Big Furniture Group Magazine October 2022

Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of HLF Group

Editorial

Dan Squires

Managing Editor

dan@bigfurnituregroup.com 07531 854718 | 01223 298489

Advertising

Gary Hall

Sales Manager

gary@bigfurnituregroup.com 0207 096 1010

Publisher

Stephen Smith Production

Juan Morante

GraphiC Design

www.bigfurnituregroup.com

EDITOR´S NOTE

BigFurnitureGroupLtd

UK registered company number 05484239

2 Jordan Street, Knott Mill, Manchester, England, M15 4PY

Print: Buxton Press

ISSN No: 2753-3387

Copyright © Big Furniture Group 2022 Issue No: 2

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the specific prior written consent of the publisher.

Big Furniture Group Ltd accepts no responsibility for variations in colour reproduction and cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. We are committed to producing a true, factual, fair and unbiased publication through the editorial content within and takes appropriate measures to do so. Big Furniture Group Ltd reserves the right to edit any content other than advertisements, with the editor’s decision being final. All material submitted for inclusion in Big Furniture Group is done so entirely at the owner’s risk. Advertiser information is accepted in good faith and Big Furniture Group accepts no responsibility in in adverts appearing in the magazine, and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s views. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all material submitted.

Dan Squires Managing Editor

Welcome to October’s Big Furniture Group Magazine ”

A big congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the recent NBF Bed Industry Awards from all of us at Big Furniture Group. It was a privilege to attend the event and Gala Ceremony – I even got a tad bit over-excited myself, resulting in a shower of Budweiser’s finest. Apologies Matt and Cassie, who were the unfortunate ones sitting either side. With that blunder out the way – I’m sure I wasn’t the only one with spilt drinks, the occasion lived up to the hype and with Colin Murray at the helm throughout, there were plenty of laughs to be had in-between the awards.

And on the awards, in this issue you’ll find all the winners, why they were chosen and their reactions to being the Best in the Beds industry for 2022.

In keeping with awards, our October Big Interview features Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of HLF Group, where she reflects on her recent recognition. Our Big Question is all about parking, while Sopha goes under the Retail Focus spotlight. There’s also the first of our running series on sustainability, with this month taking a closer look at three big retail players.

The magazine also includes an Anniversary Special as Peter Green Furnishers continues its 65th year milestone celebrations, while Gillies embarks on a new journey, appointing their first ever Customer Experience Manager and GNG goes from strength to strength. There’s also a marketing master’s insight, curtesy of Apricus Marketing, as well as a behind the scenes look at creative agency isobel, who recently produced the new Loaf ad campaign. Moving from marketing to technology, we feature an introduction to Made Smarter and how they are helping SMEs embrace Furniture 4.0.

That’s enough from me, but before I let you carry on through the pages, I’d like to say a Big thank you to everyone at the Bed Show for your time. It certainly was a fun two days.

Oh, and if you have any news you want to shout about, drop me an email on dan@bigfurnituregroup.com. We’d love to share your story.

CONTENTS

NEWS FEATURES

15. Big on Social

16. A Safe Passage for Mattsons Bed

18. The Big Interview with Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of HLF Group

20. Peter Green Furnishers talks about their 65th anniversary milestone

24. GNG goes from strength to strength

26. Jaipur Furniture shares an insight into the business and sustainability importance

28. Why it’s important to master the art of marketing with Apricus

30. How Made Smarter is helping SMEs embrace Furniture 4.0

32. Retail Focus with Sopha

36. Green Retail Part One

38. Gillies takes the Customer Experience to the next level

40. All the winners of the recent NBF Bed Industry Awards revealed

44. New Products: Collins & Hayes, Wiemann, GNG, Hypnos & Sealy UK

46. Loafing around with creative agency isobel

47. Sealy UK celebrates elevating to the top

48. The Big Question: is there a car parking problem near you?

50. Last Word with ScS on current trends

,

Sealy UK www.sealy.co.uk

BIG INTERVIEW RACHEL CONROY

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Wendy Martin Green, Chairman at Peter Green Furnishers, talks about their 65th anniversary milestone.

RETAIL FOCUS, Matthew Scott, founder of Sopha, talks about constant investing, recent trading and a look to the future.

BEST OF THE BEDS,

All the winners of the recent NBF Bed Industry Awards revealed.

Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of HLF Group, reflects on recent recognition, how she ended up in the furniture industry and what her favourite product is.

Bazaar Group promotes trio to Board of Directors

Armstrong and Craig Wilkinson of Comhar Capital. The expanded board is completed by Andrew Atkins, Independent Director, who continues to play a key part in shaping our business journey.”

Furniture retail sales down again

Furniture retail sales fell again during August on last month and against an annual comparison, marking the lowest figure so far this year.

Home furnishings retailer opens larger store in Mansfield

Northumberland-based furniture manufacturer and eCommerce retailer in the soft seating category, Bazaar Group, has appointed a trio of new directors to its board.

Mark Short, Helen Svennson and Dan Pinchard join as strategic leaders focused upon helping the business continue its growth trajectory, which incorporates an aggressive European expansion project following a private equity investment from Comhar Capital in 2021.

Mark Dolder, CEO of Bazaar Group, said: “I am delighted that Mark and Dan have chosen to join Bazaar Group, particularly as their talents, experience and leadership qualities will contribute greatly to our future success. I’m equally excited about Helen’s deserved promotion to the board, as she’s the epitome of a progressive and highly effective HR leader.

“We form an executive team, that is forging a strong and productive relationship with our investors Neil

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, furniture and lighting retail sales decreased 6.7% to £1.11bn from £1.19bn in July. Compared to the previous year, sales fell 2.6% from £1.14bn.

Floorcovering retail sales rose down month-on-month by 6.2% to £214.7m from £202m. Compared to the same time last year, sales increased by 20.5% from £178.1m.

Carpet retailer to open concession in beds store

Carpet retailer Carpetright has confirmed plans to open a new store in Llandudno.

The new store will feature as a concession in the Bensons for Beds store at Mostyn Champneys Retail Park on Mostyn Broadway.

It marks Carpetright’s return to the retail park after it closed several years ago, with a provisional opening date said to be 22 October 2022.

Independent retailer of home furnishings and nursery furniture, Hey Baby Hey You, has opened a new store in Mansfield.

The new shop is based in the Four Seasons Shopping Centre on Quaker Way.

Established in 2019, Hey Baby Hey You specialises in home furnishings, a variety of nursery furniture from cots to cabinets and wall art including liquid, 3D and mixed media pictures.

To celebrate the grand opening, the company created atmosphere with a saxophone player and a balloon artist, as well as offering giveaways in store and a raffle ticket with each purchase made.

Commenting on the launch, Hey Baby Hey You said: “We are so excited and hope that you love the new shop and new additions as much as we do. We’ve been working so hard over the past few months to bring Mansfield something new and exciting, which has gone from a pop-up shop, to permanent and now to an expansion in less than a year.”

The Vita Group, one of Europe’s providers of flexible polyurethane (PU) foam, has committed to set companywide emissions reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which aims to drive ambitious climate action across the private sector globally.

Manchester based Vita has become the first PU foam manufacturer to set science-based emissions reduction targets in line with the level of decarbonisation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The SBTi’s Target Validation Team classified Vita’s scope 1 and 2 target and has determined that it is in line with a 1.5°C trajectory, currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process. Vita has also further committed to reduce

absolute Scope 3 emissions by 13.5% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. The announcement builds upon the launch earlier this year of Vita’s first sustainability report, which detailed how the business has balanced commercial objectives with morally and ethically sound business practices. Over the last two years the company has reduced its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with other successes including reducing waste sent to landfill to just 2.01% and launching its first foam range made from raw materials extracted from end-of-life products. These significant environmental achievements have been outlined in Vita’s Sustainability Report 2021 Enhancing Everyday Life.

DFS looks to grow Sofology network

Sofa retailer DFS has reported a growth in sales as its refit programme and Sofology rollout boosts performance.

According to its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 26 June 2022, total sales rose 8.5% to £1.1bn from £1bn in 2021. Reported pre-tax profit resulted at £58.5m, down 43% compared to its profit of £102.6m last year.

During the period, the company continued to implement its DFS store transformation programme, which has now rolled out across 47 stores, while also expanding its home offering through exclusive brand partnerships to gain market share in the £3bn+ bed and mattresses market. The group plans to grow market share in this division to 4%.

The key differences under the refit programme are improved lighting, better space optimisation, creating clear sight lines and improved accessorizing, which has led to an increase of 5% in sales across the like-for-like refitted estate.

As for Sofology, which saw sales rise by 17% to £304.9m from £269.2m, the group plans to grow its portfolio to 65-70 outlets in the medium-term, targeting revenue of c.£300m at a pre-tax profit margin of 5-7%. Seven new stores were opened in the year, with more planned.

Current trading in Q4 of FY22 and Q1 of FY23 saw order volumes ‘soften’, reflecting a ‘trend seen widely across the furniture industry’.

Dunelm delivers record results

Home furnishings retailer Dunelm has reported record results as it continued to gain market share in both homeware and furniture categories.

According to its preliminary results for the 53 weeks to 2 July 2022, total sales rose 16.2% to £1.5bn from £1.3bn in 2021, with revenues also 41% higher than in 2019. Pre-tax profit increased 32.4% to £209m from £157.8m year-on-year.

Dunelm said that its homewares market share gained +140bps and continued share gains in furniture, while its new ecommerce and furniture fulfilment operations opened in the year, gave capacity for growth and improved delivery options for customers. Active customers grew by 8.5% over the year, with increases across all demographics.

Dunelm has also recently re-modelled some of its larger stores to extend the furniture department, showcasing more of its home delivery range for its customers to see and sample and to allow them to ask for advice.

With a look at current trading and its future forecast, Dunelm said sales have remained ‘robust’ in the first 10 weeks of the financial year and expects to deliver c.50% gross margin for the full year.

Vita Group is first PU foam maker to have climate targets approved

MADE launches new ‘Never Ordinary’ campaign

John Lewis says Home sales are down on last year

Department store retailer John Lewis has reported a year-on-year decline in its Home division.

According to its interim half year results, total like-for-like sales at John Lewis were up 3% to £2.1bn, largely driven by fashion sales and a return to shops.

The share of sales in shops has averaged 41% for the half year, compared to 26% last half year, during the pandemic, and 60% before Covid. City Centre stores have come back ‘strongly’ with the return to more office working, although its ‘home and technology categories, which performed strongly during the pandemic, declined year-on-year’.

