Home Textiles Today - April 26, 2004

With sales soaring by more than a fourth, and at the same time building margins and cutting costs, Mohawk Industries Inc. drove first quarter profits up a heady 59.2 percent, to $431.6 million from $66.3 million last year. Racing along a fast track, and helped by a booming flooring industry and its Lees Carpet acquisition, Mohawk drove sales in the opening quarter up 28.

• Business Today
• Same-store sales slow in second week
• Quaker profits up, but sales down
• Change at LNT shreds profits
• Charge causes big loss at Sears
• Dan River profits evaporate into air

• News
• Penney thinks outside of the box with new stores
• Research firm ranks retailers' online performance
• Cotton finds a new look
• Claiborne launches line of bath towels
• Jo-Ann and Liz find success together
• Quilt sales soften as techniques migrate to bedding
• Pendleton pitches pooches
• Hometex provides new venue
• HFPA ready to play through in June
• Market briefs
• At Penney, Cowie is the wedding planner
• PHI continues bedding evolution
• Retail briefs
• Bedding is big at LNT
• Fortunoff: We're not for sale
• JCPenney goes its own way
• Pacific Coast Feather unveils new technology
• Custom to take part in Madden launch
• Tuesday Morning targets mom and daughter

• Opinion Today
• The most wonderful time of year
• None of your business

• People Today
• Corso takes helm at Cotton Line
• New marketing exec at Colonial Williamsburg
• Midwest Living chooses Seymour
• Walker to oversee Shanghai
• Avonhome creates director of national accounts
• Kelley moves to furniture, joins Sterling Industries

• Special Report
• Countdown India
• India eyes U.S. market