Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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Editorial { Eliot Sefrin, Publisher Emeritus } �� A CYGNUS BUSINESS MEDIA PUBLICATION Group Publisher John Huff Publisher Emeritus Eliot Sefrin Out-of-the-Box Ideas Keys to Success in 2013 Editor Janice Anne Costa Kitchen and bath design prms should try to push the envelope and incorporate new business strategies if they want to make the most of the recovering 2013 market. Columnists Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS Hank Darlington Leslie Hart Bruce Kelleran, CKD, CPA Stephen Nicholls Ken Peterson, CKD Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS Sarah Reep, CMKBD, ASID, CMG, CAPS, IIDA Bryan Reiss, CMKBD Eric Schimelpfenig, AKBD T he kitchen and bath market, sluggish for several challenging years, seems finally in the midst of a sustainable recovery as the New Year gets underway. But make no mistake: The projected recovery in 2013 promises to be more slow and steady than swift and robust. And industry professionals cannot a���ord to rely simply on a projected tepid recovery to lift their businesses to exciting new heights this year. They���ll need to do more. And they need to do it now. But prst, the good news: Nationwide housing production continues to post promising growth, amid improved conpdence in the market. At the same time, residential remodeling continues to make an orderly recovery from its low point in 2009, as home values rise and owners begin to undertake projects they���ve been postponing. Sales of kitchen cabinets and vanities have also posted recent gains, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. And design professionals are mirroring these encouraging signs in their 2013 forecasts. In fact, according to a sur- vey conducted last month by Kitchen & Bath Design News, nearly 90% of dealers and designers polled say they see 2013 sales either increasing or remaining the same as those of 2012. All this good news means little, however, if businesses simply sit on their hands and expect a flood of new customers to come streaming planning to implement a range of new business strategies in 2013 ��� among them an updating of Web sites, marketing through social media, updating showrooms and partnering with allied professionals (see story, Page 28). That���s encouraging. So is the news about another innovative strategy, dubbed MainStreet America, ���Industry professionals cannot a���ord to rely simply on a projected tepid recovery to lift their businesses to exciting new heights this year.��� through their doors. That scenario isn���t likely. In contrast, design prms will likely need to incorporate new strategies to make the most of the 2013 market. Any number of kitchen/ bath design professionals seems to be catching on to this notion. For example, a majority of dealers and designers surveyed by KBDN say they���re a recently developed concept in shopping for new homes, home products and homerelated services. MainStreet America, located in Houston, consists of 12 model homes designed to operate, in e���ect, as retail furniture showrooms ��� enabling consumers to shop for home furnishings within the context of fully furnished, fully functioning homes. Facebook.com/KitchenBathDesignNews Managing Editor Anita Shaw Senior Editor Kim Berndtson Contributing Writers Elizabeth Richards Denise Vermeulen More than 100 manufacturing partners are involved in the project, including several with strong kitchen/bath industry ties. MainStreet America enables manufacturers to put their products on display ��� year-round, seven days a week ��� in front of prime buying prospects. It also enables the A&D; community ��� including kitchen and bath specialists, interior designers and architects ��� to visit the venue with clients in tow, stimulating consumer purchasing and sparking new ideas. It���s hoped that the project generates the kind of positive results it deserves, and sparks other ideas. M a i n St r e et A mer ic a represents the kind of innovat ive, out-of-t he-box thinking that can truly be a di���erence-maker in today���s market. Industry professionals ought to take a cue from the project���and similarly think outside the box. That���s the best way to ensure that 2013 will, indeed, be a Happy New Year. Media Production Rep Cindy Rusch Editor, ForResidentialPros.com Andrea Girolamo Web Site Manager Thamaraj Udomwongyont Audience Development Manager Tammy Steller Reader Service Manager Jeff Heine Administrative Assistant Jenni Ehlke-Heyer Chief Executive O���cer John French Chief Financial O���cer Paul Bonaiuto E.V.P., Building & Construction Kris Flitcroft V.P., Content Greg Udelhofen V.P., Marketing Debbie George Director, Digital Sales Norine Conroy V.P., Production Operations Curt Pordes V.P., Audience Development Julie Nachtigal V.P., Technology Eric Kammerzelt V.P., Human Resources Ed Wood Copyright �� 2013 by Cygnus Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be produced in any form, including electronically, without written permission from the publisher of Kitchen & Bath Design News. @KitchenBathDesignNews January 2013 Art Director Kirsten Crock ForResidentialPros.com | 5