dust,” and “We’re open to serve you during our remodel.” One directed at cus-

tomers who might have stopped by in search of Lands’ End merchandise advised: “We will be leaving this loca-tion soon.”

Two days before my visit, Sears Holdings had announced that the Freehold store was one of nine being folded into a new REIT under a joint venture with The Macerich Com-pany, a real estate investment trust focused on regional malls through-out the United States. Space in some of those stores might wind up getting leased out to other retailers, according to the company statement.

Apparently, they got a head start on the project in Freehold.

Macerich put $150 million in cash into the JV, which has been distributed to Sears Holdings. This is the latest in a series of moves by the parent com-pany of Sears and Kmart to squeeze cash from its real estate. A few weeks earlier, Sears Holdings formed a REIT involving 254 of the retailer’s proper-ties in order to generate $2.5 billion.

And it began renting out its store space to other retailers last year. UK discount fashion retailer Primark this year will roll into at least seven locations — including Freehold, where it is report-edly taking more than 66,000 square feet. Other Sears lessees around the country include Dick’s Sporting Goods (perhaps that’s what all those shoe racks are for in the Freehold unit?), and Sears Holdings chairman Eddie Lampert has suggested additional ten-ants may include Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack and West Elm.

As for Sears itself? At Freehold, everything looks to be mov-ing into the underground floor. During my visit (if you want visu-als, see the May 3 entry on our Facebook page), some sections of the home department were thinly stocked, to put it kindly. One assumes that’s in preparation for an entire overhaul of the floor as Sears relocates some of the categories that had been carried in the leased space.

Meanwhile, upstairs a lonely jewelry counter remained intact, although merchandise was being cleared out at 75% off. There were a few racks of denims and some shirts along with a single rack of women’s bras. Near the check-out counter, curiously, sat a small stand of candy. A throw-away space filler or a sign of things to come? Who can say.

This we do know. Between the leases and the store closings, one of the country’s oldest retailers is slowly fading away. This is not the final chapter, but it sure feels like the end of the story is coming into view. H&TT

JenniferMarks

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Between the leases and the store closings,

one of the country’s oldest retailers is

slowly fading away.

Lou Lombardi 212-685-0530 [email protected]

President & CEO, Manhattan Properties Company

... The market is New York, and the market in New York is the

Textile Building at 295 Fifth Avenue

If You’re in Home Textiles...

To put your business in the heart of the market, contact:

Croscill showroom at 295 Fifth AvenueCroscill showroom at 295 Fifth Avenue

Commentary

Two Years … and Not Counting

s much as some people hope problems will go away if you don’t pay attention to them and time goes by, that’s not always the way things work.

Last month marked two years since the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh when more than 1,100 workers in a multi-story textiles factory facility died when the building collapsed because of unsafe conditions.

And while the companies in the building were in the apparel business and there were no home textiles producers located in Rana Plaza, the incident raised the whole issue of safe product sourcing

across many industries around the world.

The trouble is that the issue was raised … and then pretty much promptly ignored by the home textiles business.

Maybe somebody is talking about responsible sourcing and safe working conditions in the Asian factories where the vast majority of this industry’s prod-ucts come from. It’s just that as both an industry member and a consumer I’ve hardly ever heard it.

Yes, individual stores do qual-ity control audits and inspections on the facilities they do business with in China, India, Pakistan and elsewhere, but often times this is much more about the quality of the products, not of the working conditions.

And each store has its own require-ments and procedures, so often times suppliers spend more time cooking the results than adhering to the process.

But I’ve yet to see virtually any ven-dor or retailer cite responsible sourc-

ing on their packaging, marketing or point-of-sale information. No industry association or organization has taken on the task of trying to create a certification program or standards writing program that would tell both wholesale and retail customers that the products they are buying come from places where workers are treated fairly, paid fairly and aren’t risking their lives just by coming to work everyday.

Now this is where someone says how expensive that all gets and how the margins in the home textiles business can’t support this extra cost … both of which facts are correct.

But what no one is saying is that there’s a consumer out there that will in fact pay extra to buy something they know has been responsibly sourced. Say what you want about the up-and-coming Millennials, but they have established product authenticity as a legitimate factor in the purchasing decision. When Chipotle stops making pork bur-ritos because it can’t guarantee hormone-free sources of supply that says a lot about the trade-offs being made today. When companies like Patagonia talk about the way their apparel is made and by who and where, there is a customer who will listen to that message and make a selection based on that information even if it means paying more.

We have certification programs for environmentally safe products. And for organic and natural products. And for products with certain levels of quality in their fibers and raw materials. But we don’t have anything — at least in the home business — that certifies that where the product is made is a safe place to work.

It’s up to some of the bigger players in the home textiles space — vendors and retailers alike — to get behind a program that does just that.

It’s been two years since the Rana Plaza tragedy … and nobody’s counting. H&TT

WarrenShoulbergEDITORIAL DIRECTOR

The trouble is that the issue was raised …

and then pretty much promptly ignored by the home textiles business.

#standbystyle

Riviera 4771H

a new brand by VHC

beautiful.eclectic.bedding.

Follow us

bellataylorhome

bt_home

bt_home

blog.bellataylorhome.com

5 New Collections

For Summer 2015

bellataylorhome.com

10 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMMarket Basket

PRICE MANUFACTURER CONSTRUCTION COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

BEDDING

Queen sheet set $39.99 Bed Bath & Beyond Cotton Pakistan

Queen comforter set 79.99 Hallmart Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* 29.98 Levinsohn Cotton/linen China

Dust ruffle 24.99 Levinsohn Poly/cotton China

Queen quilt 99.99 Various Various Various

Queen blanket 19.99 Berkshire Blanket Cotton India

Throw 19.99 Berkshire Blanket Polyester China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $314.92 Down 9.6% from $348.38 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $9.99 Revere Mills Cotton Pakistan

Bath towel 4.99 Revere Mills Cotton Pakistan

Hand towel 3.99 Revere Mills Cotton Pakistan

Wash cloth 2.99 Revere Mills Cotton Pakistan

Shower curtain 14.99 India Ink, Splash Home PEVA China

Bath rug 9.99 Bed, Bath & Beyond Cotton India

Soap dish 4.99 Umbra Plastic China

Lotion pump 6.99 Bed, Bath & Beyond Ceramic China

Tissue box 6.99 Bed, Bath & Beyond Ceramic China

TOTAL OPENING BATH $65.91 Down 10.8% from $73.91 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $380.83 Down 9.8% from $422.29 in 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $199.99 Bed Bath & Beyond Long-staple cotton China

Queen comforter set 299.99 J. Queen New York Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* 29.98 Levinsohn Cotton/linen China

Dust ruffle 59.98 Levinsohn Cotton/linen China

Queen quilt 159.99 Bed Bath & Beyond Cotton India

Queen blanket 129.99 Britannica Home Fashions Tencel/poly India

Throw 59.99 Ellery Homestyles Polyester China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $939.91 Down 6.5% from $1,004.92 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $79.99 Home Source International Cotton India

Bath towel 29.99 London Luxury Cotton Turkey

Hand towel 24.99 Home Source International Cotton India

Wash cloth 14.99 Home Source International Cotton India

Shower curtain 79.99 LaMont Home Cotton Portugal

Bath rug 99.99 Home Source International Cotton India

Soap dish 18.99 J. Queen New York Metal India

Lotion pump 19.99 J. Queen New York, India Ink Various India, China

Tissue box 29.99 J. Queen New York, India Ink Various India, China

TOTAL TOP BATH $398.91 Up 23.5% from $322.91

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $1338.82 UP 0.4% FROM $1332.83 IN 2014* Price is for two individually packaged shams.

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Bed Bath & Beyond Big LotsPRICE MANUFACTURER CONSTRUCTION COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

BEDDING

Queen sheet set $15.00 Dan River Polyester China

Queen comforter set 49.99 Notra Trading Corp. Polyester China

Pair of standard shams NA

Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt NA

Queen blanket 29.99 Keeco LLC Polyester China

Throw 24.99 Biddeford Blankets Polyester China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $119.97 UP 7.1% from $111.98 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $5.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Cotton India

Hand towel 3.50 Loftex Industries Cotton China

Wash cloth 2.50 Loftex Industries Cotton China

Shower curtain 6.00 Victoria Classics Ltd. PEVA China

Bath rug 10.50 Big Lots Stores Inc. Polyester India

Soap dish* 7.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Various China

Lotion pump * 10.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Various China

Tissue box NA

TOTAL OPENING BATH $44.50 UP 59% from $27.99 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $164.47 up 22.8% from $133.97 IN 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $18.00 Sam Salem & Son / Joseph Abboud Polyester China

Queen comforter set 69.99 E & E Co. Ltd. Polyester China


Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt NA

Queen blanket 69.99 Biddeford Blankets Polyester China

Throw 29.99 Biddeford Blankets Polyester China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $187.97 UP 10% from $170.98 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $9.00 Loftex Industries Cotton Turkey

Hand towel 6.00 Loftex Industries Cotton Turkey

Wash cloth 4.00 Loftex Industries Cotton Turkey

Shower curtain 15.00 Baltic Linen CO. Polyester China

Bath rug 16.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Polyester China

Soap dish* 7.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Various China

Lotion pump* 10.00 Big Lots Stores Inc. Various China

Tissue box NA

TOTAL TOP BATH $67.00 UP 45.7% from $46.00 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $254.97 UP 17.5% FROM $$216.98 IN 2014*Only one price point available

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

t’s something of a conundrum. How can there be more polyester construc-tions and higher prices in this year’s Market Basket report? Two answers are likely: higher labor costs on the one hand, and a subtle shift to better qualities.

