Home Textiles Today - December 22, 2003

With consumers apparently holding out for holiday bargains, American retailers hit the 'soft middle' of the Christmas season during the second week of December, with traffic slowing and same-store sales lagging behind plan, the Redbook Retail Sales Average reported. Easing off somewhat from the prior week, same-store sales inched up by 3.

• Business Today
• Business briefs
• Pier 1's profit wave slows a bit
• Expanding base drives Family Dollar
• Business briefs
• Big box bucks retail trend with sky-high performance

• News
• Hollander, Kilbride join HFPA board
• Rug briefs
• Home store influence across Costco
• Filament showcases new Micromattique
• With hours remaining, holiday hopes flicker
• HFPA declares new date for '05 market
• Aussino buys stake in Hardy
• Winter blues at Pier 1
• BBB eyes doubling base
• Ad campaign targets Carpenter brands
• Retail briefs
• Haywin gets a new attitude
• Lowered expectations from Family Dollar

• Opinion Today
• The year ahead I: Marriage and divorce
• The year ahead II: Waiting for the wreck

• People Today
• Aussino USA hires Del Gaizo as designer
• Home & Harmony snags Pillowtex veteran
• Stair takes over sales and marketing
• Connery named vp at Comfortex
• Coughlin comes home