Jennifer Marks

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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

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That's how it's Done

Late in the afternoon on opening day of Heimtextil last week, the gentleman to my right and I were ambling through Hall 11 when we heard a thumping bass and noticed a throng of people pressing their way into the Vossen booth.The prominent German terry towel brand was throwing a fashion show. And it wasn't simply a matter of pretty young women (and one extremely fit young man) marching around in to... More

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Diving into 2013

Now the busy season begins - the trade shows, the spring retail resets, the year-end financial results.The coming four months offer a number of events that bear watching.1. The debt ceiling fight in Congress. A brief tumble over the "fiscal cliff" was resolved last week, but now the federal legislature is gearing up for another debt ceiling fight. Will Congress vote to pay for expenses i... More

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The Hasbro Model

There were a number of interesting presentations during Lenzing's celebration of the 20th anniversary of its Tencel fiber earlier this month in New Orleans. As far as consumers were concerned - understanding what's important to them and creating products and marketing that appeals to them - the focus was very much on Millennials, who are roughly between 13 and 29 years old. And the remark that rea... More