Steve joined the Board in December 2018 and is currently the Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

He has previously held several senior roles with major UK retailers, starting his career with Asda and most recently Matalan.

Meanwhile, DFS has announced the acquisition of shares by Polish upholstery supplier Adriana SA, representing 7.78% of the voting rights in the group and becoming a new major shareholder, with the stake worth around £24m. At the same time, Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd has reduced its holding in DFS to 1.8% from 7.1%.

ScS collaborates with Ideal Home

Online furniture retailer Made.com has announced the launch of its new, long-term brand platform, ‘Never Ordinary’, campaign across its key European markets.

Created in partnership with Wonderhood Studios, MADE said that this is just the beginning of an ‘exciting new direction’ for the company.

“Our guiding ‘Never Ordinary’ philosophy is all about making statements, obsessing over details, and being daring in design,” MADE said.

“We’re excited by innovation and committed to pushing boundaries in everything we do – from our products to our physical spaces. Our campaign embodies these values and is a celebration of exceptional creativity and unexpected interior design. Because we believe that homes should be as original as the people living inside.”

As for the overall group, the John Lewis Partnership recorded a first half loss of £99m, largely due to the combination of cost inflation not fully passed on to customers, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, unwinding of Covid shopping patterns and investments to support Partners, customers and suppliers.

DFS appoints Steve Johnson as new Chair

Sofa retailer DFS has announced that Ian Durant will retire as Chair of the Company and from the Board at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on 4 November 2022.

Following the conclusion of an externally led recruitment process, DFS has also announced the appointment of Steve Johnson as Chair, subject to his re-election by shareholders at the AGM.

Sofa and carpet retailer ScS has announced a new partnership with interior design print and digital title Ideal Home.

Under the collaboration, a brand new and exclusive range of sofas in partnership with Ideal Home has launched in its stores nationwide and online. These include its ‘Maisy’ and ‘Flo’ ranges.

James Heese, Commercial Director at ScS commented:

“Our partnership with Ideal Home is the latest in a number of exciting developments for ScS as we support our customers to create a home they love. ScS has collaborated with the Ideal Home team to create stylish and affordable ranges. We’ve been thrilled with positive customer feedback to date and look forward to collaborating with Ideal Home over the next three years.”

NEWS Indian rug maker eyes up London as its debut UK showroom

near future we will have our physical presence in the UK.

“The UK is the third largest importer of rugs in the world and is one of the most important markets for Jaipur Rugs. We are now focusing on selling our products through both online and offline models. We will provide country wide services to our customers through our online platform and will soon establish a fulfilment centre in the country to ensure faster and timely deliveries.

“As of now we are fulfilling all the orders that we receive from the UK market (most of them online) from India only. The response has been tremendous and overwhelming, and promises a high trajectory of growth.

“We are aiming to bring excellent craftsmanship and quality products to the UK market for our customers.

By looking at the current scenario, we can project the UK as one of our largest markets for Jaipur Rugs over the next five years.”

our customers’ profiles. Furthermore, all of our new Home Décor products have been sourced direct from skilled artisans in India.”

Danish furniture retailer delivers record sales

Danish furniture retailer JYSK has reported a record growth in sales as revenues grew 11% to DKK 36.2 billion (£4.2bn).

JYSK saw a growth in the number of customers by 7.7 million, with the brand opening a total of 135 new stores across Europe, which included locations in Ireland and one in Barnsley during September at Barnsley Retail Park. During the period, the company also closed 30 stores in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict.

Rug-making family business Jaipur Rugs has earmarked the UK as its next market to expand into as the company continues to grow.

Following its recent Milan showroom launch, Jaipur Rugs signalled its intentions to focus on the UK market as its next growth opportunity and, in August, registered its UK company.

Yogesh Chaudhary, director at Jaipur Rugs, commented on their plans for the British market: “We are currently looking to create awareness in the UK for our company and products by reaching out to the people who will be instrumental in doing that.

“Registration of a company is the first step in creating a physical space and the UK is a very important market for us. We are very hopeful that in the

Dropship furniture supplier expands product range

Dropship supplier to the furniture trade, Artisan Furniture, has expanded its product range into numerous new categories.

These include home accessories, mirrors, lighting, bathroom and kitchen accessories, cushions and throws, as well as wellbeing products such as candles, incense and room diffusors. The new product lines are expected to be available by end of October.

James Benstead, General Manager at Artisan Furniture, said: “We are always innovating and adding new and exciting products to add value to

Jan Bøgh, President & CEO in JYSK, commented: “With a very special year behind us, we have delivered a good result on turnover. We are clearly experiencing that consumers have started to hold back a little. The growth in both turnover and number of customers was larger before summer. A part of the extra customers are also returning customers from before the coronavirus crisis with many temporarily closed stores, so they are not all new customers. On top of that, our costs are rising, so it is safe to say that the global situation is affecting us.

“We are living in an uncertain world, so after the lockdowns and a new war in Europe, I have stopped predicting too much about what is going to happen. However, we believe that we have a strong business model, and we have previously done well during financial crisis and cautious consumers. I am convinced we can do so again.”

Big Bites

North Home moves into Leeds Victoria

Japanese and Scandinavian style furniture retailer North Home has opened a new store in shopping destination, Victoria Leeds. The concept store features a selection of tableware, furniture and accessories.

Wolf renews finance facilities

Wolf Components has confirmed that is has renewed its finance facilities with HSBC. This will ensure Wolf has the financial backing to continue to invest in its business growth and development. This facility including an increased asset finance line for Wolf was successfully put together by the HSBC South Yorkshire Corporate Team.

Hypnos appoints Jackie Barry

Hypnos Contract Beds has announced that Jackie Barry has joined the team as Business Development Consultant. Jackie will be working alongside Amy Collier and Olivier Brommet strengthening the development of its international group business.

Furniture Clinic Dorset

Furniture Clinic has announced that it has launched a new franchise operating in Dorset and the surrounding area. “Furniture Clinic Dorset is now fully trained in the Furniture Clinic way of doing things and is offering a comprehensive range of repair and restoration services,” the company said.

Gainsborough Keen on delivery

Logistics specialist Keen and Able Delivery has been appointed as home delivery partner for Gainsborough furniture who are part of the Airsprung group of companies.

“We look forward to providing an exceptional delivery experience to their customers in order to compliment their fantastic British made products.”

Farrow & Ball new MD

British manufacturer of paints and wallpapers, Farrow & Ball, has appointed Clare Dunbar as its new Managing Director. With an extensive career in marketing, brand building and business leadership, Clare’s background will allow her to build on Farrow & Ball’s strengths and opportunities for continued growth.

Carpet concession

Carpet retailer Carpetright is to open a new concession in the Bensons for Beds store at Mostyn Champneys Retail Park on Mostyn Broadway.

It marks Carpetright’s return to the retail park after it closed several years ago, with a provisional opening date said to be 22 October 2022.

Oak Furnitureland appoints CCO

Furniture retailer Oak Furnitureland has appointed Suzy McMahon, formerly buying director at Sofology, in the newly created role of CCO. Suzy will also sit on the retailer’s executive committee.

ScS appoints Chair Designate

Upholstered furniture and floorings retailer ScS has announced that John Walden will join the Board as Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 March 2023. On joining, John will be Non-Executive Chair Designate and the intention is that he will become Non-Executive Chair of the Group on 30 November 2023 when Alan Smith retires.

Bensons for Beds moves into new store

Bensons for Beds is moving into a new store in Waterlooville, Hampshire, in the latest opening of one of its new concept stores designed to offer customers in the area the widest range possible. The bed and mattress retailer is moving into Unit 6A, Wellington Retail Park, Hambledon Road, Waterlooville, Hampshire. The new store opened on 23 September with more than 8,000sqft of trading space.

15 Big Furniture Magazine #2 ON

BIG SOCIAL

A look at what’s been going on over social media channels. Share your news with us and email

dan@bigfurnituregroup.com

This collaboration is in conjunction with the launch of our student campaign both online and in-store, which is made up of selected products for students to stamp their style on their uni rooms with eat, sleep and study essentials. Here is some behind the scenes images from the shoot day with our creative and social teams at our in-house photography studio.

October

Haskins Furniture

Our newest addition to the fleet. Be sure to wave at us when we are out and about. And don’t forget we still offer nationwide FREE white glove delivery on orders over £799.

Tapi Carpets

Today we welcomed our CEO James Sturrock to our Tapi Carpets & Floors Dunfermline store. Thanks for visiting, spending time with all colleagues, and listening to all, and feedback on our store. Was great to have you in store.

Loaf

Gather the gang with our NEW corner and chaise sofas in our most wanted styles. (Or you can hog the lot, we won’t judge.) Check them out!.

Dunelm

A couple of weeks ago we launched our collaboration with Gals Who Graduate and its founder Bronte King. Gals Who Graduate offer supportive online communities for students and graduates to share their advice, stories and support for each other.

West elm

Introducing Mara Hoffman for West Elm. Our design team worked with Mara, founder of the cult-favorite fashion label Mara Hoffman on a home collection that is all about beauty and calm, rooted in the intentionality of design..

The Furniture Makers’ Company

It’s day one of the charity bike ride and today the peloton will be starting out from Verulamium Park in St Albans and biking 60 miles to Whittlebury.

Emma – The Sleep Company

It can be rewarding and fun to work in a fast-paced environment. A dynamic work-place isn’t harmful - as long as you don’t neglect to recover after stressful times. We teamed up with our #MentalWellbeingSupport team to give a breakdown of the stages of stress and how to combat it. Our support team provides psychological counseling for our Emmies.

FEATURES A Safe Passage

Colin Boyce and James Leach, co-founders of newly launched Passage House Agency Ltd and agents for bed manufacturer Mattsons, share an insight into their venture and what they hope to achieve.

Following the recent UK showroom launch for Swedish luxury bed manufacturer Mattsons, and the appointment of Colin Boyce as its UK agent, the brand has bolstered its ranks with the addition of James Leach joining the fold.

Mattsons Beds opened its new showroom in Topsham, near Exeter, its 17th space across the globe and its debut location here in Britain. On the back of this new venture, Colin and James, both agents for a number of British and Italian brands, decided to bring their joint expertise together as one company.

And so, with the Mattsons Beds partnership spearheading the venture, their company, Passage House Agency Ltd, was born.

“We’ve always wanted to do something together for some time – the chance to build a meaningful business and hopefully a brand together,” revealed Colin.

The name Passage House actually brewed over a pint in a Topsham pub, also called Passage House. It was there the

concept, plan and strategy of their business model began to take shape, while also the setting for a very important meeting.