And maybe a third: padding margins.While one finds plenty of poly and poly blends in this year’s bedding baskets,

many of today’s microfiber constructions are richer and heavier than they were even a couple of years ago. The number of pieces in comforter sets tend to be fewer, but the fabrics are often better and feature a bit more detailing than was

More Poly, Higher Prices

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

H&TT STAFF REPORT

Key retailers give price points a little boost

11MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMMarket Basket


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $20.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Queen comforter set* 35.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* NA

Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt* 20.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Queen blanket* 14.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Throw* 12.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $101.00 UP 2% from $99.00 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $2.65 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Hand towel** 1.05 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Wash cloth 0.75 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Shower curtain 6.25 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Bath rug* 6 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Soap dish*** 5.25 Family Dollar Stores Plastic China

Lotion pump NA

Tissue box NA

TOTAL OPENING BATH $21.95 DOWN 19.5% from $27.25 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $122.95 DOWN 2.6% FROM $126.25 IN 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $21.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Queen comforter set* 35.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China


Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt* 20.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Queen blanket* 14.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Throw* 12.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $108.00 Up 22.7% from $88.00 in 204

BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $5.00 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Hand towel** 3.00 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Wash cloth 2.00 Family Dollar Stores Cotton Pakistan

Shower curtain 10.25 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Bath rug* 6.00 Family Dollar Stores Polyester China

Soap dish** 5.25 Family Dollar Stores Plastic China

Lotion pump NA

Tissue box NA

TOTAL TOP BATH $31.50 Down 8.7% from $34.50 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $142.50 FLAT FROM $142.00 IN 2013* Only one price point available **Available only in five-pack for $5.25, or $1.05 per hand towel

***One price point and available as a four-piece set that includes soap dish, tumbler, cup and wastebasket.

Family Dollar

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $50.00 JCPenney Poly/cotton China

Queen comforter set 150.00 BIKM Holdings Cotton/poly Pakistan

Pair of standard shams* 100.00 JCPenney Cotton/poly China

Dust ruffle** 85.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Queen quilt 100.00 Sunham Poly/cotton China

Queen blanket 50.00 JCPenney Polyester China

Throw NA


BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $10.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Hand towel 8.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Wash cloth 6.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Shower curtain 16.00 Maytex PEVA China

Bath rug 22.00 Mohawk Home Comforel nylon USA

Soap dish 15.00 JCPenney Various NA

Lotion pump 15.00 NA Plastic NA

Tissue box 15.00 JCPenney Metal NA

TOTAL OPENING BATH $107.00 Flat from $108.00 in 2014

THIS YEAR’S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $642.00 DOWN 11.2% FROM $723.00 IN 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $140.00 JCPenney Egyptian cotton/poly Pakistan

Queen comforter set 470.00 JQueen New York Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* 100.00 JCPenney Cotton/poly China

Dust ruffle** 85.00 JCPenney Cotton China

Queen quilt 280.00 Shanghai Jiali Needlepoint Factory Cotton China

Queen blanket 160.00 Biddeford Polyester China

Throw NA

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $1,235.00 Up 2.5% from $1,205 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet NA

Bath towel $25.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Hand towel 17.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Wash cloth 14.00 JCPenney Cotton India

Shower curtain 60.00 Croscill Polyester China

Bath rug 60.00 Carpet Art Deco Polyester China

Soap dish 22.00 Croscill Various China

Lotion pump 30.00 Bacova Guild Glass China

Tissue box 34.00 JCPenney Metal NA

TOTAL TOP BATH $262.00 Up 2.3% from $255.99 in 2014

THIS YEAR’S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $1,497.00 UP 2.5% FROM $1460.99 IN 2014*Only one sham available. Price is for two individual shams. ** Only one price point available

JCPenney

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Macy’sJCPenneyKohl’sBBBMarshall'sTargetBig LotsKmartFamilyDollar

Walmart0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8$8.00

$6.00$5.99

$2.99$2.99$2.99$2.50

$1.99

$0.75$0.47

…and Low RidersLeast expensive item in opening price point basket Wash cloth

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

FamilyDollar

WalmartBig LotsKmartTargetMarshall’sBBBKohl’sJCPenneyMacy’s

$35.00$54.96$69.99$99.99$99.99

$129.99

$299.99$299.99

$470.00

$625.00

High Fliers…Highest priced item in top-tier basket Top of Bed item*

Source: H&TT research•Walmart’s highest priced item was a queen quilt. Big Lots also carried a queen blanket at $69.99. Target also carried a queen sheet set and quilt at the same price point. Marshall’s highest priced item was a queen sheet set. Macy’s highest priced item was a queen blanket. Top priced item for all others was the queen comforter set.”



BEDDING

Queen sheet set $19.99 Kmart Polyester China

Queen comforter set 59.99 Kmart Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* 19.98 Kmart Cotton/poly Pakistan

Dust ruffle 19.99 Kmart Cotton/poly Pakistan

Queen quilt** 19.99 Kmart Polyester China

Queen blanket 16.99 Kmart Polyester China

Throw** 19.99 Franco Mfg. Polyester China


BATH

Bath sheet** $14.99 Kmart Cotton India

Bath towel 3.99 Kmart Cotton India

Hand towel 2.99 Kmart Cotton India

Wash cloth 1.99 Kmart Cotton India

Shower curtain 12.99 Kmart PEVA China

Bath rug 9.99 Kmart Nylon USA

Soap dish 3.99 Kmart Plastic China

Lotion pump 6.99 Kmart Plastic China

Tissue box NA

TOTAL OPENING BATH $57.92 Up 42% from $40.73 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $234.84 UP 2.7% from $228.66 in 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $79.99 Kmart Cotton India

Queen comforter set 99.99 Kmart Cotton China

Pair of standard shams* 39.98 Kmart Polyester China

Dust ruffle 29.99 Kmart Cotton/poly China

Queen quilt** 19.99 Kmart Polyester China

Queen blanket 39.99 Kmart Polyester China

Throw** 19.99 Franco Mfg. Polyester China


BATH

Bath sheet** $14.99 Kmart Cotton India

Bath towel 12.99 Kmart Cotton India

Hand towel 9.99 Kmart Cotton India

Wash cloth 5.99 Kmart Cotton India

Shower curtain 24.99 Kmart PEVA China

Bath rug 16.99 Kmart Polyester China

Soap dish 9.99 Kmart Various China

Lotion pump 19.99 Kmart Various China

Tissue box NA


THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $445.84 up 3.7% from $429.86 in 2014

* Price is for two individually packaged shams. **Only one price point available.

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Kmart Kohl’sPRICE MANUFACTURER CONSTRUCTION COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

BEDDING

Queen sheet set $54.99 Kohl's Poly China

Queen comforter set 179.99 Kohl's Cotton/poly China

Pair of standard shams* 59.98 Kohl's Cotton China

Dust ruffle 44.99 Kohl's Cotton/poly China

Queen quilt 119.99 Kohl's Cotton China

Queen blanket 49.99 Kohl's Poly China

Throw** 39.99 Kohl's Poly China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $549.92 UP 118% from $251.93 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet *** 39.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Bath towel 9.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Hand towel 7.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Wash cloth 5.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Shower curtain 24.99 Saturday Knight PEVA China

Bath rug 23.99 Mohawk Home Poly USA

Soap dish 12.99 Interdesign Plastic China

Lotion pump 14.99 Kohl's Various China

Tissue box 29.99 Kohl's Various China


THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $720.83 UP 106% from $349.84 in 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $219.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Queen comforter set 299.99 Kohl's Poly China

Pair of standard shams* 99.98 Peking Handicraft Cotton China

Dust ruffle 49.99 Kohl's Cotton/poly China

Queen quilt 169.99 Kohl's Cotton China

Queen blanket 89.99 Kohl's Poly China

Throw** 39.99 Kohl's Poly China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $969.92 Up 63% from 594.93 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet** $39.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Bath towel 29.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Hand towel 23.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Wash cloth 17.99 Kohl's Cotton India

Shower curtain 69.99 Kohl's Cotton China

Bath rug 49.99 CHF Industries cotton India

Soap dish 19.99 Kohl's Various China

Lotion pump 24.99 Kohl's Various China

Tissue box 34.99 Kohl's Various China

TOTAL TOP BATH $311.91 Up 60% from 193.91 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $1281.83 UP 62% from 788.84 in 2014

* Price is for two individually packaged shams. **Only one price point available

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

The High/Low$ difference between the highest and the lowest priced items in the basket

Macy's $617.00

JCPenney $464.00

Bed Bath & Beyond $297.00

Kohl's $294.00

Kmart $98.00

Target $97.00

Marshall's $87.00

Big Lots $67.49

Walmart $54.50

Family Dollar $34.25

Source: H&TT research0

200

400

600

800

1000

Macy'sKohl'sJCPenneyBed, Bath and Beyond

TargetMarshall'sKmartBig LotsWalmartFamilyDollar

+5.8%

$876.96+106%

$720.83-11.2%

$642.00

-9.8%

$380.83-2.6%

$289.63

+6.6%

$272.85

+2.7%

$234.84+22.8%

$164.47

+4.2%

$129.59

-2.6%

$122.95

Penny Pincher’s PicksOpening price point baskets, lowest to highest % change from 2014

Source: H&TT research

Can you make these other changes:Kohl's

Top price pointDust ruffle country of origin is China

Queen blanket country of origin is China Throw is NA, please take out acrylic and China

