Home Textiles
IHA Extends Invitation to Textile Suppliers to Attend The Inspired Home Show
The International Housewares Association (IHA) is inviting home textiles companies affected by the shifts in the New York market structure to visit its upcoming show next month.
The Inspired Home Show, previously known as the International Home + Housewares Show, is one of the largest trade shows in the home furnishings industry, featuring over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 51,000 attendees from over 130 countries, including the largest concentration of GMM-level retail executives of any home event in North America.
“In addition to the New York Textiles Market Weeks, many home textiles suppliers may be looking for a supplemental path to reach key retail buyers,” said Derek Miller, IHA President. “Our invitation to visit The Inspired Home Show is open to all textiles suppliers, not just those who have had showrooms in the 295 Fifth Avenue showroom building.”
The Inspired Home Show is being held at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center from March 14 – 17, and the open house for home textile suppliers is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, though companies are encouraged to visit whichever day is most convenient.
“Leaders from the textiles industry will gather at The Inspired Home Show to experience the event firsthand and to speak with Show management and the IHA board of directors,” said Miller. “IHA’s chairman this year is Chip Steidle, who is Chief Executive Officer of textiles company John Ritzenthaler, makers of Ritz home textiles products.”
The show features a full range of home and housewares categories and is now expanding to all major home textiles classifications, including bed, bath, window, table and kitchen and rugs, Miller said.
Additional information about the show can be found on the Show’s website, TheInspiredHomeShow.com or IHA’s website Housewares.org.
Pretty and Practical Tea Towels from KC
By Lorrie Baumann
Green Bee Tea Towels is a maker of hand-printed cotton tea towels owned by Rena Krouse. From her studio in Kansas City, Missouri, she and the four other members of her team have been putting out a line of functional, decorative cotton towels with a vintage feel for the past four and a half years. This year, she’s expanding the business with an aggressive sales strategy and a new showroom at the Dallas Trade Center.
“I like the idea of having practical decorations,” Krouse said. “I’m not big on knickknacks or things just lying around.”
Practicality for her products means that the tea towels are made of 100 percent cotton that Krouse imports from India and screen-prints in Kansas City with nontoxic, water-soluble inks. “They won’t peel or fade or crack,” she said. “They require no care at all. You can stain-treat, bleach or wash them however you would like.”
The company offers more than 100 designs in multiple color variations, all on a white background. Many of the designs have a vintage feel to them. “You can use them every day,” Krouse said. “They’re not a product that goes out of style, and they work as bathroom hand towels as well.”
With exponential growth in the past year, Green Bee Tea Towels now has distribution available throughout the U.S., and she’s hired several sales representatives and opened a showroom at the Dallas Trade Center where visitors to the Dallas markets can see and touch the towels for themselves. “I’m looking for showrooms and reps for the rest of the U.S.,” she said. “We’re growing as fast as we possibly can. The biggest challenge has been hanging on for the ride, keeping up with the demand and learning how to scale the business. It’s been eye-opening. There are so many things we thought we knew how to do, but this year’s increase in production has taken the business to a whole other level.”
Summer Market Treasure Hunt
By Lorrie Baumann
This summer’s gift and home markets offer a wealth of treasures waiting to be discovered. Dallas Total Home & Gift Market was held in June, so it’ll be over by the time you read this, and coming up next is The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, which will be held July 9-15 at AmericasMart, Atlanta, Georgia. Las Vegas Market will be held July 28-August 1 at the World Market Center in Las Vegas, and the NY NOW Home and Lifestyle Collections will be shown August 11-14 at Javits Center in New York City. We’ve done some advance scouting for products that will be coming out at these markets.
The Kitchen Collection from Calaisio, Inc.
Calaisio is offering three different sizes of Pillivuyt oven-to-table baking dishes, each with its own beautiful heat-resistant Calaisio carrier serving basket. The 1-quart casserole retails for $112, the 2-quart casserole for $140, and the 3-quart for $179. For more information, email sales@calaisio.com and see them at Las Vegas Market.
Artisan Hand-Loomed Cotton Table Runner
Arcadia Home will be showing its Artisan Hand-Loomed Cotton Table Runner in three colorways: Grey Dots, Gray Block Print and the Indigo that’s shown here. Gorgeous color, contemporary pattern, and the evidence of artisan’s hand combine to make this a conversation piece that feels special, fresh and elegant.
