Home Textiles Today - January 12, 2004

With the area rug industry optimistic for the new year, buyers are headed to Atlanta International Area Rug market this week in the mood to shop, although none intend to break the bank. After a fourth quarter of lean inventories, merchants plan to restock judiciously with specific looks, mainly transitional and contemporary.

• Business Today
• Housing market may be fading
• Kmart stock soaring on reports of profit
• Dillard's Inc. sees implied rating drop
• Retailers buoyed by after-Christmas rush
• Ending with a bang, retail sales just miss goal

• News
• Smith gets new post
• Capelli taps Gallion to lead new home fashions division
• Times are-a-changin' at Showtime
• Mohawk creates new post
• Changing of the guard at Dan River
• PakTex targets hip consumers
• Croscill consolidates its plants
• Guerra joins HTT staff
• Wearbest taps Notero as vp sales/marketing
• Seymour's line takes uptown train
• Ingeo spreads out at Heimtextil
• Elite eight meet to discuss the future
• Newcomer Softline lets brothers thrive together
• Tracy outlines Li & Fung's challenges
• ShanghaiMart sets new course
• Heir apparent named at Michaels
• With Rosenfeld's retirement, Lee takes reins
• Orian hires execs to manage expansion
• Kaplan made pres. of Portfolio
• Keryk new vp at Victoria
• Divatex branches out from just sourcing
• Royal Velvet licenses name to Li & Fung
• Retail briefs

• Opinion Today
• The industry in a nutshell
• Storm clouds on the horizon

• People Today
• Longtime Hollander exec resigns
• Windham names Statuto vp
• Stanton executives move up
• Tweel opens year with new digs

• Special Report
• Rug Report: 2004
• Shrinking rugs helping sales
• Rug Show Preview
• What's new at the Atlanta Rug Show
• Supplier Giants
• A year of change for Top 5 players
• Sales on the rise, but there's a catch