Kmarttop price point

Queen quilt is NA -- please take out China

13MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMMarket Basket


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $45.00 Sander Sales Enterprises Cotton/poly China

Queen comforter set 160.00 Macy's Cotton/poly China

Pair of standard shams* 120.00 Macy's Cotton China

Dust ruffle 60.00 Macy's Cotton/poly Pakistan

Queen quilt 200.00 Macy's Cotton China

Queen blanket 50.00 Macy's Polyester China

Throw 40.00 Macy's Polyester China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $675.00 Up 9.7% from $615.00 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $32.00 Macy's Cotton India

Bath towel 12.00 Macy's Cotton India

Hand towel 10.00 Macy's Cotton India

Wash cloth 8.00 Macy's Cotton India

Shower curtain 39.99 Macy's Polyester China

Bath rug 34.00 Macy's Cotton India

Soap dish 15.99 Croscill Resin and metal China

Lotion pump 19.99 Croscill Resin and metal China

Tissue box 29.99 Croscill Resin and metal China

TOTAL OPENING BATH $201.96 Up 0.5% from $200.95 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $876.96 UP 5.8% FROM $815.95 IN 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $250.00 Macy's Cotton China

Queen comforter set 335.00 Macy's Cotton/poly Pakistan

Pair of standard shams** 380.00 E & E Co. Ltd. Cotton China

Dust ruffle 190.00 E & E Co. Ltd. Viscose/cotton China

Queen quilt 340.00 Macy's Cotton China

Queen blanket 625.00 E & E Co. Ltd. / Natori Silk/cotton China

Throw 200.00 Macy's Polyester China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $2,320.00 Up 4.2% from $2,226.00 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $64.00 Macy's Turkish hydrocotton Turkey

Bath towel 40.00 Macy's Turkish hydrocotton Turkey

Hand towel 30.00 Macy's Turkish hydrocotton Turkey

Wash cloth 20.00 Macy's Turkish hydrocotton Turkey

Shower curtain 59.99 Macy's Cotton Turkey

Bath rug 72.00 Macy's Cotton India

Soap dish 19.99 Macy's Marble India

Lotion pump 29.99 Macy's Marble India

Tissue box 39.99 Macy's Marble India

TOTAL TOP BATH $375.96 Down 6.7% from $402.96 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $2695.96 UP 2.5% FROM $2,628.96 IN 2014* Sold individually for $60 each, or $120 for a pair ** Sold individually for $190 each, or $380 for the pair

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Macy’s Marshall’sPRICE MANUFACTURER CONSTRUCTION COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

BEDDING

Queen sheet set $24.99 WestPoint Home Cotton/poly Bangladesh

Queen comforter set 59.99 EnVogue International / Max Studio Cotton/poly China

Pair of standard shams 24.99 Marshalls Cotton/poly China

Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt 39.99 Newton Buying Corp. Cotton/poly China

Queen blanket 24.99 Berkshire Blanket Polyester China

Throw 12.99 Northport Trading Polyester China

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $187.94 Flat from $187.94 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet* $16.99 Arabella Textiles Turkish cotton Turkey

Bath towel 7.99 Kassatex Cotton Portugal

Hand towel 5.99 Kassatex Cotton Portugal

Wash cloth 2.99 Kassatex Cotton Portugal

Shower curtain 14.99 Marshalls Cotton China

Bath rug 9.99 Trade Lines Cotton India

Soap dish* 5.99 Coastal Collection Ceramic China

Lotion pump 9.99 Coastal Collection Ceramic China

Tissue box 9.99 NA Recycled wood The Phillippines


THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $272.85 UP 6.6% from $255.86 in 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $129.99 Next in Home Egyptian cotton Italy

Queen comforter set 89.99 Indigo Home LLC / Tahari Cotton China

Pair of standard shams** 33.98 DWI Holdings / Calvin Klein Cotton/poly China

Dust ruffle NA

Queen quilt 49.99 Revman Industries / Nautica Cotton/poly China

Queen blanket 29.99 DWI Holdings Inc. / Calvin Klein Polyester China

Throw 29.99 Northport Trading Inc. Cotton NA


BATH

Bath sheet* $16.99 Arabella Textiles Turkish cotton Turkey

Bath towel 12.99 Sunham Bedding / Lacoste Cotton India

Hand towel 7.99 Sunham Bedding / Lacoste Cotton India

Wash cloth 3.99 Sunham Bedding Ltd. / Lacoste Cotton India

Shower curtain 24.99 Arabella Textiles Cotton/poly China

Bath rug 16.99 AM Home Textiles LLC Cotton India

Soap dish* 5.99 Kassatex Ceramic China

Lotion pump 12.99 Devi Designs Marble India

Tissue box 14.99 Caro Home Ceramic China


THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $481.84 UP 12.1% FROM $429.87 IN 2014

* Only one price available **Sold individually for $16.99 each, or $33.98 for the pair

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

…and Top-of-the-Line ChoicesTop price point baskets, lowest to highest—% change from 2014

Macy's $2,695.96 +2.5%

JCPenney $1,497.00 +2.5%

Bed Bath& Beyond $1,338.82 +0.4%

Kohl's $1,281.83 +62%

Target $611.83 - 3.7%

Marshall's $481.84 +12.1%

Kmart $445.84 +3.7%

Walmart $281.72 -3.5%

Big Lots $254.97 +17.5%

Family Dollar $142.50 0.0%


the case during the down-and-dirty days of the Recession.

Interest in better goods opened the door — at least a crack — to a bit more European product, all of it to be found in the bath assortments. There were 11 items in this year’s basket from Tur-key compared to six last year, four from Portugal versus one, and even an entry from Italy — a sheet set found at Mar-shalls. U.S.-made items got a boost from Walmart’s pledge to source more domes-tic goods, specifically bath towels from 1888 Mills. Otherwise there were six U.S.-produced bath rugs in the survey,

just as there were in 2014.H&TT’s Market Basket Survey exam-

ines the highest and lowest priced items at key retailers in New Jersey, Delaware and Miami and this year took place over a two-week period in April. While the prices are not necessarily representative of a retailer’s overall pricing grid, it does assess the pricing consumers found in those markets during that period.

There were few year-over-year changes in product availability at the retailers surveyed. For example, this year Big Lots had no shams, dust ruffles or quilts in stock to price. Such was the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10



BEDDING

Queen sheet set $11.97 Walmart Polyester China

Queen comforter set 29.96 Walmart Poly/olefin China

Pair of standard shams* 12.94 Walmart Polyester China

Dust ruffle** 14.97 Walmart Polyester China

Queen quilt 19.97 Walmart Cotton/poly China

Queen blanket 9.88 Walmart Polyester India

Throw** NA Cotton

TOTAL OPENING BEDDING $99.69 Up 7.4% from $92.80 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $12.97 Walmart Cotton China

Bath towel 2.97 Walmart Cotton Pakistan

Hand towel 0.97 Walmart Cotton India

Wash cloth 0.47 Walmart Cotton India

Shower curtain 4.88 Walmart PEVA China

Bath rug 3.88 Walmart Polyester/layex USA

Soap dish 1.88 Walmart Ceramic China

Lotion pump 1.88 Walmart Ceramic China

Tissue box NA

TOTAL OPENING BATH $29.90 Down 5.3% from $31.57 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $129.59 UP 4.2% FROM $124.37 IN 2013


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $39.88 Walmart Cotton India

Queen comfoter set 44.96 Peking Handicraft Polyester China

Pair of standard shams* 12.94

Dust ruffle** 15.97 Walmart Polyester China

Queen quilt 54.97 Walmart Cotton/poly China

Queen blanket 12.84 Walmart Polyester China

Throw NA

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $181.56 Down from 7.7% $196.70 from 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $14.97 1888 Mills Pima cotton USA

Bath towel 9.47 1888 Mills Pima cotton USA

Hand towel 8.47 1888 Mills Pima cotton USA

Wash cloth 4.47 1888 Mills Pima cotton USA

Shower curtain 19.88 Walmart Polyester China

Bath rug 22.97 Maples Nylon USA

Soap dish 6.96 Walmart Ceramic China

Lotion pump 12.97 Walmart Various China

Tissue box NA

TOTAL TOP BATH $100.16 Up 5.1% from $95.31 from 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $281.72 DOWN 3.5% FROM $292.01 IN 2013* Two standard shams priced at 19.99 each ** Only one price point in this category ***Two standard shams priced at 29.99 each

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Walmart

2015 2014


MethodologyFor the 2015 Market Basket Report, H&TT editors visited stores in the Monmouth County, N.J., Miami and Wilm-ington, Del. area. Only items tagged at everyday prices were included in the survey. Sales or clearance items were not used. The following stores were surveyed:

BBB Eatontown, N.J.Big Lots MiamiFamily Dollar MiamiJCPenney Eatontown, N.J.Kmart Wilmington, Del.Kohl’s Wilmington, Del. Macy’s MiamiMarshall’s MiamiTarget Newark, Del. Walmart Neptune, N.J.