The runner is 18 inches by 96 inches, and each is handmade with design as unique as the artisan who creates it. The creation of this design involves spinning and weaving hand-dyed cotton using artisan techniques that have been passed down through generations. Hand-sewn kantha stitching is the finishing touch. The craftsmanship involved at each stage of hand-dying, hand-spinning, hand-looming, hand-cutting and hand-sewing ensures that every finished piece is truly one-of-a-kind.
It retails for $135. For more information, visit Arcadia Home at www.arcadiahomeinc.com, call 212.366.1836, email info@arcadiahomeinc.com or see the runners and more in the Arcadia Home showroom on floor C10 at Las Vegas Market.
COSTA NOVA Cook & Host Chip and Dip
Casafina will be showing new items from its COSTA NOVA Cook & Host collection this summer in C123 at the Las Vegas Market. The collection is offered in five colorways: white, cream, blue, red and gray with the Chip and Dip retailing for $16. For more information, call National Sales Manager Matt Hullfish at matth@casafinagifts.com or by calling 845.277.5700 or visit www.casafinagifts.com.
Soberdough Home-Baked Bread Mixes
Soberdough‘s Home-Baked Bread Mixes make all-natural home-baked bread simple. No baking skills are required – the mix makes an amazing bread just by adding beer and baking. There’s a variety of flavors and bread styles, including Herb & Olive Foccacia, Cheesy Garlic, Honey Wheat, Cinnamon Swirl, Cranberry Orange and Cinnful Raisin. The mixes retail for $8.95.
For more information, phone 615.775.3329, email wholesale@soberdough.com or visit www.soberdough.com. See them this summer at AmericasMart or in the TASTE showroom at Las Vegas Market.
Shaggies from JaneyLynn’s Designs
The one-of-a-kind Shaggie® is a cleaning cloth made from 100 percent cotton chenille that absorbs 10 times its own weight in wet messes and is machine washable for a multitude of uses. Designed for the kitchen, you can take the Shaggie indoors, outdoors, kitchen or bath – wherever a mess is found. This multi-purpose super wash cloth is naturally dual textured and is the perfect, strong yet gentle solution for dishes, washing windows and even scrubbing eggs. It also fits on a Swiffer for an eco-friendly alternative to their disposable sheets.
Shaggies are 10 inches square and available in 16 colors. They retail for $7.99 for a pair. For more information, visit www.janeylynns.com or call 888.608.5336. See Shaggies in Atlanta in B1-9-E1 or in Las Vegas at C112KK.
Bottoms Up Wine Bottle Holder from Sea Stones
Sea Stones‘ playful Bottoms Up Wine Bottle Holder is designed with purpose and beauty in mind. Handcrafted from recycled granite, hand-formed helical aluminum rods and select New England beach stones, each holder securely embraces three bottles of wine. The whimsical twists hold each bottle inverted to keep corks moist and expanded, protecting and preserving the wine.
The recycled granite base is handmade with two special processes that first give each base an organic, chiseled edge, then smooth and finish the rough granite. The rods are topped with a hand-collected New England beach stone for a dash of style. The compact design makes an eye-catching display on the table or sideboard, and soft feet protect against scratches. The Bottoms Up Wine Bottle Holder retails for $49.
For more information, call 206.202.1092, email info@sea-stones.com, visit www.sea-stones.com or see it in the American Made Collective booth at either AmericasMart (799) or Las Vegas Market (C-1106).
Rae Dunn STEM Print Measuring Cups and Spoons
The STEM print by Rae Dunn brings her classic handwriting back with a new, bold font. Rae’s classic stoneware measuring cups and spoons are now in black and white. They’re food safe and dishwasher safe, but the metal parts are not safe in the microwave. Available from Magenta, the cups retail for $41.50, and the spoons retail for $34 for the sets. For more information, contact Kim Elizade by calling 510.849.3888 or emailing info@magenta-inc.com, visit www.magenta-inc.com or see them in the Magenta showroom in Building C at Las Vegas Market.
Shell Mosaic Bar Set and Cocktail Shaker
Be Home will be exhibiting on the 10th floor of Building 1 at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, and you’ll be able to see this Shell Mosaic Bar Set and Cocktail Shaker there along with an array of other tabletop items that highlight the earthy tones of natural woods and stone alongside the glitter and sparkle of shining metallics and recycled glass. Visit in Atlanta July 9-15 or contact Be Home by calling 510.848.5060 or emailing orders@behome.com. For further information, see www.behome.com.
Cracker Barrel Adds Home Goods Line
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and Country Living magazine have announced the launch of a licensed home goods and apparel collection, available exclusively at Cracker Barrel locations nationwide and online. Starting December 20, the line of products will be available at all Cracker Barrel locations, just in time for last-minute holiday shopping and to kick off the new year.
The collection features unique products including rustic home décor, kitchenware, exclusive apparel and accessories and toys for pets. The collection, which includes more than 80 items, has a modern farmhouse feel.
“The Cracker Barrel and Country Living brands are rooted in creating inviting and comfortable environments that focus on family and friends,” said Laura Daily, senior vice president of retail for Cracker Barrel. “Together we have designed an assortment that we hope our guests and Country Living readers find to be a timeless and beautiful addition to any home.”
The collection, created and designed by Cracker Barrel and Country Living, features items that appeal to every guest and ranges in price from $0.99 to $149.99. More information is available online at shop.crackerbarrel.com.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. offers guests homestyle food and unique shopping – all at a fair price. By creating a world filled with hospitality and charm through an experience that combines dining and shopping, guests are cared for like family. Established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn., Cracker Barrel and its affiliates operate 657 company-owned Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations in 45 states and own the fast-casual Holler and Dash® restaurants. For more information about the company, visit crackerbarrel.com.
Country Living is a shelter-lifestyle magazine focusing on a variety of topics including decorating, antiques, cooking, travel, remodeling and gardening. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Country Living publishes a United Kingdom edition.
Merchandising for Gift Sales
By Micah Cheek
Jill Foucré, Owner of Marcel’s Culinary Experience, has a tried-and-true strategy for last-minute gift sales. She has arranged the front of her store to be accessible to customers running in for a quick hostess gift or holiday item. “We do a ton of walking in and not knowing what [they’re] looking for,” says Foucré. “We have an array of products that cover an array of price points. If you come in and say, ‘I want to do something super special,’ we can cover that too.”
Marcel’s specializes in arranging little collections of two or three items arranged by theme. A food product like artisan dried pasta or a spice blend can make a nice centerpiece for some small items. “I love really great quality food products, [like] a really nice olive oil. Not so much a bottle of wine, but something I would cook with. Something you wouldn’t buy for yourself,” says Foucré. “We also have things like salt boxes – we’ll do that with a nice salt, or a mill. We have a lot of cocktail accessories, and we’ve got some really fantastic bitters that we can build into a cocktail thing.”
For folks who don’t know what they are looking for, Foucré recommends having some go-to items to recommend. “One of the things we always tell our staff is, ‘Always have three or four things in mind.’ I don’t want the staff there hemming and hawing. Because we carry a lot of local artists and food, we really try to be unique,” says Foucré. Handmade or unusual items are good suggestions, because it lowers the chance of the gift receiver getting multiples of the same gift. Handmade serveware has that individual look, and also makes itself a handy container for other items. “We carry a lot of different ceramic bowls – some of them are dipping dishes, some of them are ice cream bowl-sized – and we do tons of stuff with those. We’ll take a bowl, we’ll put in maybe a salt or herb blend and an olive oil, or something like that. Those tend to be very popular,” says Foucré. “The vessel will be part of what they bought. It they’re doing a baking thing, a glass bowl becomes part of the gift.” Bowls from ceramic companies like Carmel Ceramica can make a statement. Inspired by the beautiful gardens seen over Carmel, their porcelain Flower Garden collection has a hand-carved design and is safe for use in both dishwashers and microwaves.
Having a range of seasonal items available is an easy way to supply this need during the holiday season. “I love seasonal things. I love the things that you put away and bring out again,” says Foucré. “We generally have a very good selection of seasonal home décor things.” Even seasonal items aren’t needed, something printed with a statement shows that the consumer put some thought into what the receiver likes. “We have a lot of kitchen towels that aren’t seasonal,” says Foucré. “ellembee, they do towels with saying on them, and we sell literally hundreds of those. When you’re going to your book group and want to bring a little something, they’re great and a little irreverent.”
Candles on their own can seem like bland gifts, but a little something extra can make them special. “We sell a lot of scented candles in jars. We have them from a company called Lasco, Detroit Rose, we have a lot of different kinds that are great for hostess gifts,” says Foucré. “They can be a standalone, and we have a lot of fun matches we can sell them. Skeem [Design] sells some pretty matches in jars, we almost always will sell them.” Skeem Designs has matches in multiple colors and designs, packaged in tins and jars with different symbols and sayings on them. Some sets even have lines of poetry printed on the individual match sticks.
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