Home furnishings industry struggling

Furnishing retailers and manufacturers are being hit just as hard as other home-related industries in the economic meltdown. Home Depot’s Expo Design Center, the company’s high-end showroom, announced Monday that it would close 34 of its stores in 13 states, eliminating 5,000 jobs. Williams-Sonoma, which owns the Pottery Barn home furnishings brand, announced earlier this month that it would eliminate 1,400 jobs.