Bedding ConstructionPoly Moves into the Lead


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $32.99 Target Cotton Bahrain

Queen comforter set 29.99 Target Cotton/Poly China

Pair of standard shams* 39.98 Target Cotton China

Dust ruffle 17.99 Target Poly China

Queen quilt 59.99 Target Cotton China

Queen blanket 17.79 Target Poly China

Throw** 19.99 Target Poly China


BATH

Bath sheet $9.99 Target Cotton China

Bath towel 4.99 Target Cotton India

Hand towel 3.99 Target Cotton India

Wash cloth 2.99 Target Cotton India

Shower curtain 9.99 Target PEVA China

Bath rug 9.99 Target Nylon USA

Soap dish 6.99 Interdesign Plastic China

Lotion pump 4.99 Target Plasic Taiwan

Tissue box 16.99 Target Various China

TOTAL OPENING BATH $70.91 Flat from $70.91 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S OPENING BASKET TOTAL: $289.63 DOWN 2.6% FROM $297.63 IN 2014


BEDDING

Queen sheet set $99.99 Target Cotton China

Queen comforter set 99.99 Target Cotton/Poly Pakistan

Pair of standard shams* 39.98 Target Cotton China

Dust ruffle** 44.99 Target Cotton/Poly Bahrain

Queen quilt 99.99 Target Cotton China

Queen blanket 59.99 Target Cotton/acrylic China

Throw 19.99 Target Cotton China

TOTAL TOP BEDDING $464.92 Down 4.9% from $488.92 in 2014

BATH

Bath sheet $19.99 Target Cotton China

Bath towel 12.99 Target Cotton China

Hand towel 9.99 Target Cotton China

Wash cloth 8.99 Target Cotton China

Shower curtain 29.99 Target Cotton India

Bath rug 24.99 Target Cotton India

Soap dish 9.99 Target Various China

Lotion pump 12.99 Target Various China

Tissue box 16.99 Target Various China

TOTAL TOP BATH $46.91 Flat from $146.91 in 2014

THIS YEAR'S TOP BASKET TOTAL: $611.83 DOWN 3.7% FROM $635.83 in 2014**Individual shams priced at 19.99 each and only one price point available ** Only one price point in this category

OPE

NIN

G P

RIC

E PO

INT

TO

P PR

ICE

POIN

T

Target

Cotton36%

Cotton25%

Poly36%

Poly45%

Blends28%

Blends29%

15MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMPeople and Places

Annual Anna-Rama in Las VegasAnna’s Linen held its annual Manager’s Conference in Las Vegas last month, bringing in close to 500 store and headquar-ters staffers for meetings and a trade show with more than 60 key suppliers. At an awards din-ner, the retailer honored both its own top employees as well as its vendors. The next night the company hosted its suppliers for cocktails at the Hyde nightclub at the Bellagio. H&TT

Jim Whitehead, second from left, the new head merchant at Anna’s, joins the Pegasus crew, from left: Kendall Dunlop, Carmine Spinella, Lou Casali and Jeff Oster.

The crew from Triangle, from left: Jared Cohen, Jeff Swartz and Allen Darwin.

Anna’s president Scott Gladstone, right, with Michael Litner of Natco, who was honored as vendor of the year.

From left, Steve Brayer and Les Kenney of Kenney Mfg, with Geetha Raj of Sharadha and Anna’s founder Alan Gladstone.

16 RetailBED BATH & BEYOND

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

More For LessChristmas Tree Shop’s window department brings on the bargains

BY JENNIFER MARKS

ig assortment? Yes. Easy to shop? Not so much. Breadth trumps clarity in the soft window assortment at Bed Bath & Beyond’s Christmas Tree

Shop nameplate.The prices are sharp, starting at $4.99 per

panel for sheer prints. Other key price points hit $5.99, $7.99, $19.99 and $16.99. During H&TT’s store visit at the Freehold Township, N.J. unit, we found a 94-inch panel for $49.99, but it appeared to be an outlier.

The merchandising approach is largely bar-gain bin, with packages slotted into rows of bas-ket racks according to price point. The wall of hung panels mostly consisted of solids colors, and the products in the racks below often bear little relation to the merchandise above them. The store also displayed a grouping of kitchen tiers, but again, locating the packaged items took a bit of sorting.

The most smartly presented selection con-sisted of “a perfect Window” panels, a nicely packaged selection of transitional and contem-porary prints with its own wall display. Sizes were 40-by-43-inches and 40-by-84-inches. Price points were $5.99, $7.99 and $9.99.

Like the preponderance of panels across the department, “a perfect Window” was direct sourced via BBB’s Nantucket Distrib-uting Co.

A nearby peg display of soft window car-ried some name brands, including Eclipse

blackout curtains by Ellery Homestyles, and offerings here and there from Victoria Classics, Richloom, Softline and Spencer Home Décor. The arrangement was a bit higglety pigglety in terms of design motif. The unifying theme appeared to be the grommeted construction.

But a treasure hunt is in keeping with Christ-mas Tree Shops’ approach to retailing. An hour after the doors opened on a recent Saturday morning, the store was bustling with activity — and even the window department was seeing some traffic.

What the merchandising lacks in sophistica-tion, the low prices deliver in draw. H&TT

Step-down proposition. Kitchen Smart has a full assortment on the wall next to Calphalon.

Textured solids dominate the display of full-length panels. Multiple bins holding panels, above, form the bulk of the assortment, but kitchen tiers, below, are also available.

IT’S ALLHEREAT L A N TA | J U LY 2015

DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES | FURNITURE | RUGS | HOLIDAY & FLORAL

TABLETOP | TEXTILES | GIFTS | LIGHTING | GARDENS | HOUSEWARES

©2015 AMC Inc.

Discover the industry’s leading product marketplace — where

global trends and buying opportunities in all categories of

decorative accessories await you in one convenient destination.

VISIT YOUR COMPLETE HOME AND GIFT

DESTINATION THIS JULY.

AmericasMart.com

The Atlanta International Gift

& Home Furnishings Market®

Showrooms: July 7–14, 2015

Temporaries: July 9–13, 2015

Select Showrooms

Open Year Round

Monday– Friday, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.

How Does the Top of the Bed Market Stack Up?An Exclusive H&TT Database Research Report

SPONSORED BY PRESENTED BY

20 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

TOP OF BEDDatabase

18%% of the Home Textiles Universe

$27.1B2014 Home

Textiles Universe

$26.5B2013 Home

Textiles Universe

TOP OF BED

Textiles Universe

UP2.3%

Merchandise mix, 2014Comforter, filled bedding sets 59%

Comforters 19%

Quilts 14%

Bedspreads/coverlets 6%

Duvet covers 2%

Source: Home & Textiles Today market research

A Small Step ForwardBY JENNIFER MARKS

f it wasn’t the most robust of years for the top of bed category in 2014, it certainly wasn’t the worst.

Much like other home textiles cate-gories, top of bed sales overall eked out

a small year-over-year gain, up 1.6%. That followed a rosier 2.6% increase the previous year, when consumers were loosening up a bit in response to an improving economy.

At the retail level, 2014 marked another year of trading market share. TJX’s Marshall’s and TJXMaxx formats continued to hold the ground they gained during the worst days of the recession. JCPenney in the second half began to claw back a portion of the business it lost during its ill-fated 2013 home store over-haul, and Macy’s solidifi ed its stature as the go-to chain for better middle-tier goods.

“It seems that the off price channel — Homegoods, Ross, etc. — have gained the most market share,” said Rich Roman, pres-ident and ceo of Revman International. “As always, customers are responding to value and coupons.”

On a category basis, quilts began making a comeback — a trend that continues.

“We’ve really noticed a difference in how consumers look at quilts — it’s just a lighter weight bed cover, particularly for Millen-nials,” said Carol Antone, vp of creative for Peking Handicraft.

“We’re also selling many solid coverlets

with stitching or a pop of color or prints,” she added. “The world has changed and it seems like overnight. Gender neutral for Millenni-als doesn’t have to be as boring. And that’s at every price point.”

Simultaneously, Peking is seeing renewed interest from some retailers in traditional bed-spreads. “People are starting for ask for them again. We’re making it more craft, more ‘grandma,’ with piecing and embroidery.”

Changes are also taking place in com-forter sets — although the shifts seem to vary by retailer rather than by channel.

Royale Linens, the U.S. division of Yunus Textiles Mills, has been seeing a divergence in the types of pieces being sold, according to Frank Snow, vp, merchandising.

“The bed-in-a-bag business is now either wholly microfi ber or it’s a signifi cant majority of microfi ber with a [blended] sheet,” he said.

Overall, true bed-in-a-bag — stuffed with sheet sets and extras such as window panels and decorative pillows — is shrinking, he added. “The category that is rotating in is three- and four-piece comforter sets. That’s what’s going into good/better/best [merchandising slots].”

CHF Industries also sees bed-in-a-bag losing ground to more tightly edited com-forter sets that offer a higher perceived qual-ity. Consumers are responding to “color and value and different spins on value-add such as embellishment,” although hitting on the

THE GO-TOPLACE FOR INSPIRING STYLE.

ABOUT THE NUMBERS

Home & Textile Today’s Top of the Bed Database report re-veals 2014 and 2013 market share product data through key distribution channels. All retail sales �gures are estimates and are for the U.S. only. All �gures are rounded.

DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

Department stores are full-line operations carrying a variety of merchandise, including national and regional stores. Examples include Macy’s, JCPenney, Bloomingda-le’s, Sears, Belk, Dillard’s, Kohl’s and �e Bon-Ton Stores.

Direct-to-consumer includes retailers with primary dis-tribution through the Internet, catalogs, television and/or home parties. Examples include Amazon, BrylaneHome, Cornerstone Brands, Hanover Direct, HSN, Lands’ End and Overstock.com, among others.

