Top Stories

• ForecastIQ expects comps to improve in BTS season
  
  HTT Staff, July 28, 2010
  Columbus, Ohio - Back-to-school sales are expected to show a year-over-year increase, with same-store sales for select youth and value-oriented retailers benefiting most.
  
• WONZ recruits seven retailers to new advisory council
  
  HTT Staff, July 28, 2010
  Marietta, Ga. - Wools of New Zealand has recruited seven wool carpet retailers to form its Premier Partner Advisory Council.
  
• Blissliving Home debuts table linens
  
  HTT Staff, July 28, 2010
  Rockville, Md. - Blissliving Home launched its first table linens collection at the Atlanta Market last week.
  
• Safavieh launches  first-ever kids rug line in Vegas
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 28, 2010
  Port Washington, N.Y. - High-end area rug house Safavieh debuted its collection of area and accent rugs for children's and pre-teens' rooms at the Las Vegas Market.
  
• Duckwall-ALCO president and ceo, Wilson, to join board of directors
  
  HTT Staff, July 28, 2010
  Abilene, Kan. - Duckwall-ALCO Stores announced that president and ceo Rich Wilson has joined the company's board of directors.
  
• Iconix Brands' Fieldcrest lagged despite record results in Q2
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 27, 2010
  New York - Iconix Brand Group Inc. had a "record" second quarter, ringing a 35% increase in total revenue and a 25% gain in net income over the prior year, despite sales slowness for its Fieldcrest home products at Target.
  
• Elrene taps Mahon to vp of sales, Pellegrino to stylist of window division
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 27, 2010
  New York - Table linens, kitchen textiles and soft window treatment house Elrene Home Fashions has recently expanded its sales and design teams with two new hires.
  
• Roger Gant Jr., 86
  
  HTT Staff, July 27, 2010
  Glen Raven, N.C. - Former Glen Raven president Roger Gant Jr. has died at age 86.
  
• Surtex to expand in 2011
  
  HTT Staff, July 27, 2010
  White Plains, N.Y. - Surtex, the annual New York trade fair for surface design, will expand next year from nearly 250 exhibitors to 300, according to show manager GLM.
  
• Changing of the guard at Oeko-Tex
  
  HTT Staff, July 27, 2010
  Greensboro, N.C. - Jean-Pierre Haug has become the new secretary general of eco-friendly certification organization Oeko-Tex upon the retirement of Raimar Freitag.
  
• Surya moves into larger showroom in Las Vegas
  
  HTT Staff, July 27, 2010
  Calhoun, Ga. - Surya Inc., supplier of accent and area rugs and coordinating accessories, has moved into a new showroom that is more than double the size of its former space at the Las Vegas World Market Center.
  
• Vegas readies for market
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 26, 2010
  Las Vegas - Sensing an uptick in the earlier of the summer markets, home textiles exhibitors at the Las Vegas Market, Gift + Home and Vegas Kids shows here next week are hoping the mood carries over.
  
• Family Dollar to offer Western Union money transfers
  
  HTT Staff, July 26, 2010
  Englewood, Colo. - Family Dollar and Western Union have agreed to create an in-lane money transfer service at the retailer's 6,500 locations.
  
• Surya taps Tyus as new director of marketing 
  
  HTT Staff, July 26, 2010
  Calhoun, Ga. - Area and accent rug and home accessories house Surya Inc. has hired Stephanie Tyus as its new director of marketing.
  
• Target taps Zabel to head government affairs
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 23, 2010
  Minneapolis -- Target Corporation has brought on board Matt Zabel as the discount department store chain's vp, government affairs.
  
• 230 Fifth hires Aloisi as new creative marketing director
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 23, 2010

  New York - Home furnishings showroom hub 230 Fifth Avenue has hired Matthew Aloisi to take over the creative marketing director post.

  
  
• Bigresearch said shoppers not seeing economic recovery this summer
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 23, 2010
  Columbus, Ohio - It looks like the confidence consumers felt closer to the beginning of this year has begun to wane this summer, as consumer research firm Bigresearch recently discovered.
  
• NYIGF creates Scholarship fund in honor of Carol Sedestrom Ross
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 23, 2010
  White Plains, N.Y. - The New York International Gift Fair 2010 is launching its first annual "Carol Sedestrom Ross Maker-to-Market" Scholarship to honor each year two emerging artisans displaying the greatest potential for success in the wholesale craft arena.
  
• Hollander, Homedics ink licensing partnership for basic bedding line
  
  Home Textiles Today Staff, July 23, 2010
  Boca Raton, Fla. - Utility bedding manufacturer Hollander Home Fashions has partnered with personal care products company Homedics for a new and exclusive line of basic bedding products.
  
• Pine Cone Hill now selling direct to consumers
  
  HTT Staff, July 22, 2010
  Pittsfield, Mass. - Pine Cone Hill has launched into ecommerce at pineconehill.com.