Bensons for Beds kicks off £3m campaign

Bensons for Beds has launched a £3m advertising campaign as it looks to build on its recent performance. The eightweek ‘Wake up in a good place’ campaign will run until the middle of October.

Since non-essential stores re-opened in April the chain has seen ‘very strong’ double-digit sales growth compared with 2019.

Bensons has also boosted its management team with the recruitment of Nick Collard as chief commercial and digital officer. He joins from Holland & Barrett International where he was chief customer and digital officer and on the board. Over the past 15 years he has also held board roles at DFS and Morrisons and had various senior roles at Walgreens Boots Alliance.

‘The pent-up demand we have seen since our stores re-opened gives us the confidence to accelerate our transformation programme and build on the progress made over the past year. I appreciate the hard work of the team – everyone has had to work enormously hard to cope with the impact of the pandemic and the temporary closures, but we emerge from restrictions in a strengthened position. The [£25m] shareholder investment last June has allowed us to revamp our website, begin reshaping our store portfolio and invest in product innovation, and we’ll step up the pace of change this year,’ says Mark Jackson, Bensons chief executive.

The chain has completed the remodelling of its store estate following the collapse of former sister chain Harveys, with Bensons relocating to the ground floor of former joint stores.

It plans to relocate up to eight more stores, following the successful opening of new and relocated stores in Maidstone, Leeds, Macclesfield, Milton Keynes, Stockport and Crewe, Paisley, Orpington and Southport.

B&B Italia and Flos parent Design Holding has turned to a senior luxury goods executive as its new ceo. Daniel Lalonde will take up the role in October. He has previously held senior leadership roles at global brands including SMCP, Ralph Lauren, LVMH and Nespresso. Gabriele Del Torchio will continue as Design Holding chairman.

Flooring accessories group Floorwise has recruited Andrew Gill as group product manager. He has 30 years’ experience in the construction products industry, working in senior roles at established manufacturers.

Housing Units has introduced a Modern Living department, aimed at the urban living market.

The department at the Greater Manchester store is described as ‘a cool and edgy concept featuring carefully selected furniture and accessories with smaller homes in mind and suited to multifunctional living spaces.’ Modern Living also carries a range of decorative accessories, mirrors and art, rugs, lighting, soft furnishings, bed linen and scents for the home.

‘The works that we have completed over the past 12 months have transformed our presentation and it’s only right that we inject newness into our very important ground-floor area of our home furnishing store. This new concept allows us to offer an important missing part of the market and cement our position as the home department store,’ says Nick Fox, Housing Units ceo.

‘Cool and edgy’: the Greater Manchester store

Interiors etailer Cox & Cox has claimed sales have more than doubled this year.

The company says secondquarter sales rose 54% after a 41.9% rise in orders. For the year-to-date, sales rose by 105%. Furniture sales increased by 76.4%, outdoor furniture sales by 82% and outdoor accessories by 22%.

‘The strategy of drip-feeding newness on the website has worked well with new items being pushed out on a more regular basis. With the shift in the traditional outdoor selling period here to stay, sales are starting earlier in the year and running deep into autumn as customers embrace outdoor living,’ says Richard Bell, Cox & Cox chief executive.

VENTUS IGNIS SPIRITUS TERRA AQUA ANIMO