June 30, 2010

The summer is a busy time here at HomeConcept.

We have our big tent sale at the end of June (starts 6/23 at 10:00am- shameless plug) to make room in the store for new goods. Then we get ready to shop the fall trade shows to find the newest looks at great prices to bring in things for the fall. I am making my notes now for my shopping trips to the markets and wanted to get some suggestions from our best source for what is happening in Madison (our customers).

What kinds of items do you think you will be looking for in the next few months and is there anything you have been looking for but have not been able to find? I am shopping hard over the next few months. If it is out in the market at a good price- I will probably come across it. But what I think is hot and hip may not always be what you have been hunting for. So let me know and shoot me a note at mark@lampsusa.com. I can’t be the personal shopper to Madison, but let me include your thoughts into my wish list. Describe what you have been looking for and what you think you would pay for it and let me see what I can do! We are always looking for new vendors and new concepts that we don't carry now, so don't be afraid to stretch a little if it is something you are really have been working hard to find but have not seen it in our store or anywhere else.

Come help us clear out some of our one-of-a kinds and floor models at our tent sale this week and then give me your thoughts about what I should be looking for on our upcoming market trips.

I would love to write more but I still have a ton of things to get ready for the TENT SALE. So happy shopping and I will see you when the big tents go up and the prices come down!

March 30, 2010

Las Vegas Secrets Revealed!

• Ashley unveiled some hot new office collections due out this fall. They have one group in a dark oak that just shouts Wisconsin and another is a faux marble finished group that is sure to be a hit. I will tell you more about those pieces as information becomes available.

• We needed something to spice up our furniture look and we have two new groups coming from a new vendor, called Linon, which just hit the sale floor. There is a really awesome group with bamboo inserts and another in a Mission style that will add excitement and fit in most homes in our market.

• For our HCV2 area (16-30 year old concept shop in our store) we have a program coming from Office Star Products in desks, chairs, and a lap top stand in a wide range of colors. This is sure to excite the student in your family and it really adds a splash of color to their room or study area.

• More products are arriving every week, with new items coming in every department. In the next two weeks we have two new giftware companies hitting our sales floor as well as adding new hardwire overhead fixtures from Jeremiah and Maxim.

There is always so much to see at Home Concept and we are making more changes to bring you the freshest looks and greatest values. If you have not been in our store in a while you owe it to yourself to come visit us soon!

Don’t forget to ask for your free cookie and take your time browsing, there is so much new to see you are going to want to make sure you shop every inch to find the best deals and hottest new items!

Shopping should be more about Inspiration than Desperation! Find just the right item to finish that corner of your room. Pick that certain piece of art for that wall you have been staring at for so long that you have been meaning to fill. Don’t shop just because company is coming for the holiday and you need to find something to splash some color in your family room. Shop at Home Concept and find an item that you can’t live without and then know you got the best price in the area on just the right piece for your home.

Mark

February 14, 2010

THE BEST TRADE SHOW EVER!

In January, we went to Dallas for the Lighting and Gift Market. That is where most of the lighting companies in the U.S. and a ton of gift companies come to show their products.
I have been a buyer for a long time and gone to over a 100 trade shows, but this was the most productive one I have ever attended.

Not only were the vendors optimistic about sales this year, but most all of them had done their homework. They really focused inward and poured a lot of thought and time into planning the new products for this show. Each company is focusing harder than ever on what they’re known for and positioning themselves for the future. What this means is a
lot of changes are happening here at Home Concept; new lighting, new lamps, new furniture, and new home décor. New products are arriving weekly and there will be even more over the next few months. Here are the highlights:

BRAND NEW VENDORS
We are still working out the details but it looks like we will be adding two new lighting suppliers and at least one lamp line. This will mean some fresh hot looks and some great values that are sure to be a hit.

OUTDOOR LIGHTING SHINES
With our new vendor additions- we will be expanding our outdoor lighting selection. We will be focusing on some new materials that will have finishes that last even longer. You have told us you like Mission Style lanterns and we will be adding more to our line up as well as some new decorator inspired pieces.

DRUM SHADES ARE BOOMING
The biggest trend at the show in lighting had to be drum shade pendants. This had been coming on for a few years, but now the retails are coming down to a price point that makes them attractive not only for their looks- but their price as well. In the next few months we will be rolling in a new drum pendant program with EIGHT colors choices in two sizes.

The new products keep coming as we are also making plans to bring in a mix and match chandelier program. This will let you take some great priced chandeliers and customize them with a rainbow of color options. This will let you put even more of your touch, your style, and yourself into your rooms.

COLOR.COLOR.COLOR
We came across a couple of new gift vendors that we will add to our assortment as well. They will bring a great splash of color into our store and then to your homes. We found some hot styles in clocks, ceramic accents, and decorative pieces that are sure to brighten any room.

