Seventh National Window Covering Safety Month
Set for October
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) will partner once again this October to observe National Window Covering Safety Month. This year’s campaign will mark the seventh annual observance.
According to information provided by the CPSC, since 1990 approximately 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords. This month-long, nationwide campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness of potential window cord hazards, as well as to urge parents and caregivers of young children to only use cordless window products in young children’s bedrooms and play areas and to replace all window coverings in the home made before 2001 with today’s safer products.
To invoke industry-wide participation, the “Make the Right Choice, Kids… Cords… Caution” safety slogan will be the theme for the promotional campaign. In addition, the official National Window Covering Safety Month campaign logo, depicting a child’s hand grabbing the cords of a window blind, will be used.
The WCSC will provide artwork, ad templates and cord safety information for reproduction and use by industry members and retailers in promoting National Window Covering Safety Month. Materials can be downloaded free of charge at www.windowcoverings.org/industry. Access requires a user name and password: the user name is October; the password is safety.
Hunter Douglas Announces
Summer Promotion Program
Citing the success of its promotional programs leading to consumer sales, Hunter Douglas, Upper Saddle River, NJ, is providing aligned dealers with the 2009 Summer Window Fashions Sale promotion starting May 5.
Designed to heat up summer sales and motivate consumers to take advantage of savings on some of its most sought after window fashions, the program features mail-in consumer rebates and matching instant savings on select styles and no minimum or maximum purchase requirements, the company stated.
“Our latest research shows that our promotional programs were cited by consumers as the reason they purchased Hunter Douglas products up to 33 percent of the time, ” said Norm Malone, vice president of marketing programs for Hunter Douglas.
From May 5 to August 31, 2009, manufacturer’s mail-in rebates are offered from $20 to $100 per product per window on Silhouette® and Pirouette® window shadings, Luminette® Privacy Sheers, Skyline™ Gliding Window Panels, Vignette® Modern Roman Shades and Duette® Architella® honeycomb shades. In addition, there are matching instant savings on select styles dealers can offer consumers at the time of purchase, which varies by state. Having no unit maximums increases the possibility of multiple purchases.
To make the promotion even more enticing, Hunter Douglas Gallery® Dealers and Showcase Priority Dealers® can offer select free lifting system upgrades to consumers who purchase Duette® honeycomb shades.
For dealers, the promotional kit features hip imagery, trendy colors and the tagline: Savings are In, the Summer Window Fashions Sale is On,” the company added.
The promotional kit includes a program booklet with a CD containing digital artwork for magazine ads, newspaper ads, postcards, Valpak ads, radio spots and recorded telephone on-hold message along with store/van window decal, counter card, posters, hang tags, wearable buttons and event ideas booklet.
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Trend, Tulsa, OK, is launching a new color collection of the Jaclyn Smith Home Collection, an exclusive collaboration of coordinating patterns that allow a home to be personal, beautiful and comfortable at a desirable value, the company stated. The collection, created from historic documents and original artwork, contains prints, faux silks, decorative wovens and trimmings.
Smith described her style as, “Fresh, comfortable, classic and lyrical. The spirit of The Jaclyn Smith Home Collection comes from my heart.”
The additional new color collection follows the “overwhelming success” of Trend’s premier licensed collection with Jaclyn Smith, the company stated.
Orion’s KBlair Finials Wins Platinum Adex Award,
Introduces Iron Traversing Rods.
Orion Ornamental Iron, North Hollywood, CA, announced that KBlair Finials has won the Platinum ADEX award for Window Treatments for 2009.
KBlair Finials, which is hand-made in the United States, offers a complete line of custom drapery hardware, including traversing and round rods up to 30 feet in length, an extensive line of crystal and wood resin finials as well as brackets, rings, holdbacks and medallions, the company stated.
Orion Ornamental acquired KBlair Finials, NorCross, GA, in early 2008 (see D&WC, March 2008, page 18). “KBlair has uniquely innovative designs, offering hand-cut, mouth blown crystal finials and hand-painted wood resin finials, in addition to its distinctive line of Inlay Rods,” said Sunil Patel, CEO of Orion.
Orion Ornamental Iron has also launched its Designers’ Choice Iron and Wood Traversing Rods. “Orion is the first in the industry to offer iron traversing, and to offer it with rings and with heavy duty track,” said Patel.
The line includes single- and double- traversing rods, all available with the track finished in four designer colors. The iron traversing rods are available in 31 Iron Art finishes and the wood traversing is available in 11 Wood Art finishes and are available in lengths up to 30 feet.
Squibco Solutions Launches First Class
for On-site Fabric Cleaners
Squibco Solutions, Inc., Atlanta, GA, began offering training classes in April along with complete support for drapery and window coverings cleaning services on a national level.
The first roundtable class for re-certification of current on-site drapery service providers was presented by Jeff Berkowitz, formally of On-Site™ Drapery Cleaning and More.
Squibco launched its new cleaning services in February and announced the addition of Berkowitz to its training, research and development program.
Redi Shade Launches Wholesale Web Site Tool
Redi Shade®, Inc., Cotati, CA, has launched a new wholesale Web site tool to provide window coverings professionals an online solution for their temporary window covering needs.
At www.redishadewholesale.com professionals now can set up an account, order products and check status of orders 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Tools also are available to allow businesses to update account information, access FAQs, and learn more about Redi Shade products, according to a company statement.
Also available is a “never run out” subscription service offering automatic monthly or quarterly shipments.
“We are pleased to be able to provide this quick and easy online tool to help window coverings professionals save time and close more business,” explained Richard Konopelski, vice president of sales and marketing.
PDE Adds Two Online Lessons
from Affiliated Presenters
Precision Draperies Education (PDE), Westminster, CO, has added two new affiliated lessons to its Web site. The new lessons are “How to Find the Horizontal Position of a Saddle Type Bracket” and “How to Make an Arch Pleated Drapery Panel.”
The sessions are presented by installer Corky Smith, Northglenn Interiors, and Mary J. Warneke, Mary’s Custom Workroom. Both lessons are available in a printed version or quick on-line mini-lesson in the Precision Draperies Education store.
According to Kirk Axelson, president, “With our new Web site lesson interface we can now offer lessons from others around the world who want to share their knowledge.”
Lesson Presented on the Many Styles
of Window Fashions
Students at New York City’s The New School, Parsons School of Design, enjoyed an intricate and stimulating lesson about window fashions from Joe Jankoski, Hunter Douglas vice president of corporate merchandising. Offering insight on the design world, Jankoski presented to students studying Window Treatment Design with Adjunct Professor and interior designer Jamie Gibbs.
Part of an ongoing Hunter Douglas initiative to actively participate in educating future professionals, the class discussed the breadth of the Hunter Douglas company and how window fashions add style and function to a home. To demonstrate the importance of developing products that meet varying tastes, styles and needs, Jankoski discussed the highly diverse selection of Hunter Douglas window fashions.
