PAD Home Design Concept: sales training for brick-and-mortar retailers

PAD Home Desing Concept is investing in its own expert in visual marketing: Gala Albaum from Düsseldorf is to carry out intensive sales training sessions at the POS, in close cooperation with the PAD sales team. In this way, PAD aims to help brick-and-mortar retailers to use their strengths to their advantage, according to sales manager Boris Antochin and PAD owner Michael Rossmann.

Thibault Van Renne: new showroom in Knokke-Heist

The new Belgian flagship showroom of carpet designer Thibault Van Renne will open on 22 May. It is located in the northern Belgian luxury seaside resort Knokke-Heist, right on Albert Square, the "place to see and be seen". The showroom was designed by Dieter Van der Velpen Architects; Van Renne will be showing his current collections here and regularly hold events. Due to the Corona pandemic, the grand opening party is postponed to 2021.

Domotex Turkey in Gaziantep cancelled

Originally scheduled for July 13 – 16, 2020, flooring trade show Domotex Turkey is the latest to fall, being cancelled due to the corona pandemic. The organiser reported that this decision was made in close consultation with exhibitors and the event’s supporting organisations. It will thus be until 2021 when the next Domotex Turkey is held.

Corona in India: producers are taking orders again

India is the most productive and populous country of origin for handmade carpets, and of course Corona has a strong impact on people and the economy there too. While initially the urban areas were mainly affected, in June the number of infections also rose sharply in rural areas – since the Indian government lifted the strict lockdown and more migrant workers returned from the cities to their home villages. Converted railway wagons were taken to the affected areas for medical care, also to the "carpet belt" around Bhadohi.

According to the "Economic Times India" of 14 June, producers in the weaving regions are once again accepting new carpet orders. Currently, the Carpet Export Promotion Council is preparing a virtual carpet fair, which is to take place from 21 to 25 August. This was reported by the Indian daily newspaper "Patrika" on 21 June.

Austria: Lutz Group reopens 117 stores from 2 May

After almost seven weeks of prescribed closure of Austria's furniture stores, the Lutz Group is reopening all 117 stores of its distribution channels XXXLutz, Möbelix and Mömax this Saturday.

Since all of them cover a very large sales area, there will be sufficient space for customers, the company says.

Despite Corona: Lutz Group's activities in Eastern Europe and Switzerland on schedule

According to a Lutz press release, the conversions of the acquired Kika furniture stores in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania are fully on schedule. In the course of the year, large XXXLutz openings are to take place in all countries. The preparations for the market entry of Mömax in Switzerland are also going as planned. "We are working at full speed on all our projects for 2020, and both the projects in Eastern Europe and in Switzerland can be implemented on time", says Lutz company spokesman Thomas Saliger.

Heymat with German Sales Agency

The Norwegian label Heymat, specialised in high-quality floor mat design, is now represented in Germany by the Berlin sales agency Conceptroom. The agency for Scandinavian interior brands was founded by Magnus Pieper this year.

Difficult times for René Benko's department store empire

Before the Corona crisis, Austrian investor René Benko and his Signa Holding company had been taking over one department store chain after another. Now his projects are presenting him with great challenges as all stores are affected by the virus-related closures and thus by a sharp drop in sales.

Boss (Porta): managing director Hirschbold deceased

Porta is mourning Dr. Alexander Hirschbold. The managing director of the self-service furniture store Boss, which belongs to Porta, died on March 24 at age 47 after a short, serious illness. "As a person who, with his big heart, always had an open ear for the needs and concerns of his employees, he leaves an unbelievably large gap in our ranks," the press release says.

Giga: small presentations instead of one large trade fair

Giga International's yearly trade fair, planned for this summer, has been cancelled due to Corona: This was announced by the purchasing association's managing director Gerald Socher. The event was to take place in Wels, Upper Austria, from 19 to 21 August; now it has been postponed to 2021.