WILLIAMS-SONOMA EXECS PRESENT VISION FOR BRANDS.(reorganization of Williams-Sonoma Inc.)

HFN: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, January, 2005 by White, Jennifer

Byline: Jennifer White

NEW YORK-Look for a "less edgy" West Elm and a repositioned Hold Everything this year as parent company Williams-Sonoma Inc. adjusts its emerging brands and tinkers with its core brands.

Williams-Sonoma executives laid out their vision for the company at a consumer conference earlier this month here hosted by SG Cowen, an investment banking firm. Among the highlights were a review of continuing changes at Williams-Sonoma, such as expanding the square footage of stores and the brand's relationship with the CBS television network.

The retail format continues to shift for the Williams-Sonoma brand, because when consumers shop at Williams-Sonoma, "they're not just buying a spatula, they are buying into a lifestyle," said...