“Regarding Passage House, the honest answer is it’s the name of the pub we had our first board meeting in after a very successful opening Mattsons launch day at the showroom in Topsham,” James said.

“Our vision for the company is to be a vehicle/connection for a brand/manufacturer to operate in the UK, hence passage (route to market) and house (our company).”

Colin added: “When we thought of Passage House for the name of our ltd company, we were thinking along the lines of a customs agent (as we have to clear goods from Sweden), so we thought of the word, passage – being a facility to enable smooth movement from one thing to another, be that business growth or actual movement of goods.

“Our goal is to make Mattsons become a recognised and

respected brand within the trade. We will start the journey to hopefully one day make Mattsons a brand known to some discerning UK consumers too.”

The pair took the decision to focus on local interest first rather than appearing at trade shows here in the UK.

“We have decided not to show in UK trade shows as we have a wonderful trade showroom in Topsham, which is a stunning place and a really nice little town. However, we are pleased to be at the Milan fair next Spring,” Colin said.

“Mattsons will support UK stockists by way of Google word searches in local 50-mile radius’ plus, arranging and contributing to the cost of local magazines to hopefully create local interest. We are already working with paid promotions in the UK on Insta and Facebook.”

“We believe there is a gap in the market for a luxury bed manufacture that’s story has the use of natural materials at the heart of its products,” James added.

As the business continues to evolve from its in inception, both Colin and James are busy putting all the cogs in place including a brand new website, which as it stands, is currently under development and will be live in the ‘not too distant future’. For now, the pair will continue to promote the Mattsons Beds brand and the quality it represents, most likely over a drink or two.

www.mattsonsbeds.com

Our goal is to make Mattsons become a recognised and respected brand within the trade.

17 #2 ”

BIG INTER VIEW

RACHEL CONROY

coincided with the rise that holiday parks have seen in terms of standards and visitors. Early on we aligned with the big players in the holiday park scene and have ridden the wave with them. It feels fantastic to be recognised for such an accolade. The best thing about my job is growing such a fantastic team who are all trying to achieve the same goal so this meant as much to them as it did to me.

What is your current job role and key responsibilities?

What time is your alarm clock set for and do you have a morning routine?

Let’s start with you. Can you share a bit about yourself and your background? How does it feel to be recognised in the recent 35 Women Under 35 2022 list?

I am a qualified solicitor and practised for 12 years before I started the HLF Group six years ago. The corporate world wasn’t compatible with me having a young family and I saw an opportunity within the factory to open up their products to new sectors. It

I am the CEO of The HLF Group. I founded the company. My responsibilities are vast reaching and involve all departments. All ultimate decision making ends with me. I am responsible for recruitment, deciding new models and managing our larger key accounts.

What do you love about your job?

I love the variety – no day is the same. I also love making a sale – from initial contract through to delivery and the aftersales – I love all aspects of that.

My four year old is my alarm clock and she usually goes off around 6.30am. I would love to say I was one of those people that went to the gym, meditated and drank a green juice but my reality is that I feel like I do a full day’s work before I sit at my desk. I am usually rushing around sorting my two daughters, dropping them at breakfast clubs etc. I always bring my breakfast to work and when I get in, I enjoy a coffee, eating that in peace and checking up on our social media channels and looking through my diary for the day.

Why did you choose to work in the furnishing industry?

It wasn’t my chosen career path but timing was everything. I had a small baby, was becoming disillusioned with the corporate legal world and was approached by my business partner who asked if I would be interested in opening up more avenues to sell UK made contract products into new sectors.

Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of contract furniture supplier HLF Group, features in our Big Interview where she reflects on recent

recognition, how she ended up in the furniture industry and what her favourite product is.

I admire the UK furniture manufacturers who are still in business 30/40 years on who have weathered many storms.

Who do you most admire?

I admire the UK furniture manufacturers who are still in business 30/40 years on who have weathered many storms. We are about to hit another one with the costof-living crisis and it’s about always being one step ahead of the game and trying to adapt your business accordingly.

Have there been any special moments during your career?

The most notable ones have been when we have won huge contracts and tenders. We have signed NDAs on some of these so I cannot tell you the customers but the entire team celebrated each of those.

What is your favourite item of furniture you own?

I have some really beautiful pieces in my home as furniture is my passion so it’s been collected over the years. If I can choose a few it would be my dressing room which I designed bespoke with a joiner. It would also be my 2x10 foot long leather chesterfields in my lounge and lastly I have two accent chairs which were my husband’s late fathers that have an old school ercol vibe about them. I have covered them in beautiful fabrics and I get lots of comments about them from visitors.

What do you think is trending within the industry?

I tend to follow colour and shape trends as we predominantly sell sofas and upholstered products. I think the next huge trend is going to be ‘hot’ and popping colours so hot pink will be huge. We are also seeing the continuation of the curve trend.

What would you change in the industry?

Unfortunately, we are price driven in the UK when it comes to furniture. But I hope more and more the public are starting to care about where their furniture is made. I hope they are prepared to pay a little more to have a UK made product.

We have huge plans at HLF. We are about to finalise a massive tender which will see our sales double. We are launching some new living and dining products made here in the UK. We are always expanding into newer sectors including later living and co living.

What do you enjoy most outside of work / free time?

I enjoy spending any free time I have with my family.

What might someone not know about you?

I am level 2 in sign language.

Probably something in procurement. Finally, if you were an item of furniture, what would it be?

A collectors piece of art I would say.

5FUN QS:

If you could hack into any one computer, whose computer would you choose and why?

Elon Musk – that guy has far too much digital power.

What fact amazes you every time you think of it?

When you do a Google search, 1,000 computers are used to find the answer in 0.2 seconds.

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Taken a private plane to Ibiza for a night with eight friends.

What is the most important object you own and why?

I don’t necessarily own them but my two daughters are my most important ‘things’.

What did you think was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now?

The older you get, the more you realise you don’t need lots of friends you just need a handful of very good ones.

About HLF Group

HLF manufacture and supply contract standard furniture for trade only accounts as well as to the public.

www.thehlfgroup.com

Can you share an insight into your future plans?

If you had a different career, what would it be?

Iconic

Peter Green Furnishers is a much loved business in the area of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and in recent years it has been tagged with the label of ‘iconic’. There are not many businesses that can enjoy such honours, but with a 66 year history under its belt, the company has continued to go from strength to strength, with the community it serves remaining at the core of its success.

Their story began back in 1956 when Peter Green, father of current owner and chairman Wendy Martin Green, opened his store called the Sleep Shop in Eastleigh with just £150 to his name. The Sleep Shop sold beds but it quickly evolved into a furniture and flooring store by popular demand.

In fact, one of the first pieces of furniture that went on display was

the ever-popular Ercol Studio Couch. Conceived as a post war response to the Government’s 1946 ‘National Utility Furniture Scheme’, this now classic piece showed excellence in design combined with an economic use of materials. It became an instant industry favourite when it first hit the market and, amazingly, the company still sells the updated version today.

This item of furniture has more meaning to Wendy too as part of their 65th anniversary celebrations, they commissioned a photographer to retouch the only photo they possess of the Sleep Shop with her father standing outside, adding a modern studio couch with Wendy sitting on it.

“This is the first time I have been in a photograph with my father since his death 40 years ago,” Wendy said. “The image was printed on icing for the top of our party cake using edible ink too. Now that’s technology for you!”

Following the death of Peter Green in 1980, Wendy’s mother took over and played another key role in their growth, including relocating to an even larger premises on School Lane during 1985. Wendy took control herself some 12

Wendy Martin Green, Chairman at Peter Green Furnishers, talks about their 65th anniversary milestone with an eye on the future.

years ago after her mother passed and has the same fire burning to succeed like her late parents.

From the Sleep Shop’s humble beginnings to present day Peter Green Furnishers, the business has continued to ride both the high and low waves, tackling challenges head on, while becoming a staple in the community it serves.

“After my mother died, I took her place and found myself, like her, to be one of the few women in a surprisingly male-dominated industry,” Wendy said. “Leading the business and building on

my parent’s ethics and successes, with the help of a loyal senior team, Peter Green still has a deep connection with the community. We know both our retail and commercial customers very well because we have grown up with them.”

July 30th was the official 65th anniversary date, although a year later due to Covid halting any celebrations until now.

“We celebrated our 65th anniversary with a huge party at our store, which attracted 600 guests including customers, friends and representatives

from our suppliers and former employees. The Eastleigh Rotary Club, of which we are members, also joined us and Wave radio also came along promoting their charity Cash for Kids,” Wendy said.

“We held an auction of up-cycled pieces of furniture made for the BBC program Money for Nothing on which Peter Green Furnishers make regular guest appearances. The proceeds were donated to Cash for Kids. Music was provided by the Southampton band ‘The Dinner Set’ and we even had a local land train called Trigger running outside for the children and the ‘young at heart’ to ride on. This was very appropriate because Eastleigh is a railway town. It was a very community based event opened by the former Mayor of Eastleigh, and councillor Cynthia Garton. The outpouring of well wishes from the public both in person and in social media was amazing too.”

This is the first time I have been in a photograph with my father since his death 40 years ago.

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And that’s not all. The company plans to continue the celebrations with a Wellness Event to introduce its health care, low emissions and eco products, and they will be ending this year with their annual Christmas bash. Pausing the party for a moment, Wendy reflected on some special memories from over years – too many to jot down unfortunately, but here are some snippets including a bed race, Christmas food scheme, horse delivery and Britain’s tallest man.

“Shortly after my father opened his Sleep Shop, he had the idea to organise a bed race as a fundraiser during the town’s 1959 Carnival Week. The event was also filmed by Movietone News and shown as a newsreel clip across the whole nation.

“I remember in the 1960’s my father started the Christmas Parcels Scheme. He cleared the store and asked the public to donate food to provide a Christmas dinner for all the elderly who could not afford one. He encouraged the local supermarket to donate bags and the local bakery, Mr Kipling Cakes, to give Christmas cakes and other food manufacturers in the area to make donations of food. The project lasted for many years and eventually had to be moved from his store to the local schools where the parcels were put together by the school children. My father provided the transport to deliver the packages to the people in need and he personally delivered many of the parcels himself, even on Christmas Day!

“In the 1990’s when we delivered a customer’s furniture with our own horse and carriage and this was filmed on TV. The smart cream coloured Peter Green carriage pulled by a white horse was a well known sight in the area and at country shows.

