Preview: What to expect at JFS

Big Furniture Magazine #5Marseille Enzimi from Merlino

What to expect at JFS

With the January Furniture Show returning this month, we explored some new products that visitors can expect to see in our second preview.

The January Furniture Show is back at the NEC in Birmingham from 22-25 January 2023. The show will feature around 350 exhibitors showcasing over 50,000 products across four halls. These include Premium Design (Hall 1), Interior, Accessories & Furniture (Hall 2), Living, Dining & Bedroom (Hall 4), and Upholstery & Beds (Hall 5). New for 2023 is a partnership with trend experts, The Better Trends Company, to provide the buying community and attending brands with trends advice.

Becoming increasingly diverse, furniture and interior brands from more than 18 countries are exhibiting, including from Australia, the USA, Italy, and Germany. There will be several International Pavilions, representing Vietnam, Portugal, and Poland. The Furniture Talks Stage will see a number of engaging topics across the four days, with a focus on sustainability, innovation, trends and insights. The Young Furniture Makers will be displaying new talent in the industry with a focus on sustainability. There with live furniture making and demonstrations from renowned designers. Meanwhile, the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) will officially launch its new ‘Future of Furniture’ campaign, which aims to highlight the value and variety of careers within the industry, as well as showcasing the steps the industry is taking to support a greener approach to manufacturing. At the event, the trade body will give out two accolades to BFM members in recognition of excellence in sustainability and education – the BFM Future of Excellence in Sustainability Award and the BFM Excellence in Education Award.

As for exhibitors, this preview highlights some other brands you can expect to see and what they will be promoting on their respective stands. To start with, and in keeping with the aforementioned international scene, Merlino will be exhibiting at JFS for the very first time. Merlino is an Australian brand of Italian heritage, selling to the retail and contract interiors sectors. Now into its fifth decade, Merlino, with operations in Italy, China and its Australian HQ, said they are looking forward to the show: “Currently, the UK is a blank canvas although we do trade in Europe & Ireland. We therefore extend a warm Aussie “g’day” to our new prospective clients and hope you will find our products of interest. We are one of the few distributors and manufacturers to offer mixed containers of our furniture shipped directly from our international supply chain.”

From a newcomer to a mainstay brings the spotlight on Gallery Direct. Over the last few months, they have been designing and developing their SS23 Collection, along with a new mattress range, ready to launch at the show. Gallery’s SS23 Collection features a fantastic selection of new furniture ranges, as well as extensions to some of their current ones.

Meanwhile, Sofa Factory, part of the Bentinck’s group, has continued to deliver growth throughout 2022 and looks forward to exhibiting at JFS for the second time. To maintain their ongoing momentum and increase growth further, the company is launching multiple new models across their pricing strategy from Modern Living to Designer Living. “We will have offers on new floor stock models to ensure our retailers get off to a flying start. We look forward to seeing all our retail partners and new customers at the exhibition, where the team will be delighted to present the range to them.”

Lebus Upholstery is looking forward to returning to JFS, where it will welcome customers old and new to view its new range of sofa collections. All the sofas have been carefully handcrafted in the UK by their dedicated design and development team over the last few months. As for Whitemeadow, they will be unveiling no less than six brand new product ranges. “With our focus on key interior trends, from calm comfort, to monochromatic elegance and muted earthy tones, this year, expect our display to look more inspirational than ever.”

Moving to beds, Shire Beds, now FSC certified as a company and part of the NBF Pledge for the Planet to further their sustainability journey, is also a multi-award-winning manufacturer that offers added extras of own label, exclusive fabrics and extended guarantee on its eco designed products. Its award-winning Signature Range and Best-Selling Picasso from the Artisan Range are firm favourites. “The New Spectrum Range offers great value in these very challenging economic times. The Spectrum range ensures we provide products to ensure everyone gets a good night’s sleep.”

Highgrove will unveil its 21st Anniversary Collection at JFS, launching several exciting new models. These range from bed frames to innovative new comfort and support specifications. “These include our new AdvantEdge Plus® Pocket Spring System, health promoting CopperSleep®, temperature controlling ChiroGel® and an exciting new Highgrove mattress in a box.” As for Sanctum, crafted here in the UK using the finest natural materials, the premium bed brand features an engineered pocket spring system for total body support, plus an extensive range of base options with enhanced drawers and headboards. This is supported by in-store POS and delivery service.

Komfi, part of the GNG Group, will showcase their Unity vacuum-packed mattress range. At an extremely affordable price point, this new range is certainly an asset to the existing diverse and successful Komfi collections; Active, Sensory and Rhea. All mattresses come with a 10-year guarantee and are made in the UK to National Bed Federation approved standards. Meanwhile, German bedroom manufacturer Wiemann is launching five new ranges. The new products will complement Wiemann’s premium VIP ranges including Monaco and Quito, which all show commitment to driving increased value for retailers. Finally, Rh45 will be showing their existing and extensive range of wall art, which is printed directly onto glass to give crystal clear definition and then embellished in a way that only Rh45 knows how! “We have something to suit all tastes and interiors. Our artist commissioned pieces by “DC” which includes iconic celebrities and children’s favourites have proven ever so popular with customers so far, as they make the perfect gift. We will also be taking this opportunity to launch our new style of pictures, something that has not yet been seen or done and is bound to wow customers. Our new “Metallic Ink Range” is simply stunning, with neutral tones that fit into any home, but will be a real centrepiece.”

Upholstery manufacturer La-Z-Boy will also be in attendance with their stand to include its very sports den where visitors can relax and unwind. The area, which celebrates La-Z-Boy’s three-year partnership with the American football league NFL, will include the brand’s Spectator chairs, a widescreen TV and framed NFL shirts. It will also showcase the Spectator rocker recliners, which have been available to buy from selected UK retailers since September 22.

Visitor registration is still open. To register, visit: www.thefurnitureshows.com/welcome