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Week of June 27, 2008

Hello. This week in home décor:

A product we like

We've always admired the mirrors, frames and other decorative accessories designed by Kenneth Wingard. He has a fresh, contemporary point of view. His Bonju wall sculpture is hand-sculpted and -welded from brass wire and finished with an antique patina. It measures 64 inches across.

Log on to Find It!® for pricing and other details about this product, and to see more wall décor, as well as furniture, lamps, rugs, and other categories.

Must reading for online retailers

La-Z-Boy president and ceo Kurt Darrow used search-engine optimization and marketing to increase website traffic by more than 35% and to capture more registrations. At Search Engine Watch, Kevin Heisler writes: "Consumers are looking for more than Flash animations and pretty pictures. Online retail consumers want value. They want information on the products they're researching."

He quotes Darrow: "We are implementing tools that will encourage our customers online to provide us with their contact information enabling us to regularly send them information on La-Z-Boy products, services, and sales via e-mail."

Read more about La-Z-Boy's experiences and those of others here.

Companies

The Gerson Cos. acquired the assets of Gracious Goods, a tabletop, dinnerware, and home accessories design and import company. Gerson, which markets the Mary Carol Home Collection brand, also offers seasonal, gift, home décor, floral, fashion accessories and novelty impulse items to multi-channel retailers.

Among the recipients of the 36th Annual FiFi Awards by The Fragrance Foundation are: Bloomingdale's (retailer of the year) and Gump's San Francisco Home Collection (interior scent of the year).

Four-year-old bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy, a shop in New York's Hudson Valley, launches an e-commerce web site on July 2.

Chiasso, the Chicago-based retailer (with website and catalog), seeks entries to its third annual contest showing how customers use its products.

Danielson Designs won a Stevie Award in the category "Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program" (companies with less than 100 employees).

Home décor people

Tom Mitchell, formerly with Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.'s High Point office, has been named president and ceo of the International Home Furnishings Center, effective July 14. MMPI appointed Tim McGee senior vp and general manager of its High Point office. At MMPI's LA Mart, Frank Joens was promoted to vp, leasing and sales. Jim Nahin was promoted to vp, design center leasing.

Cap Hendrix has been named ceo of Tropitone Furniture Co., succeeding Michael Echolds, who will now serve as a strategic advisor.

George Little Management named Christian Falkenberg the manager of its New York International Gift Fair. Danielle Johnson and Liz Beauregard have been promoted to sales managers of the At Home and the Handmade divisions, respectively.

Gift source Dicksons promoted Steve Vandivier to executive vp.

Su Hilty, the adventure-seeking marketing director of market center 7 W New York, trekked to the the steppes of Mongolia. She is pictured with Dodi, the daughter of the horseman who led the tour.

After completing the week-long, 250-mile Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure last week, I felt like I had acquired a Paris education—sore-buns. Pictures here.

Home Décor Buyer contributing editor Debra Prinzig has written "Stylish Sheds And Elegant Hideaways, Big Ideas For Small Backyard Destinations" (Clarkson Potter/Publishers).

Birthday greetings to: Moe's Home always-gracious Glenda Ray (July 3), retail scout Mary Gannon (July 4), In Detail's delightful Kim Pettigrew (July 18), the attentive Julie Heideman (July 21), yachtsman Eric Merz (July 25), former Marine and now co-owner of Atrium Foliage Bob Albright (July 27) and colorful-furniture maker Lauren Russell (July 31).

Datebook

Don't forget to nominate a retailer or vendor for an ARTS award. The deadline is June 30. Find the forms online.

The hamster-wheel of summer markets has started to turn, and by July it will be rolling non-stop into August:

• Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, July 8 to 16.
• Los Angeles Gift & Home Furnishings Market, July 15 to 21.
• The Chicago Market: Living & Giving, July 17 to 23.
• California Gift Show (Los Angeles), July 18 to 21.
• Philadelphia Gift Show, July 20 to 23.
• San Francisco International Gift Fair, July 26 to 29.
• Las Vegas Market, July 28 to Aug. 1.

See more shows and download our calendar at Datebook.

That's all, folks

In the summer of 1999, I joined Hoyt Publishing Co. to help it launch a new magazine in the field of decorative accessories. We published the first issue of Home Décor Buyer in April 2000, and since then we produced 84 more, thanks to the efforts of staff editors Ann Sullivan, Michelle Clark, Natalie Hammer, Riki Altman, Christine Tyler and Ashley Trent, art director Sonja Lundquist, and an able stable of freelance writers. The July 2008 edition is our last.

This weekly comminiqué, which I've been writing since Jan. 12, 2007, is my final effort. The Find It! website will remain live at least through July 31.

I've moved over to the company's In-Store Marketing Institute to write about national retailers and national brands.

I thank you for reading this (and not applying the spam filter!) every Friday morning. I've learned a lot about home décor retailing by attending markets, talking with vendors and visiting retailers. You gave me a first-rate education. Thank you.

So, that’s it for the week, month and year.
Buy-Buy.
And goodbye.

Jim Carper
Home Décor Buyer