“In 1985 when we moved to our Chandlers Ford premises, we called it the Big Move, so it was only fitting that Britain’s tallest man at the time, Christopher Greener, should come and open the new store for us. He carried my mother over the threshold and she looked truly terrified being so high up!”

So, what has been key to Peter Green’s longevity? Wendy says their connection and commitment to the community and the loyalty of their customers has been paramount.

“It is wonderful that we are still here and to be referred to as an icon in the community. It is wonderful to have grown up in a neighborhood that has changed so much. We have furnished the region’s homes, schools, hospitals, hotels, gyms, pubs and restaurants as well as their places of worship over many decades. We have employed hundreds of local people over the years and remain heavily involved with many local charities and community organisations and have had long relationships with our manufacturers, many of which have been supplying us since the beginning. We are part of the Hampshire fabric!”

Like every business, there are plenty of challenges to face and Wendy highlights the most recent being the toughest in their history, while

remaining upbeat with an eye on the future.

“Covid was the biggest challenge. That was very difficult for us as it was for everyone else. I’m immensely proud we are making it through when sadly many other small businesses were forced into closure.

“For us, business has been extremely good and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way, although I think we can all see that there will be further challenges ahead in the coming months and years.

“That being said, we’re busy expanding our commercial offering and we are developing a new Commercial Showroom and Offices. In the autumn, we are planning a big refurbishment

in-store with new flooring and fixtures and signage inside and outside. This could possibly require us to reduce the amount of stock we hold with a sale.”

As final thought on the now, Wendy says the recent trend of biophilia, which means bringing the outside in, is a ‘hot topic’ amongst consumers. “With an interest from both our retail and commercial customers in eco and sustainable products alongside low emissions, this movement bundles up into our customers yearning to live healthier lives with reduced carbon footprints.”

Here’s to another sustainable 65 years.

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GNG goes from strength to strength

Over the last few years, British mattress manufacturer GNG Group has made major inroads in becoming recognised as a leader in its field.

GNG’s loyal and skilled 100-strong team demonstrated its unswerving support, keeping the factories running at full speed during the pandemic to meet the demands of the NHS, supplying some 16,000 mattresses! In March, customer Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare and GNG joined forces to donate desperately-needed beds and mattresses via MEDAID-4KIDS to support victims of war in Ukraine.

With a reputation for quality and service, GNG has proved able to meet demand from UK companies seeking British suppliers following global supply chain issues. Given its progress, the company is in a strong position to work with retailers over the coming months, continuing to provide fast and efficient lead times, strengthened by the additional capacity of the new factory. It was recently proud to be one of three finalists in the ‘Bed Manufacturer of the Year’ category of the 2022 Bed Industry Awards announced at the NBF Bed Show, alongside two other prestigious names, Sleepeezee and Harrison Spinks.

The show was a real success for GNG, welcoming existing and new customers to its stand which showcased its three popular mattress brands, Komfi, Sonlevo and Nectar Sleep. For anyone who wasn’t able to visit the show but would like to see the products, the company’s show van is available.

Since the relaunch of the Komfi brand In 2021, GNG has seen a 70 percent uplift in sales. Its innovative eco collections replace traditional foams with alternative, more sustainable comfort fillings that aim to take end-of-life mattresses out of landfill and back into the recycling chain.

The GNG portfolio includes the revolutionary Sonlevo TrueGel range, which is designed to offer greater support, advanced pressure relief and a cooler night’s sleep.

As an approved non-direct supplier to the NHS for over 30 years, GNG has become known for quality and innovation. It invests in the latest foam design and production equipment, supported by its own product development team with all product design and testing carried out in-house.

Seeking environmentally-friendly solutions is also a focus for GNG which recycles foam offcuts and uses reconditioned Ecofoam where possible. Having achieved carbon neutral certification in 2019, it was the first UK manufacturer to produce a carbon neutral mattress. As a member of the NBF, GNG signed the ‘Pledge for Our Planet’ in May 2022, further demonstrating its commitment to becoming a more sustainable business and reducing its products’ impact on the environment.

This year, GNG made a £1.75m investment in regenerating a dormant site in Normanton, West Yorkshire, into a newly refurbished 40,000sq ft factory and warehouse, dedicated to its fast-growing mattress division. It will massively increase capacity, quadrupling production.

www.gnggroup.co.uk

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Direct from India

Jaipur Furniture is a leading exporter of solid wood furniture from India. The company has a rich history spanning over 30 years and operates out of its three large family-owned factory facility based in Jaipur, Jodhpur and the state of Rajasthan, in the northern India-a region, which is long famed as an important hub for handicrafts and home furnishings production.

In the UK, Jaipur has a warehouse based in Huntingdon, where they pride themselves on being able to offer a quick turnaround to customer orders. Offering a vast variety of products, available directly from either their warehouse or manufacturing facility in India, the company has continued to grow internationally, supplying some major businesses in the process.

These include the likes of IKEA, Maisons du Monde, Dunelm and Shop Direct to name but a few, while the company has ambitions to push on in the UK. Montu Soni, director at Jaipur Furniture, said: “We are doing very well at the moment and keen to expand our customer base in the UK market. Things are going perfect for us. The warehouse has been brilliant and has seen year-on-year growth in order volumes. As we are direct to factory, customers don’t need to go to a third party to buy, they can come direct to us without the need for a wholesaler.

“Customers can order direct containers at the same price without travelling to India, while also being able to communicate directly with our UK office to get updates on factory orders without any hesitation.”

Jaipur Furniture, which has been the recipient of India’s Top Export Award in the Solid Wood category for the past 10 years, says one of its key initiatives, and reasons to its ongoing success, is their commitment to sustainably sourced products. Soni continued: “We’re committed to comply with the law of the land, forestry and

environment conservation to provide sustainable furniture. Our factories have committed to an initiative where we plant 100 seeds for when one tree is sawn.”

Considering their impact on the environment too, Jaipur aims to reduce carbon footprints every year by 15%, while also investing in technology and automation to make manufacturing and distribution processes even more efficient.

Jaipur has other growth plans in the pipeline too, and following the launch of its vanity category earlier this year, the company is setting up a ceramic factory to extend its product offering further. Adding to this still, Jaipur is also implementing an outdoor furniture factory with the aim to increase furniture capacity by 25% each year.

In keeping with products, Soni revealed that a previous attempt on showcasing industrial furniture to the UK market some three years ago went relatively unnoticed, but is now bang on trend in customer demand.

“Three years ago, we introduced some industrial based furniture to the UK market following success in the Netherlands and Germany, but the UK market wasn’t ready for that then. We are now seeing this trend grow in the UK, which has been very encouraging.

“Our customers are responding well to this demand. For others that are not so sure we offer visits to our warehouse so that they can see the quality of our products first hand. Our lead times from the warehouse are immediate if products are in stock, while from the factory, containers are dispatched every six weeks.”

Soni said the year so far has been ‘very positive’ for Jaipur Furniture and is now looking to continue its growth path with the launch of new ranges.

“We encourage you to come and see for yourself as we pride ourselves on the quality of our products.”

Montu Soni, director at Jaipur Furniture, shares an insight into the business, new products and sustainability importance.

Customers can order direct containers at the same price without travelling to India.

Marketing Master

Clare Taylor, founder and owner of Apricus Marketing, shares an insight into her world of marketing and why it’s important to master the art.

Good marketing always starts with strong strategic foundations that hones in an area of focus that marries your brand and offer. If the fundamentals are done correctly, and not ignored, there’s every chance for a business to stand out and thrive.

So, why is it important for furniture businesses to have a marketing strategy?

Clare Taylor, founder of Apricus Marketing, explains just that. “It ensures that your proposition is clear, targeted and connects well with your audience. And that doesn’t just involve looking at your business and your own strengths and weaknesses, a key part is understanding the marketplace around you and finding your space - being choosy around who you do and don’t want to compete with, and how. This is particularly important in markets that are saturated such as furniture where so many businesses are competing for space whether it be manufacturing or online v bricks and mortar retail.”

In the marketing world, Clare has built a solid reputation with over 20 years’ experience in various marketing, business development and account management roles, including five years in the furniture space in positions as marketing manager at Hypnos Contract Beds and head of marketing at Breasley. In September 2020, she decided the time was right to launch her own venture and Apricus was born. Two years on, Clare hasn’t looked back.

“It struck me that there was a potential opening for a remote marketing management offering as businesses were pivoting and cutting back on overheads during the pandemic. It also struck me that, more than ever, businesses needed to be sure the marketing they were investing in was targeted in the right direction and focused on delivering long-term results so they could not only survive the pandemic, but quickly get back to thriving thereafter.”

Since starting Apricus, Clare has continued to work with clients in the furniture industry, with some names including Staingard, Pike Textiles and Peak Converters Ltd.

Key services include strategy and tactical planning, market research and

All of the services I offer are completely scalable from larger businesses right down to start-ups.

analysis, content creation, delivery and mentoring. Clare continued: “These are very much focused on business growth, making sure that my clients have the right foundations in place to compete and stand out in their sector, whether that be focused on launching new products, diversifying into new sectors, or developing their brand awareness.

“I also offer a marketing audit. This is popular with businesses who are busy with their day-to-day marketing but don’t have the time, resource, or knowledge to sit back and assess what it is actually delivering for them. I go in and look at the whole mix of activity and where it is or isn’t impacting the business, making recommendations for improvement and refinement. All of the services I offer are completely scalable from larger businesses right down to start-ups.”

Keeping on top of latest trends is another key asset Clare has too. In the fastmoving world we live in today, it can be hard to determine, spot and action trends as they happen. Clare said she is seeing more AI and VR solutions in the market, which will have an impact on both customer and employee experience going forwards, while short-form video content looks set to continue and ads will become more personalised.

Without giving too much away, Clare also shared her top tips on marketing fundamentals that every business should be adopting and implementing. They are:

Keep it simple

“Your marketing strategy doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective.”

Measure

“Have a tactical plan in place, backed by a budget so you can measure the success of your activities, return on spend and impact on the bottom line. And make sure you have the right measurement metrics in place.”

Be your customer

“Don’t be obsessed with things that aren’t relevant to your customer.”

Evaluate

“Take the time to evaluate the inputs into your marketing proposition before wading into producing marketing outputs. This will ensure your outputs are more effective.”

feel the impact initially. Marketing budgets, rightly or wrongly, are often the first to be cut in harder times, and are generally slow to return to previous levels when things start to pick up again. This makes budgeting and planning difficult at both the business and departmental level, with businesses often not feeling the effects of pulling back on their marketing until further down the linesometimes as long as six or 12 months later when they wonder why their sales are down.