Discount department stores/supercenters include discount, o�-price and dollar stores, such as Walmart, Target, Kmart, T.J. Maxx/Marshalls, Ross Stores, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, Shopko, Family Dollar and Dollar Gen-eral.

Specialty stores include retailers that specialize in tex-

tiles, as well as stores that carry textiles at full price and may or may not carry housewares, small appliances, gour-met foods, apparel, jewelry and personal care items. Ex-amples include Bed Bath & Beyond, Ikea, Anna’s Linens, Home Goods, Pier 1 Imports, Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel.

Other includes gi� and home accent specialty stores, furniture stores, home improvement centers, military ex-changes and designers, among others.

Warehouse clubs include Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale and local and regional warehouse clubs.

TOP OF BED

Distribution channels2014 total retail sales: $4.875 billion, up 1.6% from $4.8 billion in 2013

2014 2012 % CHANGE

Discount department stores/supercenters $2,199 $2,168 1.4%

Specialty stores $1,304 $1,284 1.5%

Department stores $818 $804 1.7%

Direct-to-consumer $373 $365 2.2%

Warehouse clubs $78 $77 1.6%

Other $103 $102 1.1%

Total $4,875 $4,800 1.6%

All sales figures have been rounded and are in millions.Source: Home & Textiles Today market research

THE GO-TOPLACE FOR INSPIRING STYLE.

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM 21

magic ingredients is not as predictable as it once was, said chairman and ceo Frank Foley.

“Textured solids, especially in neutrals, are gaining,” he added. “For duvet covers, linen content is expanding.”

Sunham Home Fashions has a different perspective.

“For us, multi-piece sets are still going strong. Different retailers want different pieces, but we’re still doing 22-piece sets,” said Dean Davaros, executive vp of sales.

Those sets are running both as ongoing programs and as promotional specials, he noted. “The promotional sets tend to be poly. The better sets are more duvet-driven and more cotton-driven.”

As top home textiles retailers step up their omni-channel efforts, e-commerce con-tinues to grow as a business opportunity.

“We see this as a big factor in orders and growth. Every major retailer is addressing e-commerce in a big way,” said Peking Handicraft vp of national sales Randy Smith. “It is a venue for customer research, but they are buying on-line. The customer can com-pare price and shipping fees. As many merchants

offer free shipping, the ease and the extended assort-ment gives the consumer a reason to choose e-com-merce to buy their product.”

But the channel is not without its challenges, especially for retailers that have begun accepting returns of internet merchandise at the store level.

“It’s a battle to be resolved — and one that’s

going to grow,” said Snow. “Everyone wants to offer a wide array online because of the limited costs going in. The ugly part of it is on the back side with the returns. The stores don’t have those skus in their allotment series and they can wind up taking a huge markdown when they put it in their closeouts.” H&TT

AND HOME FOR FASHION BRANDS Donna Karan • DKNY • DKNYPURE • John Robshaw • Brooklyn & Bond

Parker Loft • Bryan Keith • KD Spain • Style Lounge • Peri Home • Private Label

THE GO-TO PLACE FOR INSPIRING STYLE.

WE’VE GOT YO COVERED.

MASSRetail

Nothing But NoveltyA Kmart store in Delaware focuses on whimsy in the bath department

BY JULIE MURPHY

ovelty looks are the name of the game in the bath accessories area at the Kmart store in Pike Creek shop-ping center in Wilmington, Del.

The late 1980s/early 1990s unit is one of Kmart’s smaller stores, so space is limited. In the aisle adjacent to its other home offerings, the retailer devotes just two shelved display units to bath accessories and shower curtain collections. And there is only one brand rep-resented among the assortment — Kmart’s pri-vate label Essential Home.

Though there are only a pair of fixtures on hand, the store has 12 collections represented. The Cats and Dogs collection takes aim at the younger members of the family and fea-tures coordinated items including a cat tooth-brush holder, dog tumbler, as well as matching bath rug, hand towels and shower curtain. In this room at least, the canines and felines will

assuredly get along. Less domesticated animals were repre-

sented in other collections including Spunky Monkey, Wild Lodge and Happy Creatures. Coordinating shower curtain rings were avail-able for some collections to tie the whole look together.

Other categories included Hollywood Glam which featured a kitschy high-heeled shoe soap dish and an emphasis on pink. Other looks included Pearl Shells, Moroccan Tile and Point Bay, a lighthouse themed collection.

Regular prices for the items were $9.99 for soap dishes, shower hooks and toothbrush holders; $12.99 for lotion pumps and wastebas-kets; $16.99 for bath rug and $19.99 for shower curtains.

While inventory was fairly slim — not unusual for Kmart — the area was

tidy and cleanly merchandised. H&TT

Novelty looks for the bath rule the shelves at Kmart and run the gamut from cats and dogs to jungle monkeys to Hollywood glam.

An Alignment of Textile, Apparel and Supply Chain Shows

Bringing You an Exceptional Experience!

July 21-23, 2015New York City

www.nyctextileweek.com

NYTW_3.75x12.indd 1 4/27/2015 8:56:51 AM

Retail24 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

SPECIALTY

Home StretchCeleb home fashions designer Angelo Surmelis is on the road to expansion

BY CECILE B. CORRAL

ome fashions TV celebrity and home furnishings designer Angelo Surme-lis has a full plate running the many facets of his business these days.

The former star of several dec-orating programs on the HGTV, TLC, Life-time and Style Network cable television chan-nels owns and operates his own Los Angeles home furnishings store, angelo:HOME and its e-commerce site, www.angelohome.com.

He also designs most of the furniture and textiles he sells there as well as for the bevy

of retailers he works with around the country. He authors his own blog, “The Design Geek”, which he updates several times each week. And he does pro-bono interior design work for needy members of communities where he sells his products through retail.

And yet, Surmelis still has an appetite to not just do more but give more.

This year, he is set to roll out several new initiatives and product collections — including new home textiles product categories — as well as other still-in-development efforts to grow his brand and presence.

“Home textiles make up approximately 40% of my [store’s] business and I think it’s because it is a really, really important category,” he told H&TT. “I always tell my customers that when

building a room, after choosing the paint for the walls, the rug is the most important part even before the furniture.”

With online partner Walmart.com, Surmelis plans to expand his exclusive “Inspiration Shop” dubbed Apartment AH — which launched last year on the website — with new home textiles offerings come this fall.

He added: “Textiles is a category I’m excited about growing further. It’s a category that’s really creative. You can do things with textiles that you can’t do with furniture. Textiles can instantly change a room without much effort.”

Across angelo:HOME’s 1,600-square-foot space, which marks its fourth anniversary this fall, furniture is the anchor but textiles run a close second with several collections in key cat-egories — rugs, bedding and decorative pillows. While Surmelis designs all of these products, he works with vendor partners to manufacturer the goods – Surya for rugs, Hallmart for bedding and Handy Living for dec pillows.

“We don’t have drapery or table linens, but we’re looking to add them this year,” he said. “We will also be expanding bedding this year, too, with some new collections.”

Surmelis launched the angelo:HOME brand in 2007 with Handy Living, a Midwest furniture company. They started with 30 of his designs,

The two-story flagship is airweave’s first retail location – anywhere. Below: Three-dimension resin fibers and air are used to create airweave products.

Most of the store’s home furnishings are designed by Surmelis.

Angelo Surmelis at his flagship store in Los Angeles.

25

It’s easier to laugh it off when you’ve spent the night in Outlast® heat managing bedding. End the tossing and turning and start sleeping better.

A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP KEEPS THE LITTLE THINGS LITTLE.

Not too hot, not too cold.™ // outlast.com

6249_HT_Print_R4.1.indd 1 5/23/13 4:07 PM

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

ranging from ottomans to sofas. Today, the brand spans more than 3,000 products for indoor and out-door living.

Surmelis’ emerging home empire was once just a faint dream.

That was “a long time ago,” when he moved to Los Angeles after growing up in the Midwest. Born in Germany and raised in Greece, Surmelis was seven years old when his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago. He relocated to Cal-ifornia after college, where he studied stage and screen acting — which would come in handy later in his TV career, during which he completed more than 400 room makeovers.

“In L.A., my life was not going well and things were really rough and I could not afford my little apartment, so I lived in my car,” he recalled. “I had a job, but I was basically homeless for a little while there. So when I finally was able to get to a place in my career when I felt success, I wanted to do some-thing to give back.”

That effort includes designing home décor pieces “for people who never thought they could afford ‘bet-ter’ home furnishings.” It also inspires his charity work of offering free decorating and furniture pieces from his branded collections to needy families in the communities where he sells his products.

“The goal of my store is to make beautiful, inspi-rational things affordable,” he said. “I want people to feel they don’t have to make concessions because they can’t afford the aspirational things.” H&TTHome textiles include Surya for rugs and Handy Living for dec pillows, seen here, as well as bedding by Hallmart.

Retail26 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

DEPARTMENT

Lean and LinearMacy’s beach towel program is trim but fitting

BY CECILE B. CORRAL

lassic-yet-contemporary describes the pared down beach towel assortment on display at Macy’s late last month at its Miami-based store locations.

Tidily displayed on tables and glass shelves at the center of the bath department, Macy’s new-est beach looks seem more focused and func-tional compared to recent years, when clutter characterized the assortment.

Centered on three key branded collections, the beach mix includes only all-cotton construc-tions in modernized traditional patterns — most of them cabana stripes with new interpretations of an evergreen theme.

Lacoste owns the most real estate, with 14 styles — all of which feature the brand’s highly recognizable crocodile logo against different interpretations of multi-colored stripes — wide-band, thin, chevron and others. The pieces all measure 36-by-72 and are made of 100% cotton in China by licensee Sunham.

