J.C. Penney is getting back in the appliance business. The Plano, Texas-based department store chain said Monday it is bringing appliance showrooms to nearly half its stores this summer after a successful pilot earlier this year.Consumer appliance sales in the U.S. have been growing in the past couple of years as the economic recovery spurred improvements in the housing market and more home remodeling, industry analysts said. About 60 million washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens and other major appliances were sold in the U.S. in 2015, up 4 percent from the year before and bringing in $38.4 billion, said Ryan Tuttle, a research analyst with market research firm Euromonitor International. Customers with more disposable income or an eye on selling their home also have been gravitating to higher-end models, Tuttle said.J.C. Penney opened its first "full-line" stores, which sold appliances, in 1963, but dropped them 20 years later to focus on apparel and soft home goods including bedding, linens and towels.

That hasn't stopped customers over the years from searching for products like refrigerators and washing machines on the department store's website, said David Plummer, a senior vice president who oversees J.C. Penney's home business.Houses For Sale In St Brelade Jersey "When we looked at data on what customers would buy from us if we carried them, appliances were at the top of the list," Plummer said.Repair Vertical Blinds Won'T OpenDepartment stores used to be a go-to source for home appliances, led by Hoffman Estates-based Sears, with its popular private-label Kenmore brand. Yj Tire Carrier PlansBut that business is shifting: In 2005, department stores accounted for 23 percent of major appliance sales by volume, according to Euromonitor's February report on the U.S. consumer appliance industry.

Ten years later, department stores' share dropped to 14 percent.That figure leaves out department stores' online sales, but Tuttle said e-commerce, while growing, still accounts for a relatively small share of sales of unwieldy, expensive major appliances that many customers want to see before buying. About 8 percent were sold through online retailers in 2015, according to Euromonitor.More customers also are choosing to buy at home and garden specialty stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, which drew 34 percent of appliance sales in 2015, Euromonitor found.Home appliances are still a strong point for Sears, making up 15 percent of the struggling department store's revenue in 2015 and 2014, according to Sears' most recent annual report.Sears flagged Home Depot and Lowe's as major competitors to its home appliance business in that report. J.C. Penney appears to be seeking a spot on that list."There are plenty of malls where J.C. Penney and Sears are the two flagships, and Sears is currently the only option for appliances, so if J.C. Penney can come in with a good value proposition, they can take some of that market," Tuttle said.

One challenge, he said, will be making sure employees have enough expertise in the new products to guide shoppers.J.C. Penney will add kitchen and laundry appliances from Samsung, L.G. Electronics, G.E. Appliances and Hotpoint to nearly 500 stores, including locations in North Riverside Park Mall and Ford City Mall, starting in early July.Each of the stores with appliances will have 2,000 to 4,800 square feet set aside for the 100 to 215 products available in-store, with more than 1,200 appliances available online, Plummer said.To make room for appliances, some stores will cut space for furniture or mattresses. "Some of the home space we have is pretty unproductive, and this is helping force that conversation," Plummer said.Stores with appliances also will get more space for window treatments, and the company is testing partnerships with Ashley Furniture and Empire Today in furniture and flooring."By combining our soft home and window coverings merchandise with the industry's leading brands for appliances, furniture and flooring, J.C. Penney will become a destination for home design and redecorating, allowing us to weatherproof our business during seasonal periods of the year," CEO Marvin Ellison said in a statement.

Most Viewed Writer in If you lived in Vancouver, I'd send you straight to Paper-ya a specialty Japanese paper and stationary shop.  They have hundreds of kinds of hand-made art papers to choose from.Another choice would be vellum.  Even Staples has this.  It is already treated to become stiff and transparent.  You can get it in large sizes at an artist's supply store, it's used for drafting and architectural drawings, as well as other drawing.There is also parchment paper, available by the roll in your grocery store near the ziplock bags and aluminum foil.  This has the advantage that it is designed to be used in high-temperature situations, like your oven.If you choose a hand-made paper that is not very stiff, then I think there is a paint-on treatment you can apply to preserve it and make it easier to keep clean (so it looks more like vellum in other words).  An old treatment was wax[2] -- then you have wax paper, but that is very flammable and its use cannot be condoned nowadays. 

You can experiment with white glue mixed with water, just like for making paper mache.  You'd have to wrap the wetted paper around a form in the desired shape (the cone shape) and then paint on the treatment or glue.  You might be able to use the original glass lampshade for the shape.An easier treatment to make paper stiff is to use clear (or frosted) MacTac adhesive vinyl sheets.  These come in rolls.  You peel off the backing and stick it to your paper, then trim to fit.  It can be found with the shelf-paper in a general store, or it's also packaged for use as book covers in the stationary stores. I've also seen it in large pieces in Home Depot in the window-shade section.You can cut and wrap even soft papers onto a wire frame.  The frames are often available in home decorating do-it-yourself fabric shops and come in many different shapes.[1] Paper-ya on Granville Island: Our Papers[2] fire-proof lamp shades? no such thing, be smart.[3] Image source: Legion Paper  - OguraHi, thanks for your question !