“The second is larger organisations not positioning marketing in the right place within their business. Marketing teams should not operate in a silo. They should be connected cross-departmentally throughout a business, particularly working with ops / production, R&D, HR and customer service departments in order to really have an impact.

“The third is not measuring what they are doing. There is a tendency, particularly in smaller businesses, to just ‘get on with it’ because resources are limited, so the focus is on delivery but not necessarily on monitoring the results.”

Apricus Marketing provides the solutions to avoid these common mishaps, and as Clare eluded to, the furniture industry is one that needs plenty of master marketeers.

Then there’s the other side of the coin, the marketing mistakes and pitfalls to avoid, with the most common being stop-start marketing. “There are three main pitfalls that I have seen throughout my career that rarely change,” Clare said, continuing: “One is stop-start marketing. In times of business upheaval - upturns, followed by downturns – it is invariably marketers who www.apricusmarketing.co.uk

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How Made Smarter is helping SMEs embrace Furniture 4.0

The furniture sector, like every industry, is experiencing a tectonic shift, as digitalisation drives the automation of processes and products. Technology adoption is enabling businesses to overcome technical challenges, accelerate processes, improve productivity, and become more sustainable.

“These challenges were identified in the Made Smarter Review, an industryled analysis of what was really behind UK manufacturing’s productivity problem, which also recommended key changes: more ambitious leadership; greater innovation in developing new technologies; faster implementation and adoption of these technologies; and deeper understanding of the sector’s skills requirements,” said Donna Edwards, Programme Director for Made Smarter’s Adoption Programme in the North West.

Helping SMEs keep up with the pace became the foundation of the Made Smarter Adoption programme. Launched as a £20m governmentfunded industry-led pilot in the North West in 2019, the initiative has expanded into the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, the West of England and East Midlands regions.

The programme has supported 250 technology projects which are forecast to deliver an additional £176M in GVA for the North West economy over the next three years, create over 1,250 new jobs, and upskill 2,300 existing roles

But making the most of the opportunity isn’t as easy as it sounds for smaller businesses. Capacity and speed of adoption presents barriers, from finance and a lack of digital skills, to uncertainty of where to start and the struggle to find the time to capitalise on opportunities.

Where to start

To help manufacturers select the right approach, Made Smarter developed a Digital Transformation Workshop, an innovative, streamlined diagnostic of products, services, processes and people to find practical solutions to overcome challenges. Bolton-based furniture manufacturer, Starlight Bedrooms, used the process to identify the indeed to digitalise their manual and paper-based processes – and keep ahead of their competition.

Investing in tech

Starlight used the insights and matched funded grant to invest in a bespoke customer management system, which integrated with new CAD design and production software as well as their sales and marketing operations. The outcome was that Stalight can now quickly create room layouts and furniture and fittings configurations, send machine instructions to their production plant, and have complete oversight of their entire sales and production pipeline to make more informed business decisions, eliminate bottlenecks, and minimise errors and waste.

Another example is Forest Sofa, a furniture manufacturer based in Salford, who invested in a data and systems integration project which has enabled them to digitally track our production through the manufacturing process. The increased visibility enables the business to better manage resource demands and reduce the likelihood of bottlenecking. The new system also allowed them to provide real time updates to their customers,

Skills and leadership

While this technology is solving business challenges and driving growth, it is also highlighting a digital skills gap, across industry, and emphasising the need for existing workforces to be upskilled. Made Smarter is supporting manufacturers to ensure they have the right skill sets to capitalise on these game-changing technologies by offering specialist advice about organisational and workforce development.

To help SME manufacturers in the furniture sector, Made Smarter has produced a free guide to help demystify digitalisation and drive technology adoption. The downloadable guide showcases the benefits of digital technology, how to get started, the top five technology trends across the sector, and case studies of businesses supported by Made Smarter, including furniture maker Starlight Bedrooms and fabrics and upholstery expert Panaz.

This focussed support on SMEs in the sector has been welcomed by the British Furniture Confederation, as chairman Jonathan Hindle commented: “The UK furniture manufacturing industry has a global reputation for quality and innovation, combining skilled design and craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. To maintain that achievement and ensure the UK remains competitive against global competition, manufacturers need to embrace current and emerging technologies, and the huge potential digitisation offers, as well as to raise the skills and productivity of the people who work in our sector to the highest level.”

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Retail Focus with Sopha

Matthew Scott, founder of Sopha, an independent furniture store in Highbridge, Somerset, talks about constant investing, recent trading and a look to the future.

Main responsibilities?

My main roles are looking after the strategic direction of the business and enabling our team to support our customers.

Recent company investments?

As a new furniture retailer built on a vision that started less than seven years ago, we have made incremental investments since the day we opened back in 2018. When we started the business, we spent all of our resources on creating a

building and a shop that would serve us long into the future, no matter what direction the industry goes. This meant we opened up relying on hire vans until we could afford our first van several months after opening and our full website didn’t launch until over a year later. Recently we’ve been investing in our digital marketing; our first TV advert aired a year ago and we’re continuing to invest in both video creation and in further expanding our web presence.

Future plans?

In the very short term, our future plans include our first ever Christmas TV advert but we feel very strongly that we’re on a journey to evolve as our industry continues to. Where two years ago we were looking at expanding our business through additional physical stores our efforts since Covid are focusing on the next steps for our website and digital presence. We have also just joined the Minerva Furniture Group after a considerable length of time trying; we hope to build on our membership here and look at how relationships with other retailers could better our business.

What is your mission?

Our mission as a business has been ever evolving but with the same few key principles. We want to sell furniture that puts quality above everything and products that sell on their own merits without having to hide behind snazzy marketing and false promotions. Our ‘honest pricing’ policy means that we never sell at artificially higher prices so that we can offer discounts or sale periods but instead we try to find a price that’s fair to both our business and our customers. Finally, we deliberately pursue a journey to discover what it means to be a sustainable furniture retailer.

On sustainability, what is your business doing on this topic?

33 Big Furniture Magazine #2 With one of our founding aims to discover what it means to be a sustainable furniture retailer we have been looking into the sustainability of our business and our products for quite some time. Our entire building has been stripped back

We deliberately pursue a journey to discover what it means to be a sustainable furniture retailer.

”

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to introduce energy saving features such as wall, floor and roof insulation and LED lighting, however we feel that there is still a huge amount more that we can do. Back when we started the business we were talking to our suppliers about sustainable materials and while many suppliers were already using FSC certified timers the idea of using foam alternatives was far from most supplier’s list of priorities. The saying that every cloud has a silver lining I think is particularly apt to the rise in the cost of foam throughout the Covid pandemic that has forced many suppliers to look towards more sustainable alternatives for their upholstery and we’re delighted to be on the journey with them. Over the next few months, we’re working on writing a sustainability report on each of our products that we’ll be able to share with our customers.

How has recent business been?

I think throughout our industry we’ve noticed that the wave of pent-up demand following the lockdowns has now subsided and many customers are delaying purchases until they see how the cost-of-living squeeze affects them this winter. This, combined with inflation, hasn’t affected the upper-mid end of the market which is thriving but has seen the lower end of the market squeeze significantly.

What would you change in the industry?

I’d love to see our industry working together to find a solution to what happens to our products at the end of their useful life. I’d also like to see less discounting that’s based on reference pricing that only exists to create the opportunity of marketing promotions. Further to this, I’d like to see more of us working together to find ways to strengthen our industry, especially amongst independent retailers.

What challenges do you currently face?

There was once a time that you could open your doors and customers would come. Now it’s more important than ever to give customers a reason to visit

our stores. We’ve spent a lot of effort to try to improve the customer experience of visiting our store by investing in our coffee shop and working with our team to make our visual merchandising stand out.

Do you have any staff you would like to pay special thanks or recognition too and why?

We have an amazing team here at Sopha and we’re really proud of how everyone brings their own distinctive skillset to the table. Our strength as a business is not built on a single strong individual but by the individuals within the team recognising each other’s skills and talents to find their own role in building so we can be the best business we can to support and inspire our customers.

Why do you think customers choose your business?

Hopefully customers choose Sopha because they see that we’re something a bit different to the other stores they visit but we still hold true the values of a traditional family business at our core. Nobody in our business is paid commission and we aim to build long-term relationships with our customers so that they feel free to come into our store to be inspired, even if they’re only getting ideas for future projects. If we do everything right our customers will only need to visit us every few years but it’s our aim that they still remember our names.

www.sopha.co.uk

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Green Retail

In our four-part series, we take a look at a number of furniture retailers and what they are doing in terms of sustainability. First up, DFS, Dunelm and ScS.

The topic of sustainability is not anything new but its importance is ever relevant and continues to grow. You may have seen a greater choice of sustainability-led products within the furniture industry over the past few years, from bottle-filled mattresses to fully recycled components at the core of new products. This is fantastic and long may it continue. Alongside product innovations, businesses are also adapting new ways of working to make their operations greener. As consumers are becoming more sustainabilityfocused in their purchase journey, it is important for all businesses to keep the eco-movement moving, growing and evolving.

In our four-part series, we take a look at a number of furniture retailers and what they are doing in terms of sustainability. It’s great if retailers are selling the eco-conscious product,

but what are they themselves doing to drive a greener model? As consumers may just take a closer look at a retailer’s ecoefforts, and not solely focus on the product they are looking to buy. This article explores what some retail heavyweights are doing in this area as we focus on DFS, Dunelm and ScS.

Sustainability remains a key focus for the business and we have continued to make good progress. Dunelm

DFS

Back in September 2020, sofa retailer DFS launched its ‘Sofa cycle’ initiative, a concept to embed constant sustainable practices across the business. Two years on, DFS said it has made ‘significant sustainability progress’.

As part of its long-term commitment to its sustainability goals, it has created a credible roadmap, with the first part of this journey to fully understand its carbon footprint. Tim Stacey, Group Chief Executive Officer at DFS, shares more on its progress to date: “We have made significant progress during the year, and are now able to report our total carbon footprint including Scope 3 emissions for the last four years. Although there are clearly specific challenges to the Group to overcome in order to become Net-Zero by 2040, we now have the data and foundations on which to build a credible plan. Across the Group we are developing innovative products to support our sustainable strategy.”

During the year, DFS launched its Grand Designs beds collection using only innovative and sustainable materials, while Sofology introduced the ‘Sustainability Edit’ collection, which includes a full recycled foam alternative, recycled fabrics and wooden frames from sustainable sources.

“We continue to invest in testing new materials and developing new innovative ranges with our key suppliers,”

Tim said, adding: “This includes a partnership with Imperial College and the Royal Institute called the ‘Centre for Climate Change Innovation’, to address specific material challenges.

