Home Textiles Today - December 17, 2007

By proposing an all-cash bid of $6.75 per share in its acquisition move on home furnishings specialty retailer Restoration Hardware, merchandising conglomerate Sears Holdings surpassed the approximately $260 million merger bid made Nov. 8 by investment firm Catterton Partners.

• Business Today
• Wynnefield Wants Crown Crafts Board Shakeup
• Soft Home Strong at Big Lots
• Martha Stewart Drives to Bridge $45 Million Gap
• November Sales Flare, Then Fade
• December Comps Start Slow but Solid

• News
• Gottschalks Losses Widen, Analyzing Real Estate
• Showtime Solid, Not Sensational
• Services Held for Springs Exec Rick Canter
• Abouchar Laid to Rest in N.J.
• Decosit HKG Show Canceled
• Retail Briefs
• Online Retailers Less than Excellent
• Pacific Coast Feather Co-chairman Hanauer Dies
• JLA Rugs Widens Holiday Line
• CH Designs Opens Retail Showroom
• Sew-Rite Opens U.S. Division
• Blue Iris Pantone Color of 2008
• Heimtextil Offers 'More' than Ever
• Angela Adams Sunbrella Design Wins ID Award
• Falling Margins Spawn Red Ink at Belk
• Changing of the Designer Guard at Venus
• Holiday Spending in the Final Stretch
• Mervyns Seeks New Exec
• Cost Plus Loses More but Beats Plan
• Company C Donates Rugs
• Bed Bath & Beyond Debuts in Canada
• AmericasMart Adds, Expands Showrooms
• The Rug Market Closes Atlanta Showroom
• Outlast Offers Comfort Ratings

• Opinion Today
• Do Not Recycle This Checklist
• Does Talking Back Pay Off?

• People Today
• Flynn Joins S. Lichtenberg
• Trendease in Heimtextil Deal
• Karastan Toasts Billion-Dollar Bill
• QVC Taps Wal-Mart Exec Watts
• Iconix Adds D'Angelo, Three Other Execs
• Under the Canopy Names CEO
• Mayor Issues Market Proclamation
• Perfect Fit Names Torres to Product Post