Home Alone 3
Warren Shoulberg, editorial director for HTT, always seems to have something to say about things.
The Tracks of My Tiers
There was this tractor trailer you used to be able to see in a parking lot that the train passed every morning. On the side of the trailer was the name of the store - long gone even back then - and below it the slogan, "America's Favorite Junior Department Store."I always wondered what most of the riders on that commuter train used to make of that slogan. A hundred out of a hundred of th... Read More
Comments (5)Of Twinkies and Brownies
If any of us ever needed yet another reminder of the fragility of business in general and brand names in particular, there were two more very visible - and very painful - examples over the past few weeks.Both are case studies of what happens when bad things happen to good brands.The first was the bankruptcy filing last month of Hostess Brands, the company that makes Twinkies, among other baked goo... Read More
Comments (7)Dear Asian Suppliers,
Jingoism is defined as extreme patriotism bordering on the chauvinistic. It's not something many people would accuse me of and it's not the card I'm trying to play here: Just wanted to get that out front as a disclaimer.That said, let me say it as simply and clearly as I can: Asian suppliers who are turning their back on the American market are making a big mistake. Huge.Yeah, I know all about the... Read More
Comments (6)A Baker's Dozen for '12
So, it's a new year and while the ceremonial turning of the calendar page is a momentous occasion, the realities of 2012 are very much like the ones we dealt with last year.That said, there are several notable situations that will come to pass this year and so, in some particular order, here's a Baker's Dozen worth of things to be on the lookout for in 2012.1. Surfs Up for Ron Jon. It's all about... Read More
Comments (1)Presents of Mine
Well, textiles fans, it's naughty-and-nice time again. Seems like only yesterday we were shopping for our yuletide favorites to pick out just the perfect little bauble for the perfect - and not-so-perfect - of the home textiles industry.And yet, in the blink of a cotton future, we are back here once more trying to sort out the year and make our shopping selections.If you are new to this feature, t... Read More
Comments (0)Drop 'Til They Shop
As you read this, Black Friday will be but a distant gray memory, replaced by all manner of promotional flimflam and merchandising larceny that would make P.T. Barnum blush. What with Cyber Monday and First-Week-of-December Deals and Terrific Tuesday (watch for it, it's coming), the hysteria surrounding the days after Thanksgiving seem like so-11-days ago.It sure was something, though, wasn't it?... Read More
Comments (1)Feeding Frenzy
You can't blame the retailers. Business remains tough, though when you look at monthly retail sales they are not nearly as bad as other parts of the overall economy. One could even make the argument that stores are holding up better than most other segments of American business. Certainly, they are nowhere near as bad as housing or other industries.And you can'tblame the consumers. They are just t... Read More
Comments (3)It's Amazon, Stupid
Allow me to be the first to congratulate the home textiles industry on finally recognizing the impact that Amazon is having on the business.Forgive me, but, duh, what took you so long?Amazon went live on the web in 1995 - that's 16 years ago, but who's counting? - and even if the first five or so years were pretty much under the radar, it's been a good decade since they have become a game-changer... Read More
Comments (1)Holding Sears Holding
OK, enough's enough. After yet another round of news stories and commentary about what's wrong at Sears and how the end is coming and, hey, why can't they be the way they used to be, or at least the way others think they should be: After all of that, I can't take it anymore. What part of cash flow management don't you all get? While just about everyone laments about the coming demise of Sears Hold... Read More
Comments (10)S'more
So, another market week is over and the home textiles industry is feeling pretty good about things, dare we say even a bit smug. Sure, business is still tough and margins remain as squeezed as an overused, near-dead tube of Crest.But the cotton crisis seems to have subsided, or at least it's stepped down from Defcom 5 levels and most companies have figured out how to bob and weave when it comes to... Read More
Comments (2)Missonigate
Excuse me, but I always thought the idea of the whole thing WAS to sell out as much merchandise as possible. Did I miss something?Perhaps I have gotten cynical (perhaps?), but the entire brouhaha around Target's Missoni program is making me crazy.With the possible - and I say possible - exception of its website crashing for an inordinately long period of time, I think Target got exactly what it wa... Read More
Comments (3)Something to talk about
OK, so the industry is back in town for the fall market week and there will be the usual conversations about cotton prices, thread counts, exclusive merchandise and all the other topics that are so near and dear to buyers and sellers of home textiles.Somewhere, people may even talk about the product.But there will be one conversation largely absent at market and the desperate need for it to be dis... Read More
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