“We’ve incorporated sustainability KPIs into our revolving credit facility with a group of our relationship banks, ensuring coverage across both environmental and social areas. Our first measurement period was December 2021 and I’m pleased to report that all of our externally assured sustainability targets were achieved.”

Dunelm

Home furnishings retailer Dunelm has echoed that of DFS and has its own sustainability ambitions to be more ‘environmentally and socially responsible’ to its customers.

Part of this ambition has seen the birth of its ‘good and circular’ movement, which is intended to offer customers the opportunity to make ‘informed choices’, with the retailer increasing the number of products which meet its ‘more responsibly sourced’ standards.

Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer at Dunelm, explains: “Sustainability remains a key focus for the business and we have continued to make good progress during the year. In addition to The Edited Life, our lifestyle brand, which incorporates a variety of more sustainable materials and encourages reduced consumption, we have also recently launched ‘Conscious Choice’.

“To be included in this selection of sustainably-focused own-brand lines, each product must be made from at least 50% more sustainable materials (by weight) compared to conventional alternatives, and will typically also offer an

extended guarantee of between five and 25 years, with the products having been designed with durability in mind.”

In addition to product development, Dunelm has also reduced the volume of plastic packaging on its own-brand products, and, in December 2021, expanded an in-store textiles takeback scheme in more than 90% of stores nationwide and now covers more than 50% of own-brand products. This has seen ‘significant customer uptake’, Dunelm said.

Dunelm also has a number of partnerships in place to support its Net Zero Pathway, having joined the Aldersgate Group during the year, as well as continuing its collaborations with Textiles 2030 and the British Retail Consortium.

ScS

ScS says it’s committed to being a responsible business with its purpose ‘helping create the home you love’ focusing on offering customers a wide range of quality products at great value. As part of ensuring it acts responsibly, ScS is committed to ensuring that its products are sourced ethically and identifying ways in which it can minimise its impact on the environment.

Through its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, ScS has defined clear targets and sets out its sustainability roadmap which continues to evolve. Furthermore, the Group will publish its first report in line with Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) requirements in the FY22 Annual Report.

“Although we are relatively early on our ESG journey, we have made great strides and are committed to driving further change,” ScS said. “We recognise that climate change is a complex topic which is developing at fast pace. During the first half of the year members of the senior management team undertook carbon literacy training. This helped to develop an understanding of climate-related risks, policy and legislation and highlight the potential impacts on the environment of the Group’s operational decisions.”

ScS’ sustainable efforts so far include operating with 100% renewable electricity and introducing electric vehicles into its fleet, only selling laminate and wooden flooring ranges that are made from responsibly sourced timber, which is certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and working with suppliers and the Leather Working Group, whom it joined in 2021, to ensure that leather is sourced from known, traceable or certified sources by July 2023.

Furthermore, ScS has increased sales of SpringBond underlay, where it has recently achieved the milestone of utilising more than one million recycled plastic bottles, with the Group targeting to achieve the two million milestone later this year.

What is your business doing on sustainability?

www.dfs.co.uk - www.dunelm.com - www.scs.co.uk

Next Level Customer Experience

Independent furniture retailer Gillies of Broughty Ferry has appointment Jonathan Creese as its new, and first, Customer Experience Manager in an effort to bring their customer journey to the next level.

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, Jonathan’s key responsibilities are to act as Head of Customer Service and develop new Customer Experience ways of working for the business.

Fresh into the role, Jonathan is currently undergoing a full assessment of current operational processes in order to establish any areas for improvement, transformation and/or automation.

“With recent and planned company growth, my objective is to help the business to future proof the operation and ensure we have the necessary

people skills in place to deliver a world class level of service in an ever-changing world,” Jonathan said.

Whilst simultaneously working in the new role, Jonathan is also undertaking a Professional Diploma in Customer Experience with ‘The CX Academy’, which is aimed to help shape its CX programme and set clear goals.

Jonathan continued: “I intend to implement new procedures and staff training, increase modes of communication, re-frame employee attitudes, and deliver a level of service above customer expectations.

“I have recently implemented a Customer Experience Call pilot within our Head Office branch, whereby sales staff contact recent customers to understand how their overall Gillies experience was and identify areas for improvements that could enhance the customer journey. These initial findings along with Trustpilot reviews will help formulate our long-term strategy.”

Jonathan has been with Gillies since 2013 and has overseen a number of projects at the front end of the business. The newly created role will give Jonathan the opportunity to “gain real understanding of the back end whilst developing a new CX training programme for the company”.

“Customer Experience is the fastest growing business discipline and focuses on how a customer feels as a result of every interaction they have with the company. At Gillies, we are continually looking for ways to develop our staff and implement new ways of working which will make the overall customer experience more enjoyable and meet the rising expectations of our loyal customer-base,” Jonathan said.

“It can be unsettling moving into a new role, but as expected, the team have been brilliant in welcoming me to the office.

“I strongly believe that Customer Experience is the next evolution of traditional retail, and will require organisations to recognise that their customers are now looking for something different. It is important to recognise that customers no longer trust companies like they once did; they now trust the opinions and experiences of their friends, family and colleagues.

“The desired outcome of great Customer Experience is not just to exceed expectations, ultimately, we want to create a bond with our customers. Where they are loyal, engaged and connected with our brand. When that bond exists between customer and organisation, customers want to stay with us longer and talk positively about their experiences to their friends, family and colleagues. We passionately want our customers to become advocates of our brand.”

www.gillies.co.uk

Customer Experience is the fastest growing business discipline and focuses on how a customer feels as a result of every interaction they have with the company.

Best of the Beds

The National Bed Federation (NBF) named the 2022 Bed Industry Awards winners at the Bed Show Gala Dinner in Telford, which took place on 20 September and was hosted by TV and radio presenter Colin Murray. An independent panel of judges selected 11 winners from a shortlist of finalists. And here they are.

Starting with Harrison Spinks, they scooped the award for Bed Manufacturer of the Year, which returned for 2022. With well-established sustainability credentials, the Leeds-based manufacturer has built further on those in the past year with initiatives ranging from product-related innovation to tangible end-of-life processes. From a high base, Harrisons Spinks has also found growth with key independent retailers in the UK and successfully expanded its international horizons. Finalists were Sleepeezee and GNG.

Taking Component Supplier of the Year was John Cotton Nonwovens. With impressive advances made to help its customers and the environment – alongside a truly nextlevel foam replacement product – John Cotton continues

Now in their 13th year, the NBF Bed Industry Awards are a pivotal event in the bed industry calendar and a real opportunity to recognise the businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond during the last 12 months. Congratulations to all the worthy winners and finalists and those who put themselves forward to be judged.

Jim Gerrety, NBF President

to demonstrate a world-class approach to developing the filling solutions of tomorrow. A close runner up was Wolf Components.

The Bed Product of the Year was awarded to Sealy UK for its Elevate Ultra Turing Plush mattress, part of its Sealy Posturepedic collection. The mattress is based on simple skeletal symmetry, keeping the body’s posture parallel to the sleep surface. The judges acknowledged the product draws on the heritage of Sealy UK, using a lot of small innovations that come together to make a bed that does not just feel great, but looks truly fantastic and is sure to be a huge success. Close runner up was Harrison Spinks for its New Dawn Collection.

Hypnos took home this year’s Component Product of the Year trophy for its Himalaya Nettle, Cotton and Kapok Fibre Comfort Layer. Completely new to the bedding market, this product demonstrated that comfort layers could be effectively and sustainably derived from nature, making it suitable for vegan products or mixing with other protein-based

natural fibres such as wool. The judges acknowledged that the product drives value for the community that produces it and for the manufacturer and retail partners that invest in this unique comfort story.

Neil Steed from Shire Beds clinched the NBF’s first NBF Member Sales Agent/Rep of the Year Award, which shines a spotlight at an individual level. Described by Shire Beds as “The father of the industry in the agent community”, Neil has worked in the bedding trade for 50 years, driving more than 1.5 million miles and booking over £100 million worth of orders. Neil is known for his quote: “One always needs a good mattress and a good pair of shoes because if you’re not in on one, you’re in the other.” The finalists were Louise Hardy – Shire Beds, Graham Riggall – Deluxe Beds and John Saunders – Sleepeezee.

Continuing its 2021 success, Dreams has once again scooped National Bed Retailer of the Year. The judges cited that the retailer overcame a different set of challenges with evidence of some excellent work supporting and building relationships with NBF brands. Dreams, which recently joined the Tempur Sealy family, demonstrated a continued excellent performance from a top and bottom-line perspective and was praised for its marketing. Finalists were Fabb Furniture and Furniture Village.

Mattress Online was crowned Online Bed Retailer of the Year for a fourth year running. The judges recognised its excellent achievements, from launching a new website to increasing average order value and conversions. Mattress Online has also grown its team by 14% and successfully launched its omnichannel strategy by acquiring its first two brick-and-mortar stores. Finalists were Mattress Next Day and Simba Sleep.

New for 2022, the Small NBF Retail Champion of the Year category was awarded to Premier Retail Champion Now to Bed,

which stocks entirely NBF approved brands. With its new 8,000sq ft flagship store, website and additional warehouse, the judges praised the retailer’s great improvement in margins and sales growth this past year. Alongside strong customer satisfaction evidenced in over 770 five-star Trust Pilot reviews, Now to Bed also invested in its staff with increased factory visits to suppliers and an improved fleet of delivery vehicles. Finalists were Linthorpe Beds and Prestige Beds.

Glasswells, a newcomer to the NBF’s retailer scheme, scooped the Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year award. Glasswells promotes its NBF Retail Champion status and is a supporter of many NBF approved brands. Sustainability and staff development are high on its agenda too, with the NBF’s Introduction to Beds course now a key part of bedding staff’s induction. Sussex Beds was the other finalist in this category.

‘The Power of Sleep’ by Dreams, in partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB, won the NBF’s first Best Marketing Campaign. In less than one year, Dreams, with its top athlete ambassadors, became the brand most associated with ParalympicsGB by its target audience, and the second most associated with Team GB. Its social media reached an incredible 35.5m people and the new ‘Dream Team’ product range now accounts for a significant amount of mattress sales volume. Finalists were Linthorpe Beds and Mattress Online.

