INSIGHT

Located on Regent Street, St James’s, in the heart of London, Vispring’s new London flagship displays the brand’s world-renowned product portfolio as well as providing secluded areas for customers to test the products – with a sleep expert on hand.

Vispring first introduced individual mattress pocket springs to the market, and its beds were hand selected for the luxury suites of some of the world’s finest ships and hotels. Vispring has since grown into a global luxury brand, with retailers in over 50 countries – and the opening of the new London flagship showroom provides a standalone Vispring experience, while continuing to support the brand’s retail partners.

Designed in collaboration with Ivory Worldwide, the substantial showroom is spread across three floors, and showcases the complete collection of Vispring’s handmade mattresses, each made by skilled specialists in the brand’s Plymouth factory.

Since Vispring only uses natural materials in its mattresses, the showroom design simulates the employment of natural-style materials, with the use of bespoke warm oak, and rugs in earthy tones.

The main space features a sculptural lighting installation by artist Giles Miller, that is made from the springs which go into every Vispring mattress. The artist has played with density and composition to create layers of coiled metal, coated in a high-end plated finish to create a visually arresting display.

Photography by Ed Reeve

The store enables customers to immerse themselves in Vispring’s heritage, with video elements narrating the brand’s manufacturing processes and commitment to sustainable materials. The space will also be utilised to host talks and events with industry sleep experts.

Visitors can also book an appointment in Vispring’s Secret Wardrobe, which occupies the showroom’s basement level. Here, they can get personalised advice on how to select the right mattress. The stairway to the Secret Wardrobe features a skyscape by muralist John Brinklow, which transforms from day to night as visitors descend into the space.

Vispring MD Jim Gerety says: “The new flagship London showroom underpins and celebrates Vispring’s luxury bed offering and unparalleled commitment to craftsmanship to a global audience, who will be able to test the full range of beds and experience their unsurpassed quality in person”

A spiritual successor of Collins & Hayes – the heritage brand acquired by Sofa Brands International in 2017 – The Hastings Sofa Company was founded in 2018 to make the most of the longstanding team’s expertise and manufacturing facilities, giving them a lifeline in the wake of a series of troubled ownerships.

To date, the business – which is managed by MD Danny Cleaver, operations director Marc Gall and FD Mark Hillyard – has created white-label lines for retail partners including Heal’s, Sofas & Stuff and Barker & Stonehouse, and online players such as Swoon and Rowen Homes (Sofa Workshop and Maker & Sons also proved lucrative).

Latterly, its partners – such as Made To Last, and The Pure Edit, a new e-store from the people behind Clarke & Clarke) – have demanded increasingly ecofriendly builds, prompting The Hastings Sofa Company to explore new material directions.

Despite a pandemic to contend with, there’s been virtually no staff churn, a genuine ‘in it together’ attitude helping ensure retention – while canny recruitment measures have been deployed to build the number of both skilled and unskilled production staff.

The next logical step is the development of its own product line for independents, and a timely new hire promises to catalyse that journey.

Having departed fellow Hastings sofa manufacturer Michael Tyler, after 30 years of service which culminated in him managing virtually every department there, Steve Smedley was enlisted by The Hastings Sofa Company to design, advise and market its path to the next level.

“I’d had a break after leaving Michael Tyler, and was contacted by Danny,” says Steve. “I thought it sounded really interesting. Danny acknowledges that the business has been more reactive than proactive – it has evolved, but in many cases they’re doing things in a certain way just because they’ve always been done that way.”

“We’ve been going hell for leather for four years,” Danny agrees, “so of course most of our work’s been driven by our customers.”

Starting with three or four designs, and enhancing the PoS and marketing materials around the existing lines, Steve’s expertise is set to cement The Hastings Sofa Company’s place in the UK industry, and the management team are incredibly excited by that prospect.

“Getting Steve on board is a real coup for us,” says Marc, “and it shows we’re invested in our future here. He brings best-practice approaches and a real veteran’s eye to what we’re doing.”

Extra manpower will be essential to realising this growth, and, despite the challenge of recruiting the right people, Danny is confident that The Hastings Sofa Company is an attractive option.

“It’s not really a factory,” he says, “it’s a big workshop. I visited a competitor a year ago, and there wasn’t a window in sight – we offer a completely different environment. On top of that, we’re lucky to have a good community here, good neighbours, and a nice coastal location. Factory floor staff can generally be trained up in three months, and we’re hoping to be able to introduce apprenticeships in the future.

“To retain your staff, you have to respect them, and be flexible when it matters. As managers, all three of us spend a lot of time in the workshop, getting involved with any job if needed, like loading and wrapping. Last year, we gave our staff right across the floor a +10% pay rise – when you’re having to offer newcomers more to get them in, it’s a real slap in the face if you can’t reward your existing team accordingly.”

Danny admits that 2022 has brought fresh challenges. Material shortages might be less frequent, but costs continue to rise, meaning extra care must be paid to fabric and wood selection, and further experimentation with alternative materials must take place.

“Despite that, we’re continuing to maintain quality, bringing down our lead times, keeping an eye on our price points, and going after the right partners,” he says. It sounds like the trade can expect to see a lot more from The Hastings Sofa Company.

“For too long, we’ve been preoccupied with just existing,” concludes Marc. “Now it’s time to kick on!”

How might a child describe what you do? My son can help with this answer … his description of my job is, “You help people decide what goes in their shop, and spend lots of time on calls.” Pretty accurate.

