Jennifer Marks

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Make New Friends But Keep the Old

One of the most remarkable aspects of the last New York Home Fashions Market was the pronounced pivot away from the Boomer customer toward the Millennials. I wonder if this week we might see some retrenchment.I'm not expecting a comeback of capital-T "Traditional" so much as attempts to reinterpret the form.One supplier told me last week her company's customers have been asking: "W... More

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Fresh Air

Everybody expected JCPenney's fourth-quarter and fiscal year numbers to stink, and they did. Nonetheless, an interesting tidbit emerged from ceo Ron Johnson's Feb. 27 webcast following the release of those results.On the subject of the shopper JCP has (Boomer) vs. the one it wants (Millennial) and the potential impact of new brand rollouts, Johnson told analysts that Liz Claiborne is the retailer'... More

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There’s Something About Martha

As opening arguments began last week in Macy's lawsuit against Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and JCPenney, associates in JCP stores were already setting up portions of the new home department that was originally to be anchored by a 20,000-square-foot Martha Stewart shop-in-shop.Through a variety of newspaper reports on both projects, a few details have come to light.For the time being, it appear... More

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Renaissance?

Despite the impact of JCPenney's overhaul, despite the sluggish pace of economic expansion and despite the slow recovery of the job market, a few signs point to the possibility of a fairly decent year for home furnishings sales.Start with the Jan. 17 report from the Commerce Department that found 2012 was the best year for residential construction since the onset of the housing crisis in late 2006... More

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Heimtextil in Hindsight

Holiday 2012 sales may have fallen a bit short of expectations (up 3.0% versus an expected gain of 4.1%), but at the Heimtextil international home textiles show in early January, most suppliers I talked to believe 2013 will bring opportunities for growth.Not big, game-changing growth to be sure. But most said they expect the U.S. economy to steadily improve - with consumer spending rising in tande... More