Finally, winning another new category Outstanding Bed Store of the Year was Glasswells of Bury St. Edmunds

The NBF Marketing Committee produced a shortlist for this award which was then mystery shopped by an agency to reveal the winner. From exceptional kerb appeal and immaculate presentation of products to merchandising and excellent product knowledge, Glasswells’ flagship shone as a store that truly knows its products, its customers and what is required to support staff to deliver the best possible service. Finalists were Bradfords of Evesham and Housing Units of Manchester.

BED

AWARD SPECIAL

What the winners said…

Bed Product of the Year - Elevate Ultra Turing Plush mattress by Sealy UK

David Trimble, General Manager at Sealy UK - “This award win is an acknowledgement of all the design and development work that went into the new range. However, it is also a tribute to our factory teams for building this great looking, great performing product. To be recognised by the NBF for producing and selling the ‘bed of the year’ feels like the first step in a new era for Sealy UK. Special thanks to everyone associated with every aspect of this Award entry. It’s a great result and a big win for us all.”

Online Bed Retailer of the Year – Mattress Online

Steve Adams, CEO at Mattress Online - “Winning the Online Retailer Award for a fourth successive year is unbelievable, we’re so proud as a team. We were also delighted to be finalists in the new category for Marketing against some tough competition. Our thanks to the NBF judges for their time, as a judge myself I know how much effort goes into the process. My personal thanks go to my employees at Mattress Online for their ongoing commitment and hard work.”

National Bed Retailer of the Year & Best Marketing Campaign - Dreams

Jo Martin, CMO at Dreams - “It was a fantastic achievement to win the Best Marketing Campaign for ‘The Power of Sleep’; our multi award winning activation that showcased our Team GB and Paralympics GB partnership during Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. I’m tremendously proud of our continued partnerships, so it’s wonderful that the hard work of the Dreams marketing team is recognised for delivering such successful campaigns.”

Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year & Outstanding Bed Store of the Year – Glasswells, Bury St. Edmunds

Paul Glasswell, Managing Director at Glasswells - “We are thrilled that Glasswells has won not only the Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year, but also the Outstanding Bed Store of the Year. My grandfather started the business in 1946 and we have always strived to be the best home furnisher. To be described by the judges as “one the finest furniture retailers not just in the UK but maybe all of Europe,” makes me very proud. Whilst all of the team at Glasswells has played their part in achieving these awards, special thanks must go to Julie Valentine, our Bed Buyer, who has put tremendous

effort into making Glasswells the Outstanding Bed Store of the Year.”

Small NBF Retail Champion of the Year – Now to Bed

Paul Burnet, CEO at Now to Bed - “Winning this award will greatly assist Now to Bed in our growth plans going forward. We would not be in this position without the superb effort from the whole team. I thank them all for their commitment.”

Component Supplier of the Year – John Cotton

Mark Baron, Sales Director at John Cotton - “John Cotton is proud to be the first company within the industry to win the ‘Component Supplier’ of the year award. We have worked tirelessly over the years to ensure we provide our customers with quality performance products at competitive price points, while striving to limit our impact on the environment.”

Component Product of the Year – Himalaya Nettle, Cotton and Kapok Fibre Comfort Layer by Hypnos

David Baldry, Group Managing Director at Hypnos“Receiving the Component Product of the Year award is an incredibly welcome achievement that further supports and

reinforces our ongoing efforts to inspire everyone to sleep sustainably. We live and breathe sustainability and it’s a key consideration to everything we do, so it’s fantastic to have been recognised for this design project.”

Bed Manufacturer of the Year - Harrison Spinks

“We are delighted to announce that we won the prestigious Bed Manufacturer of the Year Award 2022-23 at the NBF Bed Show 2022. We were awarded this for our “strong all-round performance which delivered growth while maintaining lead times through a challenging market, and ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation”. We are incredibly proud of this achievement, and of all team members across the business who contributed to this success.”

NBF Member Sales Agent/Rep of the Year - Neil Steed at Shire Beds

“We are delighted to have a fantastic sales team with two of them being honoured in the NBF Bed Industry Awards. Louise Hardy was a finalist and Neil Steed was the winner in this category. Congratulations to both of you.”

New Products

Wiemann

Award-winning German bedroom manufacturer, Wiemann, has two new-in-2022 VIP ranges available to view at trade shows throughout the Autumn. Quito is an eye-catching premium VIP range featuring a distinctive square design to set it apart from the crowd. Featuring hinged doors and a variety of carcase, door and finish options including mirrors, pebble grey, champagne and rustic oak. Asmara is a versatile and contemporary premium VIP total bedroom solution featuring hinged doors with or without drawers. Available in a variety of finishes including Bianco oak, pebble grey, champagne and mirrors. Chests, bedsides and beds complete the collection.

www.wiemannuk.co.uk

Collins and Hayes

Collins & Hayes are proud to introduce you to BE Collins & Hayes. Beau and Beckett can be styled as a tailored or a casual slip cover to create your perfect look. With relaxing comfort, a lifetime promise on all frames, fabrics machine washable at 30 degrees and fillings selected with sustainability in mind - BE Collins & Hayes has it all!

www.collinsandhayes.co.uk

Nectar Sleep

At Nectar Sleep we are committed to sustainability, which is why we use premium materials in our products to ensure that they last. However, we are also aware that all products have an environmental impact, which is why we have partnered with Climate Partner to measure, reduce and offset our carbon footprint. The products are also delivered in FSC certified boxes and vacuum packed using recycled polythene. We also create a second life for our mattresses. We refurbish and re-sell those that are good as new from our 365-night trials and we donate the rest to the British Heart Foundation. To date, our used mattresses have raised £410,000 for the charity.

www.nectarsleep.co.uk

Sealy UK

The all-new Sealy Posturepedic collection has been created through the combination of unique technology married with scientific research. Sealy has worked with the Orthopaedic Advisory Board to develop this new range which is designed to maintain the body’s natural posture during rest and provide correct spinal support. The mattresses also benefit from extensive testing via Sealy’s advanced and state-of-the-art Research and Development facility in Australia.

Each and every Sealy Posturepedic mattress is designed to offer genuine support, true comfort, and lasting durability to provide years of continued service. The range includes both the Elevate and the Elevate Ultra collections, which feature the patented AlignSupport coil. This is a sense and respond spring system with a unique geometry that supports the shape of the body as it relaxes into the mattress.

www.sealy.co.uk

Hypnos

The Project Zero concept bed is designed to the PAS 2050 framework by Hypnos’ Sustainable Development team as part of the company’s pledge to go beyond neutralising its carbon footprint and instead actively helping to regenerate the planet by manufacturing mattresses which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This design means the bed helps to counter greenhouse emissions. Each material featured in the Project Zero concept bed has been carefully considered for its carbon footprint – from growing and processing, to transportation, to assembly and packaging. The concept bed contains only low carbon materials that are chemical-free and fully recyclable at the end of their life, such as FSC certified natural latex.

Richard Naylor, Group Sustainable Development Director of Hypnos, commented: “Our Project Zero concept bed is part of our ongoing mission to inspire everybody to sleep sustainably. Featuring a springless core made with responsive plant-based materials, that remove carbon as they grow, it uses recycled natural fibres wrapped in a sustainable cotton, chemical-free fabric. We’re committed to taking our philosophy on luxurious sleep, sustainability, and decarbonisation to the next level by achieving Net Zero by 2030. This ongoing project is a step towards this.”

www.hypnosbeds.com

Loafing Around

Jamie Williams, Managing Partner at isobel, shares an insight into their creative agency and how furniture businesses like Loaf can leap into the digital world.

When furniture retailer Loaf met creative agency isobel a spark had ignited into a special relationship. For Loaf, it was its next step in ramping up its digital strategy, while for isobel, it was a first taste at working within the furniture space.

The result, ‘loaf like you mean it’, has been a hit, one that has already seen the TV ad campaign shortlisted for a major ‘best TV ad’ award by Thinkbox, the UK body that markets commercial TV.

So, what exactly is ‘loaf like you mean it’ and how did isobel achieve it? Not long after the campaign went live, we spoke to Jamie Williams, Managing Partner at isobel, who shared a glimpse of the strategy behind the screen.

“What we always do is produce work that is different to the rest of a client’s category. We call it ‘one foot in and one foot out’. Marketing and advertising is all about standing out from the crowd and getting noticed, so the worst thing you can do is to produce campaigns that look and feel like the rest of your competition. So, for Loaf, we didn’t want to produce ‘furniture advertising’. We wanted to produce a campaign about what it really means to Loaf, using real human emotions and insight, whilst also showcasing Loaf’s wonderful sofas and products.”

The campaign, which was secured by isobel following a competitive pitch earlier in the year, includes a series of TV ads, featuring a ‘loaf off’ between two competitive loafers, accompanied by sporting style commentators, bringing the loafing lack of action to life. Two further TV ads feature solo loafing heats.

The campaign, which went live in mid-August across TV, cinema, VOD, OOH, digital and social media, also includes a range of static and digital OOH and press ads, showing people in their ultimate loafing positionings, celebrating the joy, and the art, of loafing.

When businesses are considering a digital strategy, Jamie highlights a number of key metrics that are paramount to achieve desired results. He said: “The key thing is for your digital strategy to sit within a wider brand strategy, and for all of your marketing efforts to work as one. Digital channels often help a brand be more targeted and more direct. It’s about using each channel in the best way possible.”

For Loaf, their goal was to celebrate the slower style of living and bring its brand message to whole new level, with Charlie Marshall, Founder and CEO of Loaf, adding: “We’re really excited by this new campaign. We’re all about embracing the slower side of life.”

It’s been a ‘busy and unpredictable’ start to the year for isobel, but with its first furniture win under its belt, the campaign success could potentially open more opportunities to flex its digital muscles in the furnishing sector.

“There is obviously a big shift from e-commerce to socialcommerce, that is certainly affecting categories like furniture,” said Jamie.” The items that we are now prepared to purchase, directly from Instagram, is extortionary. And on social media, there is a definite tiktokization of content, where everything seems to be more user-generated and trend led now, regardless of the platform.

“The power of influencers continues to grow, and almost every brand is incorporating this into their marketing mix now. But more than ever, I think the brands that are standing out are those that can connect with consumers on an emotional level, harnessing a proper human insight. And this has always been the case.”

There is a big shift from e-commerce to social-commerce, that is certainly affecting categories like furniture.

Elevating to the Top

Bed manufacturer Sealy UK is celebrating a recent award win that saw their Elevate Ultra Turing Plush mattress take top product at the NBF Bed Industry Awards.

ProShield® keeps allergens at bay and is endorsed by the Allergy UK.

“At Sealy, it’s our mission to create mattresses that last and that’s why all Sealy Posturepedic mattresses come with a seven-year guarantee. Not only that, all components used within the mattress can be recycled at the end of its lifespan.