What’s the biggest long-term challenge you face? In the particular role I have I’m challenged with reflecting, responding to and balancing the views and needs of our members. The AIS member base is very diverse and each business needs something different, so it takes navigating and careful decisioning. On the flip side it is what makes the role so interesting, and I like a challenge.

If you had 10 x your working budget, what would you spend it on? People, product, processes. I’d invest in training, development and engagement, in accelerated product development, and finally I’d look at IT solutions for the manual processes.

What would be the title of your autobiography? ‘She thought she could, and she did.’

What does ‘work/life balance’ mean to you? Exactly that – balance. But it’s not formulaic, it’s just important to be able to sometimes flex and be able to break away and prioritise family or your wellbeing. It is so high up the list of employee priorities that it must be front and centre if you want to recruit talent.

Who’s been your most influential professional mentor? Emma Leeke (MD, Leekes) made a lasting impression on me and my career path. I often hear myself using lines she used, and approaches she took. She really believed in me in the early days and supported my progression. I’m very grateful for her business knowledge and fabulous company on long-haul flights over the years.

What advice would you give your younger self? I’m not sure I’d necessarily give advice, as I try not to regret the past, and just look forward – the things you do and experiences you have make you the person you are.

What’s been your best day in business to date? There is not really one day, but more moments – ‘pinch me’ moments, when I reflect on what I do, how much I love it, and that I’m extremely lucky to work in a great industry. The last few months have been some of the best. Joining AIS has been a delight. The organisation has extremely creative, forward-thinking teams and a really diverse supplier base, so I’ve really enjoyed it.

What’s the biggest myth about our industry? That it is slow paced or old fashioned. Fashion and trends move in home and furniture at a pace – the market is ever changing, so there is never a dull moment.

What should everyone in our industry either stop or start doing? Start viewing their web presence as their shop window. Much customer research now starts online, so a retailer’s website should portray them in their best light. A customer’s decision to cross a shop’s threshold could be based purely on the impression they get from the website – it’s the best footfall driver. If a retailer prides themselves on range breadth and choice, show it. If they are proud of their highly skilled sales staff, shout about them.

Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-10 years? With the extra focus consumers have placed on their home, I’d say from strength to strength. Covid has really accelerated many aspects of our industry and given increasing importance to furniture, so we need to hold onto that impetus. It definitely won’t be easy, but we are a resilient bunch.

What question do you wish we’d asked? How would you have answered? How can we start to encourage younger people into the industry? We need a collective effort – the challenge is greater than one person – but we really should be showcasing what the industry has to offer, and proactively talking to the next wave of possible furniture experts

We didn’t have much patterned furniture, and it’s great to see these bold patterns and colours in-store. It has certainly filled a gap in the product portfolio.

Haskins’ customer base shares some of the typical Orla Kiely customer characteristics anyway, and as we are already brand-led, it seemed to make sense to bring another well-known brand in that could offer something that a lot of other manufacturers don’t offer.

Our customer base typically comprises 55-65 year-olds, which is similar to Orla Kiely’s – but we’re on a journey to expand our customer base, so we’re trying to ensure we have something for everyone. Today, customers are wanting more colour and bold statements, as well as function and comfort. The Orla Kiely range brings style as well as comfort.

We’ve learnt it’s important to convey the brand’s story and authenticity when setting up a branded installation in-store. Styling and ‘zoning’ areas are a great way of storytelling in stores. The pops of colour and pattern that the Orla Kiely range has to offer help break up some of the store’s more traditional areas. And of course, it sits alongside a number of other high-quality furniture brands, so we think they all complement each other very well.

Above all, we must ensure we create an engaging in-store customer experience – one that’s worth travelling for.

Most brands are very prescriptive when it comes to visual merchandising. We’re often given lengthy brand guidelines to follow. We were provided with a visual merchandising guide, but it wasn’t too prescriptive, and we had the freedom to adapt their suggestions to suit our store where necessary – we followed the guidance from the Orla Kiely and The Branded Furniture Company (TBFC) teams, but we were also able to put our own twist on it.

We loved picking the fabrics and pairing them with the paint and wallpaper. As well as having the Orla wallpaper and colours, we’ve framed some of the wallpaper, and used accessories and some dining pieces to create roomsets that customers can easily visualise for their homes. We’ve also used the wallpaper in other areas of the store to lead customers to the Orla Kiely gallery, and have put the Orla Kiely accessories in our interiors department, which helps build the story and gives customers a visual in a different part of the store.

It was very much a collaborative effort between us and TBFC (which is also unusual for a brand). My GMs and showroom manager love the brand, so were very excited to work with

(TBFC sales agent) Emma Hughes and create something special. Emma was extremely helpful, and has done lots of training with the team so they feel confident to sell the products. It was really refreshing to work on the visual merchandising of the store together.

We know today’s customers are looking for more than just a walk round a bland furniture store. They need to be able to visualise the furniture in their own homes, and galleries like this help with that. Customers now expect a shopping ‘experience’, and are prepared to travel for it.

Our displays need to be inspiring and engaging – not only to secure sales, but to ensure customers keep coming back to us. Haskins has a reputation for being a ‘destination’ in terms of quality and furniture design, which fits well with the Orla Kiely brand.

Sales are good so far, and we’ve received very positive feedback from both customers and staff. We are looking forward to see how this progresses in the coming months.

We also hope to attract new customers to the store that specifically want to buy this style of furniture