As is the case across all of Macy’s soft home department, Martha Stewart is also important here, with not just towels — six styles total on the selling floor — but also matching beach totes that are roomy enough to fit at least two of the brand’s new plush beach towels, as well as a new striped roll-up mat that is made of 100% polyester and

foam fill.The totes come in two styles — Umbrella,

which coordinates directly with one of the new beach towels by the same name, and another featuring a bright red cherry motif against blue and white stripes. These polyester bags are priced at $60. The roll-up mats, also priced at $60 each, measure 24-by-66.5 and feature a strap for easy transport.

House brand Inc International Concepts occupies important display space in the nearby fashion bedding area. It has the most stream-lined beach towel selection among the brands, with just four designs — Alani, Cleo, Bloom and Paisley. Made in Turkey of Turkish cotton, the towels are tagged with a $40 ticket each.

The $40 to $42 full retails per towel were already being put on sale in late April. Martha Stewart beach roll-up mats were buy one/get 50% off the second. The same offer is extended for the Lacoste beach towels, or 25% off the price on a single towel. H&TT

COLLECTION CONSTRUCTION NO. OF PATTERNS PRICE

Lacoste 100% cotton 14 $42

Inc International Concepts Turkish cotton 4 $40

Martha Stewart / Macy’s Inc. Turkish cotton 6 $40

MACY’S BEACH TOWEL LINE

Source: In-store research

The Martha Stewart Collection includes matching totes and roll-up mats.

The price on all Martha Stewart Collection items was $40.

Lacoste offers the widest range of design options in beach towels.

Furniture | Home Décor | Gift

Las Vegas Market

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

REGISTER FOR MARKET TODAY! LasVegasMarket.com/Register

NEW FLOORS• Gourmet, Gift & Housewares on C11

• Boutique décor and accessories on C5

• Casual Furniture & Patio on C12-13

2,200 CROSS CATEGORY LINES & GROWING

NEW SHOWROOMS ON EVERY FLOOR

NEW TEMPORARY TRADESHOW: THE PAVILIONS AT LVMKT• Design, Handmade, Gift & Home

• Introducing Discoveries: The Antique Vintage Marketplace

BIGGER.

BETTER.

BEYOND

EXPECTATIONS.

AUGUST 2-6, 2015

PLAYER’S GUIDE

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM28

NAME ADDRESS BRANDS COMMENTS

THE GO-TO PLACE FOR INSPIRING STYLE.

QUILT SUPPLIERS

Amity Home 2395 Miguel Miranda Ave. Irwindale, CA 91010 (626) 334 6771

With a nod to tradition combined with a modern twist, quilts are machine-washable and low-maintenance, made of cotton or linen.

C & F Enterprises, Inc. 819 Bluecrab Road Newport News, VA 23606 (888) 889-9868

Williamsburg, April Cornell, Kate McRostie, Heidi Dobrott

The team at corporate headquarters creates original designs based on current market trends, traditional motifs and everyday influences as well as from the Williamsburg brand historical archives.

CHF Industries One Park Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 951-7800

Donna Karan, DKNY, KD Spain, Bryan Keith, Parker Loft

Grounded in both manufacturing and marketing for fashion bedding and quilt products, CHF places an emphasis on innovation, brand collaboration, and private label development.

Company C 102 Old Turnpike Road Concord, NH 03301 (603) 226-4460

Exclusive, colorful designs and sustainably sourced bedding. All new bedding collections are 100% GOTS certified organic.

Greenland Home Fashions

5548 Edison Avenue Chino, CA 91710 (800) 677-8140

Dozens of new styles of quilts and accessories are always in stock at a range of affordable prices, including patchworks, transitional and global looks as well as unique designs.

Ellery Homestyles 295 5th Ave., Suite 1212 New York, NY 10001 (212) 684-5364

Quilts are 100% cotton and pre-washed, with cotton fill, and are produced in the countries best suited to each aesthetic, with growth driven by national and proprietary brands.

Ellison First Asia 230 Fifth Ave., #711 New York, NY 10010 (212) 869-0540

Fiesta, Field & Stream In addition to licensed brands, the company produces pieced, plush and embroidered quilts for private label.

29may 2015 homeandtextilestoday.com

Name address BraNds CommeNts

Handfab A Living USA Sales Office: Integrated textile Group 276 Fifth avenue, suite 500 New York, NY 10001 (212) 686-4838

Aristocot With a solid grounding in design and a focus on quality and solutions to challenges, the company also emphasizes timely delivery.

Hedaya Home Fashions 295 Fifth Ave., #1503 New York NY 10016 (212) 889-1111

Bellissimo, Surrey Lane, Abbey, Susan Emma, Classic Treasures

With more than 50 years in business, the company is known for unique designs, quality and customer service as well as its large network of manufacturing partners.

Himatsingka America 261 Fifth Ave. Suite 501 New York, NY 10016 (212) 852-0802

Calvin Klein, Kate spade, Barbara Barry, Bellora, Beekman 1802, Lady Antebellum’s Heartland, desigual, Kelly Wearstler

The combined enterprise of Divatex Home Fashions and DWI Holdings is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of luxury home textile brands in North America.

JQueen New York 37 West 20th st, New York, NY 10011 (212) 414-1555

J Queen New York, “J” J Queen New York, Piper and Wright

Cross merchandising textural solids, tonal prints, and multi colored prints back to its comforter line, the company employs a variety of techniques to add value and interest.

Keeco 295 Fifth Ave. suite 406 New York, NY 10016 (212) 685-9077

Using a key account and key category focus, the company takes a problem solving approach to provide best-in-class solutions, style and products.

Nostalgia Home Fashions 295 5th Ave. suite 1712 New York, NY 10016 (212) 683-5477

Kathy Davis,Shell Rummel Downton Abbey, Nostalgia, Dransfield and Ross House and Dransfield and Ross Upstairs.

The company has over 30 years of producing artisan quilts and using innovative construction techniques to differentiate branded and private label goods through in-house design and engineering.

Pegasus Home Fashions 230 5th Ave. #1503/14504 New York, NY 10001 (908) 965-1919

Classic Home, Vintage Collection, Gramercy Park

The company carries a wide collection of embroidered, printed and solid mini quilt sets, with most of the designs inventoried in its Elizabeth, N.J. warehouse for immediate delivery.

PLAYER’S GUIDE

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM30

QUILT SUPPLIERSNAME ADDRESS BRANDS COMMENTS

Peking Handicraft 1388 San Mateo Ave. South San Francisco, Calif. 94080 (650) 871-3788

Trina Turk, Maryjane’s Home, Jessica Simpson, Modern Heirlooms, Hudson and Main Laurel and Mayfair

Offering best in class quality, craftsmanship, design and customer service.

Pem America 230, 5th Ave., Suite 200 New York,NY 10001 (212) 481-2141

Tracy Porter,Vince Camuto, London Fog, Jennifer Adam, Wendy Bellissimo, Laura Ashley

Constantly investing in quilt developments.

Regal Home Collections 295 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1012, New York, NY 10016 (212)213-3323

Studio 1012 Fresh styling and innovation at high perceived value, with a focus on quality, service and logistics and fulfillment.

Revman International, Inc 350 Fifth Avenue, 70th floor New York, NY 1011 (212) 894-3100

Nautica, Tommy Bahama, Laura Ashley, Vera Wang, Wedgwood, Candice Olson, Teen Vogue, Steve Madden, Betsey Johnson, Eddie Bauer, Marimekko, Adrienne Vittadini, Perry Ellis, Nicole Miller, City Scene, Stone Cottage, Manor Hill

With the largest portfolio of designer brands in the industry, the company is positioned as a one-stop resource for home fashion collections.

THRO By Marlo Lorenz 181 Freeman Ave, Islip NY 11751 (631) 218-2152

THRO By Marlo Lorenz Recently launched fashion bedding/quilts, keying off its best-selling decorative pillow and throw styles with an eye to becoming a one-stop destination for home fashion.

Sunham Home Fashions 136 Madison Ave., 16th Floor New York, NY 10016 (212) 695-1218

Lacoste, Hugo Boss, bluebellgray In the quilt business since the early 1990’s, the company’s in-house design team creates pieced, printed and solid color offerings in traditional, transitional, contemporary, seasonal and regional styles.

31MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

NAME ADDRESS BRANDS COMMENTS

Traditions Linens P.O. Box 416 Claverack, NY 12513 (518) 851-3975

Traditions Linens Taking a modern approach to building a bedding wardrobe by layering pattern, texture, and color –allowing accounts to customize collections.

Victoria Classics 295 5th Ave, Suite 206 New York, NY 10016 (212) 213-1828

Clairbella, Caribbean Joe, Jane Seymour Designs, Seedling By ThomasPaul, Dollie & Me

Always seeking out the latest trends from around the world and finding ways to make them more accessible to a broad array of consumers.

Triangle Home Fashions 9a Nicholas Court Dayton, NJ 08810. (732) 355-9800

Lush Décor Quilts are created to be enjoyed today, tomorrow and for years to come in a wide range of lifestyle motifs with workmanship defined by design leadership.

VHC 6010 E Hwy 76 Kirbyville, MO (888) 334-3099

Lasting Impressions, Ashton & Willow, Bella Taylor Home

Many of the quilt designs feature hand-stitched details to create a level of uniqueness and high-end quality.