“To be recognised by the NBF for producing and selling the ‘bed of the year’ feels like the first step in a new era for Sealy UK. Special thanks to everyone associated with every aspect of this Award entry. It’s a great result and a big win for us all.”

It’s official. The Bed Product of the Year is Sealy UK’s Elevate Ultra Turing Plush mattress. Part of its Sealy Posturepedic collection, the – now award winning - mattress is based on simple skeletal symmetry, keeping the body’s posture parallel to the sleep surface. This means the hips and shoulders are aligned and the spine is straight, while in a relaxed state.

So why was this chosen as the top bed product for 2022? It’s packed with brand new, exclusive sleep technology, including their patented AlignSupport® coil, a sense and respond spring system. How does it work? “It starts by sensing your shape as your body relaxes into the mattress. The unique geometry of the spring then follows up with deep down, consistent support that does not diminish over time. The spring unit is twice tempered for added durability and is completely unique to us,” says David Trimble, General Manager, at Sealy UK.

Furthermore, and working collaboratively with the spring system, Sealy UK has its patented UniCased® XT edge support. David continued: “Encompassing the entire edge, the tailored keys lock into the

AlignSupport® system to create greater stability and extend the sleep surface. The coil-inspired air channels also offer greater breathability and offer a secure seating edge. UniCased® XT is supported by BasePlank. Like anything in life, we all need firm foundations and the Sealy Posturepedic BasePlank, is exactly that. It’s an integral piece of the puzzle that underpins the entire mattress, working with the AlignSupport® spring system to provide true support and durability.”

And that’s not all. A MemorySense® ComfortCore™ is placed in the centre third of the mattress to target the hips and lower back for the ultimate pressure relief. Followed by their very own InfiniLux™ - a premium foam, a double layer of Geltex foam completes the comfort architecture, providing breathability and long-lasting comfort.

“Not only should a mattress feel good but it should look good too,” says David. “The textiles have been expertly designed to stand out and create a look that is uniquely Sealy, complete with SmarTex® and ProShield® for a clean and comfortable night’s rest. SmarTex® is designed to wick away moisture and regulate the sleep climate, whilst

To support the launch of the new Sealy Posturepedic collection, Sealy UK has created a new enhanced suite of assets including images, video and product content. The Elevate Ultra Plush will feature heavily in their Sealy Posturepedic multi-media campaign set to launch late 2022/early 2023, so keep watching this space as the brand continues to elevate to new levels.

www.sealy.co.uk

THE BIG QUESTION

Kathryn Lukehurst – Lukehurst

We are fortunate in the fact that we have great parking which we own for up to 40 cars at one store and adjacent to the other is a huge council owned pay and display car park (and another little one that we own) so for us it’s not a huge problem, but I can see how it could be for more traditional based retailers.

Nigel Lomas - Harvest Moon Interiors

To Park or not to park, that is a question! So as an independent furniture retailer we are in town, pay and display right outside the store.

Visitors have to pay and expect pay in a town centre, but they will be visiting a few shops and stores, maybe having a nice Coffee, a light lunch or a breeze around a new gallery in town. It’s a morning out adventure of discovery. That’s fine. couple of pounds is ok. So as an alternative go out to a huge retail park to park for free, great. It’s a buying mission only, there are no artisan shops, nothing unexpected, the same suspects B&M, Home and Bargain, Nando’s, Poundsave, DFS, what joys await.

Greeted on arrival by the owner or his knowledgeable staff, well perhaps not, I recently walked around a Furniture Village, Massive Store, probably 6 people in it and no one said a word to me! Sterile displays, not very inspiring, but their costs must be insane! So yes, it’s pay, display and enjoy at your indie store.

Vic Smith – Vic Smith Beds

We have three stores - our oldest is in Southgate (North London) and we have metered bays outside on both sides of the street. At the end of these bays is a small M&S with a pay & display. The second store is in Enfield Town, (North London) on the edge of the town and two doors down is a large Tesco’s with car parking.

Our third store is situated in Whetstone, again North London, this one has its own parking outside for six vehicles. We have a central phone line for contact on adverts & marketing and when people ask about parking we run through their options. If people have mobility issues or just want to park outside for whatever reason, we steer them to our Whetstone branch.

We used to have free parking for two hours, and we found this more pleasing for our customers. But obviously councils are going to grab the chance to charge wherever they can. It would be lovely if they would go back to free parking, but in the real world that won’t happen.

George Sinclair – Nimbus Beds

We choose locations with excellent parking resulting in zero parking problems. We have made sure all of our locations have had trains stations right next to them and we have even installed rapid charging points in our new retail park site.

This month we’re asking retailers, is there a car parking problem in your store location(s) and what more could be done to help?

Wendy Martin Green - Peter Green

Parking in towns has been an issue for many years in this country. This was something that my father, Peter Green, was very aware of when he opened his first ‘Peter Green Walkround Showrooms’ in the market town of Eastleigh in 1966. His very ‘new’ concept of housing a furniture and flooring business in a large premises on the outskirts of town was born from him seeing the huge ‘magasin de meubles’ situated in the countryside on his first trip to France in 1960. The vast factory building in Eastleigh that he then converted into a store provided him not only with lower operational costs but also plenty of free parking for his customers. He knew, like all of us, that not being able to find parking or having to pay a lot for parking can be off putting to customers.

When our business finally relocated to a larger premises in Chandlers Ford, parking again was a consideration. On School Lane where we are now our customers have the luxury of ample parking both on and off site. Of course we have to work harder to draw people to an ‘out of town’ location but when they arrive we find they are relaxed because there are no parking issues and therefore ready to buy.

Steve Adams – Mattress Online

Parking is a key requirement for any store roll out, all our current stores have facilities for parking onsite or close by. It’s an important element to make our customers’ purchasing journey as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

At one of our stores parking is limited to one hour on the road outside, and many customers find the nearby car park a little expensive - if local councils could reduce car parking charges this should and could encourage shoppers and footfall in the high street. Future stores will also need convenient parking for customers and staff.

Matt Scott – Sopha

Here in Sedgemoor we have always had a really supportive council on almost everything apart from parking. One of the main things we looked at when choosing where to build our store was the ability to create our own car park that we can control and that our customers could use for free without anything to make their lives unnecessarily more difficult. People passing our shop in their metal boxes on wheels can’t support our business and local authorities taxing our customers for the privilege of shopping in town is something that I find abhorrent. Car parking charges were often introduced in different times when the demand for car parking in our town centres was higher than the total number of spaces, these days however councils are often sitting with half empty car parks that they’re considering selling for development when the town centres and the businesses that form our communities are starved of trade by local authorities.

Many forms of retail business can easily survive on the customers who live within walking distance of their shops, but for many types of retail such as furniture stores need a larger catchment area in order to make the business viable.

Unfortunately until local authorities rethink how people arrive in their town centres local businesses will struggle to compete with both out-of-town retailers and retailers such as Sopha who are fortunate enough to be able to build stores with their own private car parking.

Cassie Cooper – Linthorpe Beds

We are lucky we have plenty of car parking spaces available outside our shops and not really any concerns. It’s a great marketing tool to say free parking etc and it makes the stores seem accessible and appealing to customers.

Louis Kerry – Mattressman

Some of our stores suffer from parking issues, such as late-night anti-social behaviour and visitors of neighbouring businesses using our spaces without visiting us. One thing we have done for some of our stores which have encountered these issues is work with an external parking company to turn them into paid-for spaces out of hours and some also during daytime hours unless they are a customer of the store of which we can waive the car park fee. The only thing I’d suggest to help stores who lose their car parking spaces to non-store visitors would be for local councils to provide more free parking or extended time free parking in the high streets. I’d encourage retail parks not to charge visitors also as this is something we have encountered too.

Last Word with ScS

1. Go all out for maximalism

44.6 million views for #maximalistdecor / 59.1 million views for #cluttercore

This one really is for the brave; known as ‘beautiful chaos’ or ‘cluttercore’, it’s quite possibly the hottest interiors trend on social media at the minute and extremely easy to adapt for autumn. Layering up soft furnishings that have contrasting textures is a great start. Once you begin to get the feel for the theme, look to your walls and identify how you can make them bold and exciting. Chose bright colours and loud patterns and combine the two to make every wall a feature wall to have an immediate impact. Finally, statement lighting can be key here; having multiple lighting options allows you to define the light scheme of the room.

2. Remain neutral

54.7m views for #neutralhomedecor / 5.2 million views for #neutralbedroom

If you prefer things more toned down, it’s worth exploring neutral interiors to create a relaxing zone to welcome autumn. By keeping your colour palette limited you can create a cohesive, interesting space that helps you feel cocooned and centred. Stick to light browns that will be bright during the day but warm in the evening, and distribute this across the entire room. When it comes to accessories, don’t overcrowd your space. Think carefully about the decoration and choose items that add substance to the room, such as lamps, rugs, cushions that bring light and texture. Vases, mirrors and frames also work great for adding visual elements.

3. Japandi-Chic

26.6M views for #japandi / 1.4M views for #japandidecor

Japandi-Chic brings together the elegance and edge of Japanese style with the Scandinavian use of natural materials and overall love of nature. This trend is all about keeping spaces light, functional and bringing in an element of the outside world, so make use of light wooden furniture, materials like wool and sheepskin for soft furnishings, and adorn your floor with a jute rug to really tie everything together.

4. Inspired by the 70s

8.9 million views for #70sdecor / 3 million views for #70sinteriors

The love for mid-century aesthetics has been very evident this year, with the 70s in particular enjoying a newfound appreciation. The decade’s colour palette is known for its deep and earthy tones, with yellows, browns and oranges taking centre stage, and these are ideal for echoing the changing seasons outside. Some of the main design motifs from the era are curves, arches and swoops that can be quickly introduced by using circular or arched mirrors, accessories such as dome lamps or even getting creative with paint design on a feature wall.

5. Make the most of yellow by going for mustard

1.2 million views for #yellowdecor / 39,200 views for #yellowbedroom

Mustard is a popular pick thanks to its bright, yet warm, hues. For a more subtle effect, use this colour in lamp shades, blankets, pillows and curtains to give your room a hint of autumn. Or, if you’re looking for something a bit bolder, create a mustard feature wall with paint or wallpaper, or make it the focal point of a living room with a mustard sofa.

www.scs.co.uk

Vicki Foster, interior stylist at ScS, analyses TikTok data to reveal the top five autumnal trends.

The love for mid-century aesthetics has been very evident this year. ”