Jennifer Marks

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Fingers Crossed

To say the mood at Heimtextil earlier this month was upbeat would be stretching things, but it was definitely hopeful. Where the 2011 business mantra was: "A flat year will qualify as a good year," at the recent show I detected a sense that the coming 12 months might actually produce some growth, however modest. Several manufacturers are expanding capacity again - even as many acknowledg... More

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Here We Go

Evites went out last week for JCPenney's annual presentation to analysts - the event at which new ceo Ron Johnson has promised to lay out his vision for the company.The minimalistic invitation itself signaled a break in style. It featured a powder blue sky dappled with a few cumulus clouds and the words: "in praise of fresh air ... click here."The click-through leads to the same image an... More

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Crazy Train

No, that's not a reference to Kim Kardashians' marital merry-go-round. I'm talking about the axiom that defines "crazy" as pursuing the same action over and over again expecting to derive different results. That appears to loom ahead in the retail world as several players talk up a return to accelerated store openings.Surely the nation's rising online sales figures and the raft of hallow... More

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Wonderland

I've heard people in the industry talk about Dior Rose sheets for years, but I'd never laid eyes on the pattern until we went looking for artwork for this issue's story about the top sheet patterns - or what I've been calling internally "The Best Sheets Evah."The mighty Google led me to Etsy.com, an online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods. As with eBay, one has only to register... More

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Did Midnight Matter?

The first set of numbers are in and the verdict on this year's extra early Black Friday store openings is ... mixed.JCPenney, which saw its November comps dip 2%, placed the blame squarely on its decision not to open stores until 4 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, adding: "Sales remained soft in-store throughout the holiday weekend."A note to JCPenney store associates: Plan to eat you... More