Pipefine Patio Furniture

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Touched by a 4-year-old girl’s battle with cancer that already had claimed both of her eyes, Bob’s Discount Furniture and several employees of its Orange, Conn., store gave the girl a set of bedroom furniture that her family could not afford.

According to a story in the New Haven Register, store employees learned that a $400 gift card she had received from a local cancer treatment center would not cover everything she needed.

One of them contacted the retailer’s corporate office, who agreed to donate a mattress and bedroom furniture. Store employees then donated lamps, a quilt set and a stuffed animal.

Swedish retailer Ikea said worldwide sales increased 6.9% in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, while profits jumped 10.3% despite higher raw materials costs.

The privately held retailer said worldwide sales totaled 24.7 billion euros, equivalent to about $31.9 billion. Total revenues, which include sales and rental income from commercial properties, were 25.2 billion euros, or about $32.6 billion.

Profits totaled 2.97 billion euros, or about $3.84 billion.

Comparable store sales rose 7%, the company said. It didn’t release specific sales and income figures for its U.S. or Canadian stores.

“It’s evident that what we offer is relevant to more and more U.S. customers,” said Mike Ward, Ikea U.S. president. “We remain dedicated to growing even stronger as the leader in life at home, as well as a responsible partner in living a more sustainable life, while supporting our communities with socially responsible programs.”

The company said a key growth driver was its lower pricing strategy on top-selling products. For example, U.S. stores dropped the price of the popular Hovas sofa from $699 to $499, and the Hemnes queen bed frame went from $299 to $199.

The reductions were made possible by shipping larger quantities through flat packing, keeping designs smart and not compromising on quality, the company said.

JOPLIN, Mo. — Ethan Allen Interiors played a big part in the television show Extreme Makeover’s largest build ever by providing furnishings and accessories for seven homes destroyed by tornados last year.

Danbury Patch.com in Danbury, Conn., Ethan Allen’s headquarters, said the makeover, which included seven homes built in seven days, was aired Friday on the ABC network. The homes were for tornado victims who last everything.

Farooq Kathwan, Ethan Allen’s chairman, president and CEO, was quoted as saying, “The project really hits home for all of us. It’s humbling to see these families - who have suffered inconceivable losses due to the tornadoes - rebuild their homes and their lives.”

AshleySleep, a division of Ashley Furniture here, is showing its appreciation for military families across the nation by donating 1,300 AshleySleep mattresses to Operation Homefront for distribution to families in need of bedding.

The mattresses, with a retail value of about $1 million, also will be used to upgrade bedding in the three Operation Homefront Villages in Gaithersburg, Md., Oceanside, Calif., and San Antonio.

The donation continues Ashley’s longstanding tradition of honoring the military forces, including the creation of Soldiers Walk/Avenue of Heroes in Arcadia’s Memorial Park, which includes a monument for each major conflict in which the United States has fought.

“Military service members and their families continually make sacrifices on behalf of our country,” said Todd Wanek, president and CEO of Ashley. “We are excited to provide these mattresses as a way to partner with Operation Homefront to show our appreciation and provide assistance to our hard-working troops and their families.”