Keep reading my BLOG for more information and details on the new companies and products as we get them in our store. Next month I will talk about the Las Vegas Furniture Market. This is one time that what happened in Vegas will definitely not stay in Vegas.

Mark

January, 2010

Happy New Year!

As one year closes and another kicks off, it’s inevitable to do a little self assessment. 2009 was a challenging time for everyone and as we look forward we have set some pretty high goals in buying here for HomeConcept.

• Focus on finding the best lighting and lamps in the marketplace with the hottest looks and at great prices  It may sound easy but there a ton of companies out there and we deal with most of them. But, we need to make sure we push them to get the styles you are asking for and at prices that you won’t find anywhere else.

We go to the Dallas Lighting show in the next few weeks and we are hearing about some exciting things in the works. We were actually able to get a sneak peak from some of our vendors and we just brought in some hot new looks that you are going to want to see.

• Everyone wants more for your money and in furniture we are going to work with our manufacturers to get hot new styles, but also pieces that really speak to value. We know you have choices and we want to be the one that gives you more for your dollar.  Pieces that you look at and say- “WOW! How can they do that?
  We head for Las Vegas at the beginning of February for the World Market furniture show with a long shopping list of items that we want to add for you this spring.

• With your purchases you have told us that you like the home accessories, wall art, and giftware that we carry in our store.  But, we need to freshen it up! We need to give you some more colors, and some more textures that you can put in your home to really add that “POP” you are looking for to finish off that space.

Just before Christmas we added a couple of great lines that you may or may not have seen? We added a new art line called Grander Images with hand painted items and hot contemporary looks that jump off the walls. Probably my best find of the year was a company called Elico. From them we carry an assortment of great mirrors and wall art at unbelievable prices and value. In home accents we added some ceramics and metal piece from Fire Fly Home which are selling really well and are worth checking out.

Both the Dallas Market and the Las Vegas Market are filled with gift vendors so I expect to find some new items that you are going to want to add to your home in the next few months.

November 16, 2009

Mark’s Las Vegas Show Notebook            

The October 2009 Las Vegas World Market was a great success for us on our last buying trip. We found our existing vendors ready to do business and full of ideas and enthusiasm for this coming Holiday Season. The show was also a very productive one as we found some great new companies with hot new looks and even better values.

Top Trends In The Market

COLOR. COLOR. COLOR. Inspired by the bright walls and displays of the Vegas trade show we are updated the colors on some of our walls. We have teamed with a local company, Superior Painting, to show our hottest new styles against some of this years most vibrant colors. David Arnn and his staff did a great job and you can learn more about his company and his work at www.superiorpaintingmadison.com

Home Office   The trend in the market is to scale down your home office. We still carry many of the large wall systems but Ashley and Sauder have come out with a number of smaller scale desks for you to consider for your home office.

Ashley is delivering new matching collections of  leg desks, medium executive desks, hutches, file cabinets and chairs so you can customize your work space and get plenty of storage in about half the space.

Sauder is shipping in some new contemporary desks with cleaner lines. This is definitely not your mom and dad’s office furniture anymore.

TV Stands   With the increase of sales in LCD and Plasma tv sets there has been a big increase in the demand for more credenza style stands. We listened to you and increased our selection of flat screen tv stands. Many also have posts and swivel posts to display your new flat screen televisions. Come see the new looks that have just hit the sales floor from Sauder and Office Star.

Made In America  With the economy the way it has been our customers are looking for more value and old-fashioned quality.  Made in America products give you that! We have increased our assortment in Made in America wood furniture and lamps and expanded the space for it on our sales floor. Most of these are fully assembled and these new styles have already hit our store and more are due before Thanksgiving.

Rugs are HERE!  We have been conducting a survey of our customers and we want to thank everyone that took the time to complete one. One thing was clear. You want us to take the same quality and attention to value and find some great area rugs to finish the looks in your homes. We have done that. We have added an assortment of area rugs from Linon at just $49.99 and $99.99.

Best Find of the Show  By far the best find of the market was a selection of art and mirrors from a New York company called Elico. The product has literally just hit the back room and when you look at the detail and the quality of these items you will be as excited as I am.  They put so much value into the items you won’t believe the looks and what we can sell them at.

I can’t fit all the great new items into this one letter. You will really have to stop in to see it all. We have found so many new lamps, furniture pieces, art and decor that will make this a great holiday season for you and your families. So dress up your home and get ready for all of those Holiday parties. We will have new items coming every week now into December. Keep checking for updates on HomeConcept.com and come back and see us more often. I am sure with all the new items you won’t be disappointed.

Mark