Window Treatment Suppliers Retrench

摘要

The fortunes of soft window treatment suppliers continued to toughen in 2007, with overall retail volume of $2.4 billion down 2.8% from 2006 - and off 7.7% from the level of $2.6 billion reached in 2003.rnThe revenue trend is clear: Retail sales were flat in 2004 compared to 2003, then fell 3.8% to $2.5 billion in 2005, and dropped another 3.0% to $2,425 billion in 2006. The tally of $2,357 billion in the past year reflected a downturn in business that affected each and every tier of retail analyzed by HTT. And 2008 has started, suppliers say, with various major retailers being extremely stingy in re-ordering stock as they work through first-half inventories.rnIf anything, the soft sales environment is spurring manufacturers to invest in new fashion, new fabrication and new levels of customer service.