Welspun 295 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1118 New York, NY 10016 (212) 620-2000

Hygro Cotton, Christy, Welhome, Spaces, Goodnight Sleep, Amaze, Crowning Touch, Amy Butler, Wimbledon, Annie Phillips

The company focuses on innovation to make its products smarter, processes more efficient and the environment better, and uses consumer research to create unique solution-driven products.

WestPoint Home LLC 28 E. 28th St. New York, NY 10016 (212) 930-2000

Martex, Grand Patrician, Bluestone Court, Modern Living, Dena Home, Jill Rosenwald, Southern Tide, Amy Sia

Supplying a carefully curated collection of fashion products and decorative accessories to address key trends and emerging lifestyles.

32 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMTrendsSURTEX

esign motifs of every variety will be on display at Surtex North Amer-ica this month, when the annual surface design show presents more than 300 exhibitors from May 17-19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

Artists from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia will be represented at the event. This year the show welcomes more than 50 newcomers, including stu-dios, agents, and U.S. and international vendors.

In addition, the four winning designs from Surtex’s designext interna-tional design competition will be on display and the grand prize winner will be announced May 18. H&TT

A Cornucopia of DesignSurtex 2015 will provide international perspective

Laura Lowen’s “Bears with Beards” will be represented at the show by Jennifer Nelson Artists, where Lowen will also debut new characters, holiday and Christmas art.

John Watson Studio’s piece numbered F4661c 25V reflects the designer’s simple

and refined aesthetic.

Crewest Studio’s Gallery Showcase is of-fering work from urban contemporary artists, including Gustavo Alberto seen here.

MHS Licensing + Consultingmarks its 20th anniversary with

works from Patrick Reid O’Brien, seen here, and at the show

will also introduce artists Lynn Sanchelli and Carolyn Blaylock.

Sweetheart from Dot Dash Design studio, which makes its first appearance at Surtex this year with more than 30 new surface pattern collections.

Puddle Ink is a creative collaboration of sisters Callie Crosby and Rebecca Daw, who share a love of all things colorful, bold and graphically simple.

Sunlit Beauty from JSB Photo Art, a newcomer to the art licensing market.

Design Works International features the work of designers from around the world and was founded by Nancy Fire, who is also design director for HGTV Home.

33MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMTrendsSUPPLIERS

HomeTex Looks AheadNew facility will double cut & sew capacity

BY JENNIFER MARKS

fter nearly two years of scouting locations and running the num-bers, HomeTex officially has com-mitted to opening a new facility in

Cullman, Ala., investing $4 million to acquire and re-outfit the former Nicholson File/Apex Tools building.

When the 300,000-square-foot plant opens in early 2016, it will at minimum double the manufacturer’s capacity for cut & sew, add-ing about 40 jobs in the process. The plant will produce DreamFit sheets, mattress pads, duvet covers and protective covers. Located on 29 acres not far from its current plant in Vinemont, Ala., the facility will also include about 100,000 square feet for distribution —

along with plenty of room to grow in the future.“The model supporting DreamFit is one for

inventory and ship time – and has been since the late 90s,” president Jeremy Wootten told H&TT. “It lets us manage a vast array of skus in fabric, quality, colors and sizes, and it lets us do quick response.”

HomeTex sells DreamFit products exclu-sively to furniture stores, speciality sleep shops and e-commerce sites. “Those retailers don’t have the capability of offering a broad variety [of textiles], especially sheets. We can offer them a single sku. There are no minimums on sheets and mattress protectors and small minimums on pillows. We couldn’t do that if we didn’t [cut & sew] here.”

The process allows HomeTex to drop-ship orders directly to the customer within five days. “We’re working to get that down,” he added.

The Vinemont operation and headquarters will be folded into the Cullman plant once it opens. The new property is considered a brown fields site due to the chemicals used there by the

previous occupant and will require retrofitting. “A brown fields program is not a quick process,” noted Wootten.

The company also owns a terry weaving facility in South Carolina and a pillow filling facility in North Carolina.

Cullman will also house HomeTex’s first southern showroom, complementing existing spaces in New York and Las Vegas.

Because DreamFit products are sewn from imported fabrics, packaging doesn’t empha-size the U.S.-made component beyond the labelling. However, Wootten said the fact that there’s some hands-on assembly being done here meshes nicely with growing consumer interest in a product’s origins.

“They want to understand where it’s made, where it comes from, the social compliance — that there’s not sweat shop labor involved,” he noted. “We’re trying to bundle it all up.” H&TT

The Wootten family, above. From left, Zach, Jerry, Kathy, Christina, and Jeremy. The plant, below, is slated to open in early 2016.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, left, congratulates company founder Jerry Wootten.

34 MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMTrendsRUGS

ometimes new ideas take a while to develop, even if they may seem obvious.

Here’s one: Soft bath rug fibers that can also be used for area and accent rugs.

Makes sense that something soft underfoot next to the shower would also feel good anywhere else in the home.

It took a while for the industry to deploy the concept, but the day has arrived — and some major players in the business told H&TT that the change is here for good. They’ve made the connection between bath rugs and their accent/area pieces, and are increasingly transitioning and innovating their fibers.

“This is a mainstay,” said Bart Hill, vp of product management for domestic and global production at Mohawk Home. “Softness in area and accent rugs has become as important an attribute as color and even price in some ave-nues. They can’t get past that fluffly, cloud soft-ness — it’s become a sales motivator for all rugs now, not just in bath.”

Connecting the dots are new, synthetic micro-fiber constructions.

For Regence Home, micro-fiber “is a big focus for us,” said Nick Casarola, president. “Micro-polyester is very important in accent rugs for Regence.”

He explained the consumer is demand-ing more “comfort-type products” in rugs, and in response the company has developed two new micro-polyester fashion collections that launched this spring.

Chelsea is a high-pile and ultra-plush tufted grouping, and Artistry is a fine-denier product made on knitting equip-ment and available in five colors/designs and offering “a great hand,” Casarola noted.

“With the advent of micro-polyes-ter in bath rugs, we’ve seen a transi-

tion into the area and accent rug categories because consumers like the soft, good feel of micro-polyester, and it’s competitively priced with other products out there like olefin and nylon,” Casarola said.

He estimates that micro-polyester bath rugs occupy about 25% of Regence’s bath business. That growth has spurred increases now in accent and area vari-eties, as the fiber has proved appropriate for its

durability and plasticity —

it can be applied to tufted, knitted and woven constructions for this new segment.

“We’ve graduated it now into area and accent rugs, and we’re finding much success with it,” he summed. “We are getting place-ments with major retailers for these three con-structions we offer.”

Shag is one of the obvious styles into which micro-polyester can translate effortlessly. Kas Rugs is meeting that need with its recently expanded Bliss collection of one-inch pile height of pieces that are available now in 14 solid colors and eight heathered texture looks.

Kas is taking the fiber into a new indoor/outdoor shag it calls the Key West Collection. “These rugs have a very soft pile that is not a short pile like your typical outdoor rug. You’d think outdoors you can’t use a long pile, but we’ve created a way you can, ” said Santhi Yarl-agadda, vp of business development.

Key West rugs boast a pile height over “a little over an inch” and easy-care attributes that make them also suitable for high-traffic indoor spaces, particular family and play rooms. The palette goes from neutrals to brights.

Mohawk Home is moving its ultra-soft fibers into area and accent categories as well as broad-loom carpet.

“Carpet has always used harsher fibers than area rugs, but now they’ve all merged as we push the envelope with softness in new fibers,” Hill said. “Softness is now an important quality shoppers look for when they are looking for a new rug or car-pet. And now they can buy from us carpet that is at the same levels of softness that we offer in bath.”

Mohawk Home is using new nylon, polyes-ter and its proprietary SmartStrand fibers to pro-duce the softer rugs and carpets.

Said Hill: “The advancements in extrusion technologies and polymer technologies have allowed for these three fiber types to be extruded at levels we have never seen before until now to offer new levels of softness.” H&TT

From Bath to BeyondBath constructions inspire a new generation of area and accent rugs

BY CECILE B. CORRAL

Regence Home uses a micro-poly construction in its Chelsea accent and area rugs.

Mohawk Home's Belford rug is made from the company’s EverStrand recycled polyester fiber.

Kas Rugs uses a "super soft polyester" for its Bliss shag collection.

Timeless Design for the Modern Age

36

THIS COULD BE

YOUR AD

Lines Offered (Reps)Help WantedRetail RecruitmentReal EstateShowroom Space For Sale/Lease

FactoringServicesAnnouncementsLegal NoticesParts

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION BY ADVERTISING IN

CONTACT: Spencer [email protected]: 336.605.1027 | F: 336.605.1143

They’re LookingFor You

classifieds

CLASSIFIEDS

LINES OFFERED

TEXTILE DÉCOR USA INCA NJ based Home Textile Company with showroom in NYC is looking

for INDEPENDENT SALES AGENTS in the following states: VA, MD, DE, ME, PA, MI, AR, LA, ID, MT, WY, ND, SD,

NE, CA, NV, CO, OR, KY & AL, FL, GA, MS, NE, Caribbean Islands, South America, Canada

We carry Bath Rugs, Rugs, Sheet Sets, Comforters, Quilts, BIAB, Duvet, promotional goods, overstock and remnants.

Please contact us to be set up and let’s start a successful partnership.

Please submit resume to: [email protected] or call 732.635.0060

A D V E R T I S E

HELP WANTED

RECRUITMENT

Executive Search for the

Home Textiles Industry Since 1999 Rick Rush - President

Give us a call! 100% Confidential

303.225.0355 www.rushandcompany.com [email protected]

HiEnd Accents — a Dallas-based, leading provider of affordable, luxurious

bedding and home accessories is currently seeking an Key Account Executive.

Required Skills and Experience

· 7 + years experience in the bedding or accessory wholesale business

· Proven track record in managing key retail accounts

· Able to do trend and competitive research

· Strong analytical, relationship-building and leadership skills

· Bachelor’s degree preferred

· Proficiency in Excel

Please send your resume to: [email protected].

Visit us online at www.HiEndAccents.com.

OFFERINGS TO BUYERS

MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COMMarket Basket

case last year as well. This is almost consistent across all the charts in the 2015 survey: Any item that was not part of the market basket assortment this year (represented on the charts as NA or not available) was also missing in 2014. The excep-tions were Kohl’s and JCPen-ney, which had no throws avail-able for last year’s survey.

There are always quirks of the promotional calendar to take into consideration. While JCPenney’s prices may seem on the high end for a middle-tier retailer, H&TT’s visit took place during a promotional event under which towels were buy one/get one free and bed-ding was offered with $25, $50 or $100 off depending upon the total purchase price.

To p - t i e r b a s k e t s w e r e almost universally higher than last year, but most often by low single digits. Bed Bath & Beyond’s and Family Dollar’s upper price point basket totals

were essentially flat year-over-year. Only Walmart had a top-of-the-line basket priced lower. What swung the change? Its best-priced blanket. Last year, it was an electrical warm-ing blanket from Sunbeam. This year, it was a simple poly direct-sourced from China.

Slightly more opening price point baskets were higher than last year; six were up and four were down. The biggest tight-ening took place at JCPenney, whose low-price basket tallied 11.2% down year-over-year. During H&TT’s 2014 visit, the retailer was shaking off the pre-vious year’s “Fair + Square” pricing policy and returning to higher full pricing so as to sweeten its discounts.

Several baskets in the survey showed a shift in suppliers this year. The changes were espe-cially heavy at Marshall’s (12) and Big Lots (8), likely a func-tion of the opportunistic nature that informs part of both retail-ers’ buying structures. H&TT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Suppliers Stand OutWhether by design or happenstance, more suppliers were identifiable in the

2015 survey compared to 2014. Here’s the list of suppliers new to retailers’ baskets this year.

BED BATH & BEYONDHallmart Comforter set, opening pptIndia Ink* Shower curtain, opening pptJQueen New York Comforter set, top pptRevere Mills Towels, opening pptSplash Home* Shower curtain, opening ppt

BIG LOTSBaltic Linen Shower curtain, top pptBiddeford Blankets Throw, opening ppt; blanket & throw, top pptE&E Co. Comforter, top pptKeeco Blanket, opening pptLoftex Hand towel & cloth, opening ppt; all towels, to pptNotra Trading Comforter set, opening pptSam Salem & Son Sheet set, top pptVictoria Classics Shower curtain, opening ppt

JCPENNEYBacova Guild Lotion pump, top pptBiddeford Blanket Blanket, top pptBIKM Holdings Comforter set, opening pptCarpet Art Deco Bath rug, top pptJQueen New York Comforter set, top pptMohawk Home Bath rug, opening pptShanghai Needlepoint Factory Quilt, top ppt

KMARTFranco Mfg. Throw**

KOHL’SCHF Bath rug, top pptInterdesign Soap dish, opening pptMohawk Home Bath rug, opening pptPeking Handicraft Shams, top pptSaturday Knight Shower curtain, opening ppt

MACY’SCroscill Soap dish, lotion pump & tissue box, opening pptE&E Co. Shams and dust ruffle, top ppt

MARSHALL’SAM Home Textiles Bath rug, top pptArabella Textiles Bath sheet**Berkshire Blanket Blanket, opening pptCaro Home Tissue box, top pptDWI Shams, top pptEnVogue Intl. Comforter set, opening pptIndigo Home Comforter set, top pptKassatex Bath & hand towels, cloth, opening pptNext in Home Sheet set, top pptNorthport Trading Throw, opening ppt & top pptSunham Home Fashions Bath & towels, cloth, top pptTrade Lines Bath rug, opening ppt

TARGETInterdesign Soap dish, opening ppt

WALMART1888 Mills All terry bath products, top pptMaples Bath rug, top ppt

* Two suppliers at the same price point** Only one price point available on that item in the store

MADE IN THE U.S.A.

The Made in America movement is picking up steam, in cut-and-sew, digital printing, logistics, warehouse and fulfillment. H&TT will have a special report on this big story in our July issue with special advertorial advertising opportunities you won’t want to miss. Your salesperson can give you all the details on a cost-efficient and sales-effective marketing plan for this special issue.

Space closes June 11.

Jeff Reeves, 336-554-5009, [email protected] McLoughlin, 917-934-2852, [email protected]

Ampersand MAY 2015 HOMEANDTEXTILESTODAY.COM

LIBBY LANGDON38

Libby LangdonThe interior designer, TV makeover celebrity and author is bringing her everyday style to different corners of the marketplace by expanding her branded line. At Walmart, she is among a curated group of designers with her own “inspiration shop” of décor pieces, including pillows, poufs, throws and rugs.

How do you define your personal style?I would say easy, elegant, everyday style. I think we can all have elegance in our lives, but it can still be practical enough for our everyday lifestyles. I believe you can have both.

What’s the last thing you bought for yourself that you really love?I bought a brightly colored and bold-patterned blouse from Lilly Pulitzer, and I adore all the colors and I feel so upbeat and cheery when I wear it.

What’s the thing you’d really love to buy next?I’d love to buy a snow blower. We’ve had the most insane winters in New York with so much snow and I hate not knowing if we’ll be able to get down our driveway if the plowing guy doesn’t show up.

What’s your oldest possession, something you would hate to part with?I have an antique desk that was my great grandmother’s and we use it as a console table in our entry hall, I would miss seeing that when we walk in. It probably goes without saying, but I would be beyond devastated if I didn’t have my wedding rings.

What’s something about you most people would be surprised to hear?I think most people have no idea that I’m a rabid New York Jets fan. I absolutely adore stopping everything on a Sunday afternoon, making a big tray of nachos and a margarita and plopping myself down in front of the TV for an afternoon of football. I don’t really watch too much TV, but when my Jets are on everything else gets put on the back burner.

What is your favorite place?Without a doubt, our home in Sag Harbor. It’s a place that’s synonymous with resting and relaxing to me. It’s where we live four days out of the week, and I literally start letting out deep breaths the second we enter the house.

What’s your favorite meal and where do you like to have it?My favorite meal is a grilled veal chop with a side of black truffle risotto and I like to have it at La Masseria, a restaurant I designed in New York City on West 48th Street. I hon-estly think it’s some of the most delicious food in the city, the service is amazing and I think the interior décor isn’t too shabby, either.

What are you currently reading, watching or checking out online?I’m currently reading back issues of House Beautiful and Traditional Home Magazine. I never read them when I get them. I have to wait for a free hour or so on a random Sunday and then I binge read five months worth of them at one time. My online time is mostly devoted to my social media, but I do really enjoy sourcing design ideas for clients and projects on Pinterest. It’s like a drug. You can get totally sucked into browsing gorgeous design images, and before you know it hours have passed.

If you hadn’t chosen the career you have, what would you have been instead?I actually had a few different careers before becoming an interior designer. But I think if I wasn’t in interior design now I would be a party planner or event organizer. But I certainly wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I love interior design. I feel like this is what I was put on the planet to do and I really enjoy all the different aspects of my business — the TV/media element, the product design/licensing and then working with my clients. I’m so lucky to truly love my job. H&TT

The home makeover celebrity is featured on HGTV’s Small Space Big Style, Food Network's The Rachael Ray Show, NBC's The Today Show and others.

Langdon’s branded home goods include upholstered furniture with Braxton Culler, here, along with area rugs by Tiger Rugs and her upcoming collection of lamps, accessories and accent furniture with Bradburn Gallery.

Frenchwoman Lemieux’s heart — at least half of it — belongs to Paris.

Game Time: Langdon calls herself a “rabid” New York Jets fan.

Langdon did the interior decorating for New York City's La Masseria res-taurant – her favorite dinner spot.

We’ve got your numbers… and we know what they’re telling

you about your business.

Call today for more ways Progressive Market Research

can make a difference in your business.

Smart Information. Smarter Business.

Predicting what your customers will buy or what they think about you can be tricky. Progressive Market Research takes out the guesswork enabling you to make smart, informed decisions. Now more than ever,

you need to know your customers…and what they want. We can custom tailor a research program centered around you and your business. And, with many options to choose from, custom research is now

more affordable than ever.

Give us a call and let’s work together building your business.

Warren [email protected]

917-934-2876––––––––––––

www.progressivebusinessmedia.com/research

RUGS PILLOWS THROWS WALL DECOR ACCENT FURNITURE LIGHTING BEDDING | ATLANTA DALLAS HIGH POINT LAS VEGAS NEW DELHI TORONTO | SURYA.COM

ACCESSORIES MADE EASYALL THE ACCESSORIES YOU WANT, ALL IN ONE PLACE

�e best selection of home accessories, creative merchandising solutions and unsurpassed sales

support—together in one showroom—to give you more ways to pro�t and inspire your success.

FIND INSPIRATION AT

SURYA.COM/LIFESTYLES

htt may 2015 issue

Business

bed bath

years harvest

verified pima cotton

home textiles today

bed database

pure pima cotton

